Rhytmix by Stanley Leonard

Rhythmix is a work that features the timpani in a dramatic, solo role. It is an imagined music in which the timpanist is the spokesperson, leading the ensemble through a variety of moods and rhythms that utilize melodies and harmonic tunings of Japanese origin. For example, the opening ascending phrases in the vibraphone and glockenspiel are the tunings of Koto strings while the first solo timpani statement is a segment of a Koto melody. The solo timpani statement in the fast sections uses a traditional Yamatogoto rhythm while the tunings are related to the tuning of the strings of said instrument. Finally, the hint of a Taiko ensemble can be heard in the fast sections.

Rhythmix was written for Ed Stephan, principal timpanist of the San Francisco Symphony, and the percussionists of the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra, Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. It was premiered by them on May 8 and 9, 2015.