Includes score and tape (.wav files).
Print size: 11 x 17"
Review from Percussive Notes (2022):
Derived from his hour-long solo recording Yuen Shan, Michael Ranta has developed a collection of percussion chamber works for four percussionists and 8-channel prerecorded tape provided to the performers on three CDs. This review will focus on the movement derived from the fourth track on the album, “Li-Huai.”
“Li-Huai” is a nearly 20-minute work that explores two sound sources: prerecorded and live sound. While the two do not interact through live electronics, the prerecorded sound is fairly dominant throughout the piece, with the live percussionists restricted to episodes of sound that are presented at specific time points using standard percussion notation. When the episodes begin, after a minute of electronics, the performers are given staggered entrances that explore two percussion instrument pairs, Percussion I and IV, and II and III, to create different textures.
For the first half of the piece, the episodes from the live performers grow in intensity and frequency. The episodes grow further apart until the end of the piece with long stretches of electronics that are colored by unique percussion episodes, such as the lone unison, just after time point 12:30, and the metallic cluster of cymbals, around time point 13:30, which is also the last ensemble episode. The remaining six minutes of the piece feature electronics with interjections every minute from a lone percussionist.
While “Li-Huai” is drawn from Ranta’s Yuen Shan, it holds up well as a standalone work that is contemplative with a thoughtful musical arc that allows the performers to create an immersive experience similar to a sound bath. Due to the fixed length of the prerecorded media, this piece would also pose an interesting opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration with dance or visual media.
Given the scope of the instrumentation and electronic needs, “Li-Huai” is most appropriate for graduate or professional chamber groups with access to venues with the necessary equipment.
—Quintin Mallette
