Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints Op. 211

Hanga Genso

By Alan Hovhaness

I am a senior in high school who has been playing percussion for 8 years now. Some previous solos I've performed are Valse Brillante (by George H. Green) and The Golden Age of the Xylophone (medley Arr. Randy Eyles.) When I ordered the piece, I had only listened to...

a recording of the orchestral version. While it is difficult to find a pianist who can imitate the ethereal and dynamic sounds of the orchestra, it is certainly worthwhile to add to one's repertoire. I find that the best sound comes from a synthetic xylophone struck with articulate plastic mallets (I use the Innovative Percussion OS3s.) One of the more interesting qualities of this piece is that most of the dynamics and tempos can be interpreted to the desire of the soloist (often, but not always, indicated by the Senza Misura markings.) I would recommend this piece to any skilled xylophonists who want to move beyond classical transcriptions and ragtime pieces.