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Break Drums

Les Percussions de Strasbourg Stale Opera House

The six members of Percussions de Strasbourg are talented musicians. They really do play excellent music, but in terms of presentation they've got no style.

I entered the Opera House, walked down the aisle, looked for a seat . . . but I was suddenly stopped in my tracks gasping at the most magnificent collection of percussion equipment I've ever seen. That beautiful glittering chrome covered every available inch of the stage: truly impressive.

I sat near the front and looked forward to the onslaught. About 400 people had arrived when the house lights dimmed, and the Frenchmen entered dressed in black. Without introduction they began the John Cage piece "Construction in metal No. 1". Somewhere up there hung the famous 1934 Chevrolet brake drums. The piece was strange and exciting. Rhythmically it incorporated a number of tempos, superimposed, and alternated. The changing combinations of instruments shaping the sound into many textures . . . colours. It made use of metal percussion in the very broadest sense. Opening with large sheets of warbling tin, it continued with gongs, tubular bells, cowbells, even a tamtam struck as it was dipped into a bucket of water.

'Erewhon' by Hughes Dufort came after a reshuffle of equipment ... a fast rhythmic piece of contant tempo, fully utilising the woods, skin and various keyboard percussion. Though the piece soon seemed to lose its initial interest, it had already been trimmed from 1½ hours to 20 minutes.

On came the house lights as an improvised piece entitled "Interval" began. With the help of 10 local assistants the gear was reshuffled, producing a brilliant mosaic of falling gongs, iron dragging across the floor, the dropping of sticks and mallets, all punctuated with French chatter as people wandered about carrying drums, bumping into rows of crotales or tympani. The '34 Chevy brake drums thumped to the floor by way of climax and the serious stuff started again. Silence waited for the first sound . . but no, an anxious Frenchman stamped back and forth looking for his drumsticks. The audience loved it.

I have a love for anything percussive, and can appreciate the awesome possibilities of the medium. I came along prepared to be swept away to the advertised "creation of earth" — ready to be riveted to the seat, and ended up watching a group of frantic technicians. During this piece we saw the snaredrum tip over causing a row of temple blocks to crash to the floor. They were swapping their sticks with furioso (regrettable in this style of music since any handling noises are clearly heard and count against our chances of hearing a true reporoduction of the written music).

The final piece 'Continuum' composed by Kazimierz Seroki was conducted by the youngest member. The sound was beautiful and the arrangement admirable considering it was performed from memory, the conductor (who also played) having the only score. As a result it sounded vaguely spontaneous and consequently refreshing ... a well integrated sound.

During an informal discussion before the performance they assured us of their classical tradtion saying "We play in front of very intellectual people and they like it", and in many ways that statement defines their style. Generally they seemed to adopt a confidence that assumed our unquestioned respect of their art. French pomp expects us to be naturally impressed before we arrive.

They explained earlier that none of their music is improvised — can't help wondering how much bullshit could have sneaked in. From backstage experience I've discovered that if the organisation is in chaos, the performance will suffer. The music was carried off with such seriousness who could tell, and what would it have have mattered.

Although the music was excellent, generally I found the concert cold, intellectual and impersonal, though the elements used are undoubtedly exciting. The medium itself has perhaps been used by other musicians and composers with a lot more impact and simple appeal. Such people as Varese, Davidovsky's "Synchronisms for Tape & Percussion", Stomu Yamashta, Carl Palmer, Miles Davis, Airto, Josef Zawinul, Tom Rhimshot, Steve Gadd, and even the musicians of "Phenomenon of a Short Duration" have made a more tasteful contribution to the performance of percussion that I witnessed on Wednesday night.

After the show we spent an hour packing the equipment. Half way through and boggled we looked around to discover all the Frenchmen including the manager had gone home, leaving us to work out how to fit it all into one furniture truck. (French flippancy).

Les Percussions de Strasbourg will be performing at both the Auckland and Christchurch Festival of Arts.

Tony Richards