The Scarecrow Dancing
Posted by Erik | Filed under Music
The Scarecrow Dancing is written for a mixed ensemble of three pitched percussion instruments, B-flat Bass Clarinet and Violin. The instrumentation includes a few hard-to-find instruments, including the pitched percussion instruments Lithophone, Glass Armonica, and Ugal. The Lithophone part may be played by any xylophone—metallophone, vibraphone, marimba, etc.—but ideally will be performed on a replica of Joseph Richardson’s mid 19th century Musical Stones of Skiddaw. The sound of the Stones of Skiddaw is percussive, non-resonant and slightly out of tune across its entire range.
The Glass Armonica is far less rare, but nonetheless requires some explanation. The Armonica was named by its inventor, Benjamin Franklin. He devised a mechanical equivalent to the rubbing of wine glasses. Many variations of this instrument have been called for by more than 100 composers including Mozart and Beethoven. Any of the variations will do.
The Ugal is one of the instruments in a Balinese Gamelan orchestra. Since these instruments are each unique to the orchestra for which they are built, this part may require more than one instrument or another Gamelan instrument. Any metallophone with sufficient range may be substituted if needed. The requirement for this part is a long, resonant metallic tone from the bow on bronze. The Ugal is suspended over bamboo resonators, adding volume, color, and duration. This work is an adaptation of the larger If Ever (an Ocean) Relinquished dance piece, intended for live performance. The score is available to interested ensembles upon request. (2010)
The Scarecrow Dancing
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Tags: bass clarinet, composition, gamelan, pitched percussion, violin
