Inspired by Inuit throat singing, Fertility Rites (1997) for marimba and digital audio is a haunting and highly expressive work. It is innovative for the way it combines live percussion with the digital audio part, consisting of prerecorded marimba sounds and Inuit throat singing. The katajjaq (vocal games) used in this work are used to evoke the sounds of the fertility ritual, a shamanistic mating call, which makes it particularly engaging for performers and listeners.
Brian Zator, Percussive Notes, August, September 2009
Composed in 1997, Fertility Rites is a marimba solo with CD accompaniment. The work lasts over 13 minutes, includes three movements and requires a 5.0-octave marimba. This piece is very interesting in its use of the CD, which provides not only background ambience to the solo, but also serves as a duet voice and extension of the marimba. The idea behind the work, especially the CD part, is Inuit throat singing. Hatzis' extensive program notes "Throat songs were originally a fertility ritual, a shamanistic mating call which the women performed while the men were out hunting." The sexual nature of these sounds is imminent in the electronically processed throat sounds and heavy breathing.
The first movement contains rhythmic manipulations of the throat and breath sounds while the marimba maintains steady quarter and intermittent sixteenth notes. The opposing rhythms blend so that the "gentle, non-possessive music for the marimba and the dark, longing calls on the tape contradict each other." The second movement is a beautiful duet between the tape and marimba and pitch bending to create an extension of the soloist through electronics. The soloist and CD both play slow, legato rolls and outlined, arpeggiated chords. Although this movement is the shortest of the three, it is extremely effective.
The third movement is about six minutes long and requires fast hands to play sixteenths and sextuplets at quarternote = 124. Some sections require four mallets, while others can be played with two. The CD for this movement establishes a steady groove and tempo while the marimba part has a more soloistic role, moving around the entire keyboard. Large leaps, syncopations and constantly changing rhythms allow the soloist to show his or her virtuosic techniques.
Overall, the first two movements are accessible by many intermediate to advanced players, while the third movements requires much more advanced techniques. The conservative player (and listener) might find the Intuit throat sounds too risqué, but no one can deny Hatzis' high quality of work and excellent blend of the CD accompaniment and marimba solo.
Difficulty Rating Scale V - Advanced
Born in Greece, educated in the United States and a Canadian citizen since 1985, composer Christos Hatzis (b.1953) is becoming widely known as a leading figure in contemporary classical music. His works are performed and broadcast throughout the world, and their frequent combination of a powerful spiritual foundation with an immediately accessible appeal has made a deep emotional impact upon audiences and performers alike.
