(b. 1963)
Thomas Larcher was born in Innsbruck, Austria in 1963. He studied piano and composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Larcher’s compositions in the 1980’s and ‘90’s, Naunz (1989 for solo piano), Kraken (1994 for violin, cello and piano) and Mumien (2001 for cello and piano) were significant benchmarks in piano composition. Along with other string quartets, his string commission called Lucid Dreams in 2015 was highly original usually using complex string playing techniques. ‘Red and Green’ in 2011 was Larcher’s first large-scale orchestral work performed by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and in 2014 worked with the BBC Symphony Orchestra on his new work ‘A Padmore Cycle’ originally composed for prepared piano and tenor but recomposed for orchestral with voice. In the summer of 2018 Thomas Larcher started his work of opera composition with his work Das Jagdgewehr (The Hunting Gun) performed by Bregenz Festival. In Febuary 2019, he was again working with the BBC Symphony Orchestra with his 2015 work Alle Tage for orchestra and baritone.
Thomas Larcher Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Alle Tage
Timpani (doubling orchestral bass drum (shared with players 1 & 2), snare drum, roto tom, medium frame drum, A3 tuned gong, suspended cymbal, Chinese cymbal, oil barrel, flexatone (shared with player 1) milk pan)
+ 4 percussion + celeste
1) glockenspiel, xylophone, orchestral bass drum, small frame drum, 3 suspended cymbals, sizzle cymbal, thunder sheet, medium wood block, sandpaper blocks, flexatone, milk pan, paper
2) 4 octave vibraphone, xylophone, orchestral bass drum (shared with player 1), E4 bongo, small tam tam, sand paper blocks, paper
3) marimba, tubular bells, tenor drum, Indian drum, Chinese cymbal, thunder sheet, medium triangle, mark tree, G5 tuned cowbell, milk pan
4) steel pans, tubular bells, D crotale, snare drum, Mahler hammer, large tam tam, suspended cymbal, Chinese cymbal, water gong, milk pan, bamboo wind chimes
Additional instruments for movements 4 & 5 : 2 x 5 octave marimbas, marimba, 4 octave vibraphone, glockenspiel, 6 tuned cowbells, hi hat, metal foil, 2 hi wood blocks, sand paper blocks, wooden chopping board, 2 paper for beating
Celeste
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Chiasma
Timpani (doubling susp cymbal, sand blocks, paper) + 3 percussion + celeste
1) glockenspiel, 4 octave vibraphone, xylophone, kalimba, water gong, small sand blocks
2) glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, tubular bells, small triangle, suspended cymbal, orchestral bass drum, sandpaper blocks
3) small triangle, suspended cymbal, steel pans (from E3 up), snare drum, tuned bongos (D4, D#4, A#4), orchestral bass drum, 2 temple blocks (very small and small), spring coil, thunder sheet, medium sandpaper blocks -
Celeste
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Die Nacht der Verlorenen
Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
1) 3 timpani, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, small suspended cymbal, Indian drum, flexatone, metal foil, aluminium sticks, 2 glockenspiel bars (to be played as a cluster on glockenspiel)
2) marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, 4 splash cymbals (14", 12", 10", 8"), B3 and C4 bongos, Indian drum, flexatone, African bean rattle, metal foil (small thunder sheet), light paper, 2 glockenspiel bars (to be played as a cluster on glockenspiel),
Celeste
Oboe doubling sandpaper blocks
Clarinet doubling superballs and small cardboard box
Bassoon doubling suspended cymbal
Horn 1 doubling light paper and glass chimes
Horn 2 doubling cardboard box
Trombone doubling bell tree
Double bass doubling waterphone
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Double Concerto
Timpani (doubling large tam tam, gongs, magnet stones (high), light paper) + 2 percussion + celeste
1) pedal glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, cowbells, steel pan, oil drum, tabor, suspended cymbal, bass bow, light clash cymbals, magnet stones (medium and high)
2) pedal glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, suspended cymbal, bass bow, cowbells, gong, triangle, thunder sheet, magnet stones (medium)
Celeste
Concertante Group - 2 octaves crotales, cowbells, large tam tam, suspended cymbal, bass bow, small clash cymbals, small drum, flexatone, biscuit tin, light paper
Oboe x 2 doubling magnet stones and light paper x 2
Clarinets x 2 doubling magnet stones (high) x 2
Bass clarinet doubling Chinese cymbal with wooden and felt sticks
Bassoons x 2 doubling magnet stones (high) and magnet stones (low)
Horns x 2 doubling magnet stones (high) and magnet stones (medium)
