Peter Adriaansz - Chaser

Peter Adriaansz | Chaser | 2022 | 26´

Percussion concerto for Solo percussion and big ensemble

Link for the score | Composer's website

With a specific focus on microtonal pulse-modulation Chaser is the fourth in a series of works that take sine-pulse phasing as its basis. The work is written in two parts, which have a look at two different solutions to rapid continuity over constantly evolving backgrounds. One part (featuring the soloist on glockenspiel plus various auxiliary instruments) focuses on oscillation and takes its cue from a small repertoire of mallet works featuring rapid motion in either tremoli or quickly changing chromatic figures. Set in tempo 60 the music moves up a minor tenth in fourteen isochronic sections while the ensemble gradually expands its range downwards. Followed by a harmonic transformation, the second part (featuring the soloist on marimba and bass drum) takes the same formal procedures as the first but transforms these to ascending heptatonic scales, gradually moving down over a chromatic octave and depleting the full collection of possible scales by the end. The work plays a small game with tempo juxtapositions, initially starting in tempo 60, then adding tempo 61 over the top while the ensemble drops to tempo 58. The title was derived from the incessant pursuit of the soloist to catch up with the microtonal pulse modulations while the ensemble follows suit: preempting, following or consolidating but likewise chasing the chaser.

- Peter Adriaansz