Work
The Bird organ is made of wood : trio for percussion
by Caroline Wilkins (1991, this version: 1995)
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Score
The bird organ is made of wood : for 3 percussionists / Caroline Wilkins.
Library shelf no. Q 785.6813/WIL 1 [Available for loan]
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Work Overview
The title is taken from a quotation by Denis Diderot in D'Alembert's Dream (1762); 'the bird organ is made of wood, man is made of flesh'.
The work consists of 3 movements, taking as their starting point
my interest in early forms of automata and their parallel with
natural, environmental sound. Each movement explores the timbral
properties of percussion instruments grouped according to their
materials: metal, wood, membranes, tuned and untuned; merging
certain timbral colours together.
Work Details
Year: 1991, this version: 1995
Instrumentation: Herd bells, side drum, glass chimes, 6 temple blocks, 3 wood blocks. Glockenspiel, vibraphone, 2 crotales, 2 cymbals. Bambus, guiro, 2 reco-recos, 3 maracas, cabaca, 2 mexican beans, shocallo, sand blocks, bass drum, side drum.
Duration: 9 min.
Difficulty: Advanced — Rhythmic synchronisation, subtleties of timbre, technically difficult.
Contents note: In 3 movements.
First performance: by Schlagquartett Koeln — 1998. Alte Feuerwache, Cologne
Performances of this work
5 Mar 98: Alte Feuerwache, Cologne. Featuring Schlagquartett Köln.
1998: Alte Feuerwache, Cologne. Featuring Schlagquartett Koeln.
1993: Stuttgart
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