Four Seasons for Marimba Quartet was composed in 1994 with a request for "A marimba ensemble depicting a Japanese landscape ...". Regarding the four seasons of Japan, colored with rich expressiveness from time to time, we sat together and thought about it. We decided to compose the piece based on four parts; "Akiakane" (Red Dragonfly), "Huyukodachi" (Winter Barren Trees), "Harugasumi" (Spring Haze), and "Natsuarashi" (Summer Storm). Each part is an independent song. Play them individually and/or in any order together. An expressive performance with Japan's four seasons in mind will be very much appreciated.

(Michiko Nakazawa)