David T. Little

3 Sams

Composer's note:Each of the Three Sams explores a different challenge.In (- - - )-I-Am, a perpetual motion figure in the vibraphone is redistributed among the other instruments of the set-up. Melodic pitches are replaced with their closest non-pitched equivalent - i. e. the cowbell, sounding an approximate F, replaces an F on the vibraphone. Similar substitutions occur in the crotales, which create a second melodic line that is derived entirely form the original perpetual motion material. By the end of the movement, the single melodic line has been re-orchestrated into melody and accompaniment.Son of (- - -) is about rhythm. Intentionally disjunct, a large part of the challenge of the movement - aside from the inherent complexity of the rhythmic counterpoint - is in maintaining a convincing musical line through its many sections. This frustration is built into the form, starting very strict, but ending with a cathartic burst of near-improvisation.The third and final Sam, Wicked Uncle (- - -), asks the performer to navigate a complex musical field in which each mallet of a four-mallet configuration - plus the feet - was conceived as a relatively independent voice. It is as if the performer now has more active limbs than most mere mortals, spread almost too thin.- David T. Little, September 11, 2008 -