Druckman’s “Reflections on the Nature of Water“ (mvt 1-3) performed by Ian Rosenbaum

Vic Firth artist Ian Rosenbaum performs Jacob Druckman’s “Reflections on the Nature of Water“ (1986) for solo marimba. Presented here are movements 1 (Crystalline), 2 (Fleet) and 3 (Tranquil). Movements 4-6 are presented in a separate video. For more information, please visit Druckman used Reflections on the Nature of Water as an homage to Claude Debussy, whose Preludes had inspired the young composer. It was Monet’s painting “Reflections on Water“ that inspired Debussy’s “Reflections In the Water,“ from Images, Book One (1905). Druckman likewise paints the musical text for the listener by titling each of the work’s six pieces. “Crystalline,“ with its thematic material, paints a picture of a change in the water’s consistency. “Fleet,“ with a quick pace, ebbs and flows. Sharp interruptions punctuate and disrupt the flow of the piece with a calculated persistence. The third piece, “Tranquil,“ exists as a pulsating, almost hypnotic and meditative entity of its own.