HEKLA - JÓN LEIFS

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Uploaded by on Jan 14, 2010

Jón Leifs (1899-1968) wrote many pieces devoted to his beloved Iceland. Among these is Hekla, a volcano whose eruption Leifs witnessed in 1947. It has been said that this is the loudest piece of orchestral music ever written.

What mainly sets Hekla apart from other orchestral works is it's extensive use of traditional and not-so-traditional percussion instruments. There are two separate sections, one on stage and the other off-stage. The instrumentation is as follows:
on stage:
three tympani
two orchestral bells
siren
two anvils
snare drum
bass drum
cymbals
triangle
tam tam
small rocks
large rocks
large wooden hammer hitting the floor
gun shot
cannon

off stage:
three tympani
two orchestral bells
siren
two anvils
snare drum
bass drum
cymbals
tam tam
small rocks
large rocks
gun shot
cannon
deep rolling iron chains

The two sections are very similar. However, considering the massive amount of percussion involved (which takes about 20 or so players), the rest of the orchestra is pretty much normal, two piccolos, two flutes, two oboes, etc. The rest includes organ and a large chorus. Here is a translation of the words:

In the dark depths, violent cries of death,
There the red flames carried
The streaming lava across the land.

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