A Message From The Emperor: Percussion Ensemble

Using text from Franz Kafka's short parable "A Message from the Emperor," this work describes, in the composer's words, "a glorious being, never seen by his countless lowly subjects, who, from his death bed, dispatches an indefatigable messenger (a prophet perhaps) with a most important message - just for you. For various practical reasons however the message cannot possibly be delivered. And even if it finally arrived the one who sent it will have died long ago." A Message from the Emperor is played and recited by two percussionists facing each other at a slight diagonal angle, with the marimba placed audience left and the vibraphone at audience right. For advanced players.