Concert for Drums, Tubas, Bagpipes, and Iron Parts(programme)
Agon in the Symbol of the Tuba and the Drums

The other concerts and performances of Agon Orchestra in the Archa Theatre




Archa Theatre and the Society for New Music present

Agon Orchestra
Concert for Drums, Tubas, Bagpipes, and Iron Parts

Music: David Lang and Martin Smolka
Perform: Stefan Blum - drums, Tomáš Ondrůšek - drums, Jaroslav Dušek - speaker
Agon Orchestra is conducted by Petr Kofroň

October 30, 1997 in the Archa Theatre


Program

David Lang
The Anvil Chorus (1991) solo for drums

Martin Smolka
Čardáš (1995) solo for drums and five instrument groups (Czech premiere)

David Lang
Are You Experienced? (1988) for a speaker, electric tube and 13 performers (Czech premiere)

Martin Smolka
Zvonění / The Ringing (1989) solo for drums, parallel leading of two drummers (Czech premiere)

In the song Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix, there are many provocative things. Rhythm doesn't tread there, it is more of a non-changing, hypnotic pulsation. The psychedelic sound of the electric guitar becomes by composition an element in a much larger measure than it was for the other guitarists. Together with virtuoso of tuba player Jay Tozen, we sometimes spoke with humor of how it could be possible to create on the tuba what Hendrix created with his guitar - to play on the valves with help of teeth, or to set the entire tuba alight. After receiving a request to compose a much larger piece, I remembered the discussion I had with Jay, but most of all, I remembered Hendrix´s song. In my composition, nothing sounded the same as Hendrix's original song. But the idea of the complete horror and the great power of the speaker is still there. The speaker changes the world of sex and drugs to the world of a greater ominous and darkness. And understandably, the electric tuba is also there - it's there instead of Jimi Hendrix.

(David Lang)



Dream: I took the train via Karpaty. I took a stroll from carriage to carriage. I had to shake the door of the second carriage, then it gave way. And so I spent a short time in the small space between the carriages, in the deafening noise, standing on the moving, metal plates, which nervously shifted under one's legs as the train rocks from side to side. During my struggle with the door, I uncomfortably watched the ties moving through the cracks in the floor. Then I noticed a mirror between the chinks. It was incidentally leaning on a black stone that I caught sight of in a meadow in the valley of this countryside - a small band played and several couples were dancing the wild Čardáš in costume.

(Martin Smolka)


This concert was made possible by the support of Ministry of Culture of Czech Republic, City of Prague, Foundation, Organization Pro Helvetia - Ost/West and Foundation OSA.





Agon in the Symbol of the Tuba and the Drums

In their concert at the Archa Theatre, Agon Orchestra remained faithful to their tradition of not performing the same programme in the same place more than once, and to present, if possible, a premiere - the World premiere of Czech authors abroad, and the Czech premiere of foreign composers here at home. The works of American David Lang and Martin Smolka, member of the Agon Orchestra, were performed in the Archa, and the emphasis was placed on the drums. Primarily non-conventional musical sources were used by Lang in The Anvil Chorus and Smolka in Čardáš, as well as in The Ringing; Agon is leaning towards using other percussionists (and attractive female percussionists). Tomáš Ondrůšek and Stefan Blum, the soloists on the drums, had the main word in Lang's composition Are You Experienced?, which was inspired by Jimi Hendrix´s song of the same name, followed by Jan Jaroš on the electric tuba.
          Lang's music was carried by the wild energy, tamed by the notation and managed in the concentrated, vital function of the interpreters. The composition Are You Experienced? really caught one's eye, thanks to the part of narrator. Although it is interesting and clear from the point of view of the musical score, it touched the audience primarily through the verbal meaning of the spoken Czech text.
          In Smolka's music, only a little small amount of energy was intentionally received. The composer has perhaps good reason, because if he were to unleash the expression of all of the power in any means, it could become uncontrollable. The instrumental "exclamations" in the first half of the piece, Čardáš, ... were sharply cut off by the drums until the end of the song. The Ringing is a conservative acoustic reality from the November days in 1989: the title, a reminder of the legendary ringing of keys. The minimal stylisation in the phrase, a remembrance of the automobile sirens, was briefly interrupted... Contrary to the "ringing", the parts were performed tenderly and lovely, even though they contained a sequence which was pulling a rope, on which hung many keys, and a swinging net also containing keys, creating a ringing above the heads of audience.

Wanda Dobrovská, MF Dnes, 1. 11. 1997
(The author is a musical publicist.)