SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Steve Reich: Drumming: The Colin Currie Group, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London 16.2.2010 (CR)

 

Drumming is Steve Recih’s longest work, lasting over an hour. Scored for nine percussionists, piccolo and two singers, the work is divided into four sections, with the first three sections centred around individual instruments (bongos, marimbas and glockenspiels, respectively) and the final section using the full ensemble. The voices and piccolo are used to supplement the percussion sounds, adding timbral variety to the textures.

The piece is based on one drumming pattern, which is subjected to different treatments of phasing and timbral contrast throughout the work. The music remains in the same key throughout, enabling the listener to detect subtle transformations in the phasing without being distracted by pitch alterations.

This was a mesmerizing performance from the Colin Currie Group, which was highly appreciated by the Queen Elizabeth Hall’s capacity audience, which included Reich himself. A feast for the eyes as well as for the ears, the stage layout was well-conceived, and one could get a sense of the chamber music in the work through the communication between the players. There was also a visible enjoyment from the players, despite the obvious physical and mental concentration that is inevitably required to perform a piece of this kind.

Initially, the drum pattern is built up, with silence eventually replaced by notes, one by one. Beginning in unison, patterns are created through the addition of parts, and Reich allows elements to emerge, dominate and then retreat back into the texture through well thought out dynamic markings. Unisons are powerful in contrast to the complex phasing patterns, and silence is also used to good effect at certain points during the transformation process. Resonances build up and add a further dimension to the sound, particularly in the section using glockenspiels, where the clearly audible overtones became an interesting sound in themselves.

Hand-overs between players were imperceptible, demonstrating an impressive level of skill, with new players both locking into the rhythmic patterns and matching the dynamic and attack of the previous player. The voices, whistling and piccolo were blended, adding an interesting timbral effect which was well-balanced with the overall sound, so it was never allowed to dominate.

This was an impressive performance, with amplification adding power to the live instruments and a sense of emotion coming through the music. There is something quite magical about the sound of a percussion ensemble; there is a sense of raw energy which encompasses the listener, communicating on a human level, where pulse is allowed to dominate over the technical demands which are often apparent in music for other instruments. The meditative nature of the repeated patterns creates the sensation of suspended time, and this is music which has a profound effect on the listener. This performance was a fine demonstration of virtuoso ensemble playing, highly enjoyable throughout and something I was very glad not to have missed.

Carla Rees