Two Lullabies by Robert Oetomo

Two Lullabies for solo marimba is dedicated to two very special people in my life.

Composed in 2011, Evergreen Lullaby is dedicated to a dear friend of mine, Allyce Burton. The work explores the marimba in a pianistic way, with the left and right hands independent of one another. The left hand plays an ostinato of five ascending and descending pitches, while the right hand plays an independent melody grouped as 6 + 4 + 4 + 6 over two bar phrases.

Composed in 2012, Lilia’s Lullaby is dedicated to my marimba teacher, Jasmin Kolberg. One of her many practice philosophies is to sing out loud while playing at the same time. The work explores the creation of legato phrases on the marimba. Due to the limited sustain of the marimba, legato phrases are difficult to achieve. Singing out loud while playing the marimba has helped me achieve legato phrases.

Robert Oetomo