PROGRAM NOTES Trio in a Rudimental Style Joe Tompkins “Trio” is written for three snare drums and three bass drums. It was premiered by the New York Philharmonic Percussion section on April 3rd, 2002. It is heavily influenced by funk drum set styles (Steve Gadd in particular) and should be played as such. It is recommended to use 6 1/2 inch snare drums with wire snares and trap-set bass drums mounted on their sides (or large floor toms) with some muffling. None of the instrument should sound “classical.” Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic Percussion Section. – Notes by the composer Wild Sound Glenn Kotche Chicago-based percussionist and composer Glenn Kotche has written pieces for worldrenowned ensembles including Kronos Quartet and Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, and has released six albums of his own compositions. Since 2001, Kotche has also been the drummer and percussionist of the groundbreaking rock band Wilco. Wild Sound is a massive multi-media project developed by Glenn Kotche and Third Coast Percussion that utilizes custom instruments, many of which are created on stage during the performance. Tonight’s concert features the final section of the piece, arranged for more standard pitched percussion instruments. Wild Sound was commissioned by the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program, with generous funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Chamber Music America Endowment Fund. Additional support provided by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music Series and the National Forum of Music Wrocław. – Third Coast Percussion Hemispheres Kevin Bobo Hemispheres was commissioned by Dr. Dennis Rogers and the Missouri Western State University Percussion Ensemble in 2008. The piece is an exploration of several musical styles found throughout the world. While the music of some cultures will be more obvious than others, Hemispheres draws its influence from the music of Indonesia, India, Cuba, Spain, Japan, and parts of West Africa. – Notes by the composer Six Ivan Trevino Six is a mallet sextet commissioned and premiered by the Eastman School of Music Percussion Ensemble in October 2012. It is scored for two five-octave marimbas, two vibraphones, and two glockenspiels. The piece reflects the six years I spent as Eastman as a student and all the special memories I created there. I learned so much about music and life from my teachers and fellow
classmates, and am especially fortunate to have met my wife there too. It is an honor to be commissioned by the Eastman Percussion Ensemble, a group I frequently performed in as a student, under the direction of both John Beck and Michael Burritt. Musically, Six is inspired by Sigur Rós, and Icelandic rock band known for writing beautiful, simple songs. – Notes by the composer Ritual Music David Skidmore Ritual Music (variations on the numbers 2 and 4) was written for the Chicago dance company Raizel Performances and was premiered in collaboration with that group in the spring of 2005. As the title suggests, I used the numbers two and four to bring order to the primeval timbres and violent counterpoint of the piece. The pitches in the marimba, the rhythmic motifs and the structure of the phrases were all determined numerically. As such, a friction is created between the mechanical simplicity of the structural elements and the abandon with which the instruments shout, shriek, groan and wail. The ritual is tightly controlled with respect to its numeric foundations, yet it is also an incantation of things far more frantic and powerful. Thus the piece can act as a sort of “overture” for percussion. Ritual Music can be heard on Third Coast Percussion’s debut recording, which is titled after this piece. – Notes by the composer Swarm Kevin Bobo “So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought locusts; they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts nor will there ever be again.” Commissioned by the University of Northern Iowa Percussion Ensemble, Directed by Ryan Frost and Matt Andreini In Memory of the Lives and Gifts of: Frigyes Hidas, Hungary, 1928-2007 Karel Husa, Czech Republic/USA, 1921-2016 Kamilló Lendvay, Hungary, 1928-2016
Vespertine Formations Christopher Deane
– Notes by the composer
Vespertine Formations was composed in the fall of 2003. It was first performed on the University of North Texas “Global Rhythms” concert on November 5, 2003. A revised version was performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention on November 21, 2003. Members of the ensemble for both performances were Jason Baker, I-Jen Fang, Jane Lane and Eric Willie. The inspiration for Vespertine Formations was the chance observation of flock maneuvers performed by a huge number of birds over the UNT campus on an October evening in 2001. The wing motions of so many birds suggested the texture of constant sixteenth notes. As the brilliant orange sunset diminished to dusk, the birds settled into trees around the campus. The fantastic choreography created by this flock of birds and natural chronology of events guided the structure and form of this piece. – Notes by the composer Springs Paul Lansky Springs for percussion quartet exercises the ability of percussion to work up kinetic energy through pattern and repetition and to “spring” into action. The instruments required are two drums and three “toys” per player. There are also suspended cymbals, crotales and glockenspiel played by players 2, 3, and 4 respectively. The drums are bongos, congas, higher toms, lower toms. The choice of “toys” is up to the performers. They should, however, be balanced in terms of loudness and ring-time. Each set of three should be low to high, within a fairly modest frequency range. Player 1 plays three woods such as temple block, woodblock and claves. Player 2 plays three metals such as almglocken, cowbell and agogo bell. Player 3 can play something such as bottles, and Player 4 plays plates or flowerpots. The result should be a harmonious cacophony. They are played consistently throughout the piece, so it is important to take care in choosing a set of twelve that work well together. This commission has been made possible by the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program with generous funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Chamber Music America Endowment Fund. It is dedicated to the wonderful group Sō Percussion. – Notes by the composer DisArchitechture David Hall DisArchitecture is loosely based on the “deconstructionist” architecture of Frank Gehry. In the summer of 2006 I was fortunate to live across this river from Gehry’s transcendent Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by the imaginative way Gehry reconciles visual chaos and disorder with mathematical elegance and function in his buildings. Harmonically, the piece revolves around the two tonal centers of E and F. Each center features a four-chord progression embedded in various ways throughout, with one progression ascending to arrive on E (the “up” or “construction” motive) and the other descending to arrive on F (the “down” or “deconstruction” motive). The harmonic material is derived from different
permutations and combinations of these motives as they act to subvert or complement each other. For the various colors, textures, and moods of the piece, I drew specific inspiration from the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. I sought to emulate the various shapes and visual momentum of this structure, which in some places is smooth and flowing and in others aggressive and angular. DisArchitecture is the product of a year-long fascination with Frank Gehry’s aesthetics and creative process; and my humble musical homage to his work. – Notes by the composer