Maggio-Internal Rhythms(SP)

Internal Rhythms (Score & Parts) by Robert Maggio. This octet is divided into two groups of four for a practical reason - the piece was written for two university percussion ensemble that would have to rehearse, some of the time, in separate towns. Therefore, each of the two quartets plays large sections of self-contained music that can be rehearsed without the other four players.

The three movements essentially present the same rhythmic theme in different colors. The first movement utilizes only indefinite pitched metal and wood instruments. The second movement presents a repetition and extension of the rhythms in the first movement using definite pitched metal and wood instruments. In this way, the first two movements present the aural equivalent of non-representational (indefinite pitch) and representational imagery (definite pitch) in visual art. Or, to use another visual metaphor, this process of recasting the same material without and with definite pitches is akin to "color-izing" an image that was originally seen in black and white. The third movement repeats and extends the music of the second, returning to indefinite pitched instruments, all eight players on skins.


Instrumentation:
Movement 1:
Group 1 - woodblocks, claves, cabasa, maracas, bell tree
Group 2 - cowbells, sleigh bells, hi-hat, triangle, tam tam, vibraslap, splash cymbal, Chinese cymbal, crash cymbals

Movement 2:
Group 1 - marimba, xylophone
Group 2 - vibraphone, glockenspiel, chimes, crotales

Movement 3:
Group 1 - bongos, congas, tom toms, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine
Group 2 - bongos, congas, tom toms, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, brake drum