Lorenz-Pataruco (Solo part ONLY)-Solo maracas/Orch.

Pataruco was composed for percussionist Ed Harrison, one of the leading exponents of maracas technique. The solo part showcases Harrison's specialty, the style of maraca playing found only in the folk music of Venezuela and Columbia. In their original context, the virtuosic gestures performed by the maracas are never notated. They are transmitted aurally. Devising a system to notate this performance practice presents a serious challenge to the composer as well as to the performer; it can become an obstacle rather than an aid to express the subtle nuances of his arcane performance style. After consulting with Ed Harrison, and after studying Javier Alvarez's Temazcal, the only other score I know to incorporate this specific performance technique, I decided to approach the maracas part by notating the resulting rhythmic patterns rather than by notating the intricate mechanics that must take place in order to create the desired effect (as in the case of Alvarez's Temazcal). Therefore, the solo part is meant to be performed by percussionists experienced in this particular style of maracas technique and it will make sense only to such percussionists. It must also be noted that dynamic markings in the maracas part to not indicate different volume levels in the traditional sense. Instead, they indicate different intensity of articulation, like in the case of harpsichord notation, in addition to different orientations of the maracas in space.--Ricardo Lorenz (from the publisher) [SOLO ONLY]