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

Read further

2. Satz/ Second movement NONSENSE SONGS

– First poem original title:

ARANY KÉS FOROG (Goldene Messerklinge dreht im Herzen)

naur glainre iki
vobe gollu vá
tian pliteí keumu tié
hom vonnon mi

– Second poem, original title:

BARBÁR DAL (Barbarisches Lied / Barbarian song)

Ole dzsuro nanni he
ole csilambo ábábi he
ole buglo iningi he
lünlel dáji he! jaman!

3. Satz/ Third movement PASSACAGLIA

(Intrada-Saltarello-Bourée-Passepied-Gigue-Allemande-Finale)

Original title: Polyrhythmia

Lalitala vangala tápari sílana kómala malaja szamiré
mad hukara níkara karambita kókila kúdzsita kundzsa kutiré
Harir iha viharati szaraszava szanté
n ritjati juvatidzsanéna szamam szakhi virahidzsanaszja duranté

Performances

23 Nov, 2019

Karlsruhe, Germany

Eötvös: Levitation, Speaking drums

Eötvös: Levitation
Eötvös: Speaking drums
Concert: 23 November, Karlsruhe, Germany

21 Nov, 2019

Geneve, Switzerland

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
cond: Julien Leroy
Venue: Victoria Hall

31 Oct, 2019

Budapest, Hungary

Eötvös: zeroPoints, Speaking drums, Per Luciano Berio

Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond: Peter Eötvös
National Philharmonic Orchestra

Müpa

23 Sep, 2019

Hannover, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Staatsorchester Hannover
cond: Kevin John Edusei
Simone Rubino, percussion

22 Sep, 2019

Hannover, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Staatsorchester Hannover
cond: Kevin John Edusei
Simone Rubino, percussion

15 Mar, 2019

Dresden, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Staatskapelle Dresden
Chrstoph Gedschold, conductor
Simon Etzold, percussion
15 March, 2019, Dresden, Germany

2 Mar, 2019

Berlin, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Martin Grubinger, perc.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta

1 Mar, 2019

Berlin, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Martin Grubinger, perc.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta

28 Feb, 2019

Berlin, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Martin Grubinger, perc.
Conductor: Zubin Mehta

22 Jun, 2018

Firenze, Italy

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Simone Rubino, percussion
Gergely Madaras, conductor

18 May, 2018

Strassbourg, France

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Orchestre Philharmonique de Strassbourg
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Marco Letonja, conductor

17 May, 2018

Strassbourg, France

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Orchestre Philharmonique de Strassbourg
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Marco Letonja, conductor

5 May, 2018

Potsdam, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Conductor: Antonello Manacorda
Kammerakademie Potsdam, Nikolaisaal

1 Dec, 2017

Leipzig, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking Drums

Conductor: Andrés Orozco Estrada
Percussion: Martin Grubinger
Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Venue: Gewandhaus, Großer Saal

30 Nov, 2017

Leipzig, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking Drums

Conductor: Andrés Orozco Estrada
Percussion: Martin Grubinger
Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Venue: Gewandhaus, Großer Saal

19 Nov, 2017

Antwerpen, Belgium

Eötvös: Speaking Drums

Conductor: Elim Chan
Percussion: Martin Grubinger
Orchestra: Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Venue: Koningin Elisabethzaal

18 Nov, 2017

Brugge, Belgium

Eötvös: Speaking Drums

Conductor: Elim Chan
Percussion: Martin Grubinger
Orchestra: Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Venue: Concertgebouw

26 Mar, 2017

Heidelberg, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion

24 Mar, 2017

Zürich, Switzerland

Eötvös: Halleluja - Oratorium balbulum, Speaking drums

Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Venue: Tonhalle, Zürich

23 Mar, 2017

Zürich, Switzerland

Eötvös: Halleluja - Oratorium balbulum, Speaking Drums

Swiss premiere
Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Venue: Tonhalle, Zürich

22 Mar, 2017

Zürich, Switzerland

Halleluja - Oratorium balbulum, Speaking Drums

Swiss premiere
Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Martin Grubinger, percussion
Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Venue: Tonhalle, Zürich

20 Mar, 2017

Innsbruck, Austria

Eötvös: Speaking drums

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion

16 Mar, 2017

Munich, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion

14 Mar, 2017

Regensburg, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion

12 Mar, 2017

Essen, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Juanjo Mena
Martin Grubinger, percussion

3 Jun, 2016

Berlin, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin
conductor: Marko Letonja
percussion: Martin Grubinger

6 May, 2016

Prague, Chech Republic

Eötvös: Speaking Drums, zeroPoints

Martin Grubinger, percussion,
Cond: Peter Eötvös
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

5 May, 2016

Prague, Chech Republic

Eötvös: Speaking Drums, zeroPoints

Martin Grubinger, percussion,
Cond: Peter Eötvös
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

4 May, 2016

Prague, Chech Republic

Eötvös: Speaking Drums, zeroPoints

Martin Grubinger, percussion,
Cond: Peter Eötvös
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

18 Mar, 2016

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

HR Sinfonieorchester
conductor: Vasily Petrenko
percussion: Martin Grubinger
Venue: Frankfurt am Main, Alte Oper

17 Mar, 2016

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums

HR Sinfonieorchester
conductor: Vasily Petrenko
percussion: Martin Grubinger
Venue: Frankfurt am Main, Alte Oper

3 Feb, 2015

Rome, Italy

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
Santa Cecilia Orchestra

2 Feb, 2015

Milano, Italy

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
Santa Cecilia Orchestra

1 Feb, 2015

Rome, Italy

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
Santa Cecilia Orchestra

31 Jan, 2015

Rome, Italy

Eötvös: Speaking drums

Martin Grubinger, percussion
Cond.: Peter Eötvös
Santa Cecilia Orchestra

22 Nov, 2014

Paris, France

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

25 May, 2014

Braunschweig, Germany

Eötvös: Speaking drums