dance performance project:
musical compositions
by Cliff Crego
New Music for
PERCUSSION
last update V.29.2007
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(2) Monthly feature
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| A new music, poetry and dance performance project: musical compositions by Cliff Crego New Music for PERCUSSION last update V.29.2007 |
(1) What's New |
|
NEW: from the Set of Percussion Ensemble Studies:
STUDY NO. 4 "SHIFT 3:2"a rhythmical invention
exploring the ratio 3 in the time of 2, both as counter-rhythm & tempo shift;
for any number of players & any combination of instruments . . .
study no. 4. pdf
[13 A3 (11" x 17" Pages 276 K]
study no. 4 PARTS.pdf
[13 A3 (11" x 14") Pages 276 K]
NEW: A new addition to THE MAGIC BOX—
Timeline—for vibraphone & marimba
Timeline is based on two modes of temporal movement—
one linear (slow) and one curved (fast)—that are woven together
in a kind of complex composite.
The three main voices—the vibraphone music, the marimba music,
as well as an inner slow music of 80 regular pulses or steps for both
vibes and marimba—may be played in conjunction with the duo
as separate pieces.
Timeline. pdf
[20 A3 (11 x 17) Pages 322 K]
Timeline-parts.pdf
[7 short A3 (11 x 14) Pages 436 K]
A new CD from DUO
VERTIGO
NIELS MELIEFSTE &
CLAIRE EDWARDS play
The Magic Box, An Invention
in two voices, The Little Triangle,
Dance of the Blue Castanets,
and 4-Square
| view / download scores |
NEW Set of Percussion Ensemble Studies:
STUDY NO. 3 for 8 snare drums "Wave" for two onstage
snare drummers, and two widely spaced sets of three snare drums on
either side of the hall. FIRST 3 MINUTES OF AN 8 MINUTE PIECE:
STUDY NO. 2 in 5 voices "T 104" (TEMPO 104) for any number
of players & any combination of instruments; recording is of an electronic ensemble
of 9 players on African instruments with one lead drummer center stage
Study No. 2 starts with what I think of as basic 'one hand'
percussion, like playing a cowbell by holding it in the
left hand and striking it with a drumstick in the right,
or playing even a large skindrum with but a single mallet.
This means that all of the musics of the five voices of
the study are simple, single phrase, beat patterns; it also
means that the maximum speed of a repeated stroke is limited
(This corresponds to single as opposed to 'double' or 'triple'
tonguing when singing.)
The real complexity—that is, the striking or interesting part
of the music, is I hope the resulting five-part polyphony.
Each voice is independent, is equally important, and
plays its own special role within the composite texture.
In a way, I suppose one could say that polyphony is the real
theme of the study. There are two kinds of many-voiced
movements to work on:
(1) spatial: all the voices play at the same time, like
in a Baroque fugue, or in much African music;
(2) temporal: the voices alternate in a dynamic
back-and-forth.
How to work on the Study:
FIRST: Without instruments:
(1) Conduct the meter patterns, individually and collectively,
and count out loud the beats. Do this section by section.
(2) Conduct meter patterns as before, sing with percussion
solfege (first just rhythm, then add dynamics and articulation
(sound);
(3) Conduct as above, but now with the right hand
play the rhythm of your part, phrase by phrase. Use a pencil
on a table top, for example.
(4) Now put the meter, like a dancer, in your feet & lower body,
while first singing the part, and then clapping. The Study can
be performed this way too, either singing or clapping.
Go to pages in the performance score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Study No. 2 pdf
[10 A3 (11 x 17) Pages 148 K]
Study No. 2 parts pdf
ALSO NEW Study No. 1 in 5 voices "SHIFT 4:5" a rthythmical invention
exploring the ratio 4 in the time of 5, both as counter-rhythm & tempo shift;
for any number of players & any combination of instruments;
Study No. 1 pdf
[8 A3 (11 x 17) Pages 168 K]
Study No. 1_parts pdf
[15 short A3 (11 x 14) Pages 238 K]
NEW: 4 Songs for mezzo-soprano, vibraphone (glockenspiel),
marimba (bass drum) & harp
(1) Long Live the Weeds
[text Theodore Roetke]
(2) No More
[text Cliff Crego]
(3) 1000 Moons
[text Cliff Crego]
(4) Spanish Dancer
[text Rilke: tr. Crego]
| Listen to MP3 of 4 texts {2.4 Mb] |
4 Songs: pdf
[score 23 A3 (11 x 17) pages: 592 K]
parts. pdf
[movements I, 2, 3 & 4
36 A4 8 1/2 x 11 ) pages: 576 K]
the performance model of
4 Songs mp3
[c. 11'30" | 4.4 Mb] | RealAudio |
NEW: jim-jam—for percussion orchestra First in a new set of percussion pieces,
with two antiphonal groups of 2 to 20 players—EAST & WEST—and one
solo master drummer center stage.
