Spine (Laurello)

Michael Laurello

General Info

Year: 2014-15
Duration: c. 8:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Michael Laurello
Cost: Score and Parts - $25.00   |   Score Only - $0.00

Instrumentation

Player I: Bongos, Conga, Floor Tom, Bass Drum, Crotales, Temple Blocks, Mounted Tambourine, Nipple Gong, Almglocken
Player II:
Player III:
Player IV: Piano

Program Notes

Spine was composed in 2014-15 for the Yale Percussion Group, featuring Yifei Fu. A single line—Yifei’s part—runs through most of the piece, and virtually all of the musical material is derived from it. This meta-line serves as the spine of the music, both in structural terms (backbone), but also with respect to the line’s perceived control over the direction and progression of the music (central nervous system). The music played by the other three members of the quartet serves to color and punctuate the main line. However, over the course of the work, players drift in and out of agreement with one another, and occasionally the primary line loses its unique identity within the texture of the ensemble. I tried to impart an almost biological sense to the way motives grow, attempting to balance intuitive—almost improvisatory—types of development with more structured patterns and processes. I am incredibly grateful to the talented musicians of the Yale Percussion Group for their dedication and unwavering support.

Recent Performances

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Works for Percussion by this Composer

An Overwhelming Capacity for Denial - Percussion Quartet
Big Things - Percussion Duo, 2 Pianos
Churches Made Out of Shipwrecks - Percussion Duo, 2 Pianos
Spine (Laurello) - Percussion Quartet