Program notes

As the subtitle of the work indicates, this piece is written for percussionist and snare drum — to be played without any mallets. Using only their hands, the performer approaches the instrument in an explorative, yet disciplined manner. Through the obstinate insistence on determinate physical/sonic gestures, the work establishes a strange kind of ritual, in which sections of spaced clarity and moments of explosive energy are interspaced throughout. As the piece progresses the performative actions of the performer extend towards their own body, bridging the divide between performer and instrument — agent and medium — and eventually leading to an attempted symbiosis of percussionist and drum by having both elements of the piece "singing" together.

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In order for the ideas of the piece to come through, it is fundamental that the performer embraces the intense physicality and inherent theatricality of the work and commits to it. Every single gesture should be performed with full intention and strongly dramatised, without concerns of being over the top. Loud, accented gestures should be also physically large, flamboyant even, and surrounded by an intense feeling of grandiosity and solemnity.

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Premiered online by Philipp Lamprecht as part of the 2022 Contemporary Encounters Meitar Ensemble.​

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Duration: c. 7'