On December 16th, 2017 my documentary about German Composer Matthias Schmitt was released as episode #5 of The Nicolas Unger Show. I did the filming and editing. Hope you enjoy it!

English subtitles are provided via YouTube´s subtitle functionality!

For 20 years the composition Ghanaia for Solo Marimba by Matthias Schmitt is a hit amongst percussionists around the world. Just watch the numerous interpretations (more than 150!!) on YouTube alone (Playlist).

Watch the video here:

German public television station “BR” used some material from the “Ghanaia Special Version” video and the documentary:

“Ghanaia 20 Years Special Version”, “How Have You Been” and “Abschied” from the studio sessions with Matthias Schmitt:

Get the following news release as a PDF here.

Gallery with impressions from the documentary and it´s production:

___________________________
NEWS RELEASE

20 YEARS OF „GHANAIA“ –
Global success from German composer Matthias Schmitt

On film documentation about the composer and his composition´s anniversary

Meckenheim, Germany, 12/08/2017 – A new documentary presents German composer Matthias Schmitt in his own words and shows many of his musical occupations.
We hear about his first attempts in composing, playing in bands and recording in the studio with Juergen Gerner in Hirschfeld where he is still working today on percussion compositions and pop songs.
Schmitt recorded a special version of „Ghanaia“ and two more songs. We see him singing and playing piano, drums, guitar, bass and percussion. The marimba is played by Evgeniya Kavaldzhieva.

Schmitt studied at Musikhochschule Wuerzburg, Germany with Professor Siegfried Fink. He composed numerous musical pieces for percussion instruments and „Agnus Dei“ for choir and marimba which was – after the first performance in Wuerzbug – also presented in New York at St. Michael´s Episcopal Church both time conducted by Christian Kabitz.
Subsequently the composition toured the world and was performed by choirs in England, Austria, Luxembourg, Argentina and Spain.

Nicolas Unger produced the documentary. He studied with Matthias Schmitt at Musikhochschule Wuerzburg. He accompanied the composer for four days and collected stories and informations in a personal interview. Matthias Schmitt also gives an insight into his music school „Clavis“ where he teaches different instruments in an authentic way regardless of whether it´s Mozart played on piano or AC/DC on electric guitar.

After an incubation time of 10 years „Ghanaia“ was published in 1997. The player has to use four mallets to play the composition which was immediately recorded by Katarzyna Myćka who is telling the story on how she presented „Ghanaia“ at different festivals around the world.

In a minimum of time Schmitt got requests from all over the world. The composer had to find another solution to get the then self-published composition in marimba players hands, so the Norwegian publishing house „NORSK Musikforlag“ took care of it.
The more than 150 interpretations of „Ghanaia“ on YouTube only show the immense impact of the composition even after 20 years. It´s a hit for many marimba players because it´s combining driving rhythm with nice harmonies and a flowing melody.

Update 1: The documentary was made public on December 16th, 2017.

Update 2: Read the article (in German) by editor Markus Rill about Matthias Schmitt in German newspaper “Mainpost”.

PRESS CONTACT

Nicolas Unger
Phone +49 63 26 – 91 90 94
Email: info@nicolasunger.com

Tim Breitband is the drummer for German Hardrock Band BONFIRE. I talked with him in my small studio. Have fun watching the interview with english subtitles (via YouTube´s subtitle functionality).

MANICDrum
The latest latest double bass kit Retro Mamba attracts attention with its turquoise-white design. By the way, this color is presented by many manufacturers this year. No less impressive is the the Mahogany Set Infrasonic with 26″ bass drum and the Maple Jazz kit with 18″bass drum.
MANICDrum once again showcases its wide range of sounds, equipment and looks.

Last year’s trade fair newcomer MANICDrum is grateful for the confirmation from visitors and colleagues. The breakthrough innovations MANIC presented last year after years of development are improved in many small details. The result is a broader attention and appreciation this year.

The special feature of the MANICDrum SYSTEM ONE SYSTEM is the very precise working connection of a flexible hoop and clamps on the lugs. This combination of the hardware components allows a new kind of tuning for every drummer. The strengths are the possibility to undo any detuning. So nothing can go wrong! If I do not like a tuning, I can undo it immediately and can continue experimenting from the previous tuning.
On the one hand, not only were many drummers interested (like the enthusiastic Rick Latham) for the countless possibilities of sound changes.

