SABULUM REPTILIA

 for  piccolo, percussion Quartet and tape

Written: 1985
Duration: 15'
Instrumentation: piccolo (doubling two hand-held stones), percussion quartet and tape
Percussion Instrumentation: Percussion 1 – Concert Bass Drum, French Horn Mute, Guiro, Claves, Piccolo Wood Block, Two Stones, Vibraslap; Percussion 2 – Xylophone, Piccolo Wood Block, Medium Wood Block; Percussion 3 – Cuíca, Temple Blocks, Medium Wood Block, Maracas; Percussion 4 – Marimba (4 1/3 octaves), Piccolo Wood Block, Large Wood Block, Guiro
World Premiere: Eastman Percussion Ensemble, John Beck, conductor, Eastman School of Music Eastman Theater, Rochester, NY, November 25, 1986.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music (ASCAP)

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Program Note

I was inspired to compose Sabulum Reptilia while strolling through the Reptile House at the Buffalo Zoo. While I watched the reptiles move about in their glass-walled cages, I noticed that they moved in ways that were very rhythmic. I then decided that it would be fun to base a composition on their mystical rhythms. In the process, I attempted to convert a few of the rhythms into melodies and harmonies. This was difficult, considering that reptiles do not make any vocal sounds except for an occasional ‘hiss’. While writing this work, I also took into consideration many other aspects of reptiles besides the way they moved. Origin, size, looks, and stereotypes of certain reptiles all played a role. The piece begins with a recording of various recorded sounds that are intended to set the audience in the right frame of mind as well as introduce the theme. At the end of the third movement, the recorded sounds are replayed in order to restate the introduction.

Sabulum Reptilia is dedicated to my first composition teacher, William Ortiz Alvarado.

Movements with Animals Represented in This Work:

I
Desert Iguana (domesticated)
Desert Iguana (un-domesticated)

II
Desert Sidewinder
Desert Iguana
Desert Iguana running across sand
2 Desert Crickets
3 Desert Crickets
4 Desert Crickets
Pinacate Beetle

III
Green Bay Gecko
Sungazer
Regal-Horned Lizard
Fringe–Toed Lizard Startled by a Roadrunner
Diamond–Backed Rattle Snake
Komodo Dragon
Komodo Dragon Hunting Wild Pig
Finale: Thunderstorm on The Desert