Eternal Return of a Ritual Form Paul Dolden

There is a hypnotic quality in some forms of world music and Western popular music that I find very engaging. The challenge as a composer is to be hypnotic without being boring!

In this work there is a melodic and rhythmic repetition that begins to feel ritualistic. This musical ritual begins slowly and accelerates to a frenzy of activity. The repetition in intended to create a hypnosis that keeps ringing on in the ear after the final broadband noise tries to obliterate it.

This is one of the few times in my life where I went back 10 years musically to re explore a musical idea that I felt could create more music. Most of this work is based on pages 104 to 107 of the Entropic Twilight score. (pdf page numbers) My interest was in the funky meter changes (4/4,3/4,5/8 etc), and the long phasing of the parts. The harmonic and melodic concerns notated in the score become like a bass line or cantus firmus that our two soloists enrich with fast jazz like linear playing.

Commissioned by Mr. Houle and Ms Hayes.

  • Year of composition: 2011
  • Format: Mixed work
  • Instrumentation: Clarinet, Piano and tape
  • Duration of the submitted work: 17:50

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