Particularly gratifying is the increased interest of the specialized press and representatives of other manufacturers. They listen carefully to the explanations on how to use the increased possibilities of the MANICDrum hardware and how it makes them available to each drummer.
I explain the details in the morning in a live stream for the German specialist magazine STICKS.
STICKS.

Here some of the presented snares with the newly developed lugs:

The detail enhancements also include a more stable design of the rim shot elements, which can be ordered from different materials, in the hoop. Here detail shots of these parts made of steel, copper, brass and wood:

Later John Good drops by the MANIC booth and confirms the quality of the presented products and the high degree of innovation.

Link: https://www.manicdrum.com

stdrums
And when you leave your “own” hall 11, you meet familiar faces: On Saturday I meet Michaela and Gerd Stegner of stdrums. They are also present at the vintage fair in nearby Möhrfelden-Walldorf. A photo, of course, is a must!

Link: http://www.stdrums.de

Klangmacherei
Mic Scharf presents a set from his “Klangmacherei” (>> sound creation workshop <<) at the booth of Agean Cymbals. I had met him at the first CrashIt fair in Mannheim. He has brought a set of two-layer mahogany drums with reinforcement rings. With it´s beautiful velvety brown look and perfectly processed, the set is nevertheless subjected from powerful to wild scrutiny by the audience. Fortunately after four days it is undamaged. I would like to have the ease of mind of the extremely relaxed manufacturer Mic Scharf. We meet here and there over the four days of the fair and the farewell on the evening of the last day is heartfelt. Until the next CrashIt in autumn in Mannheim, Mic!

Link: http://www.klangmacherei.de

Aerodrums & Aered

Right next door, I get in contact with the guys from AeroDrums, who are an attraction for many visitors throughout the fair. Also interesting are my discussions with Richard Lea from ​​AeroDrums, who already presented Aered – a promising notation program for drummers – before the fair. I’m looking forward to the integration of Aerodrums and Aered! And when does one ever has the opportunity to express the wishes for new features to the programmer personally …

Links: http://aerodrums.com/aerodrums/ und http://aerodrums.com/get-aered/

Afroton

The name Afroton, which I discovered in the list of exhibitors, attracts me to Hall 8. And it really is worth it! On the one hand, I get to know new instruments and meet interesting people. But in turn:
I´m catching a glimpse of a water-filled bowl with two handles pointing upwards (and not to the side). It´s function is not clear to me until Dasitu Kajela-Röttger from Afroton explains how it works:
The sound is created by friction. The player rubs the top of the “handles” with his hands. A soothing tonal sound is created. In addition, you can see the vibrations in the water. The German name: “Waterspringschale” (>> water spring cup <<).

Afroton and the designer and developer Deniz Gungor, who is present at the exhibition booth, present an highly distinguished and excellent instrument: Aquadrum. I could not imagine an innovation in this field of percussion instruments to date. Deniz Gungor has taught me the better. He has made the tongues of his instrument tunable! A real improvement, because you are usually not tonally flexible because each tongue of a sphere drum has its individual tone and the instrument does not exceed a certain size. In the concert you have to play in the same key(s), or you have to bring a variety of different instruments, which is rather impractical with the already high number of instruments in a percussion concert. An idea that has found a perfect implementation, awarded with the gold medal for the patent at the 43rd International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

Afroton is a very individual and enriching part of the fair, which I unfortunately had not noticed so far. Until next year!

Links: http://www.afroton.de und http://www.aquadrum.com/en/#home

TUNA KNOBS by pepperdecks

A small detail with practical advantages: Rotary controls for smart devices, which are placed on the glass by suction cup and thus enable the user a haptic operation on the digital interface. This is very handy, since rotary controls are more difficult to operate in the digital world than on a real device. Often this is solved by a linear movement of the digital rotary ontrols, but that is often confusing in the workflow. Not every app behaves identically. With the adjustable rotary knobs you can work very precisely, without ever having to look: A weakness of smart devices brilliantly compensated by the TUNA KNOBS.
Simple idea, great solution!

Link: http://www.tunadjgear.com

TASCAM CD-A580
With Tascam one could see that old tech can be renewed and made more useful. From the outside, the rack-capable (3 units) device looks like a well-known CD player with cassette deck and plays from CD, cassette and USB stick. Recordings in mp3 format (44.1kHz, 128kbps) are possible from the sources Line, CD and USB. It can be stored on cassette and on USB stick. This allows the uncomplicated transfer from compact cassettes to mp3 files.

