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Stuart P. O'Neil's programmatic work for percussion ensemble and solo flute is a short study in minimalism and tone color. Rain, as it’s portrayed here, isn’t a drizzle or a thunderstorm. Rather, it’s a steady afternoon shower with a bit of rumbling in the distance, which provides ample opportunities for windchimes, tuned glasses, and other effects. The addition of solo flute, which exploits the full range of the instrument so is a little more difficult than the percussion ensemble as a whole, adds an airy, distant quality to the piece.
Written to portray a steady afternoon rain shower, this 3½-minute work presents an attractive array of sound layers and keyboard ostinato lines that serve the totality of the piece without sounding redundant. While uniqueness comes from featuring the solo flute, the combination of flute with the 10 percussion parts is written so intelligently and cohesively that the sum of the parts is musically strong, programmatically effective, and satisfying.
Utilizing a minimal amount of melodic and rhythmic material, the work is loosely rooted in F major while hinting at several additional tonal centers throughout by exploiting guide tones and modal operations. While some sections are recycled, the work never sounds repetitive, but rather guides listeners through an array of moods and textures, including those akin to Native American folk music, or introspective works heard at a live Peter Gabriel concert.
From a logistics standpoint, all the percussion parts can be performed with two mallets, rhythms are rarely complex, and the solo flute line, while covering a wide range of the instrument, can be attained by a confident high school flutist.
—Joshua D. Smith
Percussive Notes
Vol. 52, No. 2. March 2014
Stuart P. O'Neil's programmatic work for percussion ensemble and solo flute is a short study in minimalism and tone color. Rain, as it’s portrayed here, isn’t a drizzle or a thunderstorm. Rather, it’s a steady afternoon shower with a bit of rumbling in the distance, which provides ample opportunities for windchimes, tuned glasses, and other effects. The addition of solo flute, which exploits the full range of the instrument so is a little more difficult than the percussion ensemble as a whole, adds an airy, distant quality to the piece.
Written to portray a steady afternoon rain shower, this 3½-minute work presents an attractive array of sound layers and keyboard ostinato lines that serve the totality of the piece without sounding redundant. While uniqueness comes from featuring the solo flute, the combination of flute with the 10 percussion parts is written so intelligently and cohesively that the sum of the parts is musically strong, programmatically effective, and satisfying.
Utilizing a minimal amount of melodic and rhythmic material, the work is loosely rooted in F major while hinting at several additional tonal centers throughout by exploiting guide tones and modal operations. While some sections are recycled, the work never sounds repetitive, but rather guides listeners through an array of moods and textures, including those akin to Native American folk music, or introspective works heard at a live Peter Gabriel concert.
From a logistics standpoint, all the percussion parts can be performed with two mallets, rhythms are rarely complex, and the solo flute line, while covering a wide range of the instrument, can be attained by a confident high school flutist.
—Joshua D. Smith
Percussive Notes
Vol. 52, No. 2. March 2014
