For piano and percussion, includes score and parts.
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Review from Percussive Notes:
As a former professor of composition at the University of Southern California, Ernest Kanitz’s collection of works is vast, with “Magic Dance” representing a snapshot of percussion as it was establishing a voice alongside choreography, similar to the experiments of John Cage, also in California at the time. Unlike many of Cage’s works, “Magic Dance” does not make intricate use of rhythm and it is not a complex piece. For a piece with the word “dance” in its title, it features very little syncopation in either the piano or percussion parts. The percussion part in particular never deviates from a quarter note and is tasked almost exclusively with maintaining the pulse while outlining the dynamic range of the piece. While not flashy, the simplicity of “Magic Dance” would make it very straightforward to put together in situations with limited rehearsal time.
Technical simplicity aside, Kanitz’s piece approaches percussion as an instrumental voice worthy of consideration alongside the piano and choreography, even if it is as a novelty. At the same time, the percussionist is not treated as a simple noise maker. The percussion part is given three timbres that are treated to various dynamic markings, articulations, and shifts in tempo. While this pairing is not uncommon to our contemporary ears, it would have likely been more striking in 1947 when the piece was commissioned by Lilian Harmel.
This reissue has been edited by Ron Coulter and is affordably packaged by Media Press Publications, making a performance accessible and affordable. At around 3. minutes, “Magic Dance” is well suited for a high school solo percussionist but would also be a welcome addition, as a historical insight, on any recital as originally conceived with choreography.
—Quintin Mallette
