David Lang

Recent Events

Society for Music & Minimalism International Conference - Sep. 2-6, 2009

“David Lang’s Postminimalist Work, the so-called laws of nature, and the Influence of Steve Reich”

DMA DOCUMENT ABSTRACT

The percussion compositions of David Lang hold a prominent place within the percussion solo repertoire. Lang’s constructivist approach to composition, as well as his resistance to tradition, has secured him a highly respected position among performers and composers alike. Percussion repertoire is yet to receive the in-depth scholarship that it currently warrants. Considering the relative youth of the genre, a Pulitzer Prize winning composer such as Lang’s interest in percussion writing should not be overlooked. Furthermore, the logistical nature of dealing with percussion notation, orchestration, and performance requires a specialist, making it difficult for most musicologists to offer the proper insight and observations. This monograph exposes the complex and multi-dimensional solo percussion works of David Lang, specifically The Anvil Chorus, Scraping Song, and Unchained Melody. The document provides insight into the composer’s intentions while offering strategies to confront the physical and psychological issues that arise when preparing these works for performance. It also deconstructs Lang’s compositional processes and reveals the similarities in his approach from piece to piece, thus clarifying his style. Currently, no resources exist that discuss Lang’s percussion writing in-depth. The availability of this monograph elucidates Lang’s prominence in the solo percussion genre while also contributing to the performance practice and understanding of his percussion compositions.