Percussion Concertos

[Kullervo]

You haven't heard the best percussion concerto out there until you've heard Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's Triptykon (1985). 0:)

Yes I like that one alot! Thanks for sending it, btw.

Tcherepnin apparently wrote the first symphony for all percussion instruments. Haven't heard any of them, though.

[greg]

You haven't heard the best percussion concerto out there until you've heard Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's Triptykon (1985). 0:)

Another one that comes to mind (quite good but not half as good as Holmgreen's) is Marta Ptaszyńska's Marimba Concerto. Samples here.

oooooh nice clips
interesting style, too


there was this one snare drum concerto by Askell Masson. I've only heard of the guy because i have a solo snare drum work on CD. Maybe the guy was a snare drummer?

[pjme]

http://www.wimhenderickx.com/site/default.asp?lang=en

Some recent percussionconcertos are indeed spectacular - but possibly  a bit heavy on testosterone.

Belgian composer Wim Henderickx is interested in African and Indian music.
From his website :
His fascination in ethnic, non-Western cultures has led to the fact that his compositions got influenced by Oriental music and phylosophy. It resulted in compositions as MYSTERIUM (1989) for 10 woodwinds, OM (1992) for string quartet and DAWN (on poems by Kahlil Gibran) (1992) for mezzo-soprano, female chorus and instrumental ensemble. All this resulted in the RAGA-cycle (inspired by the Indian Raga) - RAGA I (1994) for percussion and orchestra, RAGA II (1995) for orchestra and RAGA III (1995) for viola and orchestra. The three Raga's are available on Megadisc MDC 7833 (1999)
RAGA I, II, III

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Of Flanders,
cond. Grant Llewellyn,
Leo De Neve, viola
Gert François, percussion

[greg]

Some recent percussionconcertos are indeed spectacular - but possibly  a bit heavy on testosterone.

that can be a good thing 

[lordlance]

Resurrecting this long-dead thread because I am interested in hearing percussion concertos. Large chunks of concertos mentioned here are not available on Spotify or YouTube which is dispiriting but what I have found (and others), I have added here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7gZqTveThNKWy7xJ0ttfNf?si=7b9cfc6e6ec041be

Some are only on YT: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1zgNCoWt_7bSyrVmDd2dC9gbYF2BX4X7

I would appreciate more recommendations

[Daverz]

This one is fun:

[Luke]

This is rather spectacular and, of course, gorgeous sounding: Takemitsu's concert for five percussionists, From me flows what you call time

I've got the score to this one, it's a lovely thing to read

[San Antone]

Not a concerto, but Charles Wuorinen wrote a Percussion Symphony, for an orchestra made up on percussion instruments only.  A fantastic work.

[KevinP]

[relm1]

I like Derek Bourgeois' Percussion Concerto

and Kalevi Aho's Symphony No. 11 which is one of his concertante symphonies, this time with a percussion ensemble.

[pjme]

Afaik, Milhaud's miniature (less than 10 minutes!) concerto is the first such work. "I have always been very interested in percussion problems. In the Choéphores and in L'homme et son désir I used massive percussion. Is it the research done by Berlioz in this field that led me in that direction? Maybe! After the audition of Choéphores in Brussels, an excellent kettledrummer, Theo Coutelier, who had a percussion class in Schaerbeek near Brussels, asked me if I would like to write a concerto for only one percussion performer. He wished to use his piece for his examinations. The idea appealed to me, and this is how I came to compose the concerto. The school at Schaerbeek had only a few orchestral musicians: two flutes, two clarinets, one trumpet, one trombone and strings. The concerto consists of two parts connected together. It is a dramatic work. In view of the fact that when I composed it (between 1929 and 1930 in Paris), jazz was enjoying a decisive influence on musical composition. I wanted to avoid at any cost the thought that anyone might think in that kind of work, and so I therefore stressed the rough and dramatic part of the piece. This was also why I did not write a cadence and always refused that anyone adds one on.The premireof the Concerto was given under my direction by Theo Coutelier, at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, in Brussels, in 1930. I will add that I am always pleasantly surprised to see that this concerto is often performed in high schools in the United States by young students who play by heart and brilliantly."Darius Milhaud
Milhaud's second concerto for two pianos is scored with 4 percussion players.

[Roasted Swan]

Worth checking out is the Concerto for Percusion by Leonard Salzedo;

Salzedo is a notable if almost completely forgotten composer. He played in Beecham's RPO and wrote several Ballet Scores (The Witch was recorded on LP but has never made it to CD).  The Scherzo from this concerto is occasionally roled out when an orchestral percussion want something short and exciting to play (this performance around 3:50).  By the way - the "1991" date on this video is completely wrong - it is his Op.73 from 1968.  Salzedo's discography is limited to a couple of his (rather good) string quartets - I imagine no surviving family has the money to pay for any larger works to be recorded.

If you know Beecham's famous recording of the Messiah orchestrated for full orchestra - its rather wonderful - apparently the orchestration is by Salzedo not Eugene Goossens as all the publicity leads you to believe.  Goossens had the commission but never produced the score so in desperation Beecham turned to Salzedo who did the work anonymously....

There is a good article and list of compositions here;

https://www.musicweb-international.com/Salzedo/

[foxandpeng]

Schwantner: Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra - Also premiered by Glennie (IIRC) and although I've only heard it once, it made a strong impression.


--Bruce

This one, definitely.

[Maestro267]

I second the recommendation of the wonderfully-titled "From me flows what you call Time" by Toru Takemitsu.

Others I'm quite keen on are:

Michael Daugherty - UFO
John Corigliano - Conjurer (percussion and strings)
James MacMillan - Veni, veni, Emmanuel

[atardecer]

This one by Takemitsu is also excellent:

Takemitsu - Cassiopeia, for Solo Percussion and Orchestra

A nice percussion piece by Xenakis:

Xenakis - Rebonds B

For those generally interested in percussion, I would also recommend checking out the percussion music of John Cage. Much of the music of Harry Partch is also great in this area.

[Roasted Swan]

Russell Peck's Concerto "The Glory and the Grandeur" is just great!

[lordlance]

Thanks for the recommendations, folks. 

Those interested can listen here - 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7gZqTveThNKWy7xJ0ttfNf?si=f18739211c144ccf
YT (when not on Spotify): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiKArjrG4AE&list=PL1zgNCoWt_7bSyrVmDd2dC9gbYF2BX4X7

[Freddie]

I'd like to recommend this CD featuring Evelyn Glennie:

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.574218

You can listen to it on Spotify here:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1sQQmaCqWz4bYRU8Rd0Nrk

[pjme]

Written as a "pièce de concours" in 1958, for Félix Passerone, timpanist and teacher at the Conservatoire .
Première audition le 17 février 1959 à l'I.N.R. sous la direction de Franz André
Soliste : Georges Van Gucht 

[Maestro267]

Tcherepnin apparently wrote the first symphony for all percussion instruments. Haven't heard any of them, though.

Clarification: Just the second movement is for percussion alone, and it's only about 2 minutes long.