Fourganic
Fourganic is a piece for percussion quartet, completed in November of 2008. The piece is roughly divided into 3 sections: the first section is non-pitched, and is characterized by steady growth, a conservative use of material, and a pervasive pulse. The second section, which features pitched instruments, is more nebulous in character, incorporating both proportional notation and improvisation. The third and final section aims to combine these two contrasting events into a coherent, yet transfigured whole.
The setup and instrumentation of Fourganic are variations on the first movement of Trio Per Uno by Nebojša Živković. Like Živković’s piece, Fourganic features simple rhythmic elements that are patterned, sequenced, shared, overlapped, and passed between the players. The music also provides ample opportunity for the performers to exaggerate the rhythms with visual stick effects.
The piece was premiered by Daniel Allen, Dylan Groff, Kevin Raab, and Tyler Tolles on April 7, 2010 at the College of Music at the University of North Texas.
See the performance notes
See the instrument layout
See the score
Hear the piece: