A Universe of Sound: 20th Century Percussion

For a long time, percussion led a shadowy existence on the perimeter of European art music. That didn’t change until the 20th century, when composers like Maurice Ohana and Edgar Varèse focused their attention on rhythm. Musicians and music scholars alike looked beyond the confines of Europe to Africa or Asia, where they discovered centuries-old traditions of percussion playing. Jazz, rock and pop are unthinkable in any case without a drum set. Moreover, percussionists are generally avid collectors, making music on pretty much every surface that offers itself for the purpose. Thus the world of percussion has always been richer and more varied and colourful than that of one or another venerable concert instrument. In this concert, the musicians of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and their guests offer a cross-section of the rapidly expanding universe of percussion sounds.