Stewart Copeland, former drummer for the Police, “has spent the better part of his career as a composer for film and television and, more recently, as a writer of operas, ballets, and various other orchestral pieces,” writes Jeff Miers in Friday’s (10/21) Buffalo News (N.Y.). “One of those pieces, ‘Tyrant’s Crush,’ is a vibrant, percussion-driven conception which Copeland will perform Oct. 28 and 29 with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.… Q: Why is it so rare for composers to incorporate drum kit into orchestral works? A: Well, first of all, it’s too loud.… [But] if … there is space for the drums within that much softer, yet full and powerful dynamic of the orchestra, then the result can be beautiful.… Q: Do … any … orchestra members … think of you as merely a ‘rock’ guy? A: Once they know that I’m there to work … it’s not hard to engage with orchestras, because they love music, and they’re there because they’re great musicians.” The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra gave the world premiere of Tyrant’s Crush in 2015; other orchestras performing it include the Saint Paul Civic Symphony (Minnesota), San Antonio Symphony (Texas), and New West Symphony (California).
Posted October 26, 2016
