Three Chorales Volume 1 by Robert Oetomo

Review (Percussive Notes, March 2013)

It is interesting to see the progression of this young composer through these three chorales that are intended to “explore the colours of the 5-octave marimba in the low to middle registers.” Created a year apart from one another, the distinct mood of each is paired with thoughtful compositional inspiration. While chorales present unique technical challenges, such as achieving a smooth, sustained quality, the biggest obstacle for most will be gaining comfort with the interval of a ninth in the left hand.

The first chorale, “Amy,” is centered in A major. Thematic material was developed by a system pairing letters in the English alphabet to the pitches used in western notation. This expressive chorale is more uplifting than the others. Consisting almost entirely of rolls, I am reminded of Emmanuel Sejourne’s “Nancy” at times. Changing to a darker character, the second chorale, “Timeless Sorrow,” is more regular in rhythmic and metric structure. This allows the harmonic progression, inspired by Tchaikovsky, to stand out. 

Originally scored for chamber opera, the final chorale, “Postlude: An Aftermath,” deals with the tragedy of suicide. Performers will have little difficulty interpreting the character, as the composer includes very descriptive expression markings such as “With despair and devastation, extremely desolate,” “With tension,” “A sense of false hope,” and “Much slower.” With each chorale containing 50 measures or less, advanced marimbists can use this collection as a quick way to refine their chorale playing.

—Darin Olson