Whet (2010)
Instrumentation: Percussion Trio
Electronics: Yes
Duration: 12'
Commissioned by Meet the Composer - Commissioning Music/USA
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NOTES: Every cymbal holds a world of sounds, many of which are only apparent when one holds it close to the ear, like a tuning fork. Ubiquitous in Asian and European cultures, cymbals used in music are essentially the same as those once used in warfare and in meditation, and all carry layers of martial and ritual associations that are as complex as their overtones. Whet uses a large collection of hand cymbals, played with invented and adapted techniques of scraping, rotating, and clashing. The musicians also use microphones to bring the listener close to the small sounds, which would otherwise be lost amidst transient explosions. The title comes from an interest in a process of friction and conflict used to make something sharper, be that a knife, a mind, or a sound. It was commissioned for TimeTable by Meet the Composer Commissioning Music/USA.