“Expulsie is a four-movement composition of approximately 22 minutes for a large instrumental ensemble. The piece forms a triptych, together with Inversie (for 10 instruments, 1987) and Contractie (for alto flute, bass clarinet and piano, 1988). In addition, Expulsie is a direct continuation of my longest piece to date: Aura (1982-1985). The starting point for the composition of this piece is the way the rhythm is structured, a specific kind of rhythm that makes the tempo, or speed audible. I constructed this rhythm based on simple numerical ratios, in this case: 7: 4: 6: 5. Based on that rhythm, the starting point for the piece is the contrast between two chords with a ‘contaminated’ past. The two chords are what’s known as the “Tristan Chord,” and the “Hollywood Chord.” Both chords contain 6 notes and are chromatically complementary i.e., together, the chords make up the 12 tones within the octave. Because the entire piece consists exclusively of these two chords in succession, it gives the piece a very specific character. Each separate movement has its own characteristic instrumentation. In the first movement, the strings predominate and the most recognizable figure is a sustained chord followed by a short, strongly accented chord. The second movement is built around the piano and harp solos; the long-short figure is turned into an appoggiatura with a long note. The third movement is made up of a succession of various solos in the woodwinds, and in the fourth movement, the brass is the most important instrumental group. The 3rd and 4th movements are played with no break in between. The piece has a somewhat curious origin. I composed the 3rd and 4th movements in 1988, after which I created the 1st and 2nd movement in 1990. The world premiere took place on November 24, 1990 in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam during a concert in the Saturday Matinee Series. The piece was subsequently performed by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in Oslo in 1996, and by the Absolute Ensemble in New York in 1999.”

– Theo Verbey