Sean Ritenauer Performs Higdon Concerto

During a break from the touring production of HAIR, Pearl/Adams artist Sean Ritenauer performed the Jennifer Higdon Percussion Concerto with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra.  A regular member of the HSO Percussion Section, the Higdon Concerto was Rietnauer’s first performance in front of the orchestra.

From Higdon’s program notes for the piece:

“My “Percussion Concerto” follows the normal relationship of a dialogue between soloist and orchestra. In this work, however, there is an additional relationship with the soloist interacting extensively with the percussion section. The ability of performers has grown to such an extent that it has become possible to have sections within the orchestra interact at the same level as the soloist.

When writing a concerto I think of two things: the particular soloist for whom I am writing and the nature of the solo instrument. In the case of percussion, this means a large battery of instruments, from vibraphone and marimba, to non-pitched smaller instruments (brake drum, wood blocks, Peking Opera gong), and to the drums themselves. Not only does a percussionist have to perfect playing all of these instruments, but he must make hundreds of decisions regarding the use of sticks and mallets, as there is an infinite variety of possibilities from which to choose. Not to mention the choreography of the movement of the player; where most performers do not have to concern themselves with movement across the stage during a performance, a percussion soloist must have every move memorized. No other instrumentalist has such a large number of variables to challenge and master.”

Part of interaction between the percussion section and soloist is featured in the cadenza of the piece.  The cadenza begins with a composed section with interplay between the soloist and percussion section.  Following this, the cadenza concludes with a solo section written by Ritenauer for timbales, bongos, and tom toms.  Prominently featured in the solo section are Pearl Philharmonic Concert Tom Toms and Bobby Allende Signature Bongos