Birtwistle: Pulse Sampler for oboe and claves, for oboe and claves

In many of his works Birtwistle has been much occupied with the phenomenon of pulse,
with manoeuvres among different rates of pulsation and with polyphonies of
layer beating at different speeds. Pulse Sampler, as its title
indicates, is no exception. The percussionist, playing claves (hard wooden
sticks), is given a 'pulse mobile' consisting of simple rhythmic units to be
played continuously, though the task is considerably complicated by the
frequent tempo changes.

The oboist generally takes his or her pulse
from the percussionist, but each time the rhythm is thus sampled and brought into the realm of pitched sound, the percussion
pulse changes, so that the oboe is usually a step behind. This brings about a friction
which breaks up the simple repetition with which the piece opens and generates wide[-]
ranging melodies and musical ideas all the more surprising for the hard framework
of regularity, music stitched to pulse as a sampler of the composer's and the
oboist's virtuosity.

Paul Griffiths