Generic Composition #1 and #6

These Generic Compositions may be performed as solos, as a duo, or, eventually, as part of the ensemble work Everything You Need To Know, which I am writing for the Dutch group, the Ives Ensemble, and which they will premiere in April 2001. Each of the seven Generic Compositions isolates an aspect of instrumental behaviour for especial compositional attention: in Generic Composition #1 'it's the distribution of rhythms and instruments between the percussionist's hands; in Generic Composition #6 it's the conjunction of valves and the harmonic series in a brass instrument. What interests me in these Generic Compositions is the extent to which the instruments seem to write their own music when composers (players too?) let them.

Quattro Pezzi

Each of the four trumpet pieces are based around a small group of notes, sometimes revolving, almost cycling around a particular pitch centre or intervals, and other times resting on one pitch, inflecting it or colouring it with ornamentation or varied articulations. (Stephen Altoft)

Haut (1997)

The title of this piece is a word play on the German word  Haut (skin, or in this case the skin of a drum) and a similar German word  Hauen (to strike, a drum). The work is constructed in three Esercizios and three Rhapsodien. The six sections of this piece are proportionate to each other. The same proportions are also present in the rhythmic makeup (figures, meters, phrases). Behind the constriction of  only hand drums, lies a seemingly paradoxical intention. The listener is presented with timbral richness despite the reduced instrumentarium. (Igor Majcen)

Pulse (1998) (9')

Pulse was written in June 1998 for the Berlin-based American percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky (Univ. of Iowa alumni) and the trumpeter, Rheinhold Freidrich. Typically Wolff allows the performers certain freedoms of choice with regard to tempi, dynamics, timbre and instrumentation.

Listenings III (1999)

Listenings III is part of a cycle of five pieces for different combinations of solo instruments and duets. Whilst the pieces bear no relationship to one another, a conscious attempt is made to focus on specific timbres and pitches.

Forza (2000)

Forza is divided into three main sections: solo percussion and tape, trumpet and tape with live electronics and then a short coda with percussion, trumpet and tape. The focus of the trumpet part is upon timbre as the performer plays a slow series of pitches which are derived from overtones contained with in the electronic sounds on the tape. Subtle use of live electronics is also used to alter the natural sound of the trumpet.

Similarly, the perccussion part contains rhythms which are influenced by the scraping and dragging noises on the tape. The musical result is an abstract expression of physical force (in section 1), and the force of human emotion (in section 2).

Five pieces (2000)

These five pieces are drawn from a larger set of short pieces that can be played in various combinations, depending on the available instruments and programme time. They are separated by silences of varied lengths. The title is a generic one; other performances of  Five pieces might not necessarily feature the same five pieces.

Fellaheen (1999) (9')

Oswald Spengler in his book  The Decline of the West (1922) set out the view that civilisations existed in life cycles, within which distinctions can be made between peoples before, within, and after a Culture. He named these people primitives, culture-peoples, and -- from its best known example, the Egyptians of post-Roman times -- fellah-peoples, or fellaheen.

The work's percussion and trumpet part have been written independently of one another. They are to be performed simultaneosly with the stipulation that they begin together and that the trumpet part ends shortly before the percussion part.