related works
Roundabouts : 4 pieces for 4 marimbas, 1981 / Joep Straesser
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Percussion
Scoring:
4mar
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12) and large ensemble
Scoring:
sopr sopr-m 1121 1110 perc hp pf 2vl vla vc cb
O, gij, rhinoceros : voor vier vocalisten en instrumentaal ensemble, 1977 / Otto Ketting
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12) and large ensemble
Scoring:
sopr sopr-m ten bar 1111 0100 perc pf 2vl vla vc cb
12x Monts Mandara : for four voices, ensemble and four pianos / Arnold Marinissen
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12) and large ensemble
composition
22 pages : for wind orchestra, double basses, percussion, harp, piano, celesta, vibraphone, xylophone, and 3 male voices, 1964/'65 / based on a text by John Cage, Joep Straesser
Other authors:
Cage, John
(Text writer/Librettist)
Straesser, Joep
(Composer)
Description:
Program note (English): This work was composed as a result of the text by John Cage ("2 pages, 122 words on music and dance") from the collection "Silence". This text is mainly spoken and fits completely into the structure of the work and for this reason it was not treated solistically. The meaning of the words is often the motive of similar musical structures - e.g. the words "points in time in space" bring about a music, which is characterized by short, cluster-like harmonies (points), which are separated by all sorts of different durations (space) - while the direct understanding is only of secondary importance.
The work begins with an introduction (title-music) preceded and followed by a number of strokes on a high gong. The first substantial part thereafter leads to a climax, which ends with an enumeration of several human emotions. The same gong plays the introduction to the second part, which is led to a climax again but within a shorter space of time and with only a little text. Three cymbals bring a coda at which end the three vocalists address the audience with the word "ears?" - JOEP STRAESSER