Proportions, for percussion solo, includes one score.
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Review from Percussive Arts Society:
Proportions
Martin Farren
Not many works written in graphic notation are ideal for a young player who needs a stepping-stone before diving into such compositions by Cage, Xenakis, or Stockhausen. With “Proportions,” Martin Farren has provided such a piece with its short length and manageable sound requirements.
Composed using similar rules as Feldman’s “King of Denmark,” this work is not written with a specific instrumentation in mind, but rather a set of audible instructions. The performer is instructed to collect a set of wooden, metallic, and skinned timbres, as well as instruments such as sleighbells, tambourines, sizzle cymbals, or anything that can make a “Ch” or “Shook” sound. Each timbral group is given its own symbols that denote the dynamic, articulation, and manner of sustain each sound should have. These symbols appear on a grid separated into three rows that represent the register of the sound, meaning that each instrumental group needs to have at least three instruments.
The piece is rather short; based on the instructions given, a performance will last between two and four minutes, depending on one’s interpretation. Within this short amount of time, Farren creates a form that is easy to follow. The work begins with a high density of notes focusing on the high-registered “Ch” sounds. The middle section presents a series of phrases that descend in register on the woods and the skins. The ending is a focus on low, metallic sounds that sustain either through a scraping action or natural decay.
“Proportions” is a great piece for someone just setting foot into the world of graphic notation and contemporary music. It is also a wonderful vehicle to teach how to find different sounds and create one’s own voice in a work with free instrumentation. —Kyle Cherwinski, 2020
