The Song of Queztecoatl - Revision history

Admin at 01:41, 23 January 2026

2026-01-23T01:41:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:41, 22 January 2026
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	~~[[Image:changethistothecomposername.jpg\|right\|thumb\|250px\|Composer Name]]~~
	[[Lou Harrison]]		[[Lou Harrison]]

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	[[Category:Percussion Ensemble Works]]		[[Category:Percussion Ensemble Works]]
	[[Category:Percussion Quartet Works]]		[[Category:Percussion Quartet Works]]
			[[Category:Drummy Works]]



	<!-- Don't forget to add categories, literature, instruments, history, pedagogy, sticks, etc. Also delete the Template category. To see what categories are available, see: http://www.tekpercussion.com/Special:Categories -->		<!-- Don't forget to add categories, literature, instruments, history, pedagogy, sticks, etc. Also delete the Template category. To see what categories are available, see: http://www.tekpercussion.com/Special:Categories -->
	<!-- Don't forget to add categories, such as overtures, symphonies, etc., and also add the grade of the work. -->		<!-- Don't forget to add categories, such as overtures, symphonies, etc., and also add the grade of the work. -->

Admin at 02:49, 1 December 2017

2017-12-01T02:49:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:49, 30 November 2017
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	'''Publisher''': [[MFP]] <br /-->		'''Publisher''': [[MFP]] <br /-->
	'''Cost''': Score and Parts - $12.50<br /-->		'''Cost''': Score and Parts - $12.50<br /-->

	~~==Movements==~~

	<!-- Enter the title and duration of individual movements. Make sure the movements are listed by number, and use a line break <nowiki>( <br /> )</nowiki> at the end of each line. If this is a single movement work, please delete the entire category. You may delete this text once this is done. -->


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	==Recent Performances==		==Recent Performances==

	{{performances}}		{{performances}}<br>
			Emporia State University Percussion Ensemble - November 29, 2017 - Albert Taylor Concert Hall - "Doomsday" Concert<br>
	<!-- Enter any recent performances, but leave the above template to encourage further submissions. You may delete this text once this is done. -->		<!-- Enter any recent performances, but leave the above template to encourage further submissions. You may delete this text once this is done. -->

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	<references/>		<references/>

	[[Category:Percussion Quartet]]		[[Category:Historical Works]]
			[[Category:Percussion Ensemble Works]]
			[[Category:Percussion Quartet Works]]

	<!-- Don't forget to add categories, literature, instruments, history, pedagogy, sticks, etc. Also delete the Template category. To see what categories are available, see: http://www.tekpercussion.com/Special:Categories -->		<!-- Don't forget to add categories, literature, instruments, history, pedagogy, sticks, etc. Also delete the Template category. To see what categories are available, see: http://www.tekpercussion.com/Special:Categories -->
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Admin at 05:49, 29 April 2013

2013-04-29T05:49:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:49, 29 April 2013
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	<br /-->		<br /-->
	<br /-->		<br /-->
	~~[[Reference]]~~		== References ==
			<references/>

	[[Category:Percussion Quartet]]		[[Category:Percussion Quartet]]

Admin at 05:49, 29 April 2013

2013-04-29T05:49:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:49, 29 April 2013
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	<br /-->		<br /-->
	<br /-->		<br /-->
			[[Reference]]

	[[Category:Percussion Quartet]]		[[Category:Percussion Quartet]]

Admin: /* Program Notes */

2013-04-29T05:48:17Z

Program Notes

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:48, 29 April 2013
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	== Program Notes ==		== Program Notes ==
			This is a dramatic, striking composition, historical in the development of the percussion orchestra. It is one of the first pieces for such an ensemble set in the form of a "character piece," a composition with an extramusical association to give it point and atmosphere. It thereby transcended an arguable weakness in Harrison's percussion music till then, a tendency towards abstraction. This work, in contrast to his earlier pieces, is immediate, visceral, and clear in form and construction.

			Lou Harrison (born in 1917 in Portland, OR) became a percussion ensemble pioneer partly by necessity -- he could make money writing for modern dance companies and use of percussion overcame problems of lack of space and shortage of money -- and partly by his own predilection. He had become enamored of the many ethnic musics that were available for free or cheaply in San Francisco around 1940 and collected ethnic musical instruments, including percussion, which he supplemented by things found in junk yards (e.g. brake drums and wash tubs) that proved to have good musical qualities.

			He recalls that there was a strong interest in California at the time about the history and cultures of Mexico. He came to own a full-color reproduction of materials from Mexican codices. Harrison found the color reproductions fascinating, and decided to write music concerning the life of Quetzalcoatl, the "feathered serpent" hero-god depicted in some of the pages in his book. He was also inspired by a film he had seen, pioneering the idea of using a movie camera to sweep across art works and editing pictures of paintings together to the accompaniment of soundtrack music. Although there was no particular film project involved here, Harrison imagined the music he might write for such a treatment of the Mexican images.

			The ensemble for Song of Quetzalcoatl is a nicely balanced ensemble of drums, Mexican instruments, and metallophones, including some of his "junk" and Chinese instruments. The instrumentation is bells, wood blocks, dragon's mouths, sistrum, cowbells, suspended or muted brake-drums, wooden rattle, snare drum, guiro (a Mexican rasp), wind-glass, triangle, gongs, tam-tam, tom-toms, and a very low bass drum.

