01: MOVEMENT IN RUPAK TAL
(Walter Mony, Calvin Lewis, violins) • The source of inspiration for this piece was the seminars led by the great Ravi Shankar in which Robert Rollin was a participant. The term Rupak Tal in North Indian music refers to the temporal and rhythmic organization. Here it is based on the Indian rhythmic syllables, Tin Tin Na / Dhi Na / Dhi Na, which transliterates in Western notation to 1-2-3 / 4-5 / 6-7, and which translates in this work to 7 / 8 time. The various strands of thematic lines seem to pass through a magic lantern as they are buffeted about, fragmented, inverted, augmented or compressed, all in a rambunctious tempo with the limping gait of 7 / 8. Melodic strands and rhythmic complexities take precedence over harmonic content. As in Indian Classical music, hemiola-like patterns periodically cloud the sense of meter which is reasserted when the two players reconverge on the downbeat. The ensemble intricacies evoke a heady and visceral experience for players and listeners alike.
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