Composer

:

Jean Froidevaux

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Average_duration

:

17:44

Movement_count

:

7

Movement ....

Les Pléiades is a composition for six percussionists, composed by Jean Froidevaux in 1978. The piece was premiered on May 18, 1979, at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, France. The composition is divided into six movements, each named after one of the stars in the Pleiades constellation. The first movement, "Alcyone," is characterized by the use of metal instruments, including gongs, cymbals, and triangles. The second movement, "Merope," features wood instruments, such as marimbas, xylophones, and claves. The third movement, "Celaeno," is a duet for two percussionists playing on a set of tuned drums. The fourth movement, "Taygeta," is a trio for three percussionists playing on a set of tuned cowbells. The fifth movement, "Maia," features the use of skin instruments, such as bongos, congas, and timbales. The final movement, "Asterope," is a combination of all the previous movements, with the addition of a set of tuned gongs. The composition is characterized by its use of complex rhythms and polyrhythms, as well as its exploration of the timbral possibilities of percussion instruments. The piece also features a high degree of interplay between the six percussionists, with each player contributing to the overall texture of the music. Overall, Les Pléiades is considered to be a landmark composition in the field of percussion music, and has been performed and recorded by numerous percussion ensembles around the world.

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