(b. 1969)
Born in Denmark in 1969, Thomas Agerfeldt Olesen studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus. His studies were overseen by Olav Anton Thommesen and Karl Aage Rasmussen as well as periodic lessons from both Poul Ruders and Henryk Gorecki. Alban Berg and Witold Lutoslawski have had a significant effect on his style of composition as Olesen shows much interest in link between the mind and music. Originally trained as a cellist, this background can be felt and heard through a hard wired sense of instrumental technique within the phrasing and articulation of his writing. Olesen’s major and most well know work was written in 2013, The Picture of Dorian Gray for which he received Denmark’s Musical Drama Prize. Other notable works include Die Himmlischen Heerscharen in 1998 and Der Wind Blaset Wo er Will in 2011.
Thomas Agerfeldt Olesen Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Der Wind blaset wo er will
No Timpani + 4 percussion + celeste
1) small suspended cymbal, orchestral bass drum, hammer and block, lions roar, pedal bass drum, piccolo snare drum, sizzle cymbal, small brake drum, large tam tam (shared with P2)
2) orchestral bass drum (shared with P3 & P4), claves, 2 octaves crotales, guiro, hammer and block, sizzle cymbal, medium suspended cymbal, military snare drum, ratchet, snare drum, large tam tam (shared with P1), whip
3) orchestral bass drum (shared with P3 & P4), popgun, ektera (Indian string instrument), Japanese wood block high, clash cymbals, geophone, glockenspiel, military snare drum, sizzle cymbal
4) Balinese gong, orchestral bass drum (shared with P2 & P3), 7 temple blocks, Chinese cymbal, flexatone, glockenspiel (shared with P3), ektera, high wood block, medium thunder sheet, medium suspended cymbal, sizzle cymbal, whip, musical saw – celeste
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Cello Concerto
Timpani + 3 percussion
1) orchestral bass drum (shared with P2 & P3), 3 suspended cymbals (high, med, low), sizzle cymbal, geophone (shared with P3), very high wood block (shared with P2), tam tam (shared with P2 & P3), A2 Balinese gong, military drum, 2 octave crotales
2) orchestral bass drum (shared with P1 & P3), large suspended cymbal , sizzle cymbal, very high wood block (shared with P1), sack of bottles, tam tam (shared with P1 & P3), snare drum
3) orchestral bass drum (shared with P1 & P2), medium suspended cymbal, geophone (shared with P1), tam tam (shared with P2 & P3), maracas
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
1) orchestral bass drum, Japanese wood block, suspended cymbal, sizzle cymbal, snare drum, glockenspiel (shared with P2 & P3), 2 octave crotales (shared with P2 & P3), triangle, vibraphone
2) metal wind chimes (shared with P3), orchestral bass drum, suspended cymbal, sizzle cymbal, triangle, snare drum, 2 octave crotales (shared with P1 & P3), Basler drum (shared with P3), hammer and block, breaking glass effect, geophone, glockenspiel (shared with P1 & P3), large tam tam (shared with P3)
3) snare drum, large suspended cymbal, sizzle cymbal, military snare drum, large tam tam (shared with P2), tubular bells, metal wind chimes (shared with P2), shell chimes, 8 temple blocks, Balinese gong in D and A, Basler drum (shared with P2), Japanese wood block (shared with P1), 2 octave crotales (shared with P1 & P2), glockenspiel (shared with P1 & P2), log drum, triangle - celeste
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