Trumpet x 2 doubling magnet stones high and Chinese cymbal with wooden sticks and magnet stones (middle)
Trombone 1 doubling suspended cymbal with wooden sticks, frame drum, light paper
Trombone 2 doubling mark tree and light paper with metal brush
Tuba doubling waterphone
Double bass doubling waterphone
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Nocturne - Insomnia
No Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
1) glockenspiel, marimba, timpani, small suspended cymbal, aluminium stick, Indian drum
2) glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba, 4 splash cymbals (14", 12", 10", 8"), O Daiko, bongos, thunder sheet, light paper with drumsticks, flexatone
Celeste
Oboe doubling sandpaper blocks
Clarinet doubling cardboard box and superball
Bassoon doubling very small suspended cymbal
Horn 1 doubling light paper and mark tree played with drumsticks
Horn 2 doubling cardboard box
Trumpet doubling African bean rattle
Trombone doubling bell tree
Double bass doubling waterphone
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A Padmore Cycle
No Timpani + 4 percussion + celeste
1) glockenspiel, xylophone, 3 tuned gongs (E3, C4, A4), sand paper blocks, milk pan with cake fork
2) glockenspiel, 4 octave vibraphone, bass bow, high triangle, cowbell, Indian drum, wind machine, milk pan with cake fork
3) glockenspiel, bass bow, marimba, tubular bells, suspended cymbal, 3 triangles (low, medium, high), large orchestral bass drum, guiro, flexatone
4) timpani, 2 octaves crotales, bass bow, suspended cymbal (shared with player 3) Chinese cymbal, snare drum, orchestral bass drum (shared with player 3), 3 roto toms, oil barrel
Celeste
Trombone 2 doubling suspended cymbal
Trombone 3 doubling high triangle
Tuba doubling small tam tam
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Red and Green
Timpani + 4 percussion + celeste
3 glockenspiels, xylophone, xylomarimba, vibraphone, 3 marimbas, steel pans, tubular bells, gong in A, triangle, suspended cymbal, Chinese clash cymbals, tuned cowbell, water gong, snare drum, orchestral bass drum, hi hat, Indian drum, 3 sandpaper blocks, metal foil, 5 temple blocks, 3 wood blocks, paper, wooden board - celeste
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Symphony No 2
Timpani + 5 percussion + celeste
1) glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba, large tam tam, oil barrel, snare drum, flexatone, very small temple blocks, whip, 2 sand paper blocks (small and medium), light paper
2) marimba, xylophone, small tam tam, 2 triangles (small and medium), bongos, temple blocks (small, medium, large) medium metal coil, whip, metal mixing bowl
3) vibraphone, large suspended cymbal, small tam tam, very small triangle, oil barrel, snare drum, tuned bongo, Indian drum, 2 temple blocks (medium and large), very high castanets, 2 thunder sheets, small sandpaper block
4) glockenspiel, 2 octaves crotales, bass bow, tubular bells, steel pans, clash cymbals, sizzle cymbal, Chinese cymbal, oil barrel, tenor drum, orchestral bass drum, Indian drum, 3 temple blocks (small, medium, large), very small woodblock, biscuit tin, metal mixing bowl, thunder sheet, 2 metal coils (medium and small), vibraslap
5) timpani, 2 triangles (small and very small), 2 suspended cymbals (small and large), sizzle cymbal, Chinese cymbal, oil barrel, orchestral bass drum, very high castanets, whip, small sandblock
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The Hunting Gun (Das Jagdgewehr)
Timpani + 4 percussion + celeste
Timpani, 2 glockenspiels, xylophone, 2 marimbas, 2 x 4 octave vibraphones, steel pans (A3 up), tubular bells, 4 crotales, orchestral bass drum, tenor drum, Indian drum, O Daiko, snare drum, small military drum, frame drum, B3 bongos, 5 temple blocks, cowbell F3, oil barrel, 2 thunder sheets, large tam tam, small tam tam, 6 suspended cymbals, Chinese cymbal, 2 wood blocks B & D, 2 suspended paper, sand paper blocks, whip, small biscuit tin, vibrslap, ratchet (both players share orchestral bass drum, bongos and large tam tam)
Cimbalon 5 octave : (doubling 3 crotales, hi hat, suspended paper, thunder sheet)
Doubling shared with perc 1 & 2: tubular bells, Indian drum, orchestral bass drum, tenor drum, suspended cymbal
Solo voices doubling : 4 spring coils. 2 crotales, 2 Aluminium milk pans/forks, thunder sheet, wind machine, Indian drum, snare drum with wire brushes, metal mixing bowl, suspended paper
Chorus doubling : 7 sandpaper blocks, 6 slide whistles (shared with solo voices, 2 spring coils, thunder sheet)
Woodwind doubling : 3 slide whistles
Brass doubling : 3 pairs sandpaper blocks
Double bass doubling : waterphone
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