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Dedicated to legendary percussionist and educator Charles Dowd, Alan Keown’s Partials is a drummy, raucous work for unpitched percussion quartet. Each of the four players has an identical setup of one bass drum and a set of bongos. Via metric modulations, frequent conversation and trading of accent patterns around the ensemble, and bombastic unisons, Keown tips his hat toward two of Dowd’s favorite pieces: Lift-Off! by Russell Peck and Rip-Off by Rick Kvistad.
Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.
Written in the style of Russell Peck’s “Lift-Off!” and Rick Kvistad’s “RipOff,” Alan Keown’s “Partials” is an energetic work that would be perfect for a high school or small college percussion ensemble due to its minimal equipment needs and approachable musical material.
Most of the work has performers playing unison rhythms (typically eighth notes) while accents with surrounding crescendos and diminuendos are passed around the group. Beginning spaciously, these gestures become more and more condensed until finally sixteenth notes are added to the mix. A middle section places Players 1 and 2 in the lead role until a metric modulation moves the piece to a slower tempo where Players 3 and 4 take the lead. The piece then accelerates to a third section reminiscent of the first, and finally a unison coda ends the work.
The technical and musical demands placed on the performers are nothing beyond what an advanced high school or young college percussionist could handle. The piece is almost entirely in 4/4, and the tempo changes and single metric modulation are easily handled. “Partials” would work well for teaching chamber music techniques to younger players and providing a high-energy work for an ensemble concert.
—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 53, No. 2, May 2015
Dedicated to legendary percussionist and educator Charles Dowd, Alan Keown’s Partials is a drummy, raucous work for unpitched percussion quartet. Each of the four players has an identical setup of one bass drum and a set of bongos. Via metric modulations, frequent conversation and trading of accent patterns around the ensemble, and bombastic unisons, Keown tips his hat toward two of Dowd’s favorite pieces: Lift-Off! by Russell Peck and Rip-Off by Rick Kvistad.
Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.
Written in the style of Russell Peck’s “Lift-Off!” and Rick Kvistad’s “RipOff,” Alan Keown’s “Partials” is an energetic work that would be perfect for a high school or small college percussion ensemble due to its minimal equipment needs and approachable musical material.
Most of the work has performers playing unison rhythms (typically eighth notes) while accents with surrounding crescendos and diminuendos are passed around the group. Beginning spaciously, these gestures become more and more condensed until finally sixteenth notes are added to the mix. A middle section places Players 1 and 2 in the lead role until a metric modulation moves the piece to a slower tempo where Players 3 and 4 take the lead. The piece then accelerates to a third section reminiscent of the first, and finally a unison coda ends the work.
The technical and musical demands placed on the performers are nothing beyond what an advanced high school or young college percussionist could handle. The piece is almost entirely in 4/4, and the tempo changes and single metric modulation are easily handled. “Partials” would work well for teaching chamber music techniques to younger players and providing a high-energy work for an ensemble concert.
—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 53, No. 2, May 2015
