Psappha, by Iannis Xenakis

Psappha, by Iannis Xenakis Performed by: Michael Compitello http://www.michaelcompitello.com Video: Four/Ten Media http://fourtenmedia.net Michael Compitello Vic Firth Artist Page: http://vicfirth.com/artist/Michael_Co... Composition by Iannis Xenakis http://www.iannis-xenakis.org ------------------------------- MALLETS USED: #vfm134 - ORCHESTRAL SERIES KEYBOARD -- MEDIUM HARD URETHANE https://vicfirth.zildjian.com/orchest... #vfTG07 - TOM GAUGER -- ULTRA STACCATO https://vicfirth.zildjian.com/tom-gau... ------------------------------- ABOUT THE PIECE: “Psappha” is an archaic form of “Sappho,” a great Greek poetess from the Island of Lesbos, born in the 600’s BC. Her style was sensual and melodic, and she was one of the first poets to write from the first person, describing love and loss as it affected her personally. This emotion and sentimentality does not seem to manifest in Xenakis’ interpretation. Written for six groups of instruments, three of wood and skins and three of metal, Psappha is sharp, brittle, and even violent at times. This intensely aggressive work seems almost in contradiction to its title. The inspiration here, however, manifests not as aesthetic, but as structure. The work’s rhythmic structures are derived from small rhythmic cells characteristic of Sappho’s poetry. These rhythms pervade the entire work and make both local and large scale appearances. Much of the specifics of instrument choice is left up to the performer: Xenakis writes, “timbre serves only to clarify the rhythmic structures,” suggesting the “words” of this poem are only a secondary color to the structures that contain them. -Samuel Solomon ------------------------------- ABOUT THE PERFORMER: Michael Compitello is a dynamic, “fast rising” (WQXR) percussionist active as a chamber musician, soloist, and teaching artist. He has performed with Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Signal, Ensemble ACJW, and has worked with composers Helmut Lachenmann, Nicolaus A. Huber, David Lang, John Luther Adams, Alejandro Viñao, Marc Applebaum, and Martin Bresnick on premieres and performances of new chamber works. With cellist Hannah Collins as New Morse Code, Michael has created generating a singular and personal repertoire through long-term collaboration with some of America’s most esteemed young composers. Their debut album, Simplicity Itself, described as “a flag of genuineness raised” (WQXR), was released in 2017 on New Focus Recordings. Michael also champions new and recent works for solo percussion in the US and abroad. Currently, Michael’s Unsnared Drum project seeks to reinvent the much-maligned instrument through collaboration with four of American’s most esteemed women composers. Michael is Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of Kansas, and is Assistant Director of Avaloch Farm Music Institute. http://www.michaelcompitello.com -------------------------------- FOLLOW VIC! ➤Website: http://www.vicfirth.com ➤YouTube:    / vicfirthdrumsticks   ➤YouTube (Marching):    / vicfirthmarching   ➤YouTube (Concert):    / vicfirthconcert   ➤Twitter:   / vicfirth   ➤Instagram:   / vicfirth