Creation: 2 May 1976, United Kingdom, London, Round House, by Sylvio Gualda
Commissioned by: the Gulbenkian Foundation
Dedicated: Sylvio Gualda
Publisher: Salabert
Musicians: 1 percussionist
Duration: 12′
Psappha is a piece for solo percussion, with a large number of instruments (five groups). But it is not sound color that interests Xenakis, who does not specify the instruments precisely, but only gives indications of material and register. Nor, strictly speaking, is his composition based on purely rhythmic work. Here, there are no complex values dear to serialists or subtle superimpositions of rhythms. The discourse is organized around a regular pulse, even if it varies over the course of the piece, with all parts clearly referring to it.
On the other hand, the composer focuses on varying the density of the different groups, both vertically and horizontally, demanding great virtuosity from the performer. Paradoxically, the music’s charm seems to emanate from an asceticism of sound and rhythm, giving it an almost incantatory quality.
Woodwinds and skins open the piece. An initial section develops from a dialogue between the initially dominant mid-range group and the faster-paced treble group, which gradually takes over, only to be abruptly interrupted by the aggressive bass group. The three groups then seem to balance out, culminating in a section based on a single instrument from each group, violently piercing the silence that has become predominant. The movement then picks up again, integrating the metals, while the discourse makes increasing use of repetition and gradually tightens into prolonged rolls. At this point, the lowest instrument emerges in a regular, sustained beat, with brutal, irregular accents, which forcefully concludes the piece, supported by the high-pitched metals that only appear at this point.