I recently did a guest post over at Spotify Classical as part of his Spotify Orchestra series. Ulysses’ blog has become an incredible resource and tool for me and the detail that goes into making each of these playlists is unmatched. This guy has an obsession with lists and he’s really good at it. Check out his new Spotify app, which is also a must-have.
Below is a reposting from the guest blog entry I did a few weeks ago. You can take a look at the original posting here.
Percussion music is incredibly eclectic. Not necessarily eclectic as in taste, but eclectic in style and instrumentation. A violinist plays one instrument, a violin, but a percussionist plays hundreds, maybe even thousands. The word percussion, by definition, does not refer to a single object or instrument. It describes a family of instruments, which then includes sub-categories, such as keyboard percussion, multiple percussion, accessory percussion, membranophones, idiophones; the list goes on and I still haven’t even mentioned a singular instrument. This is all to say that classical or contemporary percussion music is vast and wide-ranging.
The following four playlists represent suggested listening. They are not intended to be a catch-all of everything that has been recorded, but rather some of the most creative and significant works composed for percussion instruments (listed in no particular order).
Percussion – New Releases (79 tracks, 8 hours)
The past year or so have been particularly good for listeners seeking great percussion recordings. Here are some of the best new releases from the genre. I will continue to update this list as new albums become available.
Percussion – Solo (26 tracks, 2 hours)
Artistry as a solo percussionist takes on many forms. I kept this list short, but it represents a good variety what is possible as a soloist behind a percussion instrument or multi-percussion set-up.
Percussion – Ensemble (71 tracks, 9 hours)
The Percussion Ensemble is a 20th-century invention. It has really turned into an incredible compositional tool and means of expression.
Percussion – Mixed Chamber (54 tracks, 6 hours)
Percussionists make for great collaborators and there is no better example than in chamber music. This playlist includes great works that feature percussionist with a mixture of non-percussion instruments.