The University of Connecticut Percussion Ensemble will be performing in the von der Mehden Recital Hall on November 7that 8pm. The concert opens with Crescendo by Lepak. The six minute work begins with a single hand percussion voice and then slowly accrues sounds until it reaches an apex with all kinds of percussion instruments. The concert then progresses to Moonrise by Tyson. The piece is written for seven players in two movements: “The Moon Holds my Heart” and “The First Time I Saw the Moon.” According to Tyson, the piece is about the moment when everything changes. Following are two of Tenney’s Three Pieces for Drum Quartet. The original three pieces were composed for a mechanical drum created by Stephen von Huene. The mechanical drum lent itself to compositions based on interdependency, blending small, interrelated parts into one unified whole. The composition was inspired and influenced by Ives, Varèse, and Cowell. The last selection before the pause is Mackey’s Damn, a piece for percussion ensemble and clarinet. Mackey composed Damn in collaboration with Robert Battles, a choreographer who requested a short, dark, rhythmic, and angry piece. The end result was an exhausting virtuosic work.
After the pause, the ensemble returns with Mudra by Becker. Like Damn, Mudra was composed for a choreographer, Joan Phillips. Unlike Damn, the choreography came first and Becker had to match his composition to the dance. The choreography had an episodic and gestural character which Becker reflected in his rhythmic structure and general form. He was also influenced by classical Indian musical structures. The piece is scored for marimba, vibraphone, songbells, glockenspiel, crotales, prepared drum and bass drum. Following Becker is another selection from Tyson, Vertical River. The piece was commissioned by John Parks and was inspired by both the pair’s trip rafting down the Boise River and their deep friendship. The final selection of the evening is Alfieri’s Legend of the Sleeping Bear in three movements: “The Fleeing Bears,” “The Cubs,” and “Dune Ceremony.” The piece is inspired by a Chippewa Indian legend that explains the creation of Lake Michigan’s massive coastal sand dunes and the Manitou Islands.
The concert is directed by Keith Aleo, Instructor of Percussion and Director of Percussion Ensemble. It begins promptly at8pm and will be held at the von der Mehden Recital Hall. The von der Mehden Recital Hall is located at 875 Coventry Rd across from Mirror Lake on the UConn campus. Plenty of free parking is conveniently located across the street in Lot 1.
For more information, contact: Kirk Matson at Kirk.Matson@uconn.edu