KEY RELEASES | January 2021

PERCUSSION
PERFECTION
CAGE │ GINASTERA │ HARRISON │ VARÈSE

© 2021 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 1

 KEY RELEASES | January 2021

PERCURAMA

American Percussion Works 8.574244

Price Code: NXP
Playing Time: 55:56
Release Date:
29 Jan 2021
John CAGE (1912–1992)​​ 7 47313 42447 4
First Construction (in Metal)
Alberto GINASTERA (1916–1983)​
Watch a performance of
Cage’s First Construction (in Metal)

Cantata para América Mágica, Op. 27 1 Watch a performance of Ginastera’s

Cantata para América Mágica, Op. 27
Lou HORRISON (1917–2003)​​
Concerto for Violin and Percussion Orchestra 2 Watch a performance of Harrison’s
Concerto for Violin and Percussion Orchestra

Edgard VARÈSE (1883–1965)​​ Watch a performance of Varèse’s

Ionisation Ionisation

Signe Asmussen, Soprano 1 • Niklas Walentin, Violin 2

PERCURAMA • Jean Thorel

American Percussion Works is a rare collection of seldom heard works each with specific rules or
themes as a basis for the compositions. In John Cage’s First Construction the principle is based
on the figure 16. Alberto Ginastera’s work Cantata para América Mágica, uses pre-Columbian texts
based on the conditions of human life, with war, natural phenomena, daybreak, night and love.
Lou Harrison mixes non-European forms which ‘follow the pattern of having a single melodic part
accompanied (or enhanced) by rhythmic percussion’ in his Koncherto. Varèse’s Ionisation also
enters a new land being his first solely percussive work where ‘he finds a new grammar for the
language of music’.
Key Features:
• The percussion department of The Royal Danish Academy of Music has for many decades had a very high standard.
The collection of instruments is second to none, and there is always a dedicated group of very talented percussion
students. Together with the percussion professor Gert Mortensen they often do concerts under the name of
PERCURAMA.
• From the very beginning in 2008 of the PULSAR festival for contemporary music at the Royal Danish Academy of
Music, it was obvious to me that this resource should be highlighted in the programming of the festival. So already
in 2009 Varèse’s Ionisations was performed under the baton of French conductor Jean Thorel, recorded live for this
release.
• Violinist Niklas Walentin is the soloist in Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Violin and Percussion, and has previously
released a recording of Ysaÿe’s Six Solo Sonatas (8.574214-15), including a recently discovered unfinished
manuscript of Sonata No. 6.

© 2021 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2

 KEY RELEASES | January 2021

‘Among the PULSAR Festival programmes that I

have conducted on a regular basis is an amazing
group of percussion players called PERCURAMA.
We have premiered many new works produced by
the composition class as well as exploring traditional
repertoire devoted to percussion ensembles.

Our very first collaboration was in Ionisation

by Varèse, which is a famous, challenging and
pioneering piece as one of the first works ever
written for a percussion group. The rapport
with these talented members of PERCURAMA
has been excellent from the very beginning.
I suppose being a percussionist myself,
and having been a timpanist in a French
orchestra, reflects the wonderful collaboration
we have enjoyed for over a decade!
Somehow we speak the same language.

The Varèse piece proved a special moment

for us, and what you will hear on this release
is the live recording of that performance.

Under the guidance of Professor Gert

Mortensen, the outstanding students and the
unique and incredible range of instruments at
the Royal Conservatory make PERCURAMA
a truly special ensemble, which plays
an incredibly wide repertoire.

– Jean Thorel
’
About Jean Thorel, Conductor
Jean Thorel is an impassioned promoter of new works and rare music and has given 700 world premieres. Thorel’s
unconventional interpretations of both contemporary and classical music have delighted many music critics in France
and abroad. From 2008 to 2016 he was appointed chief conductor of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong.
As guest conductor he has given concerts and/or recordings with the Odense Symphony Orchestra, PERCURAMA
Copenhagen, Sō Percussion in Washington, and a number of international orchestras.

About PERCURAMA
The PERCURAMA Percussion Ensemble was founded by professor Gert Mortensen. The ensemble is a melting-pot of
various artistic forms such as contemporary concerts, ‘cross-over’ performance, drums and modern dance, world/ethno
music, concerts for children, playing on trash objects, music theatre, percussion and choir and percussion combined
with ‘real-time painting’ and gamelan ensemble. For years, Percurama has had a fruitful cooperation with conductor
Jean Thorel, one that has resulted in many performances of works composed for enormous groups of percussion.

© 2021 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 3

 KEY RELEASES | January 2021

About Signe Asmussen, Soprano

Since graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Danish lyric/dramatic soprano
© Camilla Schiøler

Signe Asmussen has been a preferred soloist with all of the national orchestras, ensembles and choirs.
With an annual average of around 100 concerts and performances, she has long confirmed her reputation
as one of the most sought-after, versatile singers of her generation.

About Niklas Walentin, Violin

Despite his young age Niklas Walentin has already toured both as soloist and member of the Trio Vitruvi in
multiple European countries, Japan, China and the US, and given concerts in some of the most prestigious
halls – among these Carnegie Hall in New York. He has been described as having a unique style of playing,
which combines strong traditional, and old-fashioned methods with an innovative approach to the world of
classical music.

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‘If you love percussion ensemble
music…here is reason for rejoicing.
No one with any interest in the
burgeoning field of percussion
ensemble music should pass this.’
– Fanfare
RECORDING
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‘The performances…are exacting and
high-caliber. Many of the composers
represented here seemed to treat
the rare assignment of writing for
percussion ensemble as license to
think both boldly and playfully.’
– The Boston Globe
‘This is an extremely rewarding
disc which will surprise anyone
who thinks of percussion works as
being about rhythm, noise
and aggression.’
– MusicWeb International

Browse through the Classical Percussion segment catalogue for more exciting selections from Naxos and its affiliated labels.

© 2021 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 4