for two percussionists and two pianos op.23
composed in 1993

A “Symphony” for two pianos and two percussionists.
Duration ca.25′ Exotic sounds and energetic percussion.
From water drums over all Mallet instruments and even one cooking pan, to djembe,
– a wide range of masterly used percussive sounds. It is recommended to AMPLIFY PIANOS if possible.

Concerto for Marimba/percussion and wind ensemble
composed in 2003, Duration: about 16-17 minutes

SET-UP INFORMATION:

IMPORTANT NOTE: This piece has been composed ON the percussion set-up as shown below. This means that some of the passages (“licks”) might not be playable if the set-up is not assembled EXACTLY as the composer has requested – many passages will not feel comfortable and logical unless the proper instruments are used and assembled in the indicated way. For some players is more suitable to turn the whole set-up right to left. thna the LOW toms comes on performers LEFT side, and bongos are on the right. Flats MAY be used, but REAL toms with resonance heads sounds cool too. CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE SET-UP as used by Benjamin Toth on the world Premiere performance and also a newer version “on the Rack” as he is using today.

INSTRUMENTS USED:

Marimba 5 Octaves
4 Cymbals (Zildjian, from l.to r. : Oriental trash splash 9″ / Oriental China trash 12″ / K Dark crash thin 15″ / K Dark crash med. 17″
2 Plastic Blocks
2 Crashers high and low in pitch
2 Cow Bells
1 Tuned Gong in LOW B (Natural)
1 Thunder Sheet (or preferable thunder Tube by REMO)
1 18 or 20 inch bass drum with pedal (Kick) (on picture, 16″ tom with mounted Riser)
5 Tom-Toms 8″ /10″ / 12″ / 13″ / 15 ” (also possible: “Flats” made by ARBITER, UK. as shown on below)
2 Bongos
1 Piccolo snare drum (12 or 13 inch)
1 LOW octave CROTALES (sounds 2 octaves higher than notated)

Have also a careful look on the details about the Cowbells and Plastic blocks. It is very important that the ORDER from
left to right is exactly as shown on the photo. If you have difficulties with some fast licks in second movement (on percussion)
you may consider a MIRRORED REPLACEMENT of all instruments. (except marimba of course) In that case, make sure that you also
change cymbals, plastic blocks and cow bells accordingly.CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE SET-UP as used by Benjamin Toth on the world Premiere performance and also a newer version “on the Rack” as he is using today.

 

WIND ENSEMBLE: (ALL WOODWINDS MAY BE DOUBLED, but not on SOLO spots)

1 Flauto Piccolo

2 Flauti grandi

2 Oboi

1 Clarinetto piccolo

2 Clarinetti

1 Clarinetto basso

2 Fagotti, secondo anche contrafagotto

4 Corni

3 Trombe

2 Tromboni

1 Trombone basso

2 Tube

MARIMBA E PERCUSSIONE SOLO

Timpani

4 Percussioni

STUDY SCORE AND SOLO PART AVAILABLE FOR SALE,
ORCHESTRAL PARTS AND LARGE CONDUCTING SCORE AVAILABLE ONLY ON RENTAL

TALES FROM THE CENTER OF THE EARTH Op.33 (2003)

For percussion solo and wind ensemble

In a spring of 2002 I was commissioned to compose a piece for one percussion soloist and wind ensemble. Commissioner was a consortium of 12 universities from USA led by University of Hartford , Hartt School of Music. Schools conductor Glen Adsit, and percussion Professor Benjamin Toth, requested a piece that would be a real challenge for a soloist, showing well the possibilities of Marimba as well as of percussion, and also leaving some space to the orchestra and especially to its percussion section to “show up”. Since the solo part has been composed ON the set-up, it really uses all possibilities and colors of the choosen instrumentarium in very effective and hugely virtuosic way. Therefore is also important for soloist to build his set-up exactly as indicated in order to make all “Licks” playable. In a little less that a year later after a commission, a concerto was finished and premiered in Hartford in April 2003.

