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Added by Jordannobles 5164d ago

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ABOUT THE PIECE Pulses was...(more) written in March of 1999 for the Motion ensemble of Fredericton, New Brunswick,
and has since been performed by them, Next New Music, Ensemble Symposium and other groups.
The technique of ‘metric modulation’ is applied to a series of thirteen systems. Each system has it’s own key, character, and tempo. The players move through the open score independently, making decisions on the spot about which cells to play , when and in what octave, creating a different version of the piece with each performance. The piece is always recognizable even though no two performances sound exactly alike.

INSTRUMENTATION Pulses can be performed by any 5 or more ‘melodic’ instruments. That is, instruments capable of
chromatic melody (as opposed to drums or modal harps). Mixed ensembles are best but convincing performances can be made by groups with similar instrumentation.

DURATION Although the recorded version of the piece (by Ensemble Symposium) is 16 minutes The
duration of the piece can be adjusted to anywhere from 8-25 minutes long by adjusting, not the tempo, but how many cells the performers play in each system. (see performance notes) In the recorded version, each performer is playing 4-5 cells before moving on to the next system but they could play all of the cells or only one of them (per system) without changing the character of the piece. Playing all seven of the cells in each system is not recommended in mixed ensembles however, as some cells may prove to be awkward for some instruments and they should be able to skip them. It should be agreed upon ahead of time how many are cells are to be played and each player should stick with this decision.

PROGRAM NOTES In Pulses, the technique of ‘metric modulation’; moving to a different pulse related to the
current one, is applied to a series of thirteen sections, each in a different character and key. The players move through the open score independently, making decisions on the spot about which cells to play , when and in what octave, creating a different version of the piece with each performance.