Five Scenes from the Snow Country

Five Scenes from the Snow Country is a composition by Hans Werner Henze for marimba solo. The work was written in 1978 for Japanese percussionist Michiko Takahashi. An ordinary performance of the piece lasts about 15 minutes.

Composition

Henze has said that continuous snowfall inspired the composition, adding "Twice during short pauses in the storm I went into the woods and noticed the effect of drifts and the collection of snow crystals that sparkled in the sun." In terms of dynamics, the piece is mostly very quiet, especially in the third scene, which shifts between pppp and pp.

Structure

As indicated by its title, the composition has five movements:

First scene: Mysteriously, tempo of a funeral march

Second scene: Very fast

Third scene: Very slowly, extremely quiet, whispering

Fourth scene: Allegretto

Fifth scene: Andante cantabile

References

Percussion Today CD booklet by Volker Scherliess

Hans Werner Henze

Operas	Boulevard Solitude (1951) König Hirsch (1955) Der Prinz von Homburg (1958) Elegy for Young Lovers (Elegie für junge Liebende) (1961) The Bassarids (Die Bassariden) (1965) Der junge Lord (1964) El Cimarrón (1971) Der langwierige Weg in die Wohnung der Natascha Ungeheuer (1971) We Come to the River (1976) The English Cat (1983) Das verratene Meer (1989) Venus und Adonis (1995) L'Upupa und der Triumph der Sohnesliebe (2003) Phaedra (2007) Gisela! (2010)

Ballet	Ondine (1957)

Symphonies	No. 1 (Kammerkonzert 05) No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 No. 8 No. 9 No. 10

Film scores	Muriel ou le Temps d'un retour Young Törless The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum

Other compositions	Fantasia for Strings (1966) Das Floß der Medusa (1968) Compases para preguntas ensimismadas (1970) Heliogabalus imperator (1972/86) Tristan (1973) Voices (1973) Royal Winter Music (1976) Five Scenes from the Snow Country (1978) Royal Winter Music (1979) Requiem: 9 geistliche Konzerte (1993) Sebastian im Traum (2004)

Related articles	Literaturoper Moment form Postmodern music

List of compositions by Hans Werner Henze Category:Compositions by Hans Werner Henze

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