Adams-Resonant Canvass (New version)-Cro/P

The title of Daniel Adams' Resonant Canvass refers to the interplay between sounds emanating from instruments with long reverberation times (cymbals, tam-tam, etc.) and instruments such as the cowbell, temple blocks, and woodblock, which produce sounds of shorter duration. Canvass is spelled with the double "s" ending as a double entendre, the meaning of which is to examine carefully or discuss thoroughly. On one level, the piece is an essay on the thematic elements inherent in combinations of indefinitely-pitched instruments. The "canvas " however, is the accumulated resonance of the reverberating instruments (introduced in the opening section) from which the shorter notes emerge and evolve into thematic ideas and contrapuntal textures based on rhythmic motives of indefinite pitch. The rhythmic ideas build to a complex frenzy as the different types of instruments are played faster and in more varied combinations. Definite pitch is introduced for the first time in a coda featuring the crotales, accompanied by the cymbals and tam-tam.

Number of players - 1
Difficulty - Medium-Advanced

Instrumentation - Log drum, 5 temple blocks, mounted woodblock, crotales (low C, high G), tam-tam, 3 suspended cymbals, mounted cowbell, metal windchimes, triangle, bass drum, 4 tom-toms