Commissioned by renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, Psathas' Drum Dances (1993) is a standard for drum kit and piano repertoire. Each of the four movements in this work were stimulated by a certain rhythmic interaction possible between two performers. The performers gradually transition from battling for superiority to working together throughout the work as they navigate material ranging from from a loosely-written stately dance to very tight and syncopated rhythmic interaction.
Terry O'Mahoney, Percussive Notes
New Zealand composer John Psathas has created a real workout for piano and drum set in his four-part work Drum Dances. Psathas, who admits to being influenced by Chick Corea and Dave Weckl, has produced a very detailed piano/drum set score that attempts to capture the spontaneity and rhythmic interplay of a duet between these two musicians. He has done an excellent job.
The first movement is a lengthy drum solo with specific accents that correspond to the melody. The slower second movement requires the drummer to play glockenspiel atop a bass drum/hi-hat accompaniment. The third movement is a study in rhythmic displacement for the drums as the pianist takes the forefront. The fourth movement is a fast and furious ‘duel' between the pianist and the drummer that challenges both players with shifting meters and accent patterns. The piano part is really a study in two-hand independence.
Written for a five piece kit (with four cymbals), this is for the advanced player who has great chops, solid time, good reading skills, and nerves of steel. The piano part would require someone of equal talent. It would make an excellent finale for any professional concert.
John Psathas is a New Zealand freelance composer and teacher who, at a relatively early stage in his career, has established an international profile and receives regular commissions from organisations both in New Zealand and overseas. His works are championed around the world by a growing number of leading international artists, one of the most consistent of whom has been the Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Initially making a name for himself as a composer of high-energy percussion music, more recently the composer has concentrated on a series of larger-scale concertante works. A major career highlight to date has been the commission to compose the ceremonial music for the opening and closing of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In 2005 John Psathas was created an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to music.
