hey all,
I'm working on Henze's, Five Scenes from the Snow Country. I need to give a presentation on the piece and am having trouble finding information on the piece. Does anyone have any ideas or know where I can find out some information about the piece.

Thanks
al

What information?

It was commissioned by Michiko Takahashi, winner of the 1973 Gaudeamus Foundation Interpreters Competition in Rotterdam. (She was also the commissioner of Toru Takemitsu's Gitymalya.)

Takahashi gave the world premiere performance in Tokyo in 1982. I gave the U.S. premiere performance in New York in 1984.

The "Snow Country" of the title is Japan.

On the whole, I do not think it is a very successful piece. Henze probably considered the commission as "music for hire," wrote it at the piano, and never bothered to give much thought to the marimba as a unique instrument.

WM