For 6 unspecified instruments, eight parade drummers, conductor & tape A cry for peace and understanding from a decade of turmoil, this dramatic work for percussion ensemble illuminates the anger and frustration felt during the antiwar riots of 1969-70. Six costumed drummers march onto the stage where they assume the roles of multi-percussion soloists. Later they return from the grave to mock the commercial world. Graphic scores. Variable instrumentation. Duration: ca 15'
Review from Percussive Notes:
Understanding
Michael Udow
Composed in 1970, Michael Udow’s “Understanding” is very much a piece of theater, more so than a traditional concert work. Although the stage is utilized (including the lowering of the orchestra pit), it is not for musical reasons, but instead serves as a setting for this experience.
To describe the elements involved in a playby- play fashion would be to give away some of the surprise and ownership inherent to discovering the best way to bring this piece to life. Suffice it to say that, in order to program this work, you will need the following: six soloists, at least eight parade drummers, one conductor, costumes, a lighting operator, a hand gun and rifle filled with blanks, four antiphonal speakers for tape playback, seven basketballs, and a sense of adventure and responsibility to the intent of the work.
There is a political slant to this work, and several moments of extreme emotional intensity (including firing of a gun loaded with blanks at various participants in the piece). The six soloists perform from a sheet of graphic notation, and can play any instrument, so the potential exists for collaboration with colleagues outside of the world of percussion. Everything seems quite intentional by the composer, and the practical aspects of performance appear to be well-planned.
A performance of this work will stand out on any program, and it should be considered for those wanting to explore the boundaries between music and theater, or otherwise push performers or listeners out of their comfort zone.
—Jamie Wind Whitmarsh, 2020
