Doppelgänger is a solo for timpani which utilizes a multipercussion setup of concert toms, woodblock, sizzle cymbal, and wind gong. It is an ideal selection for percussionists looking to perform a dramatic and virtuosic timpani solo that weaves new timbres and interesting patterns of coordination.
Kirk J. Gay composed and dedicated this piece to his good friend John W. Parks IV, Associate Professor of Percussion at Florida State University (seen in the video performance of the piece).
This piece ships as a printed, professionally bound folio with a full-color cover.
Performed by Dr. John W. Parks IV
Inspired by the idea of a doppelgänger being a "ghostly twin or double that can haunt a person," this piece presents an interesting juxtaposition of pitched and non-pitched instruments. A setup diagram is provided, lending a great deal of idiomatic ease to the performer. Additionally, the piece is notated on two staves, with multiple percussion instruments on the upper and timpani on the lower. All instruments are clearly indicated by a notational key. While pedaling is required for the timpani part, pitch changes are not indicated in the score, leaving those decisions up to the performer.
The biggest challenge the performer faces is connecting the various sections in a seamless and organic way. Beginning with a slow, spacious opening,t he piece then shifts to a much faster tempo (which occupies the majority of the work) before slowing back into the mysterious sounds heard in the beginning. The piece closes with a "non-sequiter" interplay between the timpani rims and woodblock using chopsticks.
While interesting sonic material is presented throughout, a mature performer is required in order to render a performance that is not disjunctive or choppy, but rather conducive to the form of the overall piece.
–Jason Baker
Percussive Notes
Vol. 50, No. 4, July 2012
Doppelgänger is a solo for timpani which utilizes a multipercussion setup of concert toms, woodblock, sizzle cymbal, and wind gong. It is an ideal selection for percussionists looking to perform a dramatic and virtuosic timpani solo that weaves new timbres and interesting patterns of coordination.
Kirk J. Gay composed and dedicated this piece to his good friend John W. Parks IV, Associate Professor of Percussion at Florida State University (seen in the video performance of the piece).
This piece ships as a printed, professionally bound folio with a full-color cover.
Performed by Dr. John W. Parks IV
Inspired by the idea of a doppelgänger being a "ghostly twin or double that can haunt a person," this piece presents an interesting juxtaposition of pitched and non-pitched instruments. A setup diagram is provided, lending a great deal of idiomatic ease to the performer. Additionally, the piece is notated on two staves, with multiple percussion instruments on the upper and timpani on the lower. All instruments are clearly indicated by a notational key. While pedaling is required for the timpani part, pitch changes are not indicated in the score, leaving those decisions up to the performer.
The biggest challenge the performer faces is connecting the various sections in a seamless and organic way. Beginning with a slow, spacious opening,t he piece then shifts to a much faster tempo (which occupies the majority of the work) before slowing back into the mysterious sounds heard in the beginning. The piece closes with a "non-sequiter" interplay between the timpani rims and woodblock using chopsticks.
While interesting sonic material is presented throughout, a mature performer is required in order to render a performance that is not disjunctive or choppy, but rather conducive to the form of the overall piece.
–Jason Baker
Percussive Notes
Vol. 50, No. 4, July 2012