Abgesang

Raskatov wrote Abgesang in the Autumn of 2002 on the occasion of the 70^th birthday of Yuri Kholopov, a renowned music theorist at the Moscow Conservatory, with whom he had been studying for many years. The title of the piece refers to the medieval ‘bar form’ which the students had been discussing with Kholopov at that time. Its parts AAB are called ‘Stollen-Stollen-Abgesang’. Herewith the composer wanted to express a ‘merry nostalgic’ feeling as well as his gratitude to his teacher.

The piece consists of 70 bars to be played in the tempo of M.M. 70. In the second section the marimba player is meant to sing along with the low marimba tremolo in order to produce the illusion of a low wavy chorus. The work can be performed by a man or a woman, the latter singing an octave higher.