Eden by Adam Miller

The Rosewood Bible encompasses a series of eight compositions based on Biblical highlights, beginning with Eden for solo marimba, and ending with Revelation for percussion duo and piano. Each piece may be performed separately or the entire series of works may be performed in order as a programmatic representation of the Holy Bible.

Eden is a musical representation of the Genesis story of the Garden of Eden, portraying both the timeless beauty of the Garden and its fall from grace. The beginning of the piece is set in a minor, a storyteller’s introduction to a sad and beautiful scripture. Following a general ABA form, the central key of the composition is set in D Major, with a brief interlude in d minor symbolizing the Serpent: a demon in paradise. The piece returns to D Major and fades out, representative of the return to hope and the continued expectations for what was lost. The smooth, flowing texture and somewhat impressionistic style of the piece strive to capture the mournful beauty of the height, and subsequent fall, of the Garden of Eden.