2 pianos, 2 percussion, and electronics.

“River Sonnet”

Water levels have bled out,

like it had just bitten its lip

& was about to swell— then rip:

had I paid better attention to drought,

listened more to the stars and stayed

with mountain clouds, I’d have let go

of the knot swing hanging above the slow

life flow beneath my legs, I’d have prayed

to forget all the times he came to me

but not wanted me: how fast it rises,

carrying plumes of pang in undercurrent:

swirls of sediment & silt around my knees—

the dragging stalks and leaves of irises,

how pathetic they look breaking in torrent—

Tacey M. Atsitty

Duration: 7’ 30”

Instrumentation/Equipment:

Piano (2), Percussion (2):

• Vibraphone

  • Medium rubber mallets*

  • Medium hard yarn mallets*

  • Bow 

• Wood slats (4)

• Marimba

  • Hard yarn mallets*

  • Medium yarn mallets*

• Toms (2; low/high)

• Bongos (2; low/high)

• Cup chime

Max patch (for fixed media playback).

Performances:

breaking in torrent⸺ UNL Percussion Ensemble; 7:30PM December 9, 2021. Kimball Recital Hall, Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.

breaking in torrent⸺ Virtual concert premiere presentation, September 2, 2021; Kobacker Hall, Bowling Green State University; performed by the icarus Quartet (Larry Weng, Yevgeny Yontov, Matt Keown, Jeff Stern); recorded, filmed, and produced by Michael Laurello.

breaking in torrent⸺ Reading and recording session, April 29-30, 2021; Kobacker Hall, Bowling Green State University; performed by the icarus Quartet (Larry Weng, Yevgeny Yontov, Matt Keown, Jeff Stern); recorded, filmed, and produced by Michael Laurello.

Pictured (left to right): Matt Keown, Yevgeny Yontov (front), Delanie Molnar, Larry Weng (front), Jeff Stern.