Speaking drums
four poems for percussion and orchestra
Commissioned by Foundation Prince Pierre de Monaco
Description
First performance: 29 September, 2013
Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Andrey Boreyko
Daniel Ciampolini, percussion
Text: Sándor Weöres and Jayadeva
Talking whilst playing the drum is not something unique. We can find it in traditional Indian percussion, and in jazz when musicians accompany their play with “Sprechgesang”. This piece goes the opposite way: It begins with the percussionist speaking nonsensically, the emphasis on the rhythm, which he then passes on to his instrument. Like the pure, childish joy of repeating the same word in a different tune, the soloist teaches his instrument to speak until the drums start to talk themselves.
The work was inspired by a poem by Sándor Weöres, where each sentence has a more complex form than the one before. Rhythms form words, words form sentences, and sentences create a narrative.
/Ann-yi Bingöl/
Synopsis
Parts:
I Tanzlied /Dance songs
II Nonsens Songs
III (Passacaglia: Intrada, Saltarello, Bourré, Passepied, Gigue, Allemande, Finale)
POEMS
1. Satz / First movement DANCE SONG
Poem by Sándor Weöres, original title: Táncdal (Dance Song/ Tanzlied)
panyigai panyigai panyigai
ü panyigai ü
panyigai panyigai panyigai
ü panyigai ü
kudora panyigai panyigai
kudora ü
panyigai kudora kudora
panyigai ü
kotta kudora panyigai
kudora kotta ü
kotta panyigai kudora
panyigai kotta ü
ház panyigai kudora
ü kudora kotta ház
kudora ház panyigai
ü panyigai ház kotta
Performances
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, percussion
more info >
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, percussion
more info >
Eötvös: Levitation, Speaking drums
Eötvös: Levitation
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Concert: 23 November, Karlsruhe, Germany
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
cond: Julien Leroy
Venue: Victoria Hall
Eötvös: zeroPoints, Speaking drums, Per Luciano Berio
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond: Peter Eötvös
National Philharmonic Orchestra
Müpa
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Staatsorchester Hannover
cond: Kevin John Edusei
Simone Rubino, percussion
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Staatsorchester Hannover
cond: Kevin John Edusei
Simone Rubino, percussion
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Staatskapelle Dresden
Chrstoph Gedschold, conductor
Simon Etzold, percussion
15 March, 2019, Dresden, Germany
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, perc.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, perc.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, perc.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Simone Rubino, percussion
Gergely Madaras, conductor
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Orchestre Philharmonique de Strassbourg
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Marco Letonja, conductor
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Orchestre Philharmonique de Strassbourg
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Marco Letonja, conductor
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Conductor: Antonello Manacorda
Kammerakademie Potsdam, Nikolaisaal
Eötvös: Speaking Drums
Conductor: Andrés Orozco Estrada
Percussion: Martin Grubinger
Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Venue: Gewandhaus, Großer Saal
Eötvös: Speaking Drums
Conductor: Andrés Orozco Estrada
Percussion: Martin Grubinger
Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Venue: Gewandhaus, Großer Saal
Eötvös: Speaking Drums
Conductor: Elim Chan
Percussion: Martin Grubinger
Orchestra: Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Venue: Koningin Elisabethzaal
Eötvös: Speaking Drums
Conductor: Elim Chan
Percussion: Martin Grubinger
Orchestra: Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Venue: Concertgebouw
Eötvös: Speaking drums
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Eötvös: Halleluja - Oratorium balbulum, Speaking drums
Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Venue: Tonhalle, Zürich
Eötvös: Halleluja - Oratorium balbulum, Speaking Drums
Swiss premiere
Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Venue: Tonhalle, Zürich
Halleluja - Oratorium balbulum, Speaking Drums
Swiss premiere
Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Venue: Tonhalle, Zürich
Eötvös: Speaking drums
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Eötvös: Speaking drums
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Eötvös: Speaking drums
