Inspired by new production of Parsifal
performed by percussionists from the Frankfurt Opern and Museumsorchester
Giovanni Sollima *1962 Millenium Bug (1999)
Thierry De Mey *1956 Musique de Tables (1998)
Lou Harrison 1917– 2003 Song of Queztecoatl (1941)
Tobias Kästle *1968 Raum / Zeit (Space / Time) (2025)
David Friederich *1991 Imprography Nr. 1, for Taps & Drums (2025)
Tom Johnson 1939–2024 Les vaches de Narayana (1989) (with speaker)
Lou Harrison's Song of Queztecoatl , composed in 1941 in den USA, belongs to a long list of works for percussion which came into being during the 20th century, influenced by the music and unusual instruments beloved of indiginous ethnic groups.
The Italian composer Giovanni Sollima's Millenium Bug , written in 1999, in contrast, is strongly influenced by »Minimal Music« from the 70s and 80s.
Another, very different, genre of percussion music uses everyday objects as instruments: made famous by well known groups including "Stomp" and "Blue Man Group". Begian born Thierry de Mey's Musique de Tables (1987), is a good early example, and also contains some choreographic elements.
While David Friederich's "Imprography No. 1" touches on two other rhythmic worlds with jazz drums and tap dancing, Tobias Kästle's "Raum/Zeit" combines percussion with sampling and electronics, establishing a thematic connection to this new production of Wagner's Parsifal. Both works were written for this programme and are being performed for the first time at this concert.
American Tom Johnson's Les vaches de Narayana (1989) is for percussion and the spoken word, demonstrating the composer's predilection for mathematical formulas and theorems. It is considered a typical example of so-called "descriptive music." - there's no hard and fast rule for the instrumentation, so what you hear this morning is a special version for percussion ensemble.
