II. Shivaree

HK Gruber's Concerto for percussion and orchestra. In medieval France, as an expression of discontentment about people whose behaviour endangered the laws of society, a 'serenade' was performed, a cacaphony of sounds, a 'charivari'.The English ''rough music' or 'skimmity riding' is in Germany called 'Katzenmusik, in France, Canada and Louisiana 'shivaree', and the Basques call it 'toberac', a social custom, a ritual that involves a a primitive percussive rhythm, a specific sound image. The discovery of this folk custom came to influence Gruber's approach to the percussion concerto: "It seemed to me that an analogy between the energy to be used in the concerto and that which has assured the longevity of the folk custom should be presented in musical terms".
International Record Review: outstanding.