"Mudra" by Bob Becker

Francisco Perez, soloist
Accompanied by Bryan Angel, Brad Davis, Eliot Johnson, and Johnathon Westcott
Performed at University of Kentucky SCFA Recital Hall - April 14, 2014
MM Percussion Recital #1
Written in 1990, Mudra consists of music that was originally composed for the dance UrbhanaMudra choreography. Later reorchestrated for concert percussion ensemble, the original form and structure of the work reflected the episodic and gestural character of the choreography, which dealt with the conflict of traditional and modern issues in a multi-cultural urban society. The term "mudra" refers to the narrative use of torso, facial, hand, and arm gestures in many Indian forms.
Following the traditional Indian dance concert ensemble, the drum is the principal voice of group. Though Becker replaced the tabla with a Western drum in efforts to synthesize both cultures, classical Indian musical structures were used to influence all formal, rhythmic, and harmonic aspects of the piece: raga Chandrakauns for melodic content, palta for motivic development, and ti hai for rhythmic cadence formulas. These are utilized most systematically in the final drum solo section, where rhythms -- not harmonies -- create tension and release.
www.perezperc.com