Percussion Symphony(Symphony No 5)

Carl Vine

General Info

Year of Published: 1995
Publisher: Faber Music
Duration: 00:22:00
ISBN: 978-0-571-55862-9
Cost: $60.00

Instrumentation

Soloist (4 Players)

Mallets: Glockenspiel & Crotales & Xylophone & Vibraphone & Marimball & Tubular Bells
Drums: Timpani & 4 Timbales & 2 Bass Drums & 4 Tom-toms & 2 Bongos & Snare Drum
Cymbals: Tam-tam & 4 Suspended Cymbals
Auxiliary Percussion: 2 Anvil & 2 Woodblocks & 2 Brake Drums & 2 Temple Blocks

Orchestra

Woodwinds: Piccolo & Flute 1/2 & Oboe 1/2 & English Horn & Clarinet 1/2 & Bass Clarinet & Bassoon 1/2 & Contrabassoon
Brass: French Horn 1/2/3/4 & Trumpet 1/2 & Trombone 1/2 & Tuba
Strings: Violin 1/2 & Viola & Cello & Double Bass & Harp

Program Notes

Percussion Symphony began life as a commission for the Synergy percussion ensemble. They then thought it would be more interesting as a concerto-style work for four percussion and orchestra, and the ABC kindly adopted the work as a commission for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra featuring Synergy. Although a quartet concerto in intent, the finished work sits more comfortably as an extension of my previous four symphonies, and is thus titled Percussion Symphony (Symphony No. 5). From the first sketches the work was to be in five movements featuring a heavily rhythmic opening and a Tarantella finale. These two prominent features remain, although the middle three movements (originally slow-fast-slow) have been absorbed into a single extended slow movement with a rapid bridge at its center. The work was commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation with financial assistance from the Performing Arts Board of the Australia Council.

World Premiere Details

Date: 17th March 1995
Place: Sydney Town Hall, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Soloist: Synergy Percussion
Orchestra: Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Edo de Waart

Reviews

‘Its appeal is considerable and direct. The main body of its first section rides on energetic, syncopated dance-like rhythms, often with a Latin flavour. The middle, generally slower, section revolves around a core of instrumental dissension . . . Vine's invention is brilliantly appropriate for his purposes.’

Works for Percussion by this Composer

Percussion Symphony(Symphony No 5)
Percussion concerto for solo percussionist with orchestra or tape