Discussion and analysis of a graduate recital: an examination of Gary Burton's "Chega De Saudade," Steve Reich's "Marimba Phase," Michael Gordon's "XY," John Cage's "In a Landscape," Minoru Miki's "Time for Marimba," and Milton Babbitt's "Homily"

Christopher James Hull
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:58:48 PDT

This paper discusses some of the many facets of percussion music through the examination and analysis of the following works: Gary Burton's Chega De Saudade for solo vibraphone; Steve Reich's Marimba Phase for two marimbas; Michael Gordon's XY for five drums; the author's own arrangement for multiple-percussion setup of John Cage's In a Landscape; Minoru Miki's Time for Marimba for solo marimba; and Milton Babbitt's Homily for solo snare drum. As the repertoire and performance practices of percussion continue to develop, there are many issues of note to the studying percussionist. These range from technical concerns, to issues of interpretation. Each work exemplifies certain of these issues, and this paper seeks to glean better understanding of those through analysis and study of the works.