This audiovisual presentation examines the origins, uses and evolution of western military and orchestral percussion instruments from ancient far eastern cultures, to the beginning of the 20th century in North America.
Fascinating and provocative images of contemporary sculptures, paintings and photographs accompanied by copious recordings of relevant music. will be presented to reveal the ancestors of western percussion instruments and their development throughout western history.
They will also help bring to life the authors and composers, the performers, monarchs and military giants who helped create the modern world and the age of percussion in the West.
Themes:
1. Seminal names in this history of percussion:
The contributions to percussion by King Henry VII, Henry VIII and Queen Mary of England, Machiavelli and Thoinot Arbeau, King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden, Henry Purcell, the Brothers Philidor, Ottoman Emperor Mahmet IV, George Frederick Handel, Thomas Arne, Christoph Gluck, Haydn, Mozart, Ashworth, Beethoven, Ladré, Napoleon Bonaparte, Suppé, Offenbach, George Bruce, Emil Boulanger, Takashima Shirodayü, August Helmecke, Harry A. Bower, and Carl E. Gardner are explained and made clear.
2. Influences from the East:
A pictorial survey and discussion of percussion instruments employed by the armies of ancient Greece, Persia, and India suggest a source of the camp duty, Field music and military bands of 18th and 19th c. armies.
3. Warfare:
As background to the age of percussion, the tactics and weapons of armies in the Ancient world, the Medieval world, the Renaissance, guerrilla warfare of the American War of Independence, and the Civil War in the United States show how our percussion instruments were used and finally developed into the modern instruments of today..
4. Timpani:
From their ancestors in Persia and India to the early 18th c., the compositions of Philidor, Purcell, Druschetzky and Berlioz will be played and the timpani guilds and military significance of timpani will be examined.
5. Cymbals:
A worrisome provenance. AD 1066, 1096, 1623 or 1680?
6. Military Snare drums, a study of pomp and circumstance, discipline and cohesion:
An analysis of weaponry development, Medieval Swiss and Renaissance European armies will explain how the snare drum was used and how its techniques and sizes evolved from the “Great Swiss Drums” of England’s Henry VII to the drums of today.
7. Drum Notation:
A survey which begins with the earliest extant commands to drummers, will include manuscripts, documents and drum manuals from 1589 to 1869, which show the variety and complexity of attempts to write what drummers played. Arcane rudiments, beatings and terms will be discussed and interpreted.
8. Drum Rudiments:
The origins, purposes and proliferation of field drum rudiments, before and after the word first appeared in print will be discussed along with definitions and opinions about them by modern drummers.
9. Military music for fifes:
Why the Fife? How and why certain genres of music were chosen by officers and common soldiers for military duty. Music’s effect on the lives of infantrymen, the officer class, the public, the evolution of tunes, tempi, and examples of famous fife tunes with their drum beatings will be played and examined.
10. Janissary Era in Europe:
The second siege of Vienna, and the impact of 18th c. Britain’s Janissary craze on European art and popular music will be played and examined as well as the origins of the triangle, tambourine, tenor and bass drums their techniques and players in military bands.
11. Music inspired by the Janissary era:
A presentation and discussion of landmark songs and orchestral works inspired by and reliant upon military percussion instruments – Arne, “Alfred” (1746), and Gluck,”Iphigenie en Tauride” (1779), to Offenbach’s cello concerto, “Militaire” (1847) and Suppé’s, “Light Cavalry Overture” (1866).
12. The American War for Independence, the French Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Civil War in the United States:
The epoch of popular patriotic music, the drum corps and drummers, the apex and end of an era. An examination of the sacred and secular music of North America and the industrial age that ended the logistical need for field music.
13. The Great Divide:
The effect on drummers and percussionists of the field telegraph, Harry A. Bower’s “Imperial Method” (1898), Carl E. Gardner’s “Progressive Series”(1919) and the National Association of Rudimental Drummers (1933) will be discussed.
Presentation Options:
The Themes above can be offered as one presentation or arranged in a variety of formats to suit individual needs of teachers and students. The minimum presentation is 2 1/2 hours.
Suggested Themes for a Presentation:
A. Snare drum notation from 1589 to 1869.
B. The Janissary era and its legacy to Western art music.
C. Notation in drum books from 1777 to 1898.
D. The rediscovery of ancient texts during the Renaissance, the Art of War, and the rise of percussion and field music.
E. The American War for Independence, the French Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
F. Bruce and Emmett’s “Drummers’ and Fifers’ Guide”, and the music, life and times of the Civil War in the United States of America.
G. Rudiments and The Great Divide.
H. How Japan became the only far eastern country to officially adopt Western music, and how fifes and drums influenced that decision.
Summary and Technical Requirements:
For teachers considering an in-depth presentation of the materials in this history, an interdepartmental approach involving students and teachers of music history, composition, musicology and ethnomusicology could well be beneficial. It is suggested that this in-depth presentation cover at least two sessions a day or more.
