Georges Bizet's opera 'Carmen' initially flopped at its 1875 premiere in Paris but later became a box-office sensation.
Compositional Technique
Avner Dorman's 'Udacrep Akubrad' has a humorous title that, when read backward, refers to the darbuka (a goblet drum) and the Israeli percussion duo Percadu, its dedicatees.
Interpretation
The Wave Quartet uses very heavy mallets that are considered 'soft' by other groups, allowing them to produce a warm, vibrant sound volume.
Interpretation
Bogdan Bacanu, a member of The Wave Quartet, believes that musicians should primarily be musicians, not percussionists, and that the instrument is merely a substitute for one's own voice.
Historical Context
Rodion Shchedrin's 'Carmen Suite', a full-length ballet score from 1967, was initially not well-received, similar to Bizet's original opera.
Interpretation
The Wave Quartet aims to explore an infinite variety of timbres and attacks, ranging from triple piano to triple forte, rather than orbiting a comfortable mezzoforte.
