Hold on to your sticks! Scored for “seven sound sources” and written and premiered by Steven Schick, Bone Alphabet by Brian Ferneyhough is one of the most difficult percussion solos ever written. In this video, Brian Ferneyhough talks about the first couple of measures of Bone Alphabet.
Has anyone played Bone Alphabet? Leave your thoughts and comments below. (more…)
Psappha is a work for multi-percussion by Iannis Xenakis. The work is scored for three groups of three groups of both wood and skins and three groups of metal instruments and the specific instrumentation is left up to the performer. This performance features percussion virtuoso Steve Schick.
Samuel Solomon’s program notes on Psappha can be found here. Has anyone performed this piece? What instruments did you end up using? Leave a comment below.
Originally posted on DrumChattr on November 10, 2010 by Dave Gerhart.
There's No Sound In My Head from Lateral Films on Vimeo.
Today’s video is a documentary by Robert Arnold about Mark Applebaum’s Metaphysics of Notation. It is a fascinating video that discusses the development and performance of this graphic notation piece. The documentary features insights by famous composers such as Brian Ferneyhough and Paul Dresher as well as performers. Composer Chris Chafe says “This was a piece of music that was very substantial import… It provided a platform or framework for musical communication. This is the essence of what any score is going to do.”
Watch the video and let us know what you think. Is this music or graphic notation or both? Have you ever played a graphic notation piece? Leave your thoughts and comments below
Today we sit down with Third Coast Percussion minutes after their showcase concert at the 2nd annual Round Top Percussion Festival, in Round Top, Texas. We thought it would be good to preview DrumChattr podcast episode #6 which will feature an interview with founding member David Skidmore. Look for that post on Monday!
It seems percussion chamber music ensembles are more successful than ever. What factors do you think are allowing the success of groups like So Percussion and Third Coast? Leave your thoughts below.
For more episodes visit: Percussion Axiom TV
For more about Third Coast check out: Third Coast Percussion
Originally posted on DrumChattr on September 24, 2010 by Thomas Burritt.
The Ballet Mecanique by George Antheil is considered on of his most famous (or infamous) works. The original score, written in 1924, calls for 16 player pianos playing four separate parts, for four bass drums, three xylophones, a tam-tam, seven electric bells, a siren, and three different-sized airplane propellors (high wood, low wood, and metal), as well as two human-played pianos. It was later revised in 1953 using a very different ensemble of four pianos, four xylophones, two electric bells, two propellors, timpani, glockenspiel, and assorted percussion.
This video features the premiere of an all-robitic version of the piece for 16 player pianos and percussion orchestra. The performance was made possible with robotic instruments from LEMUR: League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots. For more information on Ballet Mecanique, Antheil.org.
Today’s video is courtesy of guest contributor Carlos Johnson.
Have you seen any performances of robotic percussion or have you ever seen a live performance of Ballet Mecanique? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
Originally posted on DrumChattr on September 11, 2010.
This video features a performance Elliott Carter’s new percussion ensemble piece Tintinnabulation (2008), performed by New Jersey Percussion Ensemble (Peter Jarvis, conductor). Elliott Carter wrote this piece at the age of 100!! The Boston Globe says, “Tinnabulation covers an enormous range of sonorities, partly through Carter’s choice of instruments (a Chinese opera gong and five types of nipple gongs are among the mix) but also through his meticulous instructions of where to strike each instrument and what kind of stick to use, be it a mallet, a brush, a birch dowel, or even a knitting needle.”
The performers are (L to R): Payton MacDonald, Gary Van Dyke, Michael Aberback. John Ferrari, Ned Stroh, April McCloskey
What are some of your favorite Elliott Carter solo or ensemble pieces? Post some links in the comments.
Originally posted on DrumChattr on September 5, 2010 by Dave Gerhart.
Skype Lessons with Dr. Gerhart