Commissioned by the French Government and Musica Strasbourg.As the title suggests Trois rivières is divided into three separate sections. The first part introduces all the instrumental colours used in the piece. The rhythmicaspect is here nearly eliminated giving room for the timbral scales colours resonances attacks and textures to come to the fore. The instruments come from all members of the percussion family but unpitched instruments aregiven a primary role.The second part adds a rhythmic aspect to the nuances of colour and texture as an ostinato is developed in markedly varying directions.The last part is an epilogue recalling components of the twopreceding parts. Here earlier aspects of the material are reorganised and placed in different relationships to each other.The voices of the percussionists act together as an extension of the instruments being used to createeither rhythmically free textures or strictly notated rhythms. They are treated instrumentally combining to create rhythms and timbres. The poem 'La nuit de lune sur le fleuve' (Moonlit night on the river) by the Chinese poet LiPo (701-762) constitutes the material for the voices which are amplified and further enhanced throughout.
