The early drum-melodic music of Michael Colgrass and the evolution of the Colgrass drum

 
 
 
 

The early drum-melodic music of Michael Colgrass and the evolution of the Colgrass drum


Title: The early drum-melodic music of Michael Colgrass and the evolution of the Colgrass drum
Author: Broadhurst, James D.
Description: In 1952, Michael Colgrass set precedent in Western art music by prescribing determinate pitch for small, cylindrical drums in his percussion ensemble piece, Improvisation. Over a period of twelve years following Improvisation, Colgrass penned seven more compositions featuring drums tuned to determinate pitches. Collectively defining Colgrass's drum-melodic oeuvre, this music not only challenged traditional perceptions on the musical role of the drum but is also paralleled by significant innovation in the drum-melodic instrument itself. Eventuating in a small, easily portable drum capable of projecting a defined and readily adjustable pitch, it is through Colgrass's early percussion music for melodic drums that a direct line of causality can be drawn to the invention of the roto-tom. The purpose of this paper then, is to describe the process of invention that unfolded during the interval of composition that includes the first eight pieces for which Colgrass required drums tuned to specific pitches (1952 to 1964). Through analysis of this music and the instruments employed therein as well as interviews with the composer and closely associated colleagues, it is hoped that a better understanding of the artistic forces and practical circumstances surrounding this process can be ascertained. In its ultimate abstraction, this paper presents a line of correlation between those elements in the focus repertory that demonstrate the development of Colgrass’s drum-melodic concept and a sequence of innovation applied to the traditional tom-tom to facilitate it. The interval presented in this paper (1950-1967) represents the first artistic period of Colgrass’s lifetime musical output—a period of intense percussion composition and professional performance. To organize the material presented here, this period is divided into three smaller intervals that delineate stages in the development of Colgrass’s drum-melodic concept: (1) foreshadows of the drum-melodic—three ensemble compositions that precede and predict the determinate pitch drum (2) establishing determinate pitch in the drum-melodic—three pieces in which determinate pitch is first prescribed in a written part for drum-instruments and (3) New York City—four tuned-drum pieces written during the composer’s residence in New York City (1956 – 1974) demonstrating his fully matured drum-melodic concept.
Permanent Link: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1123272187
http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/5166
Date: 2005

Files in this item

Files Size Format View

There are no files associated with this item.

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show full item record