GLASS: Perpetulum

Perpetulum (2018)

PHILIP GLASS (B. 1937)

Through his operas, symphonies, compositions for his own ensemble, and wide-ranging collaborations with artists from Twyla Tharp to Allen Ginsberg and Woody Allen to David Bowie, Philip Glass has had an extraordinary and unprecedented impact on the musical and intellectual life of his times.

Although percussion instruments have played an important role in much of Glass’ music, and a number of his works have been arranged for percussion by other musicians, he had never composed a work for percussion ensemble until Third Coast Percussion commissioned Perpetulum. Glass is now 81 years old, but when composing this work, he harkened back to childhood memories of his first experience with percussion instruments. Though his primary musical instrument was the flute, he had the opportunity to participate in a percussion class while a student at the Preparatory Division of the Peabody Conservatory in his hometown of Baltimore. Perpetulum blends an almost child-like exploration of the sounds of percussion with Glass’ signature musical voice. The work is in three sections, with a cadenza between the second and third sections. Glass proposed some general concepts and instruments for the cadenza, but left it to the performers to compose this segment of the music themselves.

CRUMB: Music for a Summer Evening

Music for Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III) for Two Pianos and Percussion (1974)

GEORGE CRUMB (B. 1929)

George Crumb, born in Charles George Crumb, born in Charleston, West Virginia, has enjoyed a long career as one of America’s most distinctive and respected musical voices. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1968, a Grammy in 2001, and dozens of other awards in between. Crumb’s works have the deeply spiritual air of man considering nature and his universe — his meticulously detailed and unconventional scores give a visual impression akin to an ancient religious text. He cites Debussy, Bartók and Ives as his major influences, but for percussionists, it’s hard not to hear John Cage in Crumb’s spacious scores and love of unique percussion timbres.

Crumb wrote the following in the 1980 essay Music: Does It Have a Future?:

“Perhaps many of the perplexing problems of new music could be put into a new light if we were to reintroduce the ancient idea of music being a reflection of nature. Although technical discussions are interesting to composers, I suspect that the truly magical and spiritual powers of music arise from deeper levels of our psyche. I am certain that every composer, from his formative years as a child, has acquired a ‘natural acoustic’ that remains in his ear for life. The fact that I was born and grew up in an Appalachian river valley meant that my ear was attuned to a peculiar echoing acoustic; I feel that this acoustic was ‘structured into’ my hearing, so to speak, and thus became the basic acoustic of my music. I should imagine that the ocean shore or endless plains would produce an altogether different ‘inherited’ acoustic. In a broader sense, the rhythms of ton, West Virginia, has enjoyed a long career as one of America’s most distinctive and respected musical voices. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1968, a Grammy in 2001, and dozens of other awards in between. Crumb’s works have the deeply spiritual air of man considering nature and his universe — his meticulously detailed and unconventional scores give a visual impression akin to an ancient religious text. He cites Debussy, Bartók and Ives as his major influences, but for percussionists, it’s hard not to hear John Cage in Crumb’s spacious scores and love of unique percussion timbres.

Crumb wrote the following in the 1980 essay Music: Does It Have a Future?:

“Perhaps many of the perplexing problems of new music could be put into a new light if we were to reintroduce the ancient idea of music being a reflection of nature. Although technical discussions are interesting to composers, I suspect that the truly magical and spiritual powers of music arise from deeper levels of our psyche. I am certain that every composer, from his formative years as a child, has acquired a ‘natural acoustic’ that remains in his ear for life. The fact that I was born and grew up in an Appalachian river valley meant that my ear was attuned to a peculiar echoing acoustic; I feel that this acoustic was ‘structured into’ my hearing, so to speak, and thus became the basic acoustic of my music. I should imagine that the ocean shore or endless plains would produce an altogether different ‘inherited’ acoustic. In a broader sense, the rhythms of nature, large and small — the sounds of wind and water, the sounds of birds and insects — must inevitably find their analogues in music.”

