Water Percussion

Photo by Amadej Tauses on Unsplash

Water is not what comes to your mind when you think of percussion? Think again – anything, really anything can be used for percussion. Still need convincing? Listen to a short excerpt from Tan Dun’s “Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra” (1998). When conductor Kurt Masur asked Dun to compose a piece for the New York Philharmonic, Dun asked: “Can I write something for water?” Masur’s response: “As long as you don’t flood our orchestra.” In the video, you see the percussionist Simone Rubino perform an excerpt from the cadenza (a passage played only by the soloist while the accompaniment rests).

Simone Rubino, cadenza of the "Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra" by Tan Dun.