Konzert for Percussion Ensemble and Organ

Axel Ruoff

General Info

Year of Published: 2019
Publisher: Edition Svitzer
Difficulty: Advanced
Duration: 00:26:00
Cost: €120.00

Movement

Movement 1: Introduktion
Movement 2: Alla Marcia
Movement 3: Notturno
Movement 4: Toccata

Instrumentation

Player 1: Flexatone & Snare Drum & Shaker & 5 Gongs & Vibraslap & 3 Boo-Bams & Bongos & Congas & Daiko Drum & 6 Temple Blocks
Player 2: Tam-Tam & Tenor Drum & Ringing Bundle & Tubular Bells & 3 Tom-Toms & 2 Boo-Bams & Bongos & Congas & Daiko-Drum & Guiro
Player 3: Chain Rattle & Military Drum & 3 Tam-Tams & 3 Turkish Cymbals & 3 Tom-Toms & Bongos & Lions Roar & Daiko Drum
Player 4: Thundersheet & Rolling Drum & 3 Tam-Tams & 3 Chinese Cymbals & 3 Boo-Bams & Timbales & 7 Tuned Cowbells & 2 Chinese Gongs & Daiko Drum
Player 5: Bass Drum & Shaker & Vibraphone & 3 Suspended Cymbals & Guiro & 3 Tom-Toms & Boo-Bam & 2 Wood Blocks & 5 Tuned Cowbells & Daiko Drum
Player 6: Timpani & Maracas & Metal Rattle & Tenor Drum & 5 Glasses
Player 7: Organ

Description

Signs of the End of the Age (Matthew 24)
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then many will fall away1 and betray one another and hate one another.
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Review

Matthew Geiger

With four movements, totalling 26 minutes in length, “Konzert” for six percussionists and organ is a nightmare, but in the greatest ways possible. Written and premiered in 1997 by the Percussion Ensemble Stuttgart under the direction of Klaus Tresselt, this monolithic work takes the audience on an extremely uneasy journey through various soundscapes that are all epitomes of the following quote from the program notes: “Signs of the End of the Age.”

One of the obvious challenges of this piece is the instrumentation. Along with needing an organ throughout, and each percussionist requiring a massive multi-percussion setup, the parts themselves include a number of demanding, individualized moments that would challenge an accomplished percussionist. The coordination of the ensemble presents another hard task, as multiple rhythmic layers can exist at a given time—somewhat comparable to Elliott Carter’s piano works.

Musically speaking, each movement carries a very distinct characteristic that ultimately culminates in the last five minutes, pulling all elements together into a bombastic ending. After a dark and ominous introduction, complete with chains and rattles, the second movement begins with the percussion instruments building a slow march, somewhat reminiscent of the percussion in Milhaud’s “Présages” or “Exhortation” from Les Choéphores. These various colors build until all percussionists are playing a drum of some sort while the organ constantly reminds the listener of something sinister underneath. The third movement provides the respite of energy but is still riddled with anxiety. With soft, intricate rhythms performed over vast amounts of space and an onslaught of impending eighth notes from the organ, the movement grows to a climactic resolution, with cacophony in the organ as well as a multitude of grotesque metals clanging in the percussion. As this fades away, it sets the stage for an exhilarating final movement that snakes through various meters driven by heavy drums and accented rhythmic ostinatos. Although harmonically distorted, this piece delivers a punch worthy of any group willing to tackle this monster.