			It is between six and seven minutes long and begins with a memorable percussion pattern that is the unifying thread of the whole piece. It has the quality of a procession or ritual, particularly in the first portions of the composition. The ending, which is hushed, has an awestruck, magical quality. - Joseph Stevenson<ref>http://www.allmusic.com/composition/song-of-quetzalcoatl-for-4-percussionists-mc0002411601</ref>

	<!-- Enter program notes...if there are none, enter this: {{help}} You may delete this text once this is done. -->		<!-- Enter program notes...if there are none, enter this: {{help}} You may delete this text once this is done. -->


	==Awards==		==Awards==

Admin: /* General Info */

2012-06-14T07:28:33Z

General Info

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	'''Duration''': c. 6'<br /-->		'''Duration''': c. 6'<br /-->
	'''Difficulty''': 4 (see [[Ratings]] for explanation)<br /-->		'''Difficulty''': 4 (see [[Ratings]] for explanation)<br /-->
	'''Publisher''':[[MFP]] <br /-->		'''Publisher''': [[MFP]] <br /-->
	'''Cost''': Score and Parts - $12.50<br /-->		'''Cost''': Score and Parts - $12.50<br /-->

Admin: /* General Info */

2012-06-14T07:28:20Z

General Info

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:28, 14 June 2012
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	'''Duration''': c. 6'<br /-->		'''Duration''': c. 6'<br /-->
	'''Difficulty''': 4 (see [[Ratings]] for explanation)<br /-->		'''Difficulty''': 4 (see [[Ratings]] for explanation)<br /-->
	'''Publisher''': ~~Music for Percussion~~ <br /-->		'''Publisher''':[[MFP]] <br /-->
	'''Cost''': Score and Parts - $12.50<br /-->		'''Cost''': Score and Parts - $12.50<br /-->

Admin at 15:57, 4 November 2011

2011-11-04T15:57:42Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:57, 4 November 2011
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	[[Image:changethistothecomposername.jpg\|right\|thumb\|250px\|Composer Name]]		[[Image:changethistothecomposername.jpg\|right\|thumb\|250px\|Composer Name]]
	[[Harrison~~, Lou~~]]		[[Lou Harrison]]

	<!-- fill in the name of the file (it can be a .jpg or a .gif) as well as the composer's name in the fields above. You may delete this text once this is done.-->		<!-- fill in the name of the file (it can be a .jpg or a .gif) as well as the composer's name in the fields above. You may delete this text once this is done.-->

Admin at 13:32, 4 November 2011

2011-11-04T13:32:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:32, 4 November 2011
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	[[Image:changethistothecomposername.jpg\|right\|thumb\|250px\|Composer Name]]		[[Image:changethistothecomposername.jpg\|right\|thumb\|250px\|Composer Name]]
	[[~~Full Composer Name~~]]		[[Harrison, Lou]]

	<!-- fill in the name of the file (it can be a .jpg or a .gif) as well as the composer's name in the fields above. You may delete this text once this is done.-->		<!-- fill in the name of the file (it can be a .jpg or a .gif) as well as the composer's name in the fields above. You may delete this text once this is done.-->
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	== General Info ==		== General Info ==

	'''Year''': <br /-->		'''Year''': 1941<br /-->
	'''Duration''': c. <br /-->		'''Duration''': c. 6'<br /-->
	'''Difficulty''': (see [[Ratings]] for explanation)<br /-->		'''Difficulty''': 4 (see [[Ratings]] for explanation)<br /-->
	'''Publisher''': <br /-->		'''Publisher''': Music for Percussion <br /-->
	'''Cost''': Score and Parts - $~~0.00   \|   Score Only - $0~~.00<br /-->		'''Cost''': Score and Parts - $12.50<br /-->

	==Movements==		==Movements==
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	== Instrumentation ==		== Instrumentation ==

	<!-- ~~Make sure you use a line break <nowiki~~>( <br /> )</~~nowiki~~> ~~at the end of each line to achieve the desired effect~~ (~~a vertical list, view any composition page for an example~~)~~. If you do not know the instrumentation~~, ~~you can enter {{help}} instead. You may delete this text once this is done.~~-->		Player I: [[water glass]]es (5), [[woodblock]]s (5), [[sistrum]]s<br /-->
			Player II: [[cowbell]]s (5), [[brake drum]]s (5), [[wooden rattle]]<br /-->
			Player III: [[snare drum]], [[guiro]], [[glass wind chime]]s, [[triangle]], [[gong]], [[tam-tam]]<br /-->
			Player IV: [[tom-tom]]s (5), [[bass drum]]<br /-->

	== Errata ==		== Errata ==
			{{none}}
	~~<!-- Enter errata...if there is none, enter this:~~ {{none}} ~~You may delete this text once this is done.-->~~


	== Program Notes ==		== Program Notes ==
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	[[Category:~~Templates~~]]		[[Category:Percussion Quartet]]

	<!-- Don't forget to add categories, literature, instruments, history, pedagogy, sticks, etc. Also delete the Template category. To see what categories are available, see: http://www.tekpercussion.com/Special:Categories -->		<!-- Don't forget to add categories, literature, instruments, history, pedagogy, sticks, etc. Also delete the Template category. To see what categories are available, see: http://www.tekpercussion.com/Special:Categories -->
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Admin: /* Works for Percussion by this Composer */

2011-11-04T12:22:02Z

Works for Percussion by this Composer

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:22, 4 November 2011
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	== Works for Percussion by this Composer ==		== Works for Percussion by this Composer ==
			{{harrisonworks}}
	<!-- Enter the composer's other works for percussion. You may delete this text once this is done. -->		<!-- Enter the composer's other works for percussion. You may delete this text once this is done. -->


	== Additional Resources ==		== Additional Resources ==