Simon Hanes: GARGANTUA

Enjoy what you see? Please ’like’ this video and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Every ’like’ and subscribe helps us continue to provide high quality, accessible content. Thank you so much for your support. View our full calendar of events: Support us here: __________ GARGANTUA is an epic new composition of bombastic extremes for a large ensemble consisting of three drum sets, three electric basses, three trombones, three french horns, and three voices — by Simon Hanes (Tredici Bacci). The title of the work is inspired by Rabelais’ 16th century pentalogy Gargantua and Pantagruel. The compositional strategy is also inspired by the Icelandic sagas, Finnish, Celtic, Welsh and Greek mythology, medieval brass music, renaissance polyphony, Ukrainian trembita music, the long horns of Tibet, Scottish pipe & drum music, 70s hard rock, American minimalism and turn of the century European avant-garde music. The ensemble’s instrumentation is designed to capture and provide maximum possibility for new heights of epicness, volume, and extremity — both terrifying and explosively joyous. Drum sets and electric basses will provide the rhythmic and tonal foundation & backbone for the work; trombones and french horns will express the gamut of cultural references in the piece — the clarion call of Nordic battles; and the voices are fundamentally representative of the human condition. Simon Hanes composer/conductor isabel crespo-pardo - voice Priya Carlberg - voice Jolee Gordon - voice Jen Baker - principal trombone Colin Babcock - trombone Jacob Garchik - trombone Kevin Newton - principal horn Blair Hamrick - horn Noah Fotis - horn Trevor Dunn - electric bass Jesse Heasly - electric bass Anna Abondolo - electric bass Matt Bent - drumset Jonathan Starks - drumset Kevin Murray - drumset --- This performance is presented live in Roulette’s theater in Downtown Brooklyn. Roulette’s mission is to support artists creating new and adventurous art in all disciplines by providing them with a venue and resources to realize their creative visions and to build an audience interested in the evolution of experimental art.