Hypergenesis (2018)

General Information

Commissioner: Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Composer Program
Written: July – August, 2018
Duration: ca. 4.5’
Instrumentation: 5 perc

Performance History

August 4, 2018 (reading): BUTI Young Artist Percussion Program conducted by Sam Solomon at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Lenox, MA

Program Note

'Hypergenesis' was inspired by a group meditation session I attended. The session consisted solely of one long sound-improvisation experience, in which one person began by making a noise, and each person reacted to and responded to that noise. The structural form of 'Hypergenesis' begins in the same way: a solo shaker quietly plays a figure of two quick thirty-second notes, and the rest of the piece builds itself off of that gesture.

The piece climaxes at the golden ratio of the piece's duration. Following the climax is a short passage that leads back to a near-exact retrograde of the opening material, making the piece semi-symmetrical around the golden ratio. 'Hypergenesis', for me, represents an experiment in symmetry, complex rhythms, and a deep attempt to create a truly organic musical structure.

Recording available upon request. Please use the contact form linked in the menu above, or email me at ben.beckman@yale.edu.