The Cambridge Companion to Percussion ed. by Russell Hartenberger (review)

The biggest decision when compiling a book like The Cambridge Companion to Percussion is not what to include, but what to leave out. Percussion instruments are found in cultures around the world and throughout history, from ancient instruments of stone, wood, and skin, to modern tambourines with hand-hammered beryllium copper jingles. In addition, there are a few venerable percussion resources that are essential to the library shelf. The book closest in approach to this volume is John H. Beck's Encyclopedia of Percussion (2d ed. [New York: Routledge, 2007]), which includes contributed articles on instruments and genres of percussion music. While those articles describe and define, The Cambridge Companion to Percussion takes a more expansive perspective. Editor Russell Hartenberger selected articles "representative of the growing significance of percussion and rhythm in Western music" (p. 3). In doing so he brings together topics that may be unfamiliar even to some percussionists, despite the larger concepts that link them together.

The book is divided into seven parts on specific themes (orchestral music, composition, world percussion, etc.), each containing two to four chapters. The contributing authors are active performers, writers, and scholars—all percussionists—who reflect the diverse specialties within this subject area.

Hartenberger uses the first chapter, "Timpani Traditions and Beyond," to follow the history of modern orchestral performance practice and pedagogy of the timpani from its nineteenth-century origins to the present. Much as other instruments have their lineage in national schools of playing, percussionists can trace their antecedents to individuals who continue to influence players in technique and philosophy. William L. Cahn's chapter on orchestral percussion sets out the responsibilities of the twenty-first century player who must go beyond simply playing the notes and develop a broader set of skills to succeed as a contemporary professional musician.

Part two on "The Development of Percussion Instruments" opens with William Moersch's outline of the advancement of the marimba in the twentieth century. He focuses on notable performers and landmark solo works, while also identifying improvements in equipment and technique that influenced the music, and vice versa. The repertoire cited here is a study guide for any aspiring artist or interested listener. It is somewhat surprising, however, that Clair Omar Musser's other work as a performer, composer, instrument designer, and developer of the marimba grip that bears his name is not recognized in this chapter.

In "Instrumental Ingredients," Garry Kvistad relates his personal exploration of percussion acoustics through performance and experiments in instrument construction. His explanations of how percussion instruments create sound are an excellent introduction to this field. Rick Mattingly puts a human face on "The Percussion Industry" by telling the stories of individuals who became leading manufacturers of percussion instruments. This fascinating look behind the factory door shows that the needs of the players themselves drove most innovations. In "Virtual Drumming," his detailed history of electronic percussion instruments, Thomas Brett reveals some surprising musical issues in their development, such as the initial tendency to strip the human element from electronic sound, which was later reversed in an attempt to restore the feel and soul of a musician back into the digital performance.

Part three contains articles about the varied performing lives of percussionists. Adam Sliwinski of the ensemble Sō Percussion describes John Cage's Third Construction as a touchstone that influenced both performers and composers of music for percussion chamber groups. Aiyun Huang's essay plucks percussion from the concert stage and embeds it in the medium of dance and theater. Because percussionists interact with their instruments through gestures and actions, it is a natural companion to other visual arts. Huang explains the parameters of this "percussion theater" (p. 128) repertoire and then examines several works in the genre.

Part four, on "Composing Music for Percussion Instruments," includes chapters by two performer/composers and one composer/performer. Bob Becker...