temptations of the beat (2001)

for 5 strings and 3 percussionists 
Duration : 12:27

First performance :  November 22, 2001 in the Bimhuis, Amsterdam
Commissioned and performed by Slagwerkgroep Amsterdam and Interval Chamber,
Conducted by Josep Vincent

USA premiere : 2003 Xtet  Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles

Revision performance : Gaudeamus Week  September 4, 2006
Muziekgebouw aan het Ij, Doelenkwartet and Slagwerkgroep Den Haag
Jussi Jattinen, conductor

"temptations of the beat"  was a commission for a project of the two ensembles, Interval Chamber and the Amsterdam Percussion Group, conducted by Josep Vicente. 

The project,  "A Night in Tunisia",  was conceived as a hommage to the influences that African traditional music had in the music of Dizzy Gillespie, and in a broader sense, as an opportunity to explore the "cross-genre" influences inherent in so much contemporary composed music.

"A Night in Tunisia" conjured up a kaleidoscope of impressions to me , "exotic" images, romantic images, but above all, musical ones, presenting sources of inspiration for this piece.  Central African and Tunisian Sufi music were two traditions to which I listened extensively, as a personal hommage to the musical explorations of Dizzy Gillespie in the hard bop era.

I am not interested, however, in superficial reminiscences of any musical tradition, but, I feel that my own work can be enriched by these largely intuitive encounters.  Closer to home, chance reckoning and hip-hop rhythms played varied roles in composing for this project.

However, in the most direct sense, the instrumentation was the biggest challenge - how to approach working with the colors and techniques of two very different instrumental groups.

Further, in this era of almost omnipresent music, zap moments and sound bytes, the "steady beat" is never far - I am drawn to it and push away from it, in an attempt at creating my own time.

This piece was supported by the Dutch composition fund / het fonds voor de scheppende toonkunst