Etude in C Sharp Minor by Pius Cheung

Etude in c# minor (for solo marimba) was composed in 2008 and premiered by myself at the 8th International Marimba Festival in Chiapas, Mexico. Though it was not my original intention to compose it as part of a set of three etudes along with Etude in d minor and Etude in D Major, perhaps because I wrote them all in the same week, these three pieces work quite well together as a three movement Etude Fantasy.

Just as my previous etudes are, this piece is part of my project to compose 24 of such works, one in each key. And despite the title of ‘etude’, it is not just a mere technical exercise, but a short musical moment. The tone of this piece is quite sad and somber, exploring the potentials of the marimba to ‘sing’ in a lyrical and dramatic way.

– Pius Cheung