“Rapsodie Espagnole”, by Ravel. “Rapsodie Espagnole“, by Ravel, is not only an important work in the symphonic repertoire; it also features wonderfully written percussion parts. Sadly, both the score and the particelle are plaged with numerous mistakes and missprints that the first edition has perpetuated in many performances and recordings. Because I played this work… Continue reading “Rapsodie Espagnole”, by Ravel
Tag: repertoire
“Scheherezade”, roll or articulate?
“Scheherezade”, roll or articulate? Despite being one of the milestones in the symphonic repertoire, “Scheherezade” features, believe or not, many mistakes and misprints. Belaieff (I have already mentioned him in previous articles) published the score and parts in 1899 in Leipzig. Since then, we have played using the exact same edition: 135 years perpetuating the… Continue reading “Scheherezade”, roll or articulate?
Timpani in “Messiah”.
Timpani in “Messiah”. We are getting very close to “Messiah season” so, why not having a look at this perennial classic? This year I will be playing timpani for the Christmas concert while my colleagues are in the pit playing “Aida”. I have started preparing for the rehearsals and I have found some interesting… Continue reading Timpani in “Messiah”.
Bowings and stickings: “Polovtsian Dances”
Bowings and stickings: “Polovtsian Dances” Last June 3, GROVER PRO published a video on which I explain the relationship between the bow strokes on string instruments and the stickings on the snare drum. It is a continuation of the one that I already published using Falla´s “The Miller´s Dance” as an example , which you… Continue reading Bowings and stickings: “Polovtsian Dances”
Tchaikovsky´s “Arabic Dance” – Articulate or roll?
Tchaikovsky´s “Arabic Dance” – Articulate or roll? Last December 27 my article on the tambourine part of Tchaikovsky´s “Arabic Dance” (from “The Nutcracker”) was published on the Grover Pro website. You can read it clicking on the banner below: Thank you very much to Svetlana Manakova for helping me to translate the Russian indications. …et… Continue reading Tchaikovsky´s “Arabic Dance” – Articulate or roll?
Bowings and stickings: “The Miller´s Dance”.
Bowings and stickings: “The Miller´s Dance” Last November 16, Grover PRO published a video on which I stablish a relationship between the bow strokes on the string instruments and the stickings on the snare drum. I am using Falla´s “The Miller´s Dance” (from “The Three Cornered Hat”) to show what I do to phrase… Continue reading Bowings and stickings: “The Miller´s Dance”.
“Lieutenant Kije” and a peculiar tambourine technique
Lieutenant Kijé and a peculiar tambourine technique. On January 2, a new article of mine was published on the Grover Pro Percussion website. © Grover Pro Percussion Dealing with the very specific tambourine technique requested by Prokofiev in “Troika”, you can read it HERE. Tambourine part in “Troika”. …et in Arcadia ego. ©… Continue reading “Lieutenant Kije” and a peculiar tambourine technique
Xylophone in Richard Strauss´ “Salome”
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”
Tambourine in “Polovtsian Dances”: authorship, notation and technique (and II)
Tambourine in “Polovtsian Dances”: authorship, notation and technique (and II). Last Saturday, the second and last part of my article “Prince´s Igor Tambourine Mystery (part 2)” was published on the GroverPro website. You can read it HERE. © Grover Pro Percussion Did you know about this very specific technique? Stay tuned, as future articles will… Continue reading Tambourine in “Polovtsian Dances”: authorship, notation and technique (and II)
Tambourine in “Polovtsian Dances”: authorship, notation and technique (I)
Tambourine in “Polovtsian Dances”: authorship, notation and technique. Last Wednesday, my article “Prince´s Igor Tambourine Mystery (part 1)” was published on the Grover Pro website. You can read it HERE. © Grover Pro Percussion A second article showing the peculiar technique used in dances #8 and #17 will soon be published. …et in… Continue reading Tambourine in “Polovtsian Dances”: authorship, notation and technique (I)