Dominican Cycles, for percussion ensemble, includes score and parts. Inspired by Brunk’s travel and study of folkloric drumming traditions in the Dominican Republic, Dominican Cycles 1 & 2 encompasses the deconstruction and juxtaposition of drumming patterns from several musical styles that would otherwise not be combined. For nine percussionists.
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Review from Percussive Notes (Dec. 2020):
Dominican Cycles
Jeremy Brunk
Media Press Music’s website description of “Dominican Cycles” is an effective summary of the work: “Inspired by [Jeremy] Brunk’s travel and study of folkloric drumming traditions in the Dominican Republic, ‘Dominican Cycles 1 & 2’ encompasses the deconstruction and juxtaposition of drumming patterns from several musical styles that would otherwise not be combined.” This two-movement work explores traditional musical material in differing, and often opposing, manners. The composer provides clarity on instrumentation choices and pitch relationships between similar instruments, as well as a key to aid in interpreting the notation.
The opening measures begin with a sixteenth-note groove, which is overtaken by a triplet-based groove, which is then overtaken by a second sixteenth-note groove. As the piece progresses, the composer introduces quintuple and septuple rhythms, metric modulations, shifting time signatures, and more. The effect is striking; as a new polyrhythmic subdivision “takes over,” the tempo appears to be changing, but the underlying pulse remains the same.
This work requires independence and confidence from all performers; everyone must lock into their rhythmic subdivision immediately for the effect to communicate. Brunk has obviously put a lot of thought into the work, and his care for the source material and overall presentation is apparent.
—Jamie Wind Whitmarsh
Movement I:
Movement II:
