Devil's Rain, for indeterminate ensemble, includes one score.
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Review from Percussive Notes (2022):
“Devil’s Rain” is an open instrumentation work in line with Terry Riley’s “In C.” The music is broken up into small cells that performers repeat anywhere from three to ten times before moving on to another cell. All parts are scored in treble clef, though octave transposition is acceptable.
One of the areas where the piece differs from “In C” is that the ensemble is split into two groups, with one group playing a section from top to bottom while the second group plays from bottom to top. Cells are broken into three sections (labeled A, B, and C). The piece starts at A, and the ensemble should move on to section B at relatively the same time. In section C, the piece contains three melodies that are shared between the two groups, while each group has its own selection of interlude patterns, which are similar to the previous sections. Performers are instructed to “repeat melodies at will,” with occasional interlude sections. Finally, all performers are to move approximately together to a final set of cells split between the groups. These cells crescendo over time, and players are instructed to end together on cue.
While there are several similarities to “In C,” “Devil’s Rain” cultivates similar ideas with a general concept of form as well as organization between the two groups that allows for a slightly more developed musical flow. Another difference lies in the lack of a dedicated performer providing a pulse throughout the work. This means performers will need to listen throughout the ensemble to maintain tempo. This piece would work well for a university percussion ensemble program or a new-music ensemble dealing with a unique instrumentation.
—Brian Nozny
