gustavmahlerboard.com
General Category => Gustav Mahler and Related Discussions => Topic started by: Roland Flessner on May 08, 2019, 02:51:29 AM
-
Last night I attended a performance by a small ensemble led by Alisa Weilerstein. They played in the Harris Theater in Millenium Park, the program including the Beethoven "Chost" trio, the Schoenberg-sanctioned piano trio arrangement of Verklaerte Nacht, a piece for solo marimba, and perhaps most audaciously, an arrangement (also composer-approved) of the Shostakovich 15th Symphony for piano trio and three percussionists.
Though I think both the Schoenberg and Shostakovich arrangements are questionable, I was most favorably impressed by the sound of a Sabian tamtam. Though not an especially large instrument--I think it was the 34-inch version--it sounded with deep bass and complex overtones when struck loudly, and beautifully mysterious and atmospheric on the soft strokes. I spoke to the player, Doug Perkins, after the performance; he said he himself liked the sound very much. (You can read about Mr. Perkins at http://www.dougperkins.com/.)
Those of us who harbor a perhaps keen, not to say obsessive, interest in these instruments can sample many brands and sizes here:
https://memphisdrumshop.com/gongs
-
Interesting. I see that Sabian makes three different series of gongs: Symphonic, Zodiac and Chinese. I'm guessing that the "Chinese" sounds more like a Wuhan, since it looks like it might even be a stenciled Wuhan. The gong that you observed, do you know which series it was?
-
It was the Chinese. That seems to be the only series showing 34 and 40 inch models, at least at Memphis Drum Shop.
A person really wouldn't mind having one of those in his living room.
-
I did own a 40" (100 cm) Wuhan with a portable stand (and three mallets). I needed cash and sold it to a very good timpanist who studied with Vic Firth. I miss it, but it did take up space. I also couldn't stop playing it, so it took up time and made noise as well.
-
I wouldn't really have room for one. It's a tempting idea, though, stumbling home from a long day at work, then winding down with either some gentle taps or a full-on Edvard-Munch-level scream, depending on the degree of psychosis expressed by my colleagues that day. Lately we would more frequently be toward the louder end of the spectrum.