Music for a Summer Evening is the third installment of Crumb’s Makrokosmos series, the rest of which are for piano alone (2 hands and 4). The name “Makrokosmos” is a reference to Mikrokosmos, Béla Bartók’s six-volume series of progressive piano studies. Crumb also borrowed the instrumentation of this work (2 pianos and 2 percussionists) from Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (1937). In contrast to Bartók’s selection of standard orchestral instruments, Crumb’s percussion arsenal includes everything from temple bowls and kalimba (thumb piano, also known as a mbira) to slide whistles, stones, and a jug. In the spacious, often dreamlike atmosphere of the work, Crumb is constantly playing off the audience’s previous associations, whether it be with the sounds of nature or existing musical works; the 5th movement features a quotation of the D-sharp minor Fugue in Book II of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier.

The complete arc of the piece can be seen in the following poetic quotations Crumb included in the printed score, which he says were very much in his thoughts as he sketched the work:

Movement I: Nocturnal Sounds

“Odo risonanze effimere, oblío di piena note nell’acqua stellate.” (“I hear ephemeral echoes, oblivion of full night in the starred water”) — Salvatore Quasimodo

Movement III: The Advent

“Le silence éternel des espaces infinis méffraie” (“The eternal silence of infinite space terrifies me”) — Pascal

Movement V: Music of the Starry Night

“Und in den Nächten fällt die schwere Erde aus allen Sternen in die Einsamkeit. Wir alle fallen. Und doch ist Einer, welcher dieses Fallen unendlich sanft in seinen Händen hält.” (“And in the nights the heavy earth is falling from all the stars down into loneliness. We are all falling. And yet there is One who holds this falling endlessly gently in His hands." — Rilke

Third Coast Percussion, Ensemble

Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy-winning, artist-run quartet of classically-trained percussionists hailing from the great city of Chicago. For over ten years, the ensemble has forged a unique path in the musical landscape with virtuosic, energetic performances that celebrate the extraordinary depth and breadth of musical possibilities in the world of percussion. The ensemble has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune). The four members of Third Coast are also accomplished teachers, and since 2013, have served as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. 

A direct connection with the audience is at the core of all of Third Coast Percussion’s work, whether the musicians are speaking from the stage about a new piece of music, inviting the audience to play along in a concert or educational performance, or inviting their fans around the world to create new music using one of their free mobile apps. 

Third Coast Percussion maintains a busy touring schedule, with past performances in 33 of the 50 states plus Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland, and venues ranging from concert halls at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and De Doelen to clubs and alternative performance spaces such as New York’s Le Poisson Rouge and the National Gallery’s West Garden Court. 

The quartet’s curiosity and eclectic taste have led to a series of unlikely collaborations that have produced exciting new art. The ensemble has worked with engineers at the University of Notre Dame, architects at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, dancers at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and musicians from traditions ranging from the mbira music of Zimbabwe’s Shona people, to indie rockers, to some of the world’s leading concert musicians. 

A commission for a new work from composer Augusta Read Thomas in 2012 led to the realization that commissioning new musical works can be – and should be – as collaborative as any other artistic partnership. Through extensive workshopping and close contact with composers, Third Coast Percussion has commissioned and premiered new works from Philip Glass, Devonté Hynes, Donnacha Dennehy, Glenn Kotche, Lei Liang, Gavin Bryars, Christopher Cerrone, Marcos Balter, and today’s leading up-and-coming composers through their Emerging Composers Partnership Program. These works have become part of the ensemble’s core repertoire and seen hundreds of performances across North America and throughout Europe. 

Third Coast Percussion’s recordings include five full-length albums, three EPs, and a number of appearances on other releases. The quartet has put its stamp on iconic percussion works by John Cage, Steve Reich, and Philippe Manoury, and Third Coast has also created first recordings of commissioned works by Augusta Read Thomas, David T. Little, and Ted Hearne, in addition to recordings of the ensemble’s own compositions. In 2017 the ensemble won the Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble performance for their recording of Steve Reich’s works for percussion. 

Third Coast Percussion has always maintained strong ties to the vibrant artistic community in their hometown of Chicago. They have collaborated with Chicago institutions such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Chicago Philharmonic, and the Adler Planetarium, performed at the grand opening of Maggie Daley Children’s Park, conducted residencies at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, created multi-year collaborative projects with Chicago-based composers Augusta Read Thomas, Glenn Kotche, and chamber ensemble Eighth Blackbird, and taught tens of thousands of students through partnerships with The People’s Music School, Urban Gateways, the Chicago Park District, Rush Hour Concerts, and others. 

