Rite of Way

Inspired by the raucous and alluring music from Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Rite of Way is built from a combination of motifs and compositional techniques Stravinsky employed, but with groovy embellishments. This piece is a fundamental challenge for anyone working to improve their hand independence, drum-crossing, and overall rhythm.

Program Notes

As a percussionist, one of the most sought after timpani excerpts I've seen for auditions is, of course, the Sacrificial Dance from the end ofStravinsky's The Rite of Spring. This rhythmic, chaotic force of composition has always intrigued me, making the excerpt one of my favorites. Rite of Way was conceived after I improvised on the excerpt in an attempt to write a coherent piece with the ideas. Throughout the piece, there are many references to The Rite of Spring, whether it be motivically or through similar compositional techniques Stravinsky employed, so I like to think of it as an "homage."

- I.T.J.

Grade Level: Intermediate
Copyright: 2023
Number of Players: 1
Duration: 4:15
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Category: Solo Works

Sample PDFs

• Rite_Of_Way.pdf

Instrumentation

4 Timpani