Sins of the Lion is a dramatic duet for two marimbas inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, particularly the circles of Hell devoted to violence. The piece unfolds in five connected sections, moving through different forms of violence and their consequences as imagined in Dante’s moral landscape.

The introduction opens the descent, establishing a volatile and ritualistic sound world before moving into “The Violent Against Their Neighbors.” Here, the two marimbas engage in aggressive, tightly wound exchanges, suggesting outward brutality, conflict, and destruction. “The Violent Against Themselves” turns inward. The music becomes darker and more haunted, reflecting a violence directed not at the external world, but against the self.

“The Voice of Virgil” offers a moment of clarity within the chaos. Dante’s guide is represented through a calmer, more reflective passage: not an escape from Hell, but a temporary point of orientation inside it. The final section, “The Violent Against God, Nature, and Art,” drives the piece toward a furious conclusion, with the two instruments locked in an increasingly explosive dialogue.

Sins of the Lion was commissioned by percussionist Sean Ritenauer and premiered with Matt Kantorski at Greenfield Hall in New York in March 2004.

—SC