A departure from Psathas' earlier aggressive, physically complex percussion works such as Drum Dances (PE008) and Etude from One Study One Summary (PE087), Kyoto is stylistically similar to his marimba concerto Djinn. A constant rhythmic semiquaver pulse sustains momentum through varying time signatures, with brief moments of silence giving way to shifts in harmonic content. Two contrasting ideas alternate throughout – the rhythmically driven melodic lines, and arpeggios heard in the vibraphone – before coming together at the climax of the work.
The title of the work refers to a 1976 improvisation by pianist Keith Jarrett which was recorded in Kyoto. This improvisation of Jarrett's is, more than anything, the piece that woke the composer in me, and set me on this journey of creating my own music for others.
