Michael Jarrell

Assonance VII

Assonance VII for solo percussion, composed for the International Competition of Musical Performance in Geneva (where it was first performed by Takajumi Sujimoto in 1992), roundly confirms Michael Jarrell's relationship with percussion instruments. From Aber der Wissende (1981, for voice and marimbaphone) to Un long fracas... (1998, for percussion and orchestra), via Rhizomes (Assonance Vllb) (1991-93, for two percussionists, two pianos and electronics - the musical material is closely related to that of the present piece), the composer has frequently called on this family of instruments, and indeed his experience and mastery of writing and affinity with them can be clearly felt. The creative thought process, above all, is more important than the musical or sound framework of this labyrinth of percussion instruments. From the outset, Assonance VII does away with the 'thunderous' aspect and very loud dynamics, preferring gentle, subtle music that seems to suggest more than it confirms. The composer nevertheless deliberately fixes auditory landmarks for the listener, such as the long sequence for solo vibraphone that occurs shortly alter the start of the work, where notes seem to be immobilised in one register (the chord of F-Csharp-E-C-Eb-B-D), before this 'frame' alters (the low notes change into G-Bb-Fsharp-A, while the high D disappears, and so on), finally settling on the single note B. This work juxtaposes episodes that are differentiated by the sounds and the nature of the musical event - it progresses to a light accentuation of the beat towards the end, finishing by playing on the combinations between fixed pitch instruments (gongs, crotale and vibraphone) and unpitched (tam-tams, cymbals, etc.). The ever-changing 'backcloth' set up by these elaborate colours finally evaporates into nothing, returning for a brief moment to the opening sounds.Pierre Michel,Translation: Mary Criswickextract from the booklet Solos (CD aeon)