(1908 - 2012)
Born in New York City on 11 December 1908, Elliott Carter began to be seriously interested in music in high school and was encouraged at that time by Charles Ives. He attended Harvard University where he studied with Walter Piston and later went to Paris where for three years he studied with Nadia Boulanger. He then returned to New York to devote his time to composing and teaching. With the explorations of tempo relationships and texture that characterize his music Carter is recognised as one of the prime innovators of 20th-century music. The challenges of works such as the Variations for Orchestra, Symphony of Three Orchestras and the concertos and string quartets are richly rewarding.
Elliott Carter Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
The American Sublime
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Tam tam, guiro, low snare drum, high snare drum, world block large, wood block small, tambourine, 4 bongos, 3 suspended cymbals, clash cymbals, vibraphone, lions roar, orchestral bass drum, 4 tom toms, 2 suspended cymbals (low and medium), 4 temple blocks, bongos (P2), tambourine (P2)
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Anniversary (part 3 of Three Occasions)
Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
Vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, 3 suspended cymbals, celeste
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Asko Concerto
No Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, medium snare drum, orchestral bass drum, celeste
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Boston Concerto
No Timpani + 3 percussion
Xylophone, vibraphone, log drum x 2, 4 bongos, snare drum, hi snare drum, suspended cymbal x 3, wood chimes, marimba, 4 temple bells, 2 cowbells, orchestral bass drum, tom tom, 4 wood blocks, guiro, maracas
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A Celebration of some 100 x 150 Notes
Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Glockenspiel, vibraphone, celeste
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Cello Concerto
Timpani + 3 percussion
P1) xylophone, glockenspiel, marimba, 4 temple blocks, 2 cowbells, 4 wood blocks, 2 log drums P2) vibraphone, 2 snare drums, orchestral bass drum, 3 tom toms, 4 bongos P3) guiro, 2 snare drums, 3 suspended cymbals
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Clarinet Concerto
No Timpani + 3 percussion
Glockenspiel, 4 bongos, small tom tom, large tom tom, medium suspended cymbal, wood drum, tam tam, xylophone, 2 metal blocks, temple blocks, large snare drum, large suspended cymbal, vibraphone, small wood block, tuned cowbells, small suspended cymbal, small snare drum, medium tom tom, orchestral bass drum
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Concertino for Bass Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra
No Timpani + 3 percussion
P1) xylophone, vibraphone, log drum, tam tam, tom tom, snare drum, suspended cymbal, flat gong, conga, bongos P2) glockenspiel, marimba, orchestral bass drum, tom tom, snare drum, suspended cymbal, temple blocks, metal pipe
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Concerto for Orchestra
Timpani + 7 percussion
4 suspended cymbals, 4 snare drums, snare drum piccolo, vibraphone, 2 orchestral bass drums, xylorimba (5 oct), 7 wood blocks, 2 tambourines, 6 triangles, 2 tam tams, temple blocks, 2 maracas (pairs), guiro, 2 ratchets, anvil, 2 tenor drums, 2 clash cymbals, whip, 2 gongs (unpitched), tubular bells, 9 Latin cowbells, F# & C# crotale, glockenspiel
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Flute Concerto
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, log drum, 5 temple blocks, 2 wood blocks, snare drum, 4 bongos, 4 tom toms, 2 suspended cymbals, tam tam, shaker, almglocken, orchestral bass drum, metal pipe
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Fons Jeventatis (2nd part of Three Illusions for Orchestra)
No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) xylorimba 2) guiro 3) small snare drum, maracas
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Holiday Overture
Timpani + 4 percussion
Whip, orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, snare drum, triangle, tam tam
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Horn Concerto
No Timpani + 3 percussion
Vibraphone, large gong, bongos, cowbell, high snare drum, tuned cowbell, triangle, 2 x maracas, piccolo snare drum, temple bell, marimba, 2 tom tom, 3 x suspended cymbal, 4 wood blocks, 3 x anvil effects, tambourine, snare drum x 3, glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, log drum, gong, guiro
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In Sleep, in Thunder
