Three Sections
For open instrumentation
This piece draws inspiration from James Tenney’s Maximusic. In the first and third sections of Tenney’s work – also structured in three parts – a quiet cymbal rolls is sustained for a long time. In the second section, in contrast, a “sudden loud, fast improvisation” is performed on a variety of non-sustaining percussion instruments.
In Three Sections, the general character of Maximusic’s different sections is condensed into two equally contrasting gestures – a long sustained sound and a fast erratic improvisation – which define the character of the work’s first two sections respectively. In this case however, the two are present in both sections and trigger specific actions by the participants.
In the third and last section, sparse, alternating short sounds contrast with the mostly continuous and collective activity of the rest of the piece.
In Three Sections, the general character of Maximusic’s different sections is condensed into two equally contrasting gestures – a long sustained sound and a fast erratic improvisation – which define the character of the work’s first two sections respectively. In this case however, the two are present in both sections and trigger specific actions by the participants.
In the third and last section, sparse, alternating short sounds contrast with the mostly continuous and collective activity of the rest of the piece.