“Tales” is a musical story that is drawn from an oriental Balkan-like mood. Even if the large formal structure of the piece is divided in two main sections, there are many “little Tales” in-between such as dreamy cadenzas for the marimba and winds and an Egyptian-sounding groove in the „tutti” passages.
After the „oriental” awakening introduction the music moves into a slow dance written for the marimba, which I like to think of as a “Camel-Groove”. The dance is developed and leads into a tutti climax, which is broken by a crack of the whip. After a cadenza on marimba and a brief reminiscence of the Camel-dance, the first section ends quietly in the sounds of cymbals reminiscent of “deep-water waves”.

The second movement is connected „attacca“ and begins with low drums and two tubas. This is immediately supported by a slow uneven rhythm in 5/4 plus 9/8. The percussion grows slowly and adds a touch of mystery. In generally, the second movement is energetic and supported by strong rhythmic pulses, often performed by the whole ensemble in unison. Volcanic like eruptions start in the percussion section and together with a soloist, lead to a percussion cadenza.
“Tales from the center of the Earth”, has purposely been composed in rather tonal musical language with more progressive harmonies featured in the second movement only.
In less than a year after its premiere it has already become very much performed among the orchestras. In just one year after the premiere, it had over dozen performances with different orchestras only in USA.

per percussione e pianoforte op.29
composed in 2000/2001

SET-UP INFORMATION:

Vibraphone, one octave Almglocken, 3 chinese temple bowls, two plastic-blocks, two “crashers” above them (see picture) one “Zill-bell”, five cymbals (splash 8″ / , 2 oriental splash 10 and 12 ” / piggyback /and crash 18″), 5 flats (or tom-toms) in sizes 8,10,12,13,14, inch, and bass flat with pedal (or 18 inch bass drum)

QUASI UNA SONATA
for Percussion and PIANO, was composed in 2000/2001 and world premiered in Londons WIGMORE HALL on March 18. 2001 by Evelyn Glennie – Percussion and Emanuel Ax – Piano. It is about 15 minutes long piece in three attacca movements.

for percussion solo and symphony orchestra op.28
composed 1999/2000 (revised 2003)

Soloist’s SET-UP:

Vibraphone
Two 12 inch china cymbals, same size but slightly different in pitch
Two Chinese opera gongs, bounded in a frame (high on the top and low above)
Four cymbals, from high to low: 10‘‘ Splash, 12‘‘, 16‘‘, 18‘‘ (mostly crash sounds)
One EXTRA 10“ splash cymbal to be mounted between the toms in front of the plastic blocks
One Tam-tam, not too large (or Zildjian’s Gong-sheet)
Two plastic wood blocks and one cowbell mounted together.
Bass drum with pedal, rather small. (the best would be 20 or 18 inch)
Five tom-toms in sizes: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 Inch. All with resonance heads, and long sustain
Seven Japanese drums „uchwa – daikos“
Five „Earth-Plates“ also NOT tuned but five different pitches
Several small and exotic instruments, metal if possible with long sustain fort he improvisation
in the slow section

Orchestra:

1 Flauto piccolo , 2 Flauti grandi, 3 Oboi (3.ob. anche corno inglese), 3 Clarinetti in Si b (3. Cl. Anche clarinetto basso)
2 Fagotti, 1 Contrafagoto, 4 Corni in Fa, 3 Trombe in Sib, 2 Tromboni, 1 Trombone basso, 1 Tuba, 1 Arpa, Timpani,
3 Percussioni, Archi (min. 10 -10 – 8 – 6 -4)

For Multipercussion Solo op.26
Composed 1998/99

SET-UP Includes:

Two 12 inch china cymbals, same size but slightly different in pitch
Two chinese opera gongs, bounded in a frame (highon the top and low above)
Four cymbals, from high to low: 10‘‘ Splash, 12‘‘, 16‘‘, 18‘‘ (mostly crash sounds)
One Tam-tam, not too large, Thundersheet, not too large
Rainstick, mounted on the Rack, but not tight, so it can be turned around with one han
Two metal tubes with a split and a hole, for „wah-wah” sound
Wooden Split-drum, with 8 tongues. (they, of course does NOT produce those pitches)
Bass drum with pedal, reither small. (the best would be 20 or 18 inch)
Five tom-toms in sizes: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 Inch. All with resonance heads, and long sustain
Five wood-blocks, mounted in a vertical ROW, so one can make a Glissando over them
One octave crotales, this should be the LOW (!) octave
Seven Japanese drums „uchwa – daikos”
Five „Earth-Plates” also NOT tuned but five different pitches

The Castle Of The Mad King

Für Percussion Solo op.26 (1998/99)

Diese Komposition benutzt eine Reihe genau definierten Instrumenten, und auch das Gerüst (Rack) wird im Folgenden genauer erklärt. Zwei der Partitur beigelegten Photos sollen beim Aufbau des Instrumentariums behilflich sein. Verwendet wurden Gestell-Teile (Rohre, Verbindungsstücke etc…) der Firma Dixon oder Gibraltar, und für die gelungene Aufführung des Werkes sollen die Instrumente möglichst genau wie abgebildet aufgehängt werden.

