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In the concert series Le Conseil des arts de Montréal en tournée during the 2010-2011 season, Sixtrum will present Aikea - Cinq Chansons pour percussion by Claude Vivier in a new version orchestrated for 6 percussionists.

Originally writen for solo percussion, this beautifull work was subsequently transcribed for percussion ensemble by Montreal percussionist Pierre Béluse, and this is the version that will be performed by Sixtrum.

Having a work originally composed for one player performed by six can bring a few interpretation problems.  One cas eadily understand that a soloist has a greater level of freedom that a group of six.

Getting back to its original version, Cinq chansons pour percussion was composed in 1980, for a comimission by Toronto percussionist David Kent. Like many of his later works, Claude Vivier never heard Cinq chansons in concert. A few details are still imprecise: did Vivier suggest an alternate instrumentation, as David Kent suggest? (the original version is written for traditional indonesian instruments). Some of the songs' titles changed between the sketches and the final version.

To help us better understand the piece's origin, I had the privilege to talk with David Kent, for whom the work was written. Here is the recording of this conversationi.
 

About David Kent

David Kent has been Principal Timpanist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 1981 and Orchestra Personnel Manager since 1987. He was born and raised in central Toronto, and he began playing drums after a strong dose of Frank Sinatra in his childhood. Upon his discovery of the Timpani, he felt drawn to explore the world of percussion, not only of western culture, but of the many non-western cultures in which percussion is a central force. He received his Bachelors and Masters Degree in Performance and Ethnomusicology from the University of Toronto. During his studies with such teachers as Timpanist Fred Hinger and South Indian Mrdangam virtuoso Trichy Sankaran, David traveled the globe and collected a vast number of instruments from various cultures. He went on to commission and record many new works for solo percussion from composers such as Claude Vivier, Henry Kucharzyk and John Hawkins. In addition he has appeared as soloist with the National Youth Orchestra, the World Philharmonic Orchestra and The Toronto Symphony Orchestra and he has directed several chamber music series in Toronto such as Array Music. At various times, he has also contracted many interesting musical projects such as those for the Three Tenors and many video and television recordings.