Your favourite percussion passages in music

[vandermolen]

Prokofiev: Symphony No.6 second movement I think, but I'm away from home at the moment so can't check.
Nielsen: Symphony 4, finale
Shostakovich Symphony 11 '1905', 'Massacre' and conclusion
End of Shostakovich Symphony 5
Climax of last movement of Bliss's 'Morning Heroes' (return of the 'cannon fire' from the Battle of the Somme'). Charles Groves's performance is incomparably better than Andrew Davis's at this point.

[Holden]

The third movement of Shostakovisch's 8th symphony just reeks of percusssion. I love it.

The Dies Irae Bass drums from the Verdi Requiem.

The tapping of the bows on the music stands in Rossini's "Il Signor Bruschino"

I'll come up with others later.

[pjme]

Many impressive passages have been mentioned.

The whip (frusta, fouet), twice in Ravels concerto in sol and in Coplands Rodeo (whip+bass drum)
Tam tams and bells in Weberns Six pieces for orchestra op. 6
Benjamin Britten Symphonia da requiem / Lutoslavski Concerto for orchestra: timpani and bass drum - first mov.
Debussy: La mer: climax (tam tam) of the first movement 
Panufnik: Symphonia sacra: second "Vision" (percussion solo)

Etc, etc....

[DaveF]

-First one that always comes to mind is the closing minutes of Shostakovitch's 15th Symphony.

And another vote for that one.  I've heard it described as something like "the final rattle of bones before death" but it strikes me entirely differently, as gentle, playful and (especially because of the endless bare 5th in the strings) utterly serene.  A farewell, perhaps, but not an unhappy one.

And how about the final variation in the finale of Nielsen 6? - groaning tuba, thudding bass drum, xylophone - much darker, more sardonic stuff.

[Maestro267]

Great suggestions all round! I've taken out the number limit now. Go nuts, or if you can't think of as many as five, you're also welcome here. If you want to suggest more later on, you can.

[vandermolen]

The percussion pattern that I've always liked can be found about 24 minutes into this performance. The cameraman eventually shifts to the timpani! It's probably my favourite moment in the Symphony No.6 by Prokofiev:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y52JYoHY9g

[Symphonic Addict]

Other two moments that just sprung to my mind: Glière's Symphony No. 3, the petrifaction of Ilya Muromets. Those cataclysmic tam-tam strokes accompanied by the bass drum is overwhelming! And the demonic bass drum in Suk's Asrael Symphony closing the 1st movement.

[Biffo]

Two memorable percussion moments from Nielsen - the tremendous battery of sound from two sets of timpani in the 4th Symphony and the manic disruptive side-drum in the 5th symphony, the latter also memorable as the player marches off stage getting more distant.

Prokofiev - the shattering stroke of the tam-tam in the 1st movement of the 5th symphony - Karajan is stunning here.

The entry of all the massed timpani in the Tuba mirum of Berlioz' Grande Messe des Morts

The single bass drum strokes in the Finale of Mahler 10 - inspired by the Funeral Cortege of a New York fireman Mahler and Alma witnessed.

[pjme]

An evocation of a janissary batallion (at ca. 13mins.) and a whopping Respighian peroration, replete with bells, cymbals, tam tam and Glockenspiel : Cemal Reşit Rey - The Conqueror (Fatih) Symphonic Poem

https://youtu.be/qj6CpqMGjG8

[Papy Oli]

In the great scheme of things, 25 minutes could be a passage, couldn't it ? (bending the rule GMG style here  0:))

So here goes : Philip Glass' Concerto Fantasy for Orchestra and 2 Timpanis is what I think of first when i see a mention of percussion:

https://www.youtube.com/v/Lnw0IHgjE2E