ORBITING
GARDEN for piano (or, alternatively, for MIDI piano or amplified
harpsichord) and tape. 1989. Commissioned by the Music Gallery for Anthony de
Mare with a grant from the Canada Council. 15 minutes.
ORBITING
GARDEN for accordion and tape.
1991. Accordion version commissioned by ConAccord Canada for Joseph
Petric with a grant from the Laidlaw Foundation. 15 minutes.
Score/part and DAT or ADAT tapes (The ADAT has a click track in addition to the
audio track) available through
PROMETHEAN EDITIONS.
.
Nominated for a Juno Award (Classical Composition of the Year category) 2003
Orbiting Garden is the second piece in a pentalogy of works
collectively called Earthrise (Also see: Nadir,
The Temptation of St. Anthony, Crucifix
and The Mega4 Meta4). It is my most often
performed work in spite of the extreme technical demands it places
on the performer. The difficulty does not lie in the material
itself but in the tight coordination that is required between
the live performer and the tape. The extremely hyperactive tape
part (a study in microrhythms) makes it difficult to stay 'in
the groove', but when played well, it is I think a rewarding piece
for the listeners and (eventually) for the performers. As in the
other pieces of Earthrise, the musical material plays equally
significant roles on two different plains, the purely musical
and the symbolic. Even during its most outwardly mundane moments,
the music has an inner cryptic identity. The choice of cheap 'street'
material for example, and the conscious effort to realize the
unexplored and often overlooked potential hidden within it, is
to me, symbolically the musical analogue of the biblical quotation
"The stone which was rejected by the architects has become
a cornerstone". The chronological and geographical eclecticism,
the transcendental union of heterogeneous materials, and my entire
'grassroots' approach to composition, are outward manifestation
of deeper religious and philosophical convictions about our world
and our role in it. 'Heavy' as all this may sound, the music itself
is anything but. Throughout Earthrise there is a sense
of 'lightness' which permeates every aspect of the composition.
Religious symbolism and humor exist side-by-side in a mutually
exclusive yet complementary partnership. The vocal cadenza at
the end of Orbiting Garden is sung by my late friend Chari
Polatos (who also sings the only recording to date of Crucifix).
Premiere performance:
April 8, 1989 by Anthony de Mare. Music Gallery, Toronto. 
Comments:
The title track Orbiting Garden is a sizzling
Christos Hatzis cross-cultural romp, with flashing colours, genuine soul-filled
electronics and triadic hooks to keep harmonies anchored. Tabla-like sounds
suggest ragas and sitars, but with lots of lyrical wide-eyed wonder in their
messages. Its 16-minutes fly, and one wonders how (well) the piece would work if
scored for orchestra. [Joseph] Petric, as always, is amazing. James Manishen, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS,
March 29 2003 (Canada)
The first track on this album, Orbiting Garden,
makes this CD well worth having. A cascading piece of continuous invention and
momentum, this is one wild and playful ride. Written by Christos Hatzis in
1991...this remains a highly inventive post modern work hopping and skipping
across great cultural divides. Themes are built from additive notes and
micro-rhythmic motives and re-circulate throughout, along with brief snatches
of Arabic strings, wordless chanting and a quote from Albinoni. The
synchronization challenge for the live performer is immense. In spite of the
variety of electronic sounds and influences the piece holds together and stands
unique in the accordion repertoire (the original work was written for piano).
I've not heard anything remotely like it. Steve Mobia, THE FREE-REED REVIEW.
...I love [Orbiting Garden.] I think that it is very exciting and engaging. The writing, the concept and your handling of the technology is quite thrilling. R. B. (USA)
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