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Composer's Note:
Black Shogun II (2006) is scored for a solo percussionist (instead of the original version for tap dance soloist), three percussionists, and a background soundtrack of work-songs. The instrumentation for the soloist includes two octaves of Chinese Cloud Gongs (C1 – C3), five Chinese goblet drums, four Korean bender gongs, and a drum of the soloist’s choice played with Middle Eastern finger techniques. This solo part was expressly written for Ian Ding.
The original work, Black Shogun, was commissioned by Michael Eisenberg, a percussionist/tap dancer.
This work grew out of my reflections of the Samurai and Shoguns during the Edo Period in Japan and the people of Africa who were enslaved and brought to the Americas to work the plantations. There is no attempt to equate the two cultures in a direct way. It is the observations during the journey on the pathway of life, the michi, that take on personal meaning, making connections and sense out of one’s life and history.
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Percussion Needed:
Percussion Ensemble:
1. Ben Sasara, Mouksho piccolo WB – medium, 4 Chinese Opera Gngs (low to high), Shimi-daiko (or bongo type substitute), Small Chinese Opera Cyms - ca. 6 inch diameter, Keyboard Instrument (vib - Mallet KAT)
2. Mouksho piccolo WB – low, Large low Chinese Temple Blk, Chinese Opera Cyms - ca. 8 -10 inch diameter, Taiko, Keyboard Instrument (Steel Dr - Pan, Mallet KAT)
3. O-Daiko (medium heavy felt mallets, heavy wooden batchi/sticks), Mouksho piccolo WB – high, Large Kin (Dobachi - and 3 additional graduated Kin - played with soft mallets producing clear articulation), Musical Saw (bowed), Sleighbells
Percussion Soloist:
Chinese Cloud Gngs, (Chromatic - middle C up 1 octave + m. 6th to Ab second space above the staff) [Substitute instruments could be chromatic Almglock, Bell Plates, Tuned Discs, etc.], 5 medium/smallTam-Ts (non-knobed: Korean, Chinese, Japanese), 5 Chinese Single Headed Drs (medium to high) [LP junior congas would be an approximate substitute], Frame Dr (or other dr using finger techniques - soloists choice)