ARQ by ZOOM

Interface, Instrument, Controller – ARQ can be all of this. Zoom has presented the new instrument some time ago, now I can try it myself and test its wide range of possibilities in programming and handling.

Link: Zoom

YAMAHA Allstars
The YAMAHA Allstars are available 3 times a day on all four days. From 10:30 am to 11:00 am, they can be seen at the Yamaha Main Stage at the Portalhaus, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm on the Center Stage and in the afternoon again in the Portalhaus.

If the halls of the trade showcase technology and effects, the Allstars will let the music speak for themselves. I am struck by the joy and serenity with which the Allstars feed each others lines and communicate on the stage musically and non-verbally. At the performances in the Portalhaus you can look the musicians in the eyes and on the fingers. For me an extraordinary experience!

Nelly Ben Hayoun
A ingenious lecture, which inspires the listeners who are unfortunately in too small a number, takes place in Hall 11.1. Nelly Ben Hayoun presents her numerous and very different projects and gives a lecture entitled “The industry needs visions to free itself”.

And so she talks about chaos, the design of the impossible, the design of experiences, countercultures, Space Viking and the University of the Underground. Her techniques are critical design, theatrical practices and performance of politics. The boundaries between performance, fine arts, critical discussion and protest are fluid. In the Theater of Cruelty events of world history are reenacted to gain a better understanding of history. It applies the form of the Greek tragedy (of which Aristotle reports in his work Poetics) in other contexts, for example, to give NASA a more open approach to the tragedies of space travel, thereby enabling it to increase its acceptance (in respect to its overall effectiveness) in the population.

A slide of her presentation: “In 1958 we had the BLOB, in 2016 we have Google Trends”.

She reports on her work in NASA’s SETI program and on her stubbornly running process to found the ISO (International Space Orchestra) at NASA. For seven years, she ignored every “no”, understood it as a “yes”, which could not be pronounced yet, learned the organization structure of NASA by heart, knew every one who worked there and tirelessly and perseveringly applied this Hammering Method so vehemently, that in the end, she prevailed and the ISO was founded. The orchestra consists of NASA staff and has till today played with Sigur Rós, Beck, The Prodigy and Bobby Womack.

In the further course of her lecture, she touches on different topics like Baudrillard’s hyperrealism, her activities at CERN, the possibility to create dark matter in the kitchen for everyone, the living room volcano, the armchair that simulates a rocket launch in a very realistic way and wich is certified by real astronauts as an absolutely realistic experience (The Soyuz Chair), the Supersonic Boom, the Micronation Revolution, her work at WeTransfer as Chief of Experiences, her own Barbie doll, the three types of main cities that characterize counterculture Social, cultural and economic) and completely breaks the schedule, since, as she herself says, “could continue for hours.”

After 1 hour of Nelly´s “total bombardment” I feel inspired and a little exhausted. While talking with her she provides helpful hints for my own projects. Enhancing the immediate personal experience for every single individual is her first goal here also.

Gerry Brown

Great to finally be able to watch an inspirational drummer from my early youth:

35 Jahre drums & percussion

German drum magazine drums & percussion celebrates it´s 35 year anniversary during a reception. Many German drummers are present: Anika Nilles, Claus Hessler, Wolfgang Haffner (moderating), Jost Nickel, Manni von Bohr and Patrick Metzger.

Steve Stevens

Steve Stevens played at this year´s final event with Franky Perez (vocals, keyboard) of Apocalyptica, Ben Woods (guitar), Uriah Duffy (bass) of Whitesnake and Michael Bennet (drums) who played with Slash, Stevie Wonder and Bruno Mars.Special Guest: Gus G. (Ozzy Osbourne).

You changed your snare from a high to a low tuning and want your old tuning back exactly like it was?

Now I show you how you make it happen, even without having to use a tuning key.

You know the dilemma: Either you own different snares whose tuning you never change or you changed the tuning of your favourite snare and cannot bring back the old tuning. The snare sounds nothing like before. The old feel is gone.

The Slovenian drum and harware manufacturer MANIC DRUM found some innovative solutions: First you are able, getting as many different sounds out of your snare as you want, second getting every sound back, whenever you want and finally you can change a drum head in under a minute – getting back your former tuning immediately or change your sound with a different head – immediately!

