What are five moments where the percussion stands out for you? Anything goes here, whether they are front and centre of attention, or they just add the right detail to really enhance a particular passage.
Mine are:
- The increasingly louder sets of three tam-tam strikes from the fourth movement of Messiaen's Ex exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum
- Six sets of timpani, followed by other percussion (and brass) unleashing hell near the end of Havergal Brian's Gothic
- Basically the entire finale of Vaughan Williams 8
- The eerie use of bongos (or congas, not sure which) and timbale during the 2nd movt. of Arnold 7.
- The climax of the second movt. of Shostakovich 11. Timpani, snare drum, bass drum, tam-tam, and xylophone accompanying the "melody" line.
-First one that always comes to mind is the closing minutes of Shostakovitch's 15th Symphony.
-The final movement of Andrzej Panufnik's Sinfonia di sfere, Symphony No. 7.
-Any passage from Stravinsky's Petroushka
-The representation of chaos from the bass drums in the overture from Rameau's Zais.
-There's a moment near the end of the opening movement of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances where the music seems to be heading towards an intense conclusion, but it takes a sudden turn towards a sweeter, and more relaxed, sounding landscape, and what I believe is a glockenspiel, perhaps even a xylophone and doubled by a piccolo, play softly behind the strings. This effect creates such a magical atmosphere.
I'm sure I can think of more, but am interested to see what others post.
- The entry of the gongs at the end of Boulez's Le marteau sans maitre
- The low bells in the recapitulation of Mahler's Ninth, first movement
- The percussion crescendo at the beginning of Berg's Three Pieces for Orchestra
- The opening of Carter's Double Concerto
- The last movement of Stravinsky's Requiem Canticles
Timpani only:
Entire first movement, Brahms 4 (sparingly used to spectacular effect)
Nielsen 4 (duh)
Any time Janacek calls for super high pitched timpani
Burleske (Strauss)
Haydn's drum roll, particularly the Harnoncourt recording
More percussion:
Trio, Dvorak 4
First movement, Mahler 3
The development section of "Les francs-juges" when the timpani and bass drum have a dialogue
Havergal Brian's xylophone solo
All of Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra but especially the quiet end of the middle movement
Edit: Wow, Shostakovich 11 and Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances are GREAT choices. Also, the last 30 seconds of the first and third movements in Shostakovich 5.
Edit 2: Every flawlessly timed *cymbal crash* in Symphonie Fantastique.
Quote from: Brian on August 15, 2020, 12:20:04 PM
Haydn's drum roll, particularly the Harnoncourt recording
I actually find a simpler, more mysterious drum roll more effective than the tattoo improvisation by Harnoncourt. I must have about half a dozen recordings or more but I am not sure I am really happy with any of their drum rolls. (So at the end Harnoncourt is still preferable to some others.) Some start too loud and don't have a real crescendo-decrescendo, others are too soft overall and not menacing enough. (Some HIP recordings, e.g. Brüggen also suffer from thin and bright sounding tympani because of the hard sticks or whatever).
Quote
More percussion:
First movement, Mahler 3
This was the first that came to my mind. At some stage the kids seem to have been turned loose among the pots and pans in the kitchen
Quote from: Mahlerian on August 15, 2020, 11:09:35 AM
- The percussion crescendo at the beginning of Berg's Three Pieces for Orchestra
Good choice. I'm reminded of the two crescendos right after Wozzeck kills Marie, the first percussion-less crescendo is followed by a solo heavy timpani, then full percussion participation in the massive second crescendo.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on August 15, 2020, 07:02:29 AM
-The final movement of Andrzej Panufnik's Sinfonia di sfere, Symphony No. 7.
Looking back at my initial post and thinking about how there are many works by Panufnik that feature wonderful moments for percussion, the final movement of his 8th Symphony
Sinfonia Voliva quickly comes to mind. There must be at least seven different percussion instruments used during this movement.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on August 15, 2020, 01:44:10 PM
Good choice. I'm reminded of the two crescendos right after Wozzeck kills Marie, the first percussion-less crescendo is followed by a solo heavy timpani, then full percussion participation in the massive second crescendo.
That was actually my first thought, before I switched over to the Three Pieces. Similarly, I thought of the massive polyrhythmic crescendo in the Rite before I considered the Requiem Canticles instead.
Most of my favorites have already been mentioned, but I just wanted to bring up William Schuman's thing for timpani. Symphonies 3 and 6 have important solos for timpani, and the 2nd mvt. of the Violin Concerto has a very long timpani solo at the very beginning to set everything up (similar structurally to the oboe in Brahms VC/ii and the cello in Brahms PC2/ii).