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Vibraphone, marimba, wood block, cowbell, guiro, bottle, maracas, small sizzle cymbal, suspended cymbal, snare drum, tenor drum, orchestral bass drum, tam tam
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In the Distances of Sleep
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Xylophone, marimba, orchestral bass drum, 3 tom tom, 3 snare drums, 4 bongos, suspended cymbal, 2) vibraphone, small tam tam, log drum, temple blocks, wood block, guiro, tuned cowbell, latin cowbell, 2 suspended cymbals, sizzle cymbal, snare drum, gong, metal pipes
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Instances
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Temple block low, 4 tom toms, 4 bongos, marimba, orchestral bass drum, 2 suspended cymbals, snare drum, tam tam, vibraphone
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Interventions
No Timpani + 4 percussion
P1) xylophone, marimba, 4 bongos, low suspended cymbal, high snare drum, cowbell, large tuned cowbell, tam tam, P2) 4 temple blocks, high suspended cymbal, medium snare drum, medium tom tom, slapstick, orchestral bass drum, P3) 4 wood blocks, medium suspended cymbal, low snare drum, low tom tom, guiro, wood drum, claves P4) 2 metal pipes, timbales, wind gong, nipple gong, maracas, sizzle cymbal
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Luimen
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Vibraphone
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Micomicón (1st part of Three Illusions for Orchestra)
Timpani + 2 percussion
1) suspended cymbal, 3 tom toms, orchestral bass drum, marimba, 2) clash cymbals, xylophone
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More's Utopia (3rd part of Three Illusions for Orchestra)
No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) log drum, temple blocks, wood block, large slapstick, xylorimba, 2) tam tam, gong, 4 suspended cymbals, vibraphone, 3) orchestral bass drum, tom tom
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Oboe Concerto (for concertina group, oboe and orchestra)
No Timpani + 2 percussion (1 in concertina group/1 in orchestra)
Concertino - 4 timpani, vibraphone, glockenspiel, 2 metal blocks, 2 wood blocks, t temple blocks, 2 cowbells, 4 bongos, 2 tom toms, suspended cymbal, guiro
Orchestra - marimba, xylophone, orchestral bass drum, tam tam, military snare drum, 2 snare drums, 2 suspended cymbals
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Of Rewaking
No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) gavel, gong, medium suspended cymbal, high snare drum, large suspended cymbal, 4 wood blocks 2) tam tam, 2 log drums, 3 tom toms, medium snare drum, high suspended cymbal, marimba 3) orchestral bass drum, low snare drum, low suspended cymbal, small cowbell, 4 bongos, guiro, vibraphone
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On Conversing with Paradise
No Timpani + 5 percussion
1) large log drum, Japanese wood block, nipple gong, 2 congas, splash cymbal 2) guiro, suspended cymbal, maracas, mark tree, 3 tom toms, 4 bongos, 3) tam tam, tuned cowbells, 2 snare drums, 2 suspended cymbals, 4 temple blocks 4) orchestral bass drum, snare drum, gong, bamboo wind chimes, small log drum, 2 metal pipes, 5) small orchestral bass drum, 3 suspended cymbals, 3 snare drums, 4 wood blocks, glockenspiel, 2 octaves crotales
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Symphonia Partita: (1st part of Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei)
Timpani + 4 percussion
2 anvils, 2 cowbells, 2 suspended cymbals, 2 wood blocks, 4 temple bells, wood drum, gavel, guiro, 2 x pairs bongos, 2 tom toms, snare drum, orchestral bass drum, glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylophone, marimba
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Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei
Timpani + 4 percussion
1) xylophone, glockenspiel, suspended cymbal, 2 tom tom, 2 wood blocks, 4 bongos, cowbell 2) 2 metal blocks (very high & med high), 4 temple blocks, 3 suspended cymbals, (high, medium, low), tom tom, 2 cowbells 3) vibraphone, orchestral bass drum, 4 bongos, 2 tom toms, (medium and low), 2 wood blocks, snare drum, 2 suspended cymbals, (medium and low), 4) vibraphone, glockenspiel, marimba, tam tam, snare drum, suspended cymbal, orchestral bass drum, 2 bongos, wood drums, log drum, gavel, 2 tom toms
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Penthode
No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) marimba, 3 temple blocks, 2 wood blocks, large snare drum, small suspended cymbal, wood drum, gavel, 2) vibraphone, 2 octave crotales, small triangle, guiro, 3 suspended cymbals, military drum, gong, tam tam, 3) claves, whip, 4 bongos, small snare drum, 3 tom toms, orchestral bass drum, cowbell
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Réflexions
