Irving in Indonesia

for Indonesian Gongs and Toy Piano

Commissioned by Evelyn Glennie
World Premiere March 2001
Evelyn Glennie and Friends Concert Series

Wigmore Hall, London

Evelyn Glennie, Indonesian Gongs
Margaret Leng Tan, Toy Piano

5 minutes

About Irving in Indonesia Wallace says:

''When Evelyn and I first met in 1996, I went to her home to see all her toys and prepare for the composition of Gorilla in a Cage, the concerto she premiered the following year in Bochum, Germany. Among the instruments was her extensive collection of gongs''.

''I particularly fell in love with the sound of the Indonesian gongs, and though they did not find their way into Gorilla, I tucked the thought away for the future. When Evelyn asked me to write a new piece for her and Margaret Leng Tan, the Indonesian gongs seemed a perfect complement to the toy piano, in both timbre and scale. The gongs being used are basically "black note" pitches, which made me think of Irving Berlin who used to write his songs playing mostly the black notes on the piano. To allow him to change keys, his piano was equipped with a special crank.''