Gravity
Subtitle: For 2 Vibraphones and 2 Marimbas (or 2 Vibraphones, 2 Marimbas and Bass Marimba)
General Info
Year: 2013
Duration: c. 10:25
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Marc Mellits
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $100.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V (4-5 players), including:
- Vibraphone I-II
- Marimba I-II-III (II 4.3 octaves (optional 4.6 octaves); III optional, 5.0 octaves)
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Mellits gave Gravity its abstract title after realizing how the music created a feeling of depth and falling or of drawing objects to the center. Mellits refers to the piece as having different textures that fall, combine, and get increasingly faster; these textures produce a “gravitational pull in the music.” This musical pull can also be felt through tempo shifts that use metric modulations, accelerandi, and subito tempo changes. Mellits was eager to use this compositional device with percussionists: “Percussionists can do that. Get four guys together. BAM! Hit another tempo. It’s exciting to see them do that.” Mellits confidently wrote challenging ensemble parts with percussionists in mind to execute them.
- Program Note by Oliver Neil Molina in The percussion music of Marc Mellits: 1994-2016
Commercial Discography
- Audio MP3: Clocks in Motion – 2014
- Audio CD: University of Central Florida Percussion – 2014
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Cleveland (Ohio) State University Percussion Ensemble - 19 May 2024
- Viera High School (Melbourne, Fla.) Wind Ensemble (Dan Johnson, conductor) – 1 March 2024 (CBDNA 2024 Southern Division Conference, Memphis, Tenn.)
- Cleveland (Ohio) State University Percussion Ensemble - 8 December 2023
- University of California, Los Angeles, Percussion Ensemble – 3 June 2022
- University of California, Los Angeles, Percussion Ensemble – 29 May 2022
- Rob Bridge, Jon Lee, Marc Mellits, Jeff Moore, Jen Vacanti (percussion) – 31 January 2020
- Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tenn.) Percussion Group – 2019
- Clocks in Motion (Madison, Wis.) – April 2017
- University of Tennessee (Knoxville) Percussion Ensemble – 2016
- Grand Valley State University (Allendale Charter Township, Mich.) New Music Ensemble – 2 April 2016
- University of Kentucky (Lexington) Percussion Ensemble – 1 November 2015
- Clocks in Motion (Madison, Wis.) – 2015
- Clocks in Motion (Madison, Wis.) – May 2013
- Third Coast Percussion (Chicago, Ill.) – May 2013
- Percussions Claviers de Lyon (France) – 14 May 2013 *Premiere Performance*
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Apollo (2019)
- Black (Bassoon Quartet) (2008/2014)
- Black (Clarinet Quartet) (2008/2015)
- Black (Mallet Quartet) (2008/2020)
- Black (Saxophone Quartet) (2008/2012)
- Black (Tuba Quartet) (2008/2023)
- Black (Wagner Tuba Quartet) (2008/2022)
- Ex Machina (Clarinet Quartet) (2016/2018)
- Ex Machina (Saxophone Quartet) (2016)
- ExtraSensory Perception (Clarinet Ensemble) (2018/2019)
- ExtraSensory Perception (Saxophone Ensemble) (2018)
- Farfalle Cotte (2006)
- Gravity (2013)
- Groove Canon (Brass Quintet and Drumset) (1998)
- Groove Canon (Brass Quintet and Percussion) (1998/2002)
- Ninkasi (2015/2018)
- Phoenix (2017)
- Prime (2008)
- Prometheus (arr. Russell) (2011/2019)
- Quad (2009)
- Red (2008/2018)
- Release (2017)
- Requiem for a Hummingbird (2012)
- Revolution (arr. Nichol) (2012)
- Saxology (2015)
- Season's Songs (2003)
- Splinter (2014)
- Tapas (2017)
- This Side of Twilight (2010)
- Zoot Suit Riot (1999)
Resources
- Mellits, M. (2013). Gravity : for 2 vibraphones and 2 marimbas (or 2 vibraphones, 2 marimbas and bass marimba) [score]. Dacia Music: Chicago, Ill.
- Molina, Oliver Neil. "The percussion music of Marc Mellits: 1994-2016." DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) thesis, University of Iowa, 2019.