I not entirely sure but I think there is also a hilarious passage percussion only in the "Turandot variation" movement in Hindemith's Metamorphoses on C.M. v. Weber. And the percussion variation of Britten's Guide to the orchestra.
Rossini, Overture to La gazza ladra., beginning.
Beethoven, the timpani part in the Scherzo of the 9th Symphony
Johann Strauss-Vater, Radetzky-Marsch, beginning.
My favorite hands down: Ravel, Bolero, from beginning to the end.
Quote from: Florestan on August 16, 2020, 06:41:33 AM
Rossini, Overture to La gazza ladra., beginning.
I like recordings where they place the two snare drums as far apart onstage as possible so you get a full stereo effect.
Quote from: Brian on August 16, 2020, 06:55:45 AM
I like recordings where they place the two snare drums as far apart onstage as possible so you get a full stereo effect.
Yep! 8)
Quote from: Jo498 on August 15, 2020, 11:19:23 PM
I not entirely sure but I think there is also a hilarious passage percussion only in the "Turandot variation" movement in Hindemith's Metamorphoses on C.M. v. Weber.
Yeah, that's a great one. I think each instrumental group takes a shot at the theme in sequence (similar to the Britten example).
I second Nielsen 4, RVW 8, Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis, Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances, and the William Schuman works. Some more:
Barber Third Essay, particularly the opening (the Second Essay also has some great percussion moments)
Hanson 3, the timpani part in the scherzo
Lloyd 4, the depiction of gunfire (snare drum+bass drum) at the climax of the 1st movement
Nielsen 5, snare drum battle
Shostakovich 15 and Cello Concerto no. 2, particularly the endings
Laszlo Lajtha's symphonies have some particularly imaginative percussion writing- the 8th is a good example. Also, there's some great timpani writing in Taneyev's 4th Symphony, played to the hilt in Jarvi's recording with the Philharmonia on Chandos.
-Timpani is my favorite percussion instrument, so whenever they have a prominent role or terrific passages in works, I will be very happy, e.g. the way they're used in Walton's outer movements of his Symphony No. 1, Langgaard's extended passage for timpani in a section close to the ending of Music of the Spheres, the different vibrant moments when timpani participate in Holmboe's Sinfonía Boreale, last movement of Nielsen's Symphony No.4, etc.
-The way Prokofiev and Martinu use the orchestral piano in many of their works.
-The hammer strokes in Mahler's Symphony No. 6.
-The frenzied Danza guerriera from Respighi's Belkis Suite.
-Music for strings, percussion and celesta, the whole 3rd movement, especially the celesta part. What a creepy effect provides that instrument!
Bonus track
-One of the Interludes from The Nose, by Shostakovich. A mini concerto for percussion, and it's goooood fun!
Yesss. Strings, Percussion and Celesta, 3rd mvmt. all of this is so creepy. I love the timpani glissandi of the beginning
1. I love Shosti No. 6 ending's timpani....so exciting!
2. Shosti No. 11 ending and "alarm" massacre"
3. Shosti No. 4 and 15...he was really a FANTASTIC composer for percussion
4. Havergal Brian's insane xylophone and overall use of percussion in Gothic is probably the most exciting ever composed up till then.
5. I am happy with my own use of percussion especially in my latest piece.
- Rimsky-Korsakoff, Russian Easter Overture.
- Tchaikovsky: 4th symphony, last movement.
- Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps, Danse sacrale.
- Shostakovich: symphony no 15, the end. Also: no 14, his most glacial work.
- Brahms: 4th symphony, 3rd movement.
Apart from the Shostakoviches, the other works feature relatively few percussion instruments. In the Rimsky and Stravinsky the role of the timpani is crucial in marking the obsessive rythm of the piece. Brahms and Tchaikovsky show how effective a few percussion instruments can be in adding brilliance on top and thundering oomph down below.
Quote from: relm1 on August 16, 2020, 04:41:32 PM
1. I love Shosti No. 6 ending's timpani....so exciting!
Oh great call! The finale of his first violin concerto also has some really great percussion writing.
The live experience of the Gothic Symphony is simply overwhelming in large part due to the huge and diverse percussion role.
I thought of another nominee today: the "pagoda" scene in Ravel's Ma Mere l'Oye.
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.
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.
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....
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on August 15, 2020, 07:02:29 AM
-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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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