David Valdés

“Xilofono basso” in “Turandot” (G. Puccini) – (and II?)

“Xilofono basso” in “Turandot” (G. Puccini) – (and II?). In my PREVIOUS ARTICLE I showed you which instrument wanted Puccini as the “xilofono basso”, where he found his inspiration, who provided him with he original instrument and how he ordered a copy to be made for “Turandot”. Just imagine that we could find that original… Continue reading “Xilofono basso” in “Turandot” (G. Puccini) – (and II?)

“Xilofono basso” in “Turandot” (G. Puccini).

“Xilofono basso” in “Turandot” (G. Puccini). “Turandot”, by Giaccomo Puccini, is scored for timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, tubular bells, glockenspiel (keyboard), tuned gongs (the same as in “Madama Butterfly”), triangle, xylophone and bass xylophone in the pit; a tam-tam and a temple block onstage. I will write about the tuned gongs in… Continue reading “Xilofono basso” in “Turandot” (G. Puccini).

Xylophone in Richard Strauss´ “Salome”

Strohinstrument. © Lefima

Xylophone in Richard Strauss´ “Salome”. We, percussionists, very often play on instruments that, in reality, are not those that the composer indicated. We have the keyboard xylophone in “Bluebeard“ (B. Bartok), a part impossible to play on a regular xylophone; the glockenspiel parts in many works (“Magic Flute”, Mahler #7, «Daphnis et Chloe», etc.), which… Continue reading Xylophone in Richard Strauss´ “Salome”