Carter 4 Pieces for 4 Timpani Saeta

[timetoslowdownisnow]

Why are your opening strokes like wacking at the drum? Doesn't seem very musical or technically correct.

[linguamortua]

@timetoslowdownisnow

I guess my chops weren't that good :) There's a lot of things I would do differently now. These videos were just posted for reference. When I posted them a few years ago no one else had the Carters up and people were asking for tips so I just posted them. They are by no means close to perfect, but I guess they can serve as means as to what not to do :) Like whacking the drums in the beginning LOL.

[Drumskyle]

this piece is freakin SCARY when you look at it.

nicely done though :]

[linguamortua]

Thanks! It's pretty fun though. Don't let it scare you.

[rahmalec]

I was wondering, have you ever played the moto perpetuo movement from this? Everybody seems to play march and canaries and maybe one or two others such as saeta but I've never seen a video of that one.

[linguamortua]

Nah, my teacher adviced me to stay away from that one unless I wanted a headache LOL. Maybe you ought to try it. I might try it in the future.

[rahmalec]

It's not too bad actually. Just do it slowly at first and work out the best sticking. Then raise the tempo bit by bit.

I can't play it with total finesse but it's not impossible to play.

[linguamortua]

You know, I'm going to tackle that someday. Post a vid when ready man. Keep in touch.

[rahmalec]

I have some vids ready now but only Canaries and Moto Perpetuo. I have an exam in a week that I have to play this stuff at. I'm also going to play as a concert the whole program the day before. Hopefully I'll get it recorded so I can put it up.

Do try it though. To start just try the first two lines and see if you can play. That's the hardest part actually so if you can play that you can do the whole thing without a problem.

Is that the only one of these 8 pieces you haven't done?

[rahmalec]

In fact the only ones I still have to do are March and Saeta.

[linguamortua]

I've done March, Saeta, Canaries, and Improvisation. They are all posted here on youtube.

[IlNanni]

When you play D and A, for example the second line "evenly and resonantly" and for example the first A you meet, you should ALSO strike the timpani in the center of head, where indicated by the note with the double stem...

[linguamortua]

I know exactly what you are talking about. I decided to do it this way just to be more clear. Took a bit of artistic freedom I guess. There are so many things I'd do differently if I did these pieces again.

[IlNanni]

Ok, I understand :) actually it is important that the leitmotiv is emphasized. good job!

[linguamortua]

Thank you for watching :)

[EWS0]

Did you practice this with a metronome at all? The areas of metric modulation are wrong and your tempos there are inconsistant. Carter was one of the first composers to use metric modulation in a serious, musical way... so maybe go back and work on those parts to do the piece justice.

[linguamortua]

Right. Thanks for watching. Looking forward to seeing your version of it.

[percdann]

dont think the acoustic and video camera does it justice....very well played

[linguamortua]

Thank you very much!

[percdann]

as a matter of interest.....how did it sound in the room at the time of being recorded!?

[linguamortua]

Where I was it sounded very sonorous, but the hall where I played tends to very dry so I'm sure it sounded not quite as ringy far away.

[percdann]

ah i see.... to me it is very short sounding and even the really loud bits i see your giving it socks but it doesnt really come across! Starting this piece just today so this is a good refrence!

[linguamortua]

Yeah, that's what that hall does. There are some spots in this that I fudged with the timing so be aware dude!!! LOL. Have fun.... I know I did.

[percdann]

haha thanks ill keep an eye out for that stuff!

thanks for the post!

[anatyw]

Also, did you change the dynamics on the third page to forte and more just for performance? I also have a hard time getting the 'pp' with the butts and I noticed you cresendo'd a lot soon than the written one... like 2 lines eaerlier! lol. Good job though.

[linguamortua]

HA HA HA, funny that you noticed all those things. I actually followed along with score this time and boy, I really screwed up a lot of things. It must have been performance anxiety or something. I don't remember practicing it that badly, and I guess I was not aware of a lot of errors. The pp with the butts is just crazy to play so I tried my best. Thanks for watching. Have a good one.

[anatyw]

I'm working on this piece as well, and I noticed that after the 3/2 "5's" going into 10/8 you speed up a lot and only do singles on the double D strokes through the 9/8... Do you mind explaining the change? I just have the hardest time getting those double hits not to sound like flams and I flipped when I saw someone do a great performance of this, yet leave those out! Thanks!

[sanctusignis]

This is a way cool piece, and played very well at that.

By the way, why is it that Carter declares that only 4 pieces be played in performance instead of up to the full 8...and in a specific order at that?

[linguamortua]

Well he originally wrote four, and the obviously proceeded to write four more. However, it seems to me like an arbitrary rule to play four. Carter is just giving the performer margins for performance.

[ditlevski]

awful timbre! Is he playing Adams?

[linguamortua]

No, I was actually playing on Walter Lights, and I don't have pocket change to simply go buy Ringers with calf. Also, take into consideration that the mike used is not a pro mike, it's a simply camcorder mike which is probably not the best suitable for recording timpani. Basically, it's a home video, not something I would market.

[ditlevski]

Sorry about my comment. I should have taken into consideration that the audio quality is not the best. Keep doing what you are doing! I look forward to seeing your next videos.

[linguamortua]

Thank you. I honestly don't think any audio does any justice to timpani. It just sounds so different live. The mics tend to capture much higher partials rather than the lows or even fundamentals.

[whatiskungfan]

Oh ya, that's right...8 pieces...

I remember I played a piece for my audition. But I decided to do something else than music instead. I have since then stopped playing timpani and played more marimba..lol... Maybe it is time to pick that up again.

[linguamortua]

Yeah, why stop at marimba? Do it all. More power to you.

[whatiskungfan]

shouldnt Beck's pieces be 6 pieces?..lol..or did u write it urself:).

[linguamortua]

These aren't Beck's pieces. These are Elliot Carter's "4 pieces for 4 timpani." There are actually 8, but he instructs that only 4 be played at a performance. There are other rules to the order and whatnot and they are included in the set of 8. These are the easier ones. Also, no, I did not write them myself. They are pretty close to what they are supposed to sound like. They are pretty dang fun to play. You should check them out.

[BosPercussion]

Beck's most famous is Sonata for Timpani and is 3 movements: Slow, Jazz, Fast.

[hinkemiki]

masterpiece

[ditlevski]

awful timbre...

What is he playing? Adams? Try Ringer style with calf heads!