Fast, precise and reversible: The tuning possibilitys with the innovative lugs from MANIC DRUM. Change a drum head in under a minute and exactly recreate your tuning after the change. Fine tuning if neccessary. Play!

Different segments in the upper ring of the hoop allow the detuning of single tuning rods. Aquarian(TM) Drum heads go along without any problems.

Many different sound characteristics are possible.
In addition to standard steel segments you can choose from different materials. My snare has hoop segments from steel, aluminum and wood thus enabling different rim click, sidestick and rimshot sounds.

When choosing the second adjustment of the snare lever I can produce a more dry sound because of the tighter thus dampening snare wires.

With additional dampening of the top drum head, more sounds are possible to achieve.

The maple stave shell with a 45 degrees of the angle bearing edges is also build by MANIC DRUM. The drums sound big and warm. You can get many different types of wood for the shells like cherry, walnut, oak, birch, pear, pine, larch etc.

The resonant side of the drum is also equipped with the special lug mechanism. You can test the various tuning combinations while staying completely relaxed. If you like a tuning you take notes. Meanwhile you are getting a list of sounds you can reproduce whenever you like. Even years after you found a sound, you still can reproduce it exactly.

Asymmetrical detuning for the dampening of overtones or quick change of a certain tuning is also possible.

The level of tuning from step to step is well selected. As I said before: With a tuning key you are able to tune as fine as you want or need.

Style-wise the whole drum kit can be very versatile and adaptable if you need it to be.

For me it´s the best drum kit with the best tuning possibilities.

You find more informations going into detail at www.manicdrum.com

If you have any questions, contact me!

Nicolas

DAY 1

Some things have changed this year at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany: Many drum manufacturers make themselves scarce. While the exhibition hall for keyboard instruments rests in itself like it always has and the exhibitors seem sure of their traditional craft and the hall with DJ-Equipment is full of bass heavy and vibrant energy, I won´t find the usual diversity of different drum and cymbal manufacturers like in past years.

This may have to do with the new organization and orientation of the fair – with me it is not clear whether it is the cause or result of the development: On all days every public is permitted. Previously only trade visitors were allowed to visit on the first days, before the general public took over the halls on the weekend.

Due to the immense volume at many stands, business talks were possible only under extreme conditions even on pro-visitor days. Therefore, a business area has been set up for business meetings including a auditorium for talks and lectures shielded from the bustle of the general exhibition space.

There seems to be a certain reluctance among manufacturers (due to the new exhibition concept?). Istanbul Cymbals is on site, Yamaha has its own (smaller) exhibition area and the cymbal maker dream from Canada is back. But too many expected manufacturers are missing: Sonor, Meinl, DW, Tama, Mapex, Ludwig/Musser, Paiste, Sabian, Zildjian, Vic Firth, Premier, Lefima, Gibraltar, Dixon, Pro Mark – to name those that come to mind spontaneously.

In past years Nicko McBrain played in the Paiste booth, Claus Hessler played at Sabian`s, Jim Chapin, Zorro and Johnny Rabb played at DW`s and Jack DeJohnette and Adam Nussbaum at Sonor`s and Simon Philipps at TAMA`s. One could hear Billy Cobham and could have a talk with him. A whole day in the drum hall was not enough to hear and see everything and everyone.

Back to the present! So if the big exhibitors do not show their instruments (have they all shifted their activities to own corporate events and to the Internet?) the small manufacturers have the chance to present their new products.

Manic Drum – With clamps for a variable and individual sound

I start with some photos and a short video. Notice the clamps instead of lugs!

The custom manufacturer MANIC DRUM comes up with interesting innovations: At their drums instead of lugs clamps are attached, thanks to which you may remove the hoop in no time, change the skin and – with the identical former tuning! – attach the new head again. Other innovative features are the multiple steps of the clamps, so you can tune a drum deeper with one or more clamps in a short time. The middle position of the clamps can be the standard tuning for a snare, providing the possibility to detune the drum head in both directions quickly and being able to reverse to any former tuning accurately. Depending on the drum´s diameter the rims consist of 4 or 5 pieces and is not solid. That´s why it can cope with the different tensions at each clamp. Each individual piece of the hoop may be made of a different material enabling different sound characteristics for sidestick and rimshot on the same snare! Interesting effect options should also be possible on the toms.

