The Solo Percussion Music of
Franco Donatoni
By Tom De Cock, Vincent Caers and Kristin Van den Buys
Complexity of code, simplicity of result...difficulty
to know the nature of the code.
—Franco Donatoni1
F
ranco Donatoni composed two works
for solo percussion: “Omar” for vibra-
phone and “Mari” for marimba. In both
works—each containing two separate
parts numbered with Roman numerals I and
II—the composer writes in a strongly process-
based style. Furthermore, the resultant compo-
sitions are seemingly coherent and organic. By
analyzing both works thoroughly in the follow-
ing article, the authors point out how the com-
poser attains his resultant works. Some tools,
which emerged from the analysis, support the
practical elaboration and the interpretation of
the score. The authors are strongly persuaded
that this will improve practice efficiency as well
as accessibility to the repertoire in a signifi-
cant way. Additionally, a brief summation of
the empirical research conducted primarily by
Tom De Cock supporting a learning platform
to Donatoni’s solo percussion compositions is
provided.2
BIOGRAPHY3
Donatoni was born in Verona, Italy on June
9, 1927. He studied composition with Ettore
Desderi at the Guiseppe Verdi Conservatory
in Milano, Battista Martini in Bologna, and
Ildebrando Pizzetti at the Academia Nazio-
nale di S. Cecilia in Rome. He attended the
Internationalen Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in
Darmstadt, Germany in 1954, 1956, 1958, and
1961. As a violinist, he held an orchestral posi-
tion in Arena di Verona.
During his lifetime, Donatoni was honored
with multiple awards.4 In 1985 he received the
prestigious “Orde des Arts et des Lettres” from
the French Minister of Culture. He served
as composer in residence in Berlin after be-
ing invited by the Deutscher Akademischer
Austauschdienst. Additionally, he taught at the
conservatories of Bologna, Torino, and Milano
as well as at Accademia Chigiana in Sienna
and the Academia S. Cecilia in Rome. He con-
ducted master classes and seminars in Switzer-
land, France, Spain, Holland, Israel, Australia
(Italian Institute of Culture Melbourne), and
in the United States (University of California,
Berkeley). Compositions by Donatoni have
PERCUSSIVE NOTES 50 MARCH 2014
been published by Zanibon (Padua), Schott
(London), Boosey & Hawkes (London), Suvini
Zerboni (Milano) from 1958 until 1977, and
Casa Ricordi Milan since 1977. Donatoni died
on August 17, 2000.
COMPOSER CHARACTERISTICS
At the beginning of his composing career,
Donatoni was strongly influenced by Bela
Bartok, Paul Hindemith, and Igor Stravinsky.5
After meeting Bruno Maderna, he attended
the summer course at Darmstadt, where he
became acquainted with the serialism of Anton
Webern, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Pierre
Boulez. Strongly attracted by the music of John
Cage and the literature of Franz Kafka, he
became influenced by negativism. During this
time period, he became very depressed person-
ally, but musically intrigued with indeterminis-
tic compositional methods.6
After his depressed period ended in the mid
1970s, Donatoni rediscovered the importance
of the musical material itself and process-based
sequences. As a result, he returned to a rather
determined composition style. Although the
characteristics of the processes he used are
clearly tangible through his music, the process-
based writing is from this point on never obvi-
ously present, but rather hidden behind the
music.
Donatoni never looked upon composition
as “inventing” but more as “transforming,”
explaining that, “Composing for me means
actually inventing the process necessary for the
continuous transformation of the material.”7
The necessity of transformation results in pro-
cesses. Process and form are closely connected
and mainly emerge from the initial basic musi-
cal material. Donatoni’s compositions point to
two main processes: the mechanical process as
an external action and automatism as processes
that are inherent to the material.8
Starting from his basic musical material,
Donatoni worked out every composition thor-
oughly. He didn’t search for new sound possi-
bilities, but preferred to put the traditional into
a new context. The departure point was not the
sound itself; rather, it was the manipulation
of interval and rhythm. Donatoni considered
music as an elaboration that consisted of clear,
musical elements. As a composer, he keenly
utilized those elements for development and
transformation. Music is absolute; it doesn’t
express but carries expression inside itself.9
In regards to Donatoni’s compositional style,
there are four essential characteristics found in
his music attributed to the influence of Bartok’s
music10: 1. introduction of cells and organic
growth; 2. growth without development, con-
servation of the fragment; 3. juxtaposition of
the elements, mutation; no evolution; 4. stasis
of pulsation, continuity of tone.
Donatoni translated these characteristics in
his works by using specific processes, which
he calls “codes.”11 The different processes carry
inside them a tension between stability and
movement, which results into two composi-
tional characteristics: panels and filters.12
In panels certain