No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) 4 bongos, 4 wood blocks, orchestral bass drum, gong, small suspended cymbal, large snare drum, xylorimba 2) 4 tom toms, tam tam, stones, small snare drum, 2 log drums, small triangle, large suspended cymbal, vibraphone, glockenspiel, 3) 4 temple blocks, small cowbell, tuned cowbell,. medium snare drum, Mahler hammer, guiro, claves, medium suspended cymbal
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Remembrance (2nd part of Three Occasions)
Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Orchestral bass drum, glockenspiel, vibraphone, celeste
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Soundings
Timpani + 2 percussion
Xylophone, temple blocks, bongos, 4 x suspended cymbals, cowbell, congas x 2, 4 x tom toms, orchestral bass drum, claves, 4 x wood blocks, 2 snare drums, log drum
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Symphonia: Adagio tenebroso (2nd part Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei)
Timpani + 4 percussion
Orchestral bass drum, 4 bongos, glockenspiel, 4 temple blocks, tuned cowbells, vibraphone, 2 suspended cymbals, 2 tom toms, 2 wood blocks, snare drum, xylophone, tam tam, marimba, wood drum, 2 metal blocks
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Symphonia: Adagio scorrevole (3rd part Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei)
No Timpani + 4 percussion
Timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, 4 bongos, snare drum, 2 tom toms, wood block, 3 suspended cymbal, 2 cowbells, guiro, 2 metal blocks, 4 temple blocks, orchestral bass drum, marimba
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Three Illusions for Orchestra (3 parts)
Timpani + 3 percussion
1) suspended cymbal x 3, 4 tom toms, orchestral bass drum, marimba, xylorimba, log drum, 4 temple blocks, 4 wood blocks, large slapstick, 2) clash cymbals, xylophone, vibraphone, guiro, tam tam, nipple gong, 4 suspended cymbals, vibraslap, 3) clash cymbals, xylophone, vibraphone, orchestral bass drum, 4 tom toms
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Three Occasions for Orchestra
Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
Vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, 3 x suspended cymbal, orchestral bass drum, glockenspiel, celeste
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Tintinnabulation
No Timpani + 6 percussion (percussion ensemble)
1) congas, 4 bongos, wood drum, large log drum, 22" flat gong, Chinese opera gong
2) large slaptick, medium nipple gong, 3 tom toms, guiro, maracas, 2 suspended cymbals, medium snare drum, very high triangle, piccolo wood block
3) timbales, large ratchet, tom tom, darabuka (equal range to bongos), large nipple gong, splash cymbal, piccolo snare drum, claves, piccolo wood block, 36" tam tam
4) 36" tam tam, 28" tam tam, small log drum, Japanese wood block, high nipple gong, talking drum, 2 tubular shakers, high snare drum
5) medium low nipple gong, low snare drum, three metal pipes, 5 temple blocks, 2 wood blocks, large ratchet, 2 large brake drums, 2 steel hammers
6) orchestral bass drum, Mahler hammer and block, tom tom, low nipple gong, 4 tuned cowbells, 2 wood blocks
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Two Controversies and a Conversation
No Timpani + solo percussion
5 octave marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel, 4 bongos, 2 congas, snare drum, 4 tom toms, tam tam, 5 temple blocks, 2 gongs, crotale
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Violin Concerto
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Glockenspiel, 2 octaves crotales, vibraphone, 2 x suspended cymbals, 2 x snare drums, tam tam, orchestral bass drum
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What are Years
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Marimba, vibraphone, 5 tom toms, high snare drum, medium snare drum, low snare drum, orchestral bass drum, 3 bongos, log drum, large wind gong, high suspended cymbal, medium suspended cymbal, splash cymbal, clash cymbals, tam tam, maracas, 3 temple blocks, guiro
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What Next?
No Timpani + 4 percussion + 2 onstage percussion
1) thunder sheet, snare drum, 2 suspended cymbals, 6 brake drums, cowbell, marimba
2) suspended cymbal, mounted tambourine, 5 cowbells, 3 metal pipes, washboard, vibraphone
3) tam tam, hammer, lions roar, gong, tom tom, suspended cymbal, snare drum
4) orchestral bass drum, 2 tom toms, snare drum, suspended cymbal, flexatone, vibraphone
Onstage 1) suspended cymbal, snare drum, 4 temple blocks, 2 cowbells, 2 brake drums, 3 metal pipes, flexatone
Onstage 2) snare drum, gong, 4 wood blocks, 2 cowbells, 2 brake drums, 2 suspended cymbals, slapstick, flexatone
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