The system convinced me, especially with snare and bass drum. Many drummers play their beloved bass drum head for years only because they fear to not being able to recreate the exact same tuning. Now you can test different types of bass drum heads with your signature tuning!
And during a concert it´s possible to detune your snare in seconds and beging in full control of the amount of your actions. You don´t have to handle one or more tuning keys – but you could! A standard tuning bold is attached to every clamp. So fine tuning still is possible.
The other way around: You could have a standard tuning which is out of tune (all clamps in the same position, because you achieved it with twisting the tuning bolts) and you would get a completely in-tune drum head with the same tension at every clamp by choosing other positions of the multi-step clamps – something impossible at this speed with the Firchie snare which functions like a Roto Tom. You also can change a drumhead in under 30 Seconds but the mechanism has the same effect on every tuning bolt. To influence one bolt you need to use a drum key.

Convinced me at first glance! For a practice test it would interest me:

1. How sounds a rimshot? Update: I did not test it by myself. I listend to other drummers playing at the Manic booth. It sounded absolutely wholesome like on a snare equipped with a standard hoop.
2. How sounds a sidestick? Update: The full, round, transparent and very direct sound was projected equally in every direction and appeared louder to me than played on a standard hoop (perhaps because of the open construction of the Manic hoop).
3. Does the Manic hoop perform well over a longer period of time? According to the manufacturer absolutely yes! At Day 4 of the Musikmesse I made a photo of the rim of a test model which was played all the time. The hoop looked absolutely fine!

4. Do the clamps rattle when kept in the loosest possition?
Update: I did not test that by myself.
5. The snares are hold by a clamp also. How can I quickly change them?
Update: In the video above it is shown how easy it is to loosen the snares on the strainer side.

At the butt end side one has to loosen screws. All in all much easier than with a standard strainer and butt end.

I will drop by again tomorrow to take pictures from the tom holders. The holders at the side of the toms are stabilized by two metal pins and hold in place by gravity and magnets (floor tom). Taking off the mounted toms is very easy.

What happens with the floor tom leg when the tom is liftet?
Update: The floor tom legs are hold in place with magnets and are easy to release – a practical solution!

Conclusion: In past years one could observe little improvements here and there of many different drum components.
Now Manic Drum presents a big innovative step foreward and the most innovative system for drums in general this year and to my knowledge since many years.

NORD points in the future

Nord presents the new drum Module nord drum 3 . It´s extremly handy and seems almost fragile.
Some photos:

Blackwood replaces heavy precious woods

A very interesting and new type of wood is the so called Blackwood from the manufacturer of the same name. According to Blackwood the wood is a development of Dr. Branko Hermescec who worked on the development for the last 22 years. It´s softwood which becomes hardwood after chemical transformation. One could ask what is happening there exactly… Update: Had no time for that.
The density is on the same level as ebony and much higher than rosewood and maple.
The sticke produced from Blackwood are as heavy as typical Stocks used in an classical orchestra but are much harder and I hopefully more durable.
Only a practice test could verify my high expectations of this revolutionary material. Furthermore should there be stick models with smaller tips.

Here a photo:

Polyend reverses the idea of MIDI

Polyend`s developers use live played signals which were transformed into MIDI-Data to play an acoustic drum kit via these MIDI-signals. They use new playing sensors: The impulses are played by small round pieces of wood flipping out of a black ball which is placed near the instrument and contains the electromagnetic mechanism.
So you can be accompanied by yourself while playing your acoustic drum kit or record your playing let the kit play by itself and add some other sounds to your song or loop with your own acoustic sounds.
NICE!

Photos and a video:

This is my report from Day 1.
See you tomorrow (-:

Nicolas Unger
www.nicolasunger.com

DAY 2

Today some drummers were on the move like Patrick Metzger, Claus Hessler, Wolfgang Haffner and Udo Dahmen.
Some live events cought my attention:
Anika Nilles played two songs and was interviewed by german nation wide radio station Deutschlandfunk. She talked about how she started playing drums and what her future plans are.
The whole event was recorded for the radio show On Stage tonight at 9 p.m. and it can be heard online after the broadcast tonight.

With power and groove Anika Nilles presented her Songs, which she wants to perform with her own band in the future. That`s the next logical step, she said.

