Tilting at Windmills is a thematic duet for marimba, filled with an wide range of musical genres. Rich chorale-like phrases, long melodious passages, and exciting punctuated rhythmic statements are all presented in one cohesive musical package.
With respect to instrumentation, this piece is flexible in its range, as it can be played on either 4.3-octave (low A) instruments or full 5-octave instruments. Through ossia staves or parenthetical notation, the score highlights parts that can be performed on 5-octave marimbas if available. If only one 5-octave instrument is available, it should go to Player 2.