Composer

:

Stuart Saunders Smith

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Compose Date

:

1994

Average_duration

:

9:48

"Links No. 11 Regions I - XXI" is a contemporary percussion composition by Stuart Saunders Smith. The piece was composed in 1991 and premiered on April 17, 1992, at the University of Maryland. The composition consists of 21 movements, each representing a different region of the world. The first movement, "Region I: North America," features a steady beat on a bass drum, accompanied by various metallic percussion instruments. The second movement, "Region II: South America," incorporates Latin rhythms and features a maraca and cowbell. The third movement, "Region III: Europe," is characterized by a slow, mournful melody played on a vibraphone. The fourth movement, "Region IV: Africa," features a driving rhythm on a djembe, accompanied by various African percussion instruments. The fifth movement, "Region V: Middle East," incorporates Middle Eastern rhythms and features a darbuka and finger cymbals. The sixth movement, "Region VI: India," features a tabla and various Indian percussion instruments. The seventh movement, "Region VII: Southeast Asia," incorporates gamelan rhythms and features a gong and various metallic percussion instruments. The eighth movement, "Region VIII: China," features a guzheng and various Chinese percussion instruments. The ninth movement, "Region IX: Japan," features a taiko drum and various Japanese percussion instruments. The tenth movement, "Region X: Australia," features a didgeridoo and various Australian percussion instruments. The eleventh movement, "Region XI: Polynesia," incorporates Polynesian rhythms and features a log drum and various metallic percussion instruments. The twelfth movement, "Region XII: Arctic," features a slow, mournful melody played on a bowed vibraphone. The thirteenth movement, "Region XIII: Russia," features a balalaika and various Russian percussion instruments. The fourteenth movement, "Region XIV: Scandinavia," features a nyckelharpa and various Scandinavian percussion instruments. The fifteenth movement, "Region XV: Eastern Europe," features a cimbalom and various Eastern European percussion instruments. The sixteenth movement, "Region XVI: Mediterranean," incorporates Mediterranean rhythms and features a tambourine and finger cymbals. The seventeenth movement, "Region XVII: Caribbean," features a steel drum and various Caribbean percussion instruments. The eighteenth movement, "Region XVIII: Mexico," incorporates Mexican rhythms and features a maracas and cowbell. The nineteenth movement, "Region XIX: Central America," features a marimba and various Central American percussion instruments. The twentieth movement, "Region XX: South Pacific," incorporates South Pacific rhythms and features a log drum and various metallic percussion instruments. The final movement, "Region XXI: Antarctica," features a slow, mournful melody played on a bowed vibraphone. Overall, "Links No. 11 Regions I - XXI" is a unique and diverse percussion composition that showcases the rhythms and instruments of various regions of the world. The piece is challenging for the performer, as it requires proficiency on a wide range of percussion instruments and styles.

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