Works with one or two uses of percussion

[Maestro267]

The last chord in the Berlioz Fantastique includes a single cymbal clash.

Yes, but there's considerably more percussion than that in the work. Several cymbal crashes in IV, the bells and bass drum rolls in V.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Yes, but there's considerably more percussion than that in the work. Several cymbal crashes in IV, the bells and bass drum rolls in V.

You are right of course, and I'm happy to stand corrected. The lone cymbal crash at the end of V has always stood out for me, however, as a perfect example of Berlioz's discreet use of percussion.

[Brian]

You are right of course, and I'm happy to stand corrected. The lone cymbal crash at the end of V has always stood out for me, however, as a perfect example of Berlioz's discreet use of percussion.

Discreet - yes! I seem to remember a quotation from some composer or critic who said that percussion should be like the light from a lighthouse, only rarely needed, but genuinely necessary when used, guiding you through the passage. Or maybe I am making that up. 

[(poco) Sforzando]

Discreet - yes! I seem to remember a quotation from some composer or critic who said that percussion should be like the light from a lighthouse, only rarely needed, but genuinely necessary when used, guiding you through the passage. Or maybe I am making that up. 

It's like what someone said about exclamation points, which again I could be making this up, that one should allow them three times in one's writing lifetime.

[Brian]

It's like what someone said about exclamation points, which again I could be making this up, that one should allow them three times in one's writing lifetime.

Googled this because it sounds like a delightful rule - I did find out that Elmore Leonard said the rule is three exclamation marks per 100,000 words, while Terry Pratchett called multiple exclamation marks after one sentence "a sure sign of a diseased mind".

[(poco) Sforzando]

Googled this because it sounds like a delightful rule - I did find out that Elmore Leonard said the rule is three exclamation marks per 100,000 words, while Terry Pratchett called multiple exclamation marks after one sentence "a sure sign of a diseased mind".

Aha!!!

[Dax]

Ives: bells in the 3rd symphony

[Mirror Image]

RVW's Symphony No. 8 comes immediately to mind. If I'm not mistaken, he employed quite a large percussion section in this symphony.

[Jo498]

Brahms' 4th has triangle for the 3rd movement, only. Quite a bit in that movement but the percussionist is only needed for this movement. (Tympanist is busy in all four, of course.)

[(poco) Sforzando]

Castanets in the Bacchanale from Wagner's Tannhäuser.

[amw]

And then there is that single tubular bell in Pärt's Cantus in memoriam Britten...


https://www.youtube.com/v/82-xbhfNR2g

And a single piano cluster that concludes Schnittke's Concerto for Three (well, there's the Minuet for string trio afterwards, but that's meant to be played after the applause like an encore, iirc)

Putting a grand piano on stage in order to play one chord is one of those things a composer can only do when he's either (a) really famous or (b) just doesn't give a fuck anymore. Schnittke, partially crippled due to strokes (iirc), probably fell into both categories at the time

[Dax]

And then there is that single tubular bell in Pärt's Cantus in memoriam Britten...

Only one pitch is used, but it plays throughout the composition - so it doesn't count does it?

[Maestro267]

RVW's Symphony No. 8 comes immediately to mind. If I'm not mistaken, he employed quite a large percussion section in this symphony.

I'm after works with rare uses of percussion though. The large percussion section dominates the finale of RVW 8 to wonderful effect.

[Monsieur Croche]

A little moonlighting!

It is rare in a conventional classical orchestra to have other than one tympanist and maybe two other players; other than the tympanist, percussionists by definition play most of the instruments in 'the kitchen,' the metallic non-pitched, mallet phones, the bass and snare drums, tubular chime, the works.

Other instrumentalists on union scale get paid time and a half if they play even one bar on an alternate familial instrument, say switching from clarinet to E-flat soprano clarinet.

[(poco) Sforzando]

The single tam-tam stroke in the last movement of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique.

[Monsieur Croche]

And a single piano cluster that concludes Schnittke's Concerto for Three (well, there's the Minuet for string trio afterwards, but that's meant to be played after the applause like an encore, iirc)

Putting a grand piano on stage in order to play one chord is one of those things a composer can only do when he's either (a) really famous or (b) just doesn't give a fuck anymore. Schnittke, partially crippled due to strokes (iirc), probably fell into both categories at the time

I don't think that is quite the case. If you are fairly assured your work will be performed in the larger symphonic venues [your reputation having already secured that fair certainty], that grand piano is always available as part of the percussion section, so you can bank on it being there, along with there being a full-time employed staff player already on salary [= no additional cost for the performance.]

When you do things like require a contrabass sarrusophone, use it for only a couple of toots at the beginning of each segment of Threni, then you are banking on your already known reputation as Stravinsky, and can then plan on whichever the performance group is having their own contrabassonist who just happens to own a contrabass Sarusaphone, or their being more than ready to hire an instrument for their contrabassonist, lol.

Either way, the moment the contrabassoonist plays that sarrusophone, not his primary instrument, he gets union wage time and a half; if the symphonic organization had to rent the sarrusophone, that is additional rental costs over that time and a half union wage.

If you do not have a strong enough reputation that precedes you, it is possible that sarrusophone part could be responsible for your submitted work of otherwise great merit and deep genius being summarily rejected, lol.