Martin Engelien (bs) and Go Music played the Center Stage. The whole band had lots of fun! The players: Dirk Brandt (dr), PiTTi Hecht (perc), Yaelle Cinkey (voc, git).

German singer Gregor Meyle created a concert atmosphere in hall 8 and was feted by the crowd.

This is my report from Day 2.
See you tomorrow (-:

Nicolas Unger
www.nicolasunger.com

DAY 3

Day of the legends! Great musicians: Mikkey Dee and Leigh Howard Stevens – very different musicians but equally impressive personalities.

Mikkey Dee, former drummer of Motörhead and currently playing with Thin Lizzy

Mikkey Dee with Karl Brazil (Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Olly Murs, Jason Mraz etc.)

Karl Brazil

Rick Latham

Marko Duvnjak (Andreas Gabalier)

Conny Sommer (german Cajon guru)

Mike Terrana

Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest)

Mille Petrozza (Kreator)

Chris Rörland (Sabaton)

Pär Sundström (Sabaton)

Phil X (Bon Jovi)

Konstantin Wecker received the Piano Player of the Year Award (Klavierspieler des Jahres)

Peter Bursch, guitar teacher of the nation

Prof. Dr. Barbara Busch presented a new book which she edited. Grundwissen Instrumentalpädagogik means “Basic Knowledge for Teaching Instruments” and the book was presented during her conversation with Dr. Frank Reinisch of the book´s publisher Breitkopf & Härtel. In 7 chapters the comprehensive book covers every aspect of teaching musical instruments.

On 480 pages 14 authors write in this guide for study and profession. A new standard reference for everyone who deals with music through teaching. Great!

In conversation and a selfie with Leigh Howard Stevens:

This is my report from Day 3.
See you tomorrow (-:

Nicolas Unger
www.nicolasunger.com

DAY 4

Here some photos from that day: Karl Brazil, Brian Tichy and The Dead Daisies and Paul Hochstädter (dr) and the “HR Radio Big Band” feat. Al Jarreau.

Karl Brazil



The Dead Daisies



Brian Tichy (The Dead Daisies)



Jost Nickel



Paul Höchstädter with the “HR Radio Big Band”



Al Jarreau – Paul Höchstädter on drums, Tony Lakatos (sax), Oliver Leicht (sax)

Selfies with three great people:

Peter Walsh gave a lecture about recording and mixing drums in a rock production:



Manni von Bohr talked about drum tuning – Nice guy and detailed workshop! Thanks Manni!!



Christoph Krachten (german internet guru) gave a lecture about marketing and target audience

This is my report from Day 4 and this year´s Musikmesse Frankfurt 2016.
See you there next year (-:

Nicolas Unger
www.nicolasunger.com

The English translation of the report is in the works. Find the report in German here.


Nicolas Unger
www.nicolasunger.com

1/8 – Mourning Dove Sonett – Christopher Dean

The concert takes place in Mannheim, Germany at the impressive venue Zeughaus (built in the 1770ies) in the Florian-Waldeck-Saal. In front of a considerable number of concertgoers Anna Zeltzer opens the concert with Mourning Dove Sonett by Christopher Dean, a piece for vibraphone requiring different types of mallets and the glissando effect. This playing technique is produced by scraping a hard mallet over a plate of the vibraphone shortly after hitting it. The use of two contrabass bows is also required. The notes sound mellow and appear smoothly. When being gently touched with one finger the bowed plate sounds very high because of the resulting overtones. The musician has to hold one bow plus one mallet per hand. She handles all the technical challenges very well and meets all the conditions of the composition. Handling the bows implicates sometimes big preparatory movements to apply the bow to the right plate at the right time plus considering the longer attack time compared to struck notes . These are the true challenges of the piece. Anna Zeltzer is proceeding too cautious in my opinion. Therefore some phrases are suffering. Perhaps I´m influenced by Edgar Guggeis’ interpretation of this composition: His big movements looked like those of a fencer and were very quick. Therefore he was prepared very well every time for every bowed note resulting in very good time and clear understandable phrases. On the other hand are Anna Zeltzer’s movements functional and are not distracting from the music.

Remarkable and fascinating performance by Anna Zeltzer at the beginning of the concert with this over 10 minutes long piece.

Confident and entertaining Lukas Heckmann leads through the concert providing some background information for every composition.

Professor Dennis Kuhn leaves the stage to his students except for a short announcement at the beginning of the concert. Quitly he stays on the sideline pulling the strings.

