“Papalotl” is concerned, as in other works of mine, with rhythm, but rhythm understood not as a mere calculation of duratons but rather as movement in time very much as in dance.
Specifically, “Papalotl” is built with nearly 200 short rhythmic patterns which are combined to form longer strands of music, these in turn are juxtaposed and interpolated to construct larger sections of the work. The determining process, however, is the use of continuous rhythmic modulation throughout the entire work, which incessantly shifts the accents and the speed of pulses. The percussive piano part is also subjected to this process and juxtaposed to the ever-evolving tape portion, giving the resultant polyrhythmic web which characterizes the piece. Consequently, extreme synchronization is called for between pianist and tape.
All sounds sources come from the inside of the piano, which were sampled and then processed on a Fairlight CMI computer to construct a “giant piano” on tape. The live supplies the upper partials of the spectrum.
The work was composed and realized at the Electro-Acoustic Music Studios at the City University in London between September 1986 and March 1987. “Papalotl” has recently won the 1987 ICEM Prize at the Bourges International E A Musik Competition and has been released on compact disc by Harmonia in France with Philip Mead playing. (J. Alvarez)

Born 1956 in Mexico City. 1968–73 Private studies, guitar, flute and dance. In 1981 he came to the UK as a British Council Scholar to the Royal College of Music. Since 1984 he studies at the City University in London, currently doing research in Composition and Computer Music towards a Doctoral Degree. In 1986 he was invited to participate in the 1986 Computer Music Sessions for Composers at IRCAM, Paris. 1987–88 teacher of Computer Music Studies at the Royal College of Music-Junior Department. Also teacher of Computer Music Composition for the advanced Composers group ot the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the City University. His work has received numerous prizes including honourable mentions for “Temazcal” and “Luz Caterpilar” and the 1987 ICEM Prize for “Papalotl” for piano and tape at the Bourges International Electro-Acoustic Music Competition. Javier Alvarez is currently composing a new work “Quemar las Naves” for Metanoia for the forthcoming ACGB Contemporary Music Network Tour.