A Sammut original! Performed by Jasmin Kolberg on her CD, Mosaique, this rhythmic, dancing piece is sure to be an audience pleaser. The perfect work for starting a conversation with that cellist you’ve had your eye on! Requires a 5.0 octave marimba.

“‘Marcello’ is a five-minute duo for marimba and cello. Sammut’s work is in a simple A-B form. After a short cello cadenza to open th epiece, the marimba establishes the tempo with a constant eighth notes in d minor. Although the rhythms and patterns of each measure are recurring in the marimba part, the notes change to denote the evolving chord progression while the cellist plays a legato melody line in quarter and half notes. The second part of the A section has the cellist playing steady quarter notes with the marimbist playing a steady eighth-note melody.
The B section opens with the cellist playing a pattern similar to Bach’s ‘Cello Suite I: Prelude’ but in 7/8. This four-bar intro is centered around G Major, and the four bars following them use the same pattern but in A minor. These two patterns are repeated throughough most of the entire B section, leaving room for the marimba to take the lead voice. Although the cello notes remain constant through the repeats, the agogic accents shift between 2-2-3 and 2-3-2 to create interest and support the melody line. A sudden ending occurs after a short 5/8 statement of block chords in the marimba and arpeggiated chords in the cello.
Due to the repetition in the cello part and steady pulse in the marimba, the parts should come together fairly quickly. Although there are a few timing and tight interval demands for the marimbist, Sammut’s graceful and lyrical lines make ‘Marcello’ very accessible to performers and listeners.”
— Brian Zator, Percussive Notes, March 2010