Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel

A performance of Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel

Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel (With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles) (2000) is a song cycle in seven movements by the composer György Ligeti based on poetry by Sándor Weöres. The work is scored for mezzo-soprano and an unusual ensemble of percussion and wind instruments (including, in some songs, slide whistles and harmonicas). The lyrics are whimsical and often nonsensical, sometimes combining random Hungarian words or parts of words into a nonsense language.^[1]

One of Ligeti's last works, it represents a synthesis of folk and avant-garde elements typical of his later compositions.^[1]

Instrumentation

• Mezzo-soprano
• 4 percussionists, playing the following instruments:
  • triangle, crotales (suspended), pair of cymbals (high, with a coughing sound), cymbal with the sound of a broken pot, 2 suspended cymbals (high/low), tam-tam or gong (as low as possible), 2 cowbells (one dull, the other lower), Japanese bell (high), Japanese temple bells (Rin) (tuned), Burmese gongs (tuned), tubular bells, 3 different snare drums, 2 rototoms (high), bongo or conga (tuned), 3 bongos, tambourine, 2 tom-toms (one of which low but not resonant), log drum, wood drum (with muffled sound), low slit drum, 2 bass drums (medium and low), 4 temple blocks, woodblock, sandpaper blocks, claves, castanets, Japanese wooden rattle, sistrum, chimes (unpitched), maraca, ratchet, guiro, vibraslap, large whip, 2 slide whistles, railway whistle (or signal whistle), 2 police whistles (rather high/as high as possible), 2 siren whistles, metal pipe, sopranino ocarina in F, 2 soprano ocarinas in C, 3 recorders (descant, treble, tenor), 4 Hohner M270 chromonicas, lion's roar, 2 flexatones, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, 2 marimbas, bass marimba.

The percussion disposition for the seven movements is as follows:

I. Fabula

• 1. 1st Marimba, 1st slide whistle, 1st siren whistle, side drum, descant recorder
• 2. 2nd Marimba, 2nd slide whistle, 2nd siren whistle, small side drum, treble recorder
• 3. Bass marimba, 1st flexatone, 1st marimba, Burmese gong in F sharp, tenor recorder
• 4. Medium and low bass drums, 2nd flexatone, lion's roar, 2nd marimba, tam-tam, cymbal with the sound of a broken pot

II. Táncdal

• 1. 2 Police whistles, log drum, tom-tom, small pair of cymbals (with coughing sound), ratchet, castanets, wood drum (with muffled sound), guiro, railway whistle, vibraslap, slide whistle, sandpaper blocks, 2 cowbells, tambourine, siren whistle, 2 rototoms, tuned bongo or conga, low slit drum, 4 temple blocks (tuned), low cymbal (bowed)
• 2. 1st marimba, sopranino ocarina in F
• 3. 2nd marimba, 1st soprano ocarina in C
• 4. Bass marimba, 2nd soprano ocarina in C

III. Kínai templom

• 1. Rin, glockenspiel
• 2. Burmese gongs, crotales
• 3. Tubular bells
• 4. Vibraphone

IV. Kuli

• 1. Xylophone
• 2. 1st marimba
• 3. 2nd marimba
• 4. Bass marimba

V. Alma álma

• 1. 1st Chromonica in C
• 2. 2nd Chromonica in B flat
• 3. 3rd Chromonica in C
• 4. 4th Chromonica in B flat

VI. Keserédes (67. Magyar Etüd)

• 1. Claves, sopranino ocarina in F
• 2. 3 different snare drums and tom-tom, 1st soprano ocarina in C
• 3. Vibraphone
• 4. Bass marimba, 2nd soprano ocarina in C

VII. Szajkó

• 1. Maraca, bass drum, tambourine, Japanese wood rattle, castanets, wood block, sistrum, chimes (unpitched), metal bar, guiro, small Japanese bell, tom-tom, 2 police whistles, railway whistle, triangle, 4 temple blocks, 2 different side drums, small suspended cymbal, lion's roar, big whip
• 2. 4 bongos (tuned ad lib)
• 3. Xylophone
• 4. Marimba

References

1. Service, Tom (27 August 2012). "A guide to György Ligeti's music". The Guardian. Retrieved February 5, 2016.