2/8 – homework II: In the garage

The composition by François Sarhan is a piece for voice and body. It is performed by the Costa Rican Luis Andrés Chavarría Báez. The young musician had the luck of being able to work on his performance with the composer who visited the Musikhochschule Mannheim earlier this month.
Lukas Heckmann mentions that the audience will witness an authorized Version of the piece and that it is about sound, speech, movements and
gestures – actually music and drama. The premise: A musician sits in front of a incomprehensible machine he wants to come to know.

The musician speaks rhythmically, sings single notes, hits on his thighs, chest and cheeks and endures breaks of different lengths. The audience is witnessing the musician’s conduct. Is he gaining any insights on the functionality of the machine? Is he deliberately interacting or just soliloquizing trying to play with it? Is he staying unaware the whole time? Does the machine conducting him? Is the whole thing about serious learning or playing for fun – or both? What kind of interface does the machine have – a touchscreen or buttons and levers? Is the musician the interface for the machine? Does the machine play the man? Is the audience sitting in the machine?
The question comes up: “How do you get into this machine, now?”. The player appears like someone who wants to organize the machine’s processes but simultaneously wants to learn and wants to adapt himself to it thus being torn between his different intentions.

Body percussion with spoken words at once, tempo changes, stepping on the floor, pauses, drumming on both cheeks – at the end the protagonist looks at his hands, reproduces the gestures for a last time, looks again at his hands and then slumps, still sitting there on his chair. He appears drained and discouraged. Is it his capitulation to the machine?

Luis Chavarria throws himself into this enigmatic piece and gives it a compelling shape from beginning to end. He creates a unique form of expression which for me illustrates how man burns himself out meeting a standard set by a machine literally making a step back in manhood while so emphatically communicating with the machine. For me this was one highlight of the evening – still continuing to have an effect.

3/8 – Chaconne from the Partita in d minor – Johann Sebastian Bach

Next, Fangge Lue (german spelling, unfortunately I don´t know how to translate her name to English) plays a transcription of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Chaconne from the Partita in d minor on the marimba. Technically sophisticated, sound-wise never hard she plays flowing phrases which are weightlessly differentiated. Technically brilliant with coolness during the quiet parts she creates a legato that is sounding muss less like a mallet instrument than usual. Elaborated interpretation. Wow!

4/8 – CaDance – Andy Pape

Before the break Anna Zeltzer and Luis Chavarria play the setup piece CaDance by Andy Pape.
Lukas Heckmann informs the audience about the details of the composition for two percussionists. It builds oneself up on systematically organized groups of eight notes. One player has to play longer groups than the other. In total the one player reaches the end of his phrase after 50 eight notes, the other after 49 eight notes. After 50 phrases both players “meet” again.

The basic sound elemen is an eight note pulse played by both musicians. It starts as rim clicks, moves on to the body of the drums and lasts nearly throughout the whole composition. Accents on the body of the drums, on the drum heads then on the bass drums followed by impulsive sixteenth note objections which increase the musical tension especially when following each other like echoes or when interlocking. Further increasing elements are the one-eight-note-opened hihat, rim shots and hits on the crash cymbal and the ride cymbal’s bell.

The minimalist composition increases further to more rhythmic interlocking clusters. I find the unpredictability and self-similarity of the composition interesting: I know the sounds but the combination is always new.

Slightly over intellectual for my taste the piece grooves immensely – if you know the code.

Played in the same dynamic range almost the whole time with constant beats on the body of the drum (a semi-interessing and after some time quite annoying sound to be honest) the fascination of the composition is to find out when the two players will finally meet again.

That happens in an unspectacular ending consisting of (finally quiet) eight notes played on the musician’s thighs. For me the mathematic appeal is minimal. Very interesting sound-wise and exciting to follow are the emerging tom melodies between both players.

I would have been able to listen much better to the music not having had the information on the internal structure of the composition. Instead my mind was pondering over the question if the composer’s intent was a mathematic-constructivistical formula or a compositoric-musical idea.

Because of my mono-task (=thinking) I could not listen… Then I nearly lost my attention and had to keep it up willingly. Without my thoughts the piece would have had a totally different impact. Both musicians played concentrated and confident.
Impressive performance when keeping in mind that one eight note always means much.

