Spook (2000) is one of Farr's most technically challenging works for marimba. In some respects it is a technical etude, as the main body of the work focuses almost exclusively on the use of the double lateral stroke, one of the virtuoso innovations in percussion over the last few decades. The work's quieter moments emphasise the independent roll, with sustained chords being played by one hand as an accompaniment to the other, which plays more articulate, rhythmic material.
Jason Baker, Percussive Notes, August, September 2009.
Spook is a challenging "tour de force" solo for marimba. It is composed for a 5.0-octave instrument and uses four mallets throughout.
Much of the musical material in Spook is connected to the use of double lateral strokes, independent rolls and double vertical strokes. Most of the piece exists in moto-perpetuo style through the use of quick double lateral strokes. These sections are juxtaposed by brief statements incorporating independent rolls and separate rhythms in the lower register. The final section of the piece features a faster tempo and alternating double vertical strokes.
As much of the musical content of the piece relies on accurate execution of specific playing techniques, the performer will need to feel comfortable with these in order to perform this work accurately and at the given tempi. While Spook, offers many technical challenges for the marimbist, all of the material is idiomatic to four-mallet playing, creating an opportunity to showcase the abilities of the performer and the sonic possibilities of the instrument.
Difficulty Rating Scale Vl - Advanced
Gareth Farr is an indisputably colourful figure in New Zealand music. And whether scored for percussion duet or the resources of two large orchestras, Farr's music reflects his personality – bold, brash, or delicate and sensuous, but inevitably, immediately, engaging. Rhythmic elements of his compositions can be linked to the complex and exciting rhythms of Rarotongan log drum ensembles, Balinese gamelan and other percussion music of the Pacific Rim. In addition to his music for the concert chamber, Farr has written music for dance, theatre and television.
