Rotations for Percussion Ensemble

PATRICK WICKLIFFE

PATRICK WICKLIFFE ROTATIONS

Instrumentation

Flute

Timpani (4)

Percussion (12 players)

Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Tenor Drum, Large Tam-tam, Temple Blocks (5), Crotales, Chimes (Orchestral Bells), Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Cymbals (2: Medium Sizzle and Large Suspended), Claves

Celesta (I)

Piano (if possible, doubling Celesta II in Mvmt. 3)

Total: 14-15 players

Performance Instructions

As is delineated in the Program Note, I adapt from Witold Lutosławski’s Jeux vénitiens the following with regard to the third movement of Rotations:

The order of performance is ABCDEFGH.

A-type (ACEG)

A is played by timpani, celesta, and piano punctuated by quartet of snare drum, tenor drum, claves, and xylophone to signal the beginning of each section in order of performance as well as the beginning of the movement. It is noted that in A-type, tenor drum is shared with the quartet. Therefore, tenor drum is advised to provide a small space as may be necessary between execution of A-type material and the beat in order to coordinate with other members of the quartet. C is played by all A forces with the addition of gong and temple blocks. E is played by all A and C forces with the addition of cymbals and tenor drum. G is played by all A, C, and E forces with the addition of bass drum. Caesuras (‘) and dotted bar lines indicated at the end of each fragment call for a caesura of optional length: the length of the caesura will depend on the density of the texture. Each re-entry from B-type will, at the option of the performer, pick up where the performer left off with the goal of eventually reaching the end of A-type material at

which point a repeat is indicated and the performer is then instructed to repeat from the beginning of the section, regardless of whether this action is initiated by a punctuating beat or not.

Duration of each section is approximately as follows (although each performance may, at the behest of conductor or performers, lengthen the duration to within reasonable relation to what is indicated): A – ca. 20”, C – ca. 25”, E – ca. 10”, G – ca. 30”. If a conductor is used, that person will give the sign for the beginning and end of each section (the beat showing the end of A also indicates the beginning of B, the beat showing the end of C, the beginning of D, etc.). Otherwise, a principle player from the quartet shall serve this purpose for the ensemble who shall not be tenor drum or xylophone (as, in addition to quartet, both play through A-type and B-type). A stopwatch, or several synchronized stopwatches may be employed for the purpose of duration as specified above and will need to be incorporated into performance choreography. When the sign for the end of each section is given, the performers must interrupt playing immediately to for a direct juxtaposition of A-type and B-type. For section C, E, and G individual parts ought not be played from the beginning but from any other phrase between two caesuras. Each part should be played with the same freedom as if it were being played as a solo. It is, therefore, acknowledged that A-type is intended as guided improvisation utilizing specific material. Rhythmic values serve only as a guide with a basic recommended tempo beginning at ♪=112 as indicated in the score.

For practical reasons, piano and celesta should have both A-type and B-type in view to seamlessly transition from one to the other. Please also note that, if possible, (rapidly shifting between A-type and B-type may preclude this unless a second celesta, if available, is placed directly adjacent and perpendicular to the piano and thus requires merely a shift of waist rather than of entire body), piano doubles on a second celesta in B-type and is provided with ossias when appropriate to be played on celesta.

B-type (BDFH)

Dotted bar lines, rhythmic value, meter, articulation, and dynamic are to be played as notated. B-type is metered. This material should have a static, mystic, and gently shimmering quality and should not feature rubato or other drastic freedoms inherent in A-type’s aleatory. As a reminder, xylophone is shared with punctuating quartet whose notation here serves the same function as is delineated in A-type. Recommended tempo as indicated in the score gives each dotted bar line approximately 6” duration.

Program Note

Each movement of Rotations is dedicated to a twentieth-century composer whose technique has informed the structure and content of the movement.

The first movement, inspired by Olivier Messiaen, bears a humorous brogue and incorporates four distinct levels of rhythmic and pitch theory. Level A, the movement’s vertical governing element, features a chromatic progression from 17 to 7 and back twice with coda, where the sixteenth note is the beat unit. 7 is the divine proportion as found in the Introduction to the Turangalîla-Symphonie. Level B features a recursive progression of contracting and expanding rhythmic patterns disseminated amidst multiple instrumental groups. Level C features an extended repetitive treatment of the Indian tāla known as the lackskmīça. Level D features rhythmic augmentation and diminution via fixed value. All pitch content is derived from three modes de transposition limitée – namely modes 3, 4, and 7 – as found in Technique de mon language musical.

The second movement, a calm and tuneful respite, derives its pitch content directly from the serial theories of Igor Stravinsky whose unique IR (‘inversion of retrograde’) rotations are the subject of his late serial work and give this piece its name. Elements of multiple serialism effecting rhythm and texture are integrated into the fabric of the movement which is divided into six distinct sections exploring each of these elements more or less discreetly. Each section is punctuated by a simultaneity comprised of pitch content derived from hexachordal verticals of the inversion of the original row (P7). Other pitch content is derived from horizontal combinations of rotated and transposed fragments of P, I, R, and IR iterations of the original row.

The third movement, inspired by the first movement of Witold Lutosławski’s Jeux vénitiens, evenly divides the ensemble in its exploration of aleatory. The first section features notated improvisatory gestures and techniques belonging to A-type (ACEG) while the second section features contrasting interludes comprised of material belonging to B-type (BDFH) with iterations of each type of varying length. Pitch content for both types is derived of non-octave-equivalent intervallically symmetrical chords whose primary distinction from Lutosławski is that they do not form the complete aggregate. Instead, this important limitation is imposed upon the movement.

Suggested Stage Setup

Total Duration: 10’30

Mvmt. 1 (3’10) pp. 1–14 [A – F]

Mvmt. 2 (2’40) pp. 15–24 [G – J]

Mvmt. 3 (4’40) pp. 25–39

Score in C

Accidentals apply to notes that they precede and continue to apply to these notes within the same measure and octave, where such rule applies.

™ ™ ™ œœ œ œ # J ˙˙ ˙ ˙ Ó ‰ œ J œj œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ #œ ˙

œ #œ œ #œ ˙ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ nœ œ #œ #œ nœ œ #œ #œ

Ó

æ æ w æ æ æ w