for electric guitar, tenor and soprano saxophone, accordion
14' duration total.
First performance July 13, 2007, Tenri Cultural Institute 43A W13th St, NYC 8pm
Commissioned by RIOT for their inaugural concert
Oren Fader-guitar, Michael Ibrahim-saxophones, Eric Wubbles-accordion.
Balagan is a Hebrew word, variously assigned Russian, Polish, Turkish and Persian origins, which has no precise English translation, but refers generally to “chaos” – whether of a room, interpersonal relationships, or the state of the world at large.
The unique instrumentation of this trio -- the sonic possibilities alone -- were enough to write multiple pieces for this group! In the finished piece, there are three distinct points of departure for the different musical ideas: One is a hocketing rhythm on the same note (as a way to initially equalize the inherent differences in timbre of the instruments). A second is based on tutti articulations of complex sounds that unsystematically expand and thicken. And the third provides an opportunity to highlight the unique differences of each instrument.
This piece is dedicated to Valery and Joseph Levy, and was composed 2007 in NYC, Paris, and Fort Lee.
Balagan
three minute excerpt