Recordings of contemporary avant-garde percussion works often miss the social and acoustic nuances that make experiencing this music special. For me this 2021 offering by Drumming Grupo de Percussão (Drumming GP) manages to both archive the work of a few notable composers previously unknown to me, while also expanding the possibilities of sound combinations possible for percussion.

Peixinho, Patriarca, Percussão is a recording of the Sept. 15, 2021 performance by Drumming GP as a part of the Circular Festival for the Performing Arts, a Portuguese festival for contemporary art. This recording features works by two noted composers: the late Jorge Peixinho and his one-time composition student Eduardo Patriaraca. The recording features four tracks, two by each composer, with a total runtime of 74 minutes.

The sequence of tracks is a bit jarring. The recording begins with “Morrer em Santiago,” a nearly 30-minute work that features long, ethereal metallic melodies that extend across instrument families and evolve into more rapid drummy textures with various toms, bass drums, timpani, snare drums, and dry wood sounds. While this work marking the 1973 coup d›état in Chile would be tempting to hear as programmatic, Miquel Bernat is quoted referring to this piece, as “a kind of tribute [from Peixinho] to the Chilean people,” perhaps a way of expressing the global impact of a local event. 

The second track, “A Floresta Sagrada” by Peixinho, and the last track, “Electrónicolírica” by Patriarca, both feature electroacoustic works for chamber percussion ensemble. Because of the blend in the recording, it is difficult to differentiate between the live and programmed sounds. After multiple listenings I remain stumped as to the instrumentation; however, both works are fascinating and are worth a listen as they are compelling pieces that are particularly striking, given their order in the recording. 

“Empty Time/Empty Space,” the third track, is a nearly 9-minute work by Patriarca that sounds both old and new. Featuring a battery of acoustic percussion instruments, this work leverages combinations of drums and metallic instruments in a way that seamlessly reflects Patriarca’s interest in the sounds and meditative philosophy of John Cage as well as the layers and cycles within spectral compositions.

Thank you to Drumming Grupo de Percussão for their sensitive and virtuosic playing and for preserving these works by Peixinho and Patriarca!