Twenty stones, after Bergson for percussion quartet
Jeremy Rosenstock
Through duration, all stone states melt into an unending flux of rattling timbres and textures, pointing towards eternity.
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Twenty stones, after Bergson explores the gap between our perception of time and Bergson’s reality. Two large drums are excited, creating two distinct tones. 20 small stones have been added to the membrane of one such drum. Across the performance, two performers gradually move the stones from one drum to another.
Each stone could be thought of as creating a state, a state defined by the number of stones on a given membrane (or pair of membranes) at a time. Within each state, however, there is an endless change, provided by the movement of stones and subtle changes in pitch.
This piece was composed for and premiered by Art Percussion Ensemble and the composer at the 2022 “Composing Nature” Composing Masterclass for Percussion Ensemble.
As stones are removed from one drum, its pitch descends while its volume increases. Similarly, as stones are added to the other drum, that membrane’s pitch ascends as its volume decreases.
Instones.
Program Notes
Creative Evolution, Henri Bergson argues that people perceived their lives as passing “from state to state,” instead of noticing the “uninterrupted change” that fills each state, a change that only becomes noticeable “when it becomes sufficient to impress a new attitude on the body.”
This change exemplifies the sensation Bergson described as “duration,” defined as “the continuous progress of the past which gnaws into the future and which swells as it advances.”
This work is part of an investigation into the use of natural objects in acoustic music. Within this, it is also part of a series of pieces in which Classical instruments are played and prepared with
40 60 small stones should be gathered from a natural space. 20 of these stones should be placed at the center of the Small Drum’s membrane prior to performance, in the shape suggested in the “Stone Documentation.” The Rosined Dowel on the Small Drum should be rubbed roughly where the €1 Coin has been placed in the Stone Documentation, albeit as close to the stones as Thepossible.remaining
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Percussion 4:
Instrumentation
Notes
The Large and Small Drums should either be Timpani or Bass Drums, with both being as close to the same make and model as one another as possible. For example, two bass drum or two timpani can be used, but not one bass drum and one timpani.
stones should be strewn across the walking space of Percussion 2/3 or taped to the bottom of Percussion 2/3’s shoes in the manner shown in the “Prepared Shoe Documentation.” Note that it may be difficult for Percussion 2/3 to walk in Prepared Shoes and that stones may fall off said shoes.
The membrane of the Small Drum should only be a few inches smaller in diameter compared to that of the Large Drum. The Small Drum’s pitch, in turn, should be higher than the Large Drum’s.
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Percussion 1 Rosined Dowel, Twenty Small Stones, Large Drum
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Percussion Shoes Prepared with Stones Rosined Dowel, Small DrumPerformance
Each dowel should be rubbed vertically, loosely, and deliberately, with each hand starting at the top of the dowel and descending towards the membrane. One hand should be on the dowel at all times; when one hand reaches the middle/bottom of the stick, the next should continue the motion starting at the top. An example of this technique can be found in this video: Thishttps://youtu.be/XBHIdxswt9Apieceshouldbeperformed on a tile or wood floor. There should be at least 3 4 meters of space in between the Large and Small Drums.
Percussion Shoes Prepared with Stones
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Rosined Dowels are thin, long, unvarnished wooden rods similar in shape/size to chopsticks. Percussion 1/4 should coat the pads of their thumbs and index fingers in rosin before performance, so as to induce vibration in the dowel Rosined Dowels vibrate most effectively after a few “coatings” of rosin, often the result of continued practice and performance.
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Stone Documentation (with €1 Coin for Size Reference)
Stage Diagram
Prepared Shoe Documentation 5
After 10 20” of further rosined dowel rubbing (following the return of Percussion 2/3 to their Opening Positions), Percussion 1/4 should abruptly stop rubbing in unison to end the piece.
Before performing, All Percussion should assume their Opening Positions
Upon walking in front of the Small Drum, Percussion 2/3 should grab a stone off of its membrane, continue walking towards the Large Drum, and quietly place the stone in the center of the Large Drum, close to the rosined dowel.
After another 10 20”, Percussion 3 should grab a stone off of the Small Drum. Immediately after, Percussion 2/3 should begin slowly walking in between the Large and Small Drums in the pattern suggested in the Stage Diagram.
Percussion 1 begins the piece by rubbing a Rosined Dowel in the center of the Large Drum (without stones). A low, resonant hum will emerge from the membrane. This action continues to the end of the piece.
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As stones are removed from the Small Drum, its tone will gradually stabilize, descend in pitch, and increase in volume. Likewise, as stones are added to the Large Drum’s membrane, its tone will destabilize, ascend in pitch, and decrease in volume.
After 10 20”, Percussion 4 should start rubbing a Rosined Dowel in the center of the Small Drum (adorned with twenty small stones). A high, unstable tone will emerge from the membrane. This action continues to the end of the piece.
Twenty stones, after Bergson
By Jeremy Rosenstock
While walking, Percussion 2/3 should never “bump into” one another For example, if Percussion 2 is in front of the Large Drum, then Percussion 3 should be in front of the Small Drum, and vice versa.
Percussion 1/4 should attempt to maintain as continuous a sound as possible, while also accepting that the flux of stones may make this impossible.
Once all stones have been moved from the Small to the Large Drum (over a duration of about 4 5’), Percussion 2/3 should return to their Opening Positions.