Includes score.
Print size: 11 x 14"
Review from Percussive Notes (2022):
Southern Dynasties
David Macbride
“Southern Dynasties” was written to be a companion piece to Frederic Rzewski’s “To the Earth.” The piece calls for eight tuned clay flowerpots in two sets of four with the pitches D-flat, F, G, and B — although other pitches can be used. Like Rzewski’s seminal work, “Southern Dynasties” calls for the percussionist to speak while playing the flowerpots. The text is taken from anonymous folk songs and is separated into four movements: “Spring Song,” “Summer Song,” “Autumn Song,” and “Winter Song.” The text is presented in English, Pinyin, and Chinese.
The score is handwritten, and the text “is to be loosely coordinated with the music except as noted.” There is a suggested tempo and specifically notated rhythms, but the piece is rubato and meant to be interpreted by the performer. There are no beater indications, but the performer could get creative with mallet choice and create distinct timbres for each movement. The text is beautiful, and each movement is only a page long, which allows enough time for the performer to express the text without fatiguing the audience.
In addition to being a companion piece to “To the Earth,” “Southern Dynasties” would fit well on a program of works by Lou Harrison, Stuart Saunders Smith, and John Cage. This would be a good choice for performers wanting to incorporate speaking into their performance, particularly in situations where space may be a consideration.
—Marilyn K. Clark Silva
