PYRO
Program Notes
The word ‘pyro’ has a few different meanings. It can denote fire, heat, or temperature, but the meaning that most inspired this piece comes from the word ‘pyromaniac’, which is used to describe someone who has the compulsion to set things on fire. In particular, I was most influenced by a surreal, somewhat grotesque artwork by David Lynch called Boy Lights Fire (2010), in which a boy holds a book of matches in his left hand and a lit match in his right hand while someone (perhaps his mother) appears in the distance, arms stretched out, seemingly in shock. I imagined the boy lighting their house on fire and the house gradually burning to the ground. Pyro was commissioned by Micheal Barnes.
PERUSAL
Duration: ca. 5’00”
General Explanation of Notation
, –brief pause or delay
^ –hard accent
æ –tremolo
( ) – All markings in parenthesis are courtesy/cautionary markings.
•All grace notes (including beamed grace notes with slashes) are to be played immediately before the beat they proceed. They are to be played very close to the beat and as fast as possible.
•All accidentals last for the entire measure, unless they are canceled out by another accidental (such as a natural sign). Accidentals only apply to the line or space they are on.
for Solo Marimba
Gradual burn (like a dry simmer)
