21.04.2014
Percussion effects from five countries.
BAD REICHENHALL / MULTIPERCUSSION
10/28/14 Drums – and not Martin Grubinger in the front line? There is that too. The multi-percussionist David Christopher Panzl, who was born in Salzburg but lives in Vienna, recently played in the Bad Reichenhall concert rotunda.
BY ELISABETH AUMILLER
David Christopher Panzl studied in Vienna, then continued his education in New York and Tokyo and began a busy concert career. "Lines" is the name of his solo program. With "Tribute" by Jeff Queen, America was the beginning. On a pipe drum, Panzl excelled in a mixture of acrobatics and show elements. The rhythmic movement sounded powerful, bold and loud, and he performed a right dance with the drumsticks, twirling them around, forwards and backwards and crosswise, without letting up the pulsating beat melody. That drum roll was awesome.
In full contrast, the next line led to Taiwan. The composer Shih, his friend and mentor, dedicated the composition Ein bar for six drums and one percussionist to Panzl, a piece with a poem that the composer wrote for his mother's death in May 2011. It becomes clear how much Panzl associates his music-making with experiences, expressing music as a line of life. Like silver tone threads, the singing bowls (the crotales) intone mysteriously delicate sounds, comparable to the vibraphone of a glass harp or the movement of the wind. Filigree dabs of sound line up with fine Asian sound charms.
In Bruno Hartl's "Shinkansen" and "JJ1", Viennese drums are used with impressive thunder. They are tuned by hand, the drummer explains, which is still an important tradition. The drum roll can be very delicate and powerfully booming, and in between there was a whole range of skilful gradations of energy and tone color. The fact that so many differences in rhythm and intonation can be achieved with the percussion instruments is a new surprise with every number.
It was Japan's turn with two extraordinary compositions by Keiko Abe. Itsuki no Komoriuta, which Panzl premiered, is written for marimba and piano. The pianist Yuka Katori played the piano part here, expressive and dexterous and in meticulous interaction with Panzl, now on the marimba. The Wave Impressions were also written by Keiko Abe, Japanese composer and pioneering marimba virtuoso. It is based on a sad lullaby.
And Panzl showed completely different qualities with his "Guaguancó" in Latin percussion on three congas. The palms are used to beat the basic rhythm on the middle drum, the bass and variants on the other two. The drummer shines with a rich spectrum of alternating crescendi and decrescendi in powerful use. Show effects are part of such a concert, but David Christopher Panzl always knows how to tell exciting musical stories with the music.
Article from DrehPunktKultur.
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