normally be found. Kinkelder said that he had worked with the performers for several years and that he had learned all of the strengths of each performer. This was very clear in the performance: the ensemble was in complete unity, and there were no weak links in any way.
The piece featured large numbers of drums, three marimbas, two xylophones, gongs, oil drums, giant sawblades, and a visually-striking collection of wash basins on a table the entire width of the stage. Dramatic hits and silence began the work, slowly transitioning to mallet chords, with each instrument being performed by two players from opposite sides. Unison gestures were often employed, creating a powerful and commanding sound. The most striking element of the piece were the several minutes where all fifteen players stood at the front table, performing rhythms on tin cans, bus-boy bells, and gravel-filled basins. These instruments created sounds that I have never heard on a stage before: very refreshing. As the cloud of dust from the gravel began to wisp up into the ceiling, the drummers moved back to snare drums or mallet instruments.
By the end, all fifteen musicians were playing fifteen snare drums, and dramatic gestures closed the piece similar to how it opened. One surprise was that De Kinkelder instructed the conductor to bow to the audience before the final note of the piece causing quite a surprise for everyone in the audience.”