PERUSALSCORE
Little Trees
for Percussion Quartet
Kristin Kuster
PERUSALSCORE
Little Trees
for Percussion Quartet
Kristin Kuster
Program Note
I love buildings and their architecture. I often visit museum exhibitions featuring architectural models. The University of Michigan Museum of Art presented an exhibition in May 2009, “Museums in the 21st Century: Concepts, Projects, Buildings,” which highlighted the preeminent trends in international museum architecture across four continents. In exploring the exhibition, I was taken by the diverse styles of the architectural models, particularly their tiny trees. Some were literal tree representations, some abstract blobs and geometric shapes, all with varied materials of wood, wire, metal, and transparent plastic. I fnd these little trees delightful, and marvel at the dimensions they add to building models’ overall look. The music of Little Trees is played with fngertips and hands—save the last sound heard—in order to refect the delicacy and intimacy of lovely, tiny, model trees.
Instrumentation
CROTALES
1 VIBRAPHONE
1 MARIMBA (5-octave)
CAXXIXXI; one set
4 TRIANGLES: 4-6”, 6-7” 8” or bigger, biggest
1 SUSPENDED CYMBAL (small-ish)
2 MEDIUM WIND GONGS: one suspended on cymbal stand, one on foam resonating chamber
2 BONGOS (high + low)
2 CONGAS (high + low)
Duration: 8'
Little Trees was commissioned by multi-percussionist Joseph Gramley for the University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble, with premiere performance 22 November, 2009, in Ann Arbor.
First printing of this edition, February 2024
PERUSALSCORE
Copyright ©2009 Kristin Kuster. All Rights Reserved.
Program Note Copyright ©2009 Kristin Kuster. All Rights Reserved Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com
Player 1:
Crotales
Marimba
Finger Snaps
Hand Claps
Triangle (4-6”)
Med. Wind Gong (sus. on cymb. Stand)
Bongo (high)
Player II:
Crotales
Vibraphone
Marimba
Caxxixxi
Triangle (6-7”)
Bongo (high)
2 Congas (high + low)
Player III:
Crotales
Marimba
Finger Snaps
Hand Claps
Triangle (8” or bigger)
Med. Wind Gong (on foam resonating chamber)
2 Bongos (high + low)
Conga (low)
Player IV:
Vibraphone
Marimba
Caxxixxi
Suspended Cymbal (small-ish)
Triangle (biggest)
Med. Wind Gong (on foam resonating chamber)
Conga (high)
LITTLE TREES
Commissioned by Joseph Gramley, for the University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble, with premiere performance 22 November 2009
œœœbœœœœœ≈œœœ
CONGA
> (F)
CONGA
to low conga
to wind gong on resonating chamber
PERUSALSCORE
