The Connection - March 2013

The Connection - Performed at the Boston Conservatory, March 2013
The Connection, written for Nancy Zeltsman in 2001, is a peculiar piece for
marimba, which requires the performer to recite a poem while playing. In a personal
conversation with the composer, Rolfe said: "Nancy wanted me to write this marimba
piece...and I really liked these stories by Danill Kharms, the Soviet [absurdist] writer
from the 20s and 30s, and somehow I thought... how about if she speaks the story.
[I'm] not sure how I got to that point, but then it all made sense."
The player's right hand dictates the rhythm of the poem, and the notes correspond
with the vowels and consonants of the text. Because of this system of pitch
arrangement, each character and object in the story seems to have its own motive.
Christine Augspurger