Tilted Spheres

Named after a large-scale, industrial sculpture by Richard Serra, Tilted Spheres is a powerhouse unpitched percussion quintet that takes listeners and performers on a sonic journey through many textures and grooves.

Program Notes

Tilted Spheres is named after a sculpture by Richard Serra, one of my favorite artists. He has prominent pieces in three places I've lived: Fort Worth, TX; Lincoln, NE; and Bilbao, Spain (although Tilted Spheres itself is actually installed in Toronto). I love the huge scale and industrial look of his sculptures, but they also have amazing acoustic qualities. A clap or a stomp will undergo different degrees of echo and timbral distortion, depending on how loud the sound is and the sonic vantage from where it is observed. This has always sort of blown my mind, so I set out to replicate the "Richard Serra experience" in this piece.

The piece is a quintet for (mostly) non-pitched percussion instruments. After I completed the piece, it occurred to me that almost every instrument present had a circular shape. All of these different sized "spheres" interact in different combinations throughout the work to create a compelling rhythmic and timbral discourse. Tilted Spheres was commissioned by a consortium of professional, collegiate, and advanced high school ensembles and premiered by the Aledo Percussion Ensemble at the 2014 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis.
- DH

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS
The Lone Star Percussion Ensemble
Andrew Eldridge, Brandon Kelly, John Moran, Megan Von Dreau, Michael C. Reed, Michael Dooley, Eric Petrinowitsch, Matt Moore, Chase Kallemeyn, Chris Nadeau, Chris Brophy, Rich Bono, Michael Garcia, and Darrin Hicks

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Tony Falcone and Dave Hall

University of Texas - Arlington
Michael Varner and Jim Yakas

Aledo High School - Aledo, TX
Tanner Trigg

Bellevue West High School - Bellevue, NE
Marques Eckhoff

Berkner High School - Richardson, TX
Mike Garcia

Center Grove High School - Greenwod, IN
Josh Torres

Flower Mound High School - Flower Mound, TX
Darrin Hicks

Grandbury High School - Grandbury, TX
Tahlequah Kirk

Kennesaw Moutain High School - Kennesaw, Georgia
Max Mullinix

LD Bell High School - Hurst, TX
Ben Maughmer

Prosper High School - Prosper, TX
Tyler Sammons

Richland High School - Richland, TX
Evan Blackard

Vista Ridge High School - Cedar Park, TX
Hector Gil

Wylie High School - Wylie, TX
Russell Ratterree

Grade Level: 4
Copyright: 2015
Number of Players: 5
Duration: 6:30
Type: Quintet

Listen to Recordings

Instrumentation

Percussion 1
3 Roto-Toms, Spring Coil, Prayer Bowl, Concert Bass Drum

Percussion 2
Concert Snare Drum (snares always off), Hi-Hat, Small China Cymbal, Bowed Crotale (selected to match pitch of prayer bowl)

Percussion 3
Field Drum (snares always off), Hi-Hat, 2 Thai Gongs, Large Timpano, 1 Crotale (selected to match pitch of prayer bowl)

Percussion 4
4 Concert Toms, Multi-Bass Drum, Large Frame Drum, Ribbon Crasher, Energy Chimes (or other small resonant bells)

Percussion 5
Multi-Bass Drum, Tam-Tam, Piccolo Snare Drum (snares always off), Large China Cymbal, 1 Crotale (may be shared with Player 2), Energy Chimes (or other small resonant bells, or multiple triangles)