An Index of Possibility (2012)
For percussion trio
23 minutes
Program Notes
An Index of Possibility explores the secret world of sound in everyday objects. Using found sounds, homemade constructions, and cheap toys, Index unlocks a sonic palette exploding with color and variety. Cast in six movements, the music traverses a symphonic expanse, fluidly moving between ambient textures, visceral unisons and muscular virtuosity. A wistful lullaby tune, Repose, begins the piece. A kind of idée fixe, Repose will return two times, framing the three larger movements – Flicker, Flow and Burst. In Flicker piercing hits punctuate a tremulous layer of pulsating metal and wood. Flow begins with a mesmerizing rhythmic ostinato, gradually moving towards a strange and unexpected place as a new melody emerges on the tuned pipes. Long bell-tones signal a change of direction and then a second Repose appears only to be violently interrupted by the clangorous opening hits of Burst. Erupting into a wild torrent of rhythms traversing the full range of the setup, Burst is the work’s focal point. After barreling through Burst the final Repose brings the music to a hushed conclusion. While virtually the same as the opening, this last Repose feels somehow transformed, touched by the long journey of An Index of Possibility.
Commissioned by TIGUE, Smoke and Mirrors, and Sonore Percussion and premiered June 13, 2013 by TIGUE, JACK space, Brooklyn, NY.
Instrument List
Kick Drum, 3 Toms, Bongo, 4 jam blocks, 3 metals, 3 glasses, 3 ceramics, 2 Flower Pots, 2 metal mixing bowls, 2 small bells, Caxixi, Log Drum, a chromatic set of Desk Bells, 3 steel pipes (tuned), 9 copper pipes (tuned), 4 wood planks (tuned), 1 shot glass, and one serving platter attached to a foot pedal.
Recording by TIGUE
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Recent Performances
March 23, 2022 Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY. Juilliard Percussion Ensemble.
March 2, 2022 Virginia Tech Creative and Innovation, Richmond, VA. Virginia Tech Percussion Ensemble.
August 13, 2021 Le Donjon Church, Ennezat, France. Tam Mallet Trio.
July 11, 2021 festival Classique en Bocage, Saint-Menoux, France. Tam Mallet Trio,
March 11, 2021 Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY. Eastman Percussion Ensemble.
January 15, 2020 University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO. Percussion Ensemble.
December 18, 2019 Fred Wildlife Refuge, Seattle, WA. Striking Music.
October 30, 2019 Royal Room, Seattle, WA. Striking Music.
April 21, 2019 University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Ryan Kimball.
April 16, 2019 University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Percussion Ensemble.