My Beautiful Chaos by Thomas R. Marceau

Written to portray the relationship between his two sons, Samuel and Liam, Thomas R. Marceau’s My Beautiful Chaos is an advanced work for marimba duo originally commissioned by Gordon Stout. In it, Marceau juxtaposes several different motives between the two marimba parts creating a fluid and undulating sonority. Despite the inherent conflict between the two marimba parts the overall effect of the piece (much like the version for solo marimba) is tender and charming, which is exactly how Marceau describes his two boys. Duos wishing to undertake this piece will find it technically challenging, demanding the highest command of four-mallet technique, as well as musically edifying.