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Konzertstück for Snare Drum and Orchestra (1982)
Askell Masson (b. 1953)
Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Askell Masson began his musical studies on the clarinet at the age of 8. He recalls, “My father loved music without being a musician though, surprisingly, when he was young he had wanted to write a symphony! He owned an extensive collection of records and scores, and it was these that gave me my knowledge of music and taught me how to read it.”
Masson subsequently studied percussion at the Reykjavik Conservatory of Music and took private lessons with percussionist James Blades in London. From 1973 through 1975 he worked as composer and percussionist with the ballet corps of the National Theater of Iceland, prior to becoming a producer at the music department of the Icelandic Radio from 1978 to 1983.
Since 1983 Masson has devoted himself exclusively to composition, serving as Secretary-in-Chief of the Society of Icelandic Composers (1983 - 1985) and as President of the STEF (society for artists' royalties—similar to our ASCAP) until 1999.
Largely self-taught, Masson appears to divide his time between periods of intense activity, working in Europe exploring all types of music including jazz and contemporary rock, after which he retreats to the isolation of Iceland to compose. He has written the following notes for the Konzertstück:
Introduced one month after its completion in September 1982 by Swedish percussionist Roger Carlsson as soloist with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gudmundur Emilson, this work has since been performed widely. Evelyn Glennie has in particular performed the work frequently with many of the finest orchestras including the symphony orchestras of Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati and abroad by the Royal Phiharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and many others.
The two main organizational elements that form the basis of this work are a rhythmic motive which spans over the meters 3/4, 3/4, 3/4, 2/4, 3/4, and a tone row that mirrors around its middle—A, C, D, E-flat, F, A-flat. This tone row is never transposed throughout the work.
Not recorded
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