This presentation is in Keynote, a Mac program. Optimum sound and picture quality is desired. Besides a laptop which will be provided, the presentation requires a 10′ X 10′ screen (bigger will work, but 7 1/2 ‘X 10’ minimum), a projector, a wireless Lav (Lavalier) mike, and a sound system that runs off a laptop. (The presentation contains many music examples.)
Robin Engelman 
Evelyn and Ewazen: Percussion in Buffalo, New York
Saturday, April 17, 2010.
The trip from Toronto Ontario to Buffalo New York by automobile takes only about two hours and usually includes a visit to the Albright Knox Gallery, which houses one of North America’s finest collections of contemporary Art. But the schedule this day wouldn’t allow for side trips. I was headed for Kleinhans Music Hall to hear Evelyn Glennie, Dame Glennie if you wish, play the world premiere of “Songs to the Banks of Ayr” a concerto for solo percussionist and symphony orchestra by Cleveland, Ohio native Eric Ewazen (b.1954). joAnn Falletta, the Buffalo Philharmonic’s Music Director was conducting.
I wanted to hear this new work by Eric because he had agreed to make an orchestral arrangement of “The Eternal Dance of Life”, a work he had recently completed for Nexus and wind ensemble.
Ms. Glennie’s performance was met with a spontaneous and enthusiastic standing ovation which lasted long enough for her to take three curtain calls. “Songs to the Banks of Ayr” is a well orchestrated, Romantic work in four movements each of which is based upon the poetry of Robert Burns. Eric has a distinct voice and much of the music in this premiere reminded me of the work he had written for Nexus.
Interspersed with brief percussion solos on crotales, Marimba, glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylophone, tom-toms, snare drums and cymbals, were a brilliant Scottish Jig for xylophone and violin which Ms. Glennie performed with the concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic. The day before the premier Ms. Glnnie prerecorded the poetry in her mellifluous Scottish burr; and this was inserted into the performances
It was a pleasure speaking with Evelyn again. The last time we had a chance to converse was after a concert in Toronto when I took her to dinner with James Wilson her former road manager. Evelyn is a gracious woman deserving the appellation Dame. She is also a captivating performer; a charismatic virtuoso musician.
The second half of the concert was devoted to a work I had never heard and was very keen to hear “La Noce de los Mayas”, (The Night of the Mayas) by Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940). This work requires about 10 percussionists and it must be noted here that the contracted percussionists for the Buffalo Philharmonic all studied in Cleveland at one time or another. The extra percussionists for the Revueltas work were all students of Cleveland Orchestra percussionist Tom Freer.
Earlier in the day there had been a “Day of Percussion”. My friend and colleague from the Rochester Philharmonic, eminent percussionist and educator John Beck and Dr. Kay Stonefelt, percussion instructor at the New York State University of Fredonia whose percussion ensemble had performed, were in attendance and it was a delight to see them both again. Beverly Johnston, one of the percussion instructors at the Faculty of Music in Toronto had performed some marimba solos earlier in the afternoon.
The pleasures were not over. Backstage I heard voices calling my name, and there was Tom Freer and Keith Aleo; Tom proudly taking photographs of his students with conductor Falletta. I had last seen Keith in Atlanta where we were judges for Tom Sherwood’s Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Contemporary Snare drum Competition. I also met Allison Bent who was studying with Freer at the Cleveland Institute and that night had played quiro in “La Noce de los Mayas”. Allison had played in my percussion ensemble at the University of Toronto and for the last two years has been working towards a masters degree at the Cleveland Institute.
A small reception with an open bar followed the concert. Lauren Vogel Weiss and her husband Ron Weiss had flown in from Dallas and through Ms. Glennie’s assistant had arranged our complimentary tickets to the concert. Eric’s mother, uncle, nephews and other relatives attended the premiere. A couple from Louisville, Kentucky had driven to Buffalo at the suggestion of joAnn Falletta. My wife and I spent some time reminiscing with them about our days in Louisville when I played with the Philharmonic. Surprisingly, we had known and remembered some of the same orchestra members. I thanked joAnn Falletta for her programming and performances. She, in turn, spoke enthusiastically about the quality of the evening’s percussion playing. “La Noce de los Mayas” is a great work, and was superbly played. I must search out a recording.
The next day, Sunday, the program was repeated.
Posted by robinengelman on April 19, 2010 in Articles, Commentaries & Critiques
Tags: "La Noce de los Mayas", "Songs to the Banks of Ayr", Albright Knox Gallery, Allison Bent, Beverly Johnston, Buffalo Philharmonic, Dr. Kay Stonefelt, Eric Ewazen, Evelyn Glennie, joAnn Falletta, John Beck, Keith Aleo, Kleinhans Music Hall, Lauren Vogel Weiss, Louisville Philharmonic, Robert Burns, Rochester Philharmonic, Ron Weiss, Silvestre Revueltas, Tom Freer