Papalotl is concerned, as in other works of mine, with rhythm, but rhythm understood not as a mere calculation of duratons but rather as movement in time very much as in dance.
Specifically, Papalotl is built with nearly 200 short rhythmic patterns which ar combined to form longer strands of music, these in turn are juxtaposed and interpolated to construct larger sections of the work. The determining process, however, is the use of continuous rhythmic modulation throughout the entire work, which incessantly shifts the accents and the speed of pulses. The percussive piano part is also subjected to this process and juxtaposed to the ever-evolving tape portion, giving the resultant polyrhythmic web which characterizes the piece. Consequently, extreme synchronization is called for between pianist and tape.
All sounds sources come from the inside of the piano, which were sampled and then processed on a Fairlight CMI computer to construct a "giant piano" on tape. The live supplies the upper partials of the spectrum.
The work was composed and realized at the Electro-Acoustic Music Studios at the City University in London between September 1986 and March 1987. Papalotl has recently won the 1987 ICEM Prize at the Bourges International E A Musik Competition and has been released on compact disc by Harmonia in France with Philip Mead playing. (J. Alvarez)