The four members of Third Coast Percussion met while studying percussion music at Northwestern University. Members of Third Coast also hold degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Rutgers University, the New England Conservatory, and the Yale School of Music. Stay up-to-date and go behind-the-scenes by following Third Coast on Twitter (@ThirdCoastPerc), Facebook (@Third Coast Percussion), and Instagram (@ThirdCoastPercussion). 

*Third Coast Percussion is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. 

Third Coast Percussion performs exclusively with Pearl/Adams Musical Instruments, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, and Vic Firth sticks and mallets. 

Anne-Marie McDermott, Piano

Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott is a consummate artist who balances a versatile career as a soloist and collaborator. She performs over 100 concerts a year in a combination of solo recitals, concerti and chamber music. Her repertoire choices are eclectic, spanning from Bach and Haydn to Prokofiev and Scriabin to Kernis, Hartke, Tower and Wuorinen.

With over 50 concerti in her repertoire, Ms. McDermott has performed with many leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Seattle Symphony, National Symphony, Houston Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, Hong Kong Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, New Jersey Symphony and Baltimore Symphony among others. Ms. McDermott has toured with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Moscow Virtuosi.

In the recent seasons, Ms. McDermott performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Huntsville Symphony, Alabama Symphony, San Diego Symphony, the Oregon Mozart Players, and the New Century Chamber Orchestra.

Recital engagements have included the 92nd Street Y, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hall, The Schubert Club, Kennedy Center, as well as universities across the country. Anne-Marie McDermott has curated and performed in a number of intense projects including: the Complete Prokofiev Piano Sonatas and Chamber Music, a Three Concert Series of Shostakovich Chamber Music, as well as a recital series of Haydn and Beethoven Piano Sonatas. Most recently, she commissioned works of Charles Wuorinen and Clarice Assad which were premiered in May 2009 at Town Hall, in conjunction with Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

As a soloist, Ms. McDermott has recorded the complete Prokofiev Piano Sonatas, Bach English Suites and Partitas (which was named Gramophone Magazine’s Editor’s Choice), and most recently, Gershwin Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra with the Dallas Symphony and Justin Brown.

In addition to her many achievements and association with Bravo! Vail, McDermott is also Artistic Director of two other festivals; The Ocean Reef Chamber Music Festival in the Florida Keys and The Avila Chamber Music Celebration in Curaçao, off the coast of Venezuela.

As a chamber music performer, Anne-Marie McDermott was named an artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 1995 and performs and tours extensively with them each season. She also continues a long standing collaboration with the highly acclaimed violinist, Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg. As a duo, they have released a CD titled “Live” on the NSS label and plan to release the Complete Brahms Violin and Piano Sonatas in the future. Ms. McDermott is also a member of the renowned piano quartet, Opus One, with colleagues Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom and Peter Wiley.

She continues to perform each season with her sisters, Maureen McDermott and Kerry McDermott in the McDermott Trio. Ms. McDermott has also released an all Schumann CD with violist, Paul Neubauer, as well as the Complete Chamber Music of Debussy with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Ms. McDermott studied at the Manhattan School of Music with Dalmo Carra, Constance Keene and John Browning. She was a winner of the Young Concert Artists auditions and was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

In addition to her duties at Bravo! Vail, Anne-Marie McDermott regularly performs at Festivals across the United States including Spoleto, Mainly Mozart, Sante Fe, La Jolla Summerfest, Mostly Mozart, Newport, Caramoor, Chamber Music Northwest, Aspen, Music from Angelfire, and the Festival Casals in Puerto Rico, among others.

Photo: Zach Mahone

Amy Yang, Piano

Praised by the Washington Post as a “jaw-dropping pianist who steals the show…with effortless finesse,” pianist Amy Yang has collaborated with Anne-Marie McDermott, Patricia Kopatchinskaya, Richard Goode, Ida Kavafian; members of Guarneri String Quartet and Mahler Chamber Orchestra; and the Dover, Jasper, and Aizuri string quartets. She has appeared as a soloist with the Houston, Newport and Tuscaloosa symphony orchestras, and Orquesta Juvenil Universitaria Eduardo Mata de la UNAM; premiered music by Caroline Shaw, Avner Dorman, Michael Hersch, Ezra Laderman; and appeared in such prestigious venues as the Marlboro, Ravinia, Aldeburgh, and Ojai music festivals.

 Photo credit: Balázs Böröcz