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Eötvös: Speaking drums
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin
conductor: Marko Letonja
percussion: Martin Grubinger
Eötvös: Speaking Drums, zeroPoints
Martin Grubinger, percussion,
Cond: Peter Eötvös
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Eötvös: Speaking Drums, zeroPoints
Martin Grubinger, percussion,
Cond: Peter Eötvös
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Eötvös: Speaking Drums, zeroPoints
Martin Grubinger, percussion,
Cond: Peter Eötvös
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Eötvös: Speaking drums
HR Sinfonieorchester
conductor: Vasily Petrenko
percussion: Martin Grubinger
Venue: Frankfurt am Main, Alte Oper
Eötvös: Speaking drums
HR Sinfonieorchester
conductor: Vasily Petrenko
percussion: Martin Grubinger
Venue: Frankfurt am Main, Alte Oper
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Eötvös: Cello Concerto Grosso, Speaking drums, DoReMi
Eötvös: Cello Concerto Grosso (Jean-Guihen Queyras, vcl)
Eötvös: Speaking drums (Martin Grubinger, percussion)
Eötvös: DoReMi (Goto Midori, vl) - French premiere
Boulez: Notations
Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Auditorium de Radio-France
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Camerata Salzburg,
Martin Grubinger, percussion
John Axelrod
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Camerata Salzburg,
Martin Grubinger, percussion
John Axelrod
Eötvös: Speaking drums, The gliding of the eagle in the skies, zeroPoints
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
NHK Orchestra
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Camerata Salzburg,
Martin Grubinger, percussion
John Axelrod
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Camerata Salzburg,
Martin Grubinger, percussion
John Axelrod
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Camerata Salzburg,
Martin Grubinger, percussion
John Axelrod
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Mahler Chamber Orchestra
cond.: Eötvös
Venue: Cologne Philharmonia
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Mahler Chamber Orchestra
cond.: Eötvös
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Mahler Chamber Orchestra
cond.: Eötvös
Eötvös: Speaking drums
new percussion concerto first performance
Daniel Ciampolini, percussion
Cond.: Andrey Boreyko
Orchestre Philharmonic de Monte Carlo
Details
Publisher information
Schott Music Mainz
https://en.schott-music.com/shop/speaking-drums-no280361.html?SID=eb5b6vhoeq3prd627hqu77hi62
Composer’s instructions
Orchestration
2 Flutes (2nd doubling Piccolo)
Oboe ( doubling cor anglais)
Clarinet in A
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
2 Horns in F (metal-mute, sord. ord.)
Trumpet in Bb, (straight, wawa)
Trombone (straight, wawa, soft)
Harp
Celesta ( also Piano)
Percussion I:
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone (one for both
players)
Crotales
Cencerros / Cowbells
3 Cymbals
Sizzle Cymbal
Grelots
2 Bongos (high pitched)
Vibra Slap
2 hand-size stones to be held in the hand
Percussion II:
Vibraphone (one for both
players)
5 Gongs
Triangle
Tam-tam (low)
Tambourine with bells
2 Bongos (high pitched)
Bass Drum
Vibra Slap
2 Korean flagstones (freely suspended)
6 Violins I
6 Violins II
6 Violas
4 Violoncellos
2 Double basses
Further information
Zu trommeln und dabei zu sprechen ist nichts Neues. Man begegnet dem nicht selten in der indischen Perkussion sowie bei vielen Jazzmusikern, die ihr Klavierspiel mit Sprechgesang begleiten.
Dieses Stück realisiert den umgekehrten Weg, lässt den Schlagzeuger erst sinnfreie Texte sprechen. Die Emphase liegt auf dem Textrhythmus, den er im Laufe des ersten Satzes auf seine Instrumente überträgt. Vergleichbar dem Zustand der kindlichen Entdeckungsfreude beim Sagen und Wiederholen des gleichen Wortes in verschiedenartiger Melodie, lehrt der Solist im ersten Satz seinen Instrumenten das Sprechen, bis die Trommeln selbst zu plaudern beginnen.
Als Basis dient jeweils ein Gedicht von Sandor Weöres, das zunehmend komplexer vorgetragen wird. Die Rhythmen formen Worte, die Worte bilden Sätze, und die Sätze gestalten eine Erzählung…
/Ann-yi Bingöl/
Sound
Recordings
Videos
Leonie Klein: Speaking Drums
hr-Sinfonieorchester, Martin Grubinger – 2016
Martin Grubinger plays “Speaking Drums” from Eötvös, 2014
P. Eötvös & M. Grubinger: interview, 2016
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Berliner Philharmoniker – Berlin, 2019
Peter Eötvös & Martin Grubinger, 2019
Photo: János Posztós