INTERVIEW A Conversation with Viet Cuong, Benjamin Pouncey, cont. effect work a little better. That's
Viet Cuong: Similar to the way my
like to play. Either that, or I just
why all the intervals between the
compositional voice has become
feel the sound of them is tired and
notes in the opening of Vital Sines
more focused over the years, the
that they've been used so much
are sixths or fifths. I could have
way I write for percussion has
they are not as interesting to me.
closed the voicing but it wouldn’t
become more focused as well. In
An example of this is snare drum.
have sounded as interesting. In
terms of writing for percussion
Unless I'm using snare drum in a
that case, the voicing is tied to the
instruments, I always try to get
specific way—such as in Re(new)
effect.
as much as I can out of a select
al where it's part of a drum set,
group of instruments that I choose
or in Vital Sines where it's literally
Are there other compositional
to use in a piece. In a piece like
part of a drum set, or in Sound and
throughlines you have noticed in
Sound and Smoke I think there is
Smoke, there's a segment where
your music?
a moment where I used sleigh
I wanted a boom-chick sound—I
bells shaken for six measure, or
otherwise don't use snare drum. I
Viet Cuong: I would say triadic
something like that, and I don't use
think part of that is because, how
harmony. It’s something I have
them again. (laughs) It’s sort of this
many middle and high school
always loved. If I ever use seventh
youthful discretion in thinking,
band pieces do we have that use
chords I'm really judicious about it.
“there's so many great percussion
some sort of snare and bass drum
There is something about triads I
instruments. I love this sound of
motor? That sound is so tired and
find beautiful and pure in a certain
rolled triangle with sleigh bells, it's
it automatically makes the piece
way. I think maybe in a couple
really jangly and really cool”—and
sound like it’s written for a specific
years I'll graduate to using seventh
it is a cool sound—but now if I were
purpose—and I don't like that about
chords. Maybe by the time I'm
to do that, I would think, “I need
it.
old I’ll be up to eleventh chords
to use these sleigh bells again,
and just stop there. (laughs) The
what can I do with them? What
opening of Sound and Smoke is
other sounds can I make? What
much at all. I used it recently in
overlapping triads. Vital Sines also
else can I combine them with?”
my double oboe concerto, but
uses triads but one note changes at
Now if I decide to use crotales, for
that's because it sounds great with
a time to create suspensions and
example, I'm going to divide them
harpsichord—using xylophone
chords move down by step one
up between six people and create
like continuo. Otherwise, I don't
note at a time. There are probably
different effects with them. That's
really like it because it sticks
other throughlines as well—for
one way writing for percussion has
out too much—and also maybe
example, I've always loved the use
changed.
because in the marching band
of metallic percussion—but I would
front ensemble I was always In some other ways, it has
the xylophone player. (laughs)
somewhat stayed the same. I don't
What I love about marimba and
know if you’ve noticed, there are
vibraphone is that, on some level,
Being a percussionist, how have
certain instruments I don't use
they are neutral instruments and,
you approached writing for
a lot for the percussion section.
almost like piano, they can blend
percussion instruments over the
I think this has to do with being
really well with other things—so
course of your career?
a percussionist growing up and
when you hear a marimba and
there were just instruments I didn't
vibraphone, you don’t think, “that's
say triadic harmony is probably one of the biggest.
68
I also don't use xylophone very
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