“Whisper” isn’t a word that usually springs to mind when one thinks of percussion, but with his diverse program “Whisper(s)” Eighth Blackbird percussionist Matthew Duvall actively explores quiet sounds and textures. He’s still willing to pound away on a piece like the ultraprecise and melodic “Binge Delirium” by Yu-Hui Chang, or Matthew Burtner’s “Broken Drum,” which gives a car’s discarded brake drum a workout while high-pitched electronics enhance the rapid thrum of a stick beating the inside, the player’s other hand damping the sounds.…
“Whisper” isn’t a word that usually springs to mind when one thinks of percussion, but with his diverse program “Whisper(s)” Eighth Blackbird percussionist Matthew Duvall actively explores quiet sounds and textures. He’s still willing to pound away on a piece like the ultraprecise and melodic “Binge Delirium” by Yu-Hui Chang, or Matthew Burtner’s “Broken Drum,” which gives a car’s discarded brake drum a workout while high-pitched electronics enhance the rapid thrum of a stick beating the inside, the player’s other hand damping the sounds.…