"Alseid of the Forest" is a percussion ensemble that can be played by three players on a single marimba, or by four players including a percussionist. I chose this title because a marimba sounds like a forest. Incidentally, the percussion quartet I wrote in the past, "The Story of the Gnome Forest," was also titled from the same idea. Alseid is a forest nymph in Greek mythology. Alseid is in English, and the original word is Alseis (or plural Alseides). I composed this piece with three scenes set in a forest where these nymphs live. There is no specific storyline, but rather the following rough images. 1. Folklore about the forest. Images from the past. Fairies used to live there. 2. Wandering deep into the forest. The forest is foggy. In the silence, the sounds of birds and water can be heard. 3. The story of a time when there were battles. A new adventure is about to begin. I hope you will listen to (or play) the piece with various images.
(Hiroki Takahashi)