Each player has a set of four basic sounds played on one drum (+- sabar, or djembes,
or any other available large skin drum): (1) high hand on skin (left); (2) low hand
center skin; (3) low thin stick on skin (right hand—solo also with sometimes
with two sticks); (4) high stick on side of drum
jim-jam: pdf
[score 17 A3 (11 x 17) pages: 314 K]
parts. pdf
[score 34 A4 8 1/2 x 11 ) pages: 560 K]
SEE ALSO: solo sabar part with color dynamics PDF
[blue = p >>> red = ff]
You will be very surprised what a difference this makes. One becomes
very much more aware of the ups and downs of dynamic structure,
both from phrase to phrase, as well as over the piece as a whole.
[6 A4 pages 1.5 Mb] [Windows: r click; Mac: opt + click]
NEW: MOV—Move Over Variations—for MALLET QUARTET
2 vibraphones & 2 marimbas
A new little concert piece based
on the Janis Joplin classic . . .
MOVE OVER. pdf
[score 9 A4 (9.5 X 12.5") pages: 228 K]
PARTS: MOV Quartet.pdf
[12 A4 pages 380 K]
the performance model of
MOVE OVER—vibes & marimba mp3
[c. 4' 1.6 Mb]"
Mintaka—for percussion solo A new Star Cycle / Dance Project for
two double circles of seven drums (medium bass to timbali) / one performer:
pages [large format A2 or 17" x 22"] of score: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
the performance model of
Mintaka. mp3
[c. 12' 30" 11.3 Mb]"
[c. 12' 30" streamed RealAudio] |
Intro: spica—for percussion solo (large 11 x 17 format (A3); 24 pages) A *Star Cycle*
piece with introduction: movements I 1 | 2 | II 1 | 2 | III 1 | IV 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | V 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
VI 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | VII 1 | 2 | 3 | VIII 1 | 2 | 3 |
The name 'Spica' comes from the Latin and means "ear of wheat".
It is by far the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, The Maiden.
The ancients thought of the goddess Virgo (or Demeter) as holding
a culm of wheat in her left hand. Here's a rough sketch:
The eight instrumental 'stations' or ensembles
The entire cycle of pieces—nine altogether—is performed while
moving clockwise through a circle of eight ritual-like 'stations'
or groups or ensembles of instruments. The groups always feature,
with the exception of movement V for drum set, one homogeneous
sound family. Here's a sketch of the ensembles and their spatial
layout. (Note: the drum set in V is up on a slightly raised podium; ALSO:
it might work better to have the marimba & vibes facing the audience.):
[fragment of score from V]
Intro movement VIII for hand percussion:
Spica: complete circle pdf
(twenty-four 11" x 17" pages: 344 K)
the performance model of
Spica complete circle mp3
[c. 25' 10 Mb]"
NEW: Ridge Crossing—for choir of 12 female voices & small orchestra
[FIRST THREE PARTS: 8 of 15 movements] | INTRO: version for piano & mezzo-soprano |
the performance model of
Ridge Crossing—orchestra mp3
[c. 9' 30" | 3.8 Mb] | RealAudio |
The Magic Box: thirteen pieces for mallet instruments
(1) The Magic Box for vibraphone and marimba; (2) An Invention in Two Voices
for vibraphone and marimba; (3) Moonstone for viberaphone solo; (4) Nightphantom
for marimba solo, etc.
[fragment from An Invention in TwoVoices]
SEE ALSO: Soundpoems Four electronic compositions for voice
& percussion orchestra: (1) The Pass; (2) The Bell; (3) Stone Song:
(4) The Voices
[texts, translations,
& recordings by
CLIFF CREGO]
Recordings of interest to the percussionist . . .
INTEGRALES
Cliff Crego conducts
the ASKO Ensemble,
in collaboration
with Circle Ensemble &
Slagwerkgroep Den Haag,
in the 1923 masterpiece
by Edgar Varèse.
| download mp3 [4.1 Mb]
[to download: Windows:
r click; Mac: opt + click]
IONISATION
| download.mp3 [6.5 Mb]
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