Drawing Music :: So Percussion

A few nights ago, my friends and I went to Carnegie Hall for an evening with So Percussion quartet. The first piece they played was by my most favorite contemporary classics composer, Steve Reich: "Drumming, part 1". It was hard to believe that what we heard was written 40 years ago...it still sounds groundbreaking. The other two compositions were premieres, utilizing most unusual "things" as sound-making devices.

"Drumming, part 1": The four drummers syncopate on snare drums in unison for almost 20 minutes, weaving crisp sound patterns.





Harvesing sounds from all kinds of instruments.









The 4 musicians kept moving around the stage from one instrument to the next, as if the stage was their living room. At some point, they opened a box with wind-up toys and let those buzz about. Then, a bunch of alarm clocks appeared, sounding off at precise moments to add to harmonies. Everyday objects, so nicely integrated into the composition "It Is Time" by STEVEN MACKEY (World Premiere, commissioned by Carnegie Hall), reminded me of Robert Rauschenberg's collages with found objects.