The topic of hybridization is approached by questioning the role of the performer: what happens if the vibraphonist plays the piano with mallets? And, on the other hand, what happens if the pianist becomes involved in playing the vibraphone? The piece explores the hybridization of two musicians, their knowledge, and their instrumental techniques.
The piece is structured in three parts. In the first part, the vibraphonist plays the piano strings with a mallet; this section is centered around A and introduces the first appearance of the melodic line, played by the piano. In the second part, both performers return to their own instruments; this section is characterized by movement, especially in the vibraphone part, where the melodic line reappears in a fragmented form, while B becomes the new tonal center. In the third part, the pianist abandons the piano and presses the vibraphone bars, becoming physically involved with the other instrument; this section recalls the conception of the first one, working with muted and unmuted sounds on the vibraphone, while B remains the center.
Throughout the piece, a simple rhythmic pattern can be heard: repeated triplets or sextuplets with different accentuations. This pattern functions almost like an earworm: something that remains in the listener's mind, something that cannot easily disappear - and that, at a certain point, may even become exhausting to listen to.
Vibraphone: Carlota Cáceres
Piano: Llorenç Prats
Premiered in Mallorca, Fundació ACA, 30 November 2024.