DAS GESTELL

Das Gestell hat drei „Säulen” je 2 Meter hoch (90-110 cm) und eine Säule von 110 cm Länge. Frontseite und linke Seite sind 150 cm breit, und die Rückseite ist 110 cm. Die Frontseite hat zwei Querrohre und die linke Seite hat ein „Doppelkreuz” worauf die Uchwa-Daikos befestigt sind. Das Doppelkreuz hat ein Vertikalrohr (110 cm) und zwei Querrohre (je 75 cm). Oben dran ist mit Hilfe einer Multiclamp eine Querschiene Befestigt, worauf die fünf Earth Plates (Zildjian) Aufgehängt sind. Man beachte unten die GENAUE Reihenfolge der Aufhängung! Die meisten Instrumente sind mit Hilfe der „Clamps” Befestigt. Man wird vielleicht jedoch für die Woodblocks oder Becken gesonderte „Ständer” herstellen müssen (Siehe Photos, als eine Möglichkeit).

DIE INSTRUMENTE

Die Aufhängung der Instrumente ist sehr wichtig, da einige Stellen sonst nicht gespielt werden können.
Tom-Toms: unten hängen von links nach rechts: 12 – 10 – 13 Zoll und oben hängen 14´´ links und 15 ´´ rechts. Earth Plates sind notiert mit c,d,e,f,g aber natürlich klingen sie nicht dementsprechend. Es sollen
lediglich 5 unterschiedliche Klanghöhen sein. Ganz wichtig ist die AUFHÄNGUNG dieser Instrumente:
v.l.n.r. D – F – G – E – C . Der Regenstock soll lang und dünn sein, und wird an der hinteren Querrohre so montiert, daß man es in der Mitte mit einem Clamp befestigt. Um die Rohre herum wird es jedoch nicht so fest geschraubt somit kann man das Rohr mit einer Hand um 180° drehen und alleine „regnen lassen”.

Die Schlitztrommel soll klein sein und 8 Zungen haben. Diese sind nicht gestimmt.

MadKing

for Multipercussion  Solo op.21

Composed 1990/91

 

SET-UP Includes:

Vibraphone
3 Cymbals, 17,15,13 inch. 13 inch is lying on the top of the 15 Inch Cymbal
2 China Gongs (also known as opera gongs, gliss gongs) tuned to d# and f#. (dis und fis) NB: Opera gongs are officially not “tuned percussion” but one can look for requested pitch.
2 Almglocken TUNED in d# and g (dis, g)
2 Woodblocks
Bamboo chimes
Bongos
3 Tom-toms (12,14,15 inch)

Generally spoken it is nothing but rhythm

for percussion solo op.21 (1990/91)

 

„Generally spoken”, that is, when it is to be attempted – universal and comprehensive. There is courtesy but also censure. „It’s nothing but…” that is, lying in the still-wet grass of an Indian summer morning, looking up into the heavens and being aware of the faintly blue distance and the earth’s shade of green. But „rhythm” – that is, when deep inside the dormant, archaic impulse of the soul frees itself and flows, unrestricted, to the surface like an effervescing fountain. It is at this fountain that the thirst for the pulsation of harmony can be quenched.

GenerallySpoken

for Multipercussion Solo
Composed 1987. Recorded on CD “marimba & percussion”  by Nebojsa

SET-UP Includes:

Vibraphone, 3 Cymbals, Bongos, Snare Drum, 4 TUNED Almglocken (c2, es2, h2 d3),  Two Triangles, Schellenkranz, 5 Templeblocks, Two Woodblocks,  3 Tom-Toms (12,13,15 Inch), Bass Drum with pedal