Damn

John Mackey

General Info

Year: 1998
Duration: c. 4:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Osti Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $90.00   |   Score Only - $0.00

Instrumentation

Clarinet Amplified

Player I: 4 Toms
Player II: 2 Roto-toms, Snare Drum, China Cymbal, Crash Cymbal, Brake Drum or Steel Pipe
Player III: Bass Drum
Player IV: Timpani

Program Notes

Commissioned by BattleWorks Premiered May 1998. Pace Downtown Theater, New York, NY. Choreographed by Robert Battle.

This work was my first collaboration with choreographer Robert Battle. Robert's request was for a short, dark, rhythmic, angry piece, and this was the result. It was great fun to write, although I failed to consider that whatever rhythms I wrote would have to be learned not only by the musicians, but by the dancer. (Robert's choreography is extremely musical, and nearly every movement matches the music.) This piece is a short, exhausting virtuosic trip for both the solo clarinet and the solo dancer. If you listen closely to the very end of the live recording, you'll actually hear the dancer gasp her last breath before collapsing to the floor. Robert is pretty dramatic.

This work was used by the United States Synchronized Swim Team this year at The Olympics in Athens. They won the Bronze medal!

Damn is an exciting and energetic work for clarinet and percussion quartet. With the fast paced, tempo and heavy use of mixed meter the title says it all.

Recent Performances

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Works for Percussion by this Composer

Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra (Mackey) - Multiple Percussion; Orchestra
Damn - Percussion Quartet; Clarinet (Amplified)
Drum Music - Multiple Percussion; Wind Ensemble
Juba - Multiple Percussion; String Quartet
Mass (Mackey) - Percussion Sextet; Dance opt.