Haynes-Three Character Waltzes-M

Inspired by the children’s piano suites written by Schumann, Khachaturian, and Tchaikovsky, Three Character Waltzes is a trio of short pieces written in a neo-Romantic style. Playful and programmatic, each short piece evokes a singular character while remaining idiomatic to the marimba in a technical sense.

I. Pelican’s Waltz: While graceful in the air, this pelican is careful to keep its balance when waltzing on the beach. It’s a bit goofy, however. An expressive sense of rubato should be used to group each of the phrases and exaggerate the character.

II. Julian’s Waltz: This waltz has a more serene nature and can be played in a relaxed style. The piece is written for the composer’s son, Isaiah Julian Haynes, shortly after his birth.

II. Specter’s Waltz: This final character is more haunting and dances with precipitous, yet elegant movements. Mysterious in all respects, the specter arrives quickly, moves gracefully, then vanishes back into the mist.

• Number of players: 1
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Instrumentation: Marimba (5 octave)