Percussion Works by American Composers

Includes the following works:

Richard McCandless - Voyager
William DeFotis - Solo With Snare Drum
Andrew Thomas - Jessica's Song
Christopher Shultis - One Far Noise
Daniel Tacke - vorrücken
Lewis Nielson - Farther, Further

Editor's Note:

The world of percussion is unlike any other – an extraordinary array of sonic possibilities, all created by performers who possess virtuosic ability on not one, but dozens of instruments. Percussionists are fearless innovators, always willing to explore, push boundaries, and expand the definition of what it means to be a contemporary musician.

Throughout my own career I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with a multitude of composers, premiering nearly 200 works to date - the relationship between composer and percussionist will always be near and dear to my heart. The American Composers Alliance percussion catalog offers an incredible wealth of composers and compositions, so what a joy and honor it was for me to be asked to put this collection together.

I approached making my selections for this anthology as though I was programming a recital. Each piece presents its own distinctive challenges for the performer to navigate, explores a variety of notation types and instrument combinations, some incorporate fixed or live electronics, and they are all stylistically unique, yet complimentary to one another. While any of these pieces can certainly stand on their own, together I believe they offer a comprehensive and thrilling demonstration of what the percussion world has to offer.

The program opens with Richard McCandless’ Voyager, composed for fixed electronics and multiple percussion. The setup includes a vast array of drums and as a performer, you almost feel like you’re surrounded by Neil Peart’s drum kit. Put simply, this piece is just fun to play and an exhilarating opener for any recital.

William DeFotis’ Solo with Snare Drum was written for legendary percussionist Allen Otte, who has been a great inspiration to me. While the material on the page isn’t as technically challenging as some you will encounter in this anthology, the difficulty here lies in the attention to detail it demands from the performer. The piece is a sonic exploration of what the snare drum is capable of, and a successful performance of the work requires a precise and theatrical-like approach from the percussionist.

Andrew Thomas is perhaps best known by percussionists for his marimba solo, Merlin. For this collection I selected his monumental work Jessica’s Song, composed for Jonathan Haas and premiered at his 1986 Carnegie Hall recital. The piece is written for five timpani, with the two outer drums (32” and 20”) serving as the melodic voice. Of particular interest is that the timpanist performs with four mallets throughout, an extremely challenging technique for the instrument that is rarely utilized.

What struck me the most about Christopher Shultis’ One Far Noise was his fascinating use of electronics. The basic concept is that each page of music is recorded live and looped, so by the time you reach the end of the work, the audience is hearing all eight pages of music played simultaneously. The piece is written for tam tam and wind gong only, which creates an interesting juxtaposition – a relatively simple and minimalistic setup, but a complex sound world created by the use of live electronics. The piece ends with a beautiful duet between pre-recorded birdsong and improvised tam tam.

I was immediately drawn to the beauty of Daniel Tacke’s vorrrücken. Scored for vibraphone and “ghost” instrument, this work requires the percussionist to assemble the ghost instrument from scrap metal tuned to a specific set of pitches. Tacke is intentionally vague in his instructions throughout, never specifying things such as dynamics or mallet selections, embracing the element of ambiguity. The resulting texture that comes from the interaction of the vibraphone and “ghost” (mine was ever so slightly out of tune creating an almost shimmering-like effect) is nothing short of gorgeous.

The final piece I chose to include is Lewis Nielson’s seminal composition, Farther, Further. Written for Steven Schick, one of the most celebrated percussionists of our time, this work is a true tour de force. The setup of marimba, seven tom toms, bass drum, hi-hat, two suspended cymbals, and two tam tams is a spectacle in and of itself. Nielson treats these instruments as though they are one, and the virtuosic demands of the work often require the performer to seamlessly switch between them at a moment’s notice. This is an exceptional piece of music and one that will remain important and relevant to our art form for years to come.

What an incredible time to be a percussionist, with so many extraordinary composers exploring what our instruments are capable of and so much phenomenal repertoire at our fingertips. I sincerely hope you enjoy learning and performing the works in this anthology as much as I have!

- Sean Statser, 2022