Enigma Machine is based on the idea of motivic variation. I imagined the main motive (which is first presented in the marimba at mm. 18) weaving its way throughout the piece. We see it most often in the mallets, but everything in the work is a response and form of development off this first motivic idea. It is purposefully quirky, using 5/8 meter to create an uneven melodic line.

As the work progresses I imagined the motive spinning out through a machine. It is loosely based on the idea of the "enigma machine" which produced endless variants of code. Instrument sections group together and respond to each other in small variations of the initial motive, finally culminating in measure 68. The work then detours and winds its way once gain through motivic development which is highlighted through different instrumental color pairings. Again responding to each other, a second climactic peak occurs at measure 187. This motivic code then unwinds itself back to the original mallet presentation from the start of the work. We are then left with one motivic voice, the vibes, dissipating into silence.