(b.1952)
Hans Abrahamsen was born in Copenhagen in 1952. As a trained horn player he studied theory at the Royal Danish Academy of music where he was inspired by the music of his composition teacher Per Norgard. Gyorgy Ligeti became a significant influence in 1984 and the two became personal friends. Abrahamsen's cultured work Schnee (composed between 2006-2008) is one of his best known works and considered by some to be a classic within the 21st century repertoire. Winternacht is his other well-known work which depicts the dark iciness of a winter's evening. Composed between 1976-1978, the piece is constructed in four movements with the title from the poet Georg Traki. As an accomplished orchestrator, Abrahamsen has aligned himself with the greats such as Bach, Schumann and Debussy.
Hans Abrahamsen Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Bamberger Tanz
Timpani + 2 percussion
1) Vibraphone, bass bow 2) 2 suspended cymbals, glockenspiel
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Children’s Corner (Debussy arr. Abrahamsen)
Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
1) glockenspiel, tubular bells, xylophone, 2 octaves crotales, tambourine, tam tam 2) tubular bells, castanets, clash cymbals 3) orchestral bass drum, triangle, sleigh bells
celeste
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Symphony in C
No Timpani + 3 percussion
Large tam tam, sheep bells, tubular bells
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Skum
No Timpani + 4 percussion
Triangle, tuned gong, almglocken, glockenspiel, xylophone, bongos, sheep bells, clash cymbals
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Four Pieces for Orchestra
2 Timpani + 4 percussion + celeste
1) 5 octave marimba, xylophone, pedal glockenspiel, hammer and block, 2 octaves crotales (shared), suspended cymbal medium (shared), bongos (shared) sistrum, tubular bell B4 in water tank, tam tam (shared)
2) almglocken C#4, D, D#, E, F, vibraphone (shared), bass bow, suspended cymbal high (shared), police whistle, high anvil, glockenspiel (shared), tuned gongs A3, C4, F, Ab, Anat, Bb, Db5, 5 octave marimba (shared), tambourine, guiro, orchestral bass drum large (shared), whip (shared), tenor drum, high triangle (shared), claves
3) large orchestral bass drum (shared), 3 suspended cymbals (high, medium, low – one shared), large tam tam (shared), ruthe, xylophone (shared), vibraphone (shared), piccolo snare drum (shared), swanee whistle, tubular bells Bb4, Bnat, Eb5 in water tank, 2 Balinese log drums large and medium (shared), high claves (shared)
4) Doubling timpani 2, Balinese log drum (shared), 2 tam tams (large and medium shared), 3 tuned gongs A2, Eb3, F3, 2 octaves crotales, bass bow (shared), tubular bells, car horns F4, G, Ab, Anat, Bb, C5, 5 octave marimba (shared), orchestral bass drum large (shared), piccolo snare drum (shared), 3 suspended cymbals (2 shared), whip (shared), tubular bell Ab3 and A4 in water tank, triangle (shared)
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Nacht and Trompeten
Timpani + 4 percussion
1) tam tam, tubular bells 2) tam tam, high octave of crotales, temple blocks, bongos 3) tam tam, low octave of crotales, 2 tom toms 4) tam tam, orchestral bass drum, temple blocks
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Festpraeludium (Neilsen arr Abrahamsen)
Timpani + 3 percussion
1) glockenspiel, xylophone, guiro, triangle 2) clash cymbals, tubular bells 3) orchestral bass drum, A4 car horn, snare drum, B2 and E3 bell plates
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Stratifications
Timpani + 2 percussion
Triangle, glockenspiel, xylophone, tubular bells, 3 congas, lions roar, whip, tam tam
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Symphony
Timpani + 3 percussion
1) small triangle, 7 Indian bells hung, 2) clash cymbals 3) orchestral bass drum
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Left Alone
Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
1) orchestral bass drum, claves, xylophone, snare drum, vibraphone, suspended cymbal high 2) orchestral bass drum, claves, marimba, tubular bells, celeste
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Let Me Tell You
Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
1) xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, serrated wooden stick 2) marimba, vibraphone, bass bow, tubular bells, whip, Japanese wood block, serrated wooden stick 3) glockenspiel, tubular bells, paper, whip tam tam – celeste
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Weyse : Fire Aftensange
No Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
Timpani, marimba, vibraphone, 2 octaves crotales, xylophone, roper tension snare drum, tubular bells, celeste
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Aarhus Ragtime
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Orchestral bass drum, snare drum, suspended cymbal
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Marchenbilder
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba, tam tam, orchestral bass drum, tubular bells, small triangle
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Schnee
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Medium tam tam, sleighbells, D5, Eb, F, Gb, A3 writing paper, grease proof paper
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Two Pieces in Slow Time
No Timpani + 2 percussion
1) medium orchestral bass drum, small clash cymbals 2) large orchestral bass drum, medium clash cymbals, large tam tam
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Wald
No Timpani + 1 percussion + celeste
Kalimba (D4 & G4), marimba, 32” timpani, Bb4 crotale, bass bow, celeste
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Winternacht
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Vibraphone, snare drum
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Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) xylophone, 3 bongos (low/med/high), whip, small orchestral bass drum, 2 suspended cymbals (high and medium), piccolo snare drum, Eb & E nat car horns, log drum high, glockenspiel (shared), 3 wood blocks (identical to P3) 2) 2 orchestral bass drums (medium and large), lion’s roar, tubular bells Fnat and F#, medium suspended cymbal, glockenspiel (shared), marimba (shared), medium maracas, high claves, sistrum, spring coil 3) high anvil, large orchestral bass drum, vibraphone, tam tam, 2 pairs maracas (high and low), marimba (shared), guiro, 3 wood blocks (identical to P1), medium claves
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Lied in Fall
No Timpani + 1 percussion
Vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, 2 octaves crotales, orchestral bass drum, tam tam, 2 tom toms, zanza
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