Answers by Marcelo Ferreyra

This work was composed in 1997, and won a special mention diploma at the ‘First Composition Contest of Marimba Works’ held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which featured a distinguished international jury of composers and performers.

INSPIRED by ‘The Unanswered Question’ [Charles Ives (1874-1952)] – Answers is an attempt to respond – to answer the question. The work spans three (3) movements. The first movement express my thoughts about the question and the movements’ from is a continuous development, very close to a Perpetum Mobile. The ‘answer’ itself occurs in the second movement, in rococo style, and the listener is challenged to discover if the question has been answered or not. The third movement is written as canonic variations with high counterpoint between the parts, with a slow section in the middle, that leads the work to a happy conclusion. 

I choose the marimba to ‘answer’ because it has a distinctive exotic sound that I find appealing with regard to the original Ives premise. The work is full of composing techniques of the 20th century such as mirror chords, rows and pointillism, etc. – that I used as a treatment of the big marimba sound, highlighting the expressiveness of the instrument. 

I hope that performers will enjoy the challenge of finding the answer to Ives’ Unanswered Question.

Marcelo Ferreyra

DURATION: 12 to 15 minutes.