5/8 – Musique de table – Thierry De Mey

After the break Luis Chavarria, Lukas Heckmann and Dominik Minsch play Musique de table by Thierry De Mey.
Informations by Lukas Heckmann: With this piece the Belgian movie and dance artist Thierry De Mey creates a ballet for the hands thus combining his fields of actions.

Created for a movie, the composition demands from the three musicians acoustic and optical perfection.

The musicians create the sounds on the table surfaces of three tables by using only their hands: Scrubbing, wiping, scratching, tapping, clapping and a sound played like the “abanico” on the (flamenco) guitar.

Accellerating the swiping motions results in accents. Rhythms are “passed on” among the musicians who also create round forms with their hands in the air. They change from perfect to partially interaction to individual actions. You can only listen to the composition but it´s definitely worth seeing it.

Each musician played on a styrofoam™ board plastered with grainy wallpaper. Therefore all sounds of this choreography for the hands were audible without using microphones and speakers which is a common method used with this piece.

I find the rhythmic precision of the three musicians fascinating. With perfect timing they accomplish all movements. Obviously thy worked hard on their choreography. All movements of the hands in the air are perfectly coordinated. As a result a rhythmic and organic air sculpture emerges. Fast rhythmic echoes between the players are precise and form the impression of a single rhythm. That can only succeed when three internally active players of whom every one is in control of his part want to create the whole. I liked it very much.

6/8 – The Legend of the Golden Snail – Roberto Oetomo

For me the second highlight of the concert was The legend of the Golden Snail by Roberto Oetomo for porcelain bowls and cymbals.

According to Lukas Heckmann the composer Roberto Oetomo, a former student at the Musikhochschule Mannheim, wrote the piece in Australia in the year 2010 and that he forms the Askill Percussion Duo together with Anna Zeltzer (also from Australia) the performer of his composition in this concert. Lukas Heckmann reads the myth on which the composition is based upon. Every segment of the composition illustrates an episode of the story.

For the first time this evening Anna Zeltzer opens up the really quiet sphere of perception with Indonesian-like melodies which ring from far away. She plays the bowls with soft mallets. A second level of sound is created by a wooden rod.

One cymbal is hit medium soft the second scratched by a small headed mallet.

For the first time the cymbal sound is floating like a wave. Then it’s gone. I remember How The Stars Were Made by Peter Sculthorpe. Both pieces are based on a myth. A musical language I enjoy.

The next episode begins with harder sounding and louder melodies. Gradual change to medium hard mallets prepares the ending of this part.

Then a soft tremolo played with fingers an the bowls. Loud cymbals at the end.

A reminiscence to the beginning sounds of the composition like from a forgotten dream.

A light dance consisting of a steady cymbal pulse and a melody on the bowls: This is the last episode.

I like the deep impact of this Indonesioan-Australian “short story”. It´s the combination of a simple composition which works with well chosen sounds and an excellent live performer like Anna Zeltzer this evening. As I said: Highlight!

7/8 – Nocturnal Dance von Jesse Monkman

This composition combines all the elements of a typical modern marimba piece: Rapid passages, impressionistic harmony, powerful chords, rhythmic patterns, lyric and melodic parts, roll parts and Asian-sounding melodies.

T-Hsien Lai uses the whole dynamic range of the instrument. He is on top of things and impresses me with his versatile and musical playing style. One time he´s playing very loud but without being harsh to the instrument or sounding hard. Impressive. In addition he never looses the guiding thread while playing this detailed and varied composition thus creating a whole piece of music. His excellent timbre shaped the whole concert.

8/8 – Music for pieces of wood – Steve Reich

At the end of the concert Oguz Abbas, T-Hsien Lai, Luis Chavarria, Fangge Lue und Anna Zeltzer played Music for pieces of wood by Steve Reich.

This true classic of modern percussion literature strikes me every time with it’s multi-dimensional possibilities of perception. Different time signatures are possible to hear. The composition makes you flow in different contextual time frames.

The Mannheim students play skillful and with rhythmic perfection. They capture the minimalistic and hypnotic nature of this piece.

A confident conclusion of this successful concert by the students from Turkey, Taiwan, Costa Rica, China, Australia and Germany.

During the final applause one could see the joy in the faces of the young musicians having mastered such a demanding concert so brilliantly.

The next concert takes place on December 8, 2015 in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse at another beautiful venue, the Saalbau.