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    Spiderweb Lead (Percussion Quartet)

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    Genre: Percussion Ensemble
    # of Players: 4
    Level: Medium Difficult | Duration: 8:30
    Publisher: C. Alan Publications | Copyright: 2020

    Download mp3 | Click on images to left for score sample

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    Price:
    $40.00
    Item #:
    27170
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    Notes & Instrumentation
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    • Notes & Instrumentation

      Spiderweb Lead is a percussion quartet that brings together steel drum, marimba, vibraphone and a percussion accompaniment that can be played on drums of the performer’s choice such as tablas, bongos and congas, cajon, or any hand drum. In this composition, instruments are treated with nods to their ethnic origins and immersion in contemporary percussion techniques, with a variety of non-traditional beaters used on the steel drum and percussive playing on its rim.

      Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 4
      Level: Medium Difficult | Duration: 8:30

      Instrumentation
      Lead Steel Pan (+ Junk Metal Crash)
      Vibraphone
      Marimba (5-octave)
      Hand Drum

      Program Notes
      Spiderweb Lead is a percussion quartet that assembles an exotic collection of instruments from far-flung locales; in this piece, the steel drum of Trinidad lives alongside the tablas of India and two keyboard percussion instruments of modern classical ensembles: the marimba and vibraphone. In this composition, instruments are treated with nods to their ethnic origins (with a blend of improvisatory and notated music for the tabla) and immersion in contemporary percussion techniques (with a variety of non-traditional beaters used on the steel drum and percussive playing on that instrument’s rim).

      Some of this piece’s distinctive sound comes from the contrast of two approaches to harmony. The first is a “hexatonic” scale – a six-tone pattern built from alternating semitones and minor thirds – that frequently produces not only major and minor chords but also other types, such as augmented chords and simultaneous combinations of major and minor. The other sound comes from building easy-to-memorize patterns on the steel drum, which has a special “spiderweb lead” pattern of pitches (hence this piece’s title) connected by fourths and fifths rather than by steps, as they would be on most other instruments. The other guiding force behind this composition, as tends to be with all of my compositions, is a fanatical seeking of instrumental blends, finding meeting points for all combined instruments and trying to make them sound like a beautiful composite. With the use of two unfamiliar instruments – I have never before composed for steel drum or for tabla – this challenge was a particularly exciting one, which led to some unconventional results.

      This composition is dedicated with gratitude to its commissioners:
      Julie Hill and The University of Tennessee at Martin Percussion Society; Dan Piccolo and The MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music at the College of Musical Arts of Bowling Green State University; and Ji Hye Jung and Vanderbilt University.

      - A.B.S.

    • Video

      • Spiderweb Lead by Adam Silverman

        Spiderweb Lead by Adam Silverman | Performed by the Vanderbilt Percussion Group. Performers: JiHye Jung Clark Hubbard Noah Luna Maddy Dethloff

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      1. Percussive Notes New Literature Review

        “Spiderweb Lead” adds to Adam Silverman’s already impressive collection of works. As with many of his works, this quartet allows for an interesting interplay between rhythmic, timbral, and melodic elements for each of the players. Starting from the very beginning using sticks on the edge of the pan, the piece enters with the unexpected and continues from there, anchored with a heavy, unrelenting groove that permeates the hocketed and heavily syncopated patterns within each player’s music.

        Each part within the quartet provides a unique challenge. For the steel drummer, the challenges arise from keeping up with the two other mallet parts, whipping around with four mallets as opposed to two beaters, and still being a presence within the ensemble. For the marimba player, four-mallet ostinato patterns persist throughout the work in various forms, and so technical proficiency is a must to keep the group together and drive many of the main phrases. The vibraphonist, along with coordinating difficult hocketing rhythms with the marimba player, must also take charge of several solo lead lines that jump out throughout the piece, floating above the textures of the pan, marimba, and drums. For the hand drum, the challenge is to rhythmically interact with all other voices while laying down the foundational framework within which other parts must settle. It is also helpful to know that although the hand drum part was originally written for tabla, the part is now simplified down to three tones: low, closed, and open high tones.

        “Spiderweb Lead” is an exciting journey from start to finish, venturing off down small tangents yet still managing to weave back together for a cohesive storyline. Accessible for any audience while still challenging talented performers, it is a great work for professional quartets, graduate students, or high-level undergraduates willing to tackle the challenging mallet parts, but well worth the effort.

        Matthew Geiger
        PERCUSSIVE NOTES
        VOL. 59, NO. 3, JUNE 2021         on Jun 29th 2022

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