For two percussionists, includes two scores. A masterful duet challenging the dexterity of each player. Player one requires a trap set, ratchet, triangle and wood block. Player two needs bass drum, bongos, tambourine, machine castanets, 8 almglocken, maracas, triangle, plus bamboo, glass, metal and wood wind chimes. duration: ca. 7'
Print size: 11 x 17"
Review from Percussive Notes:
The percussion writing in the 1971 duo “Piece of Eight” is serious, yet light, and is sure to appeal to audiences with an ear for analog percussion color. Composer Robert Morgan demonstrates a practical knowledge of the many percussion colors and textures that can be achieved, and his writing requires an adept pair of performers to deploy a virtuosic arsenal of playing techniques and lightspeed stick/mallet changes without letting the choreography of such changes detract from the musical product. Thankfully, this is not (as a former mentor puts it) a case of “resources in search of a composer.” Despite (or perhaps due to) the piece’s age, it stands as a welcome counterpoint to the indulgent, rambling, and interminable “sonic explorations” that have cropped up in the half-century since its creation, and all the colors produced by the performers are in the service of a clearly-developed musical narrative.
By today’s standards, the score to “Piece of Eight” will strike some percussionists as a bit dated. The rhythmic language is almost entirely eighth-note- or sixteenth-note-based, and the work’s rhythmic complexity is derived exclusively from its pervasive use of mixed meter and frequent tempo changes. Of greater practical concern to performers is the composer’s decision to employ a single-line staff in both parts, and to indicate the many instruments required through the use of graphic instrument symbols (a decision that predates the now-common convention of using 5-line staves to represent multiple instruments). Although certainly not an insurmountable reading obstacle (people do still play Xenakis, don’t they?), a little extra preparation time will be needed to navigate the outdated notation. Then again, one artist’s “outdated” is another artist’s “charming,” and the musical results are certainly interesting enough to merit the effort.
Assuming they have no difficulty obtaining the instruments, I would recommend this piece to any college seniors or graduate students in search of an unknown seven-minute duo gem for a recital. The utmost care should be taken to define each sound for which the score calls, and immature performers will have a difficult time curating the many textures needed for an effective performance. “Piece of Eight” is an extremely interesting vignette for what is essentially an expanded trap set, like something one might expect from vintage footage of Spike Jones (albeit without the overt comedy), and I look forward to seeing it performed.
—Brian Graiser
