Fascinations

Percussion Soloists: The four percussion solo parts in Fascinations are written for indeterminate instrumentation. The soloists are encouraged to find instruments that they find suitable for the performance, or even to create new instruments to play the piece. In either case, the instruments selected should fit the following criteria:

1. The four instruments should have a familial relationship to each other, such that Percussion 1 is the highest member, down through Percussion 4 being the lowest.
2. Each of the instruments should be able to sound three distinct noises. These noises are notated in the score as notes above the staff line, on the staff line, and below the staff line. The relationship of these noises should be consistent with each of the four instruments. These noises are not limited to relative pitch, unlike what the score might suggest.
3. The instruments selected or created must be played by two mallets or sticks, and have the ability to perform double-strokes with ease.

4. The notation of tied notes in the percussion parts indicate a series of strokes performed with one hand. Special Note: As gamelans are not always readily available to perform this piece, the percussion parts were conceived as being detachable and able to be performed as its own piece.

5. Gamelan: Fascinations was originally written for a Balinese gamelan, using the tablature developed by Dr. Robert Kyr, director of The Pacific Rim Gamelan. The staves written are for classes of instruments, to provide enough room for differences in instruments from ensemble to ensemble. Kantilan corresponds to soprano instruments, Pemade to alto instruments, Calong to Tenor and Bass instruments. Reyong correspond to pots that are played with two mallets.

6. Each line in the staves represent a numbered key on the different classes of instrument: Kantilans’ and Pemades’ bottom line starts on pitch 2, Reyongs’ bottom line starts on pitch 3, and Calongs’ bottom line starts on pitch 1.