Program #147, May 22 2003: Works for percussion instruments.

I've actually done an all-percussion program before, so this wasn't new territory -- in fact, in overall terms, my approach was pretty much as it was then, not intended to be an exhaustive survey but just grabbing stuff I'd been wanting to play for a while. Nevertheless, the details of the program were a little different. The first hour was kind of a throwback to the old Asian Voices/Dialogues with Asia series, beginning with Saariaho's reflections on Japanese gardens, dedicated to the memory of Takemitsu; next Takemitsu himself, then cycling through a Japanese/Chinese world fusion thing, a Pat Waing ensemble piece from Burma (yeah, I know, the thugs who run the place want us to call it "Myanmar" now -- but they're thugs, so screw them), jazz folks' recasting of traditional materials from the southern Philippines, then over to Hawai'i (kind of a cheat, but, hey) for a piece based on ideas about the local god of war.

The next hour was for pieces with a significant role for other instruments, but that still featured percussion prominently somehow. Two pieces for viola and percussion -- with one of my favorite violists, Kim Kashkashian (note to self: must do a viola show soon) -- bracketed the top and bottom of the hour, with the first piece's Japan connections giving a good segue out of the 12:00 hour. In between, Vine's tape/percussion piece made a good run-up to Bolcom's striking piece for organ and percussion, one of the best examples of stylistic eclecticism I've heard for a while.

I returned to less-tightly-accompanied percussion for the last hour, and often sort of unusual percussion at that, with Rzewski's flowerpots + commentary; Justel's computer-processed recordings of kitchen equipment in use (sort of her answer to Cage's Living Room Music); Chasalow's tape/percussion piece, Cowell's blast from the past, and Tenney's 15-minute-plus roll on the tam-tam. All good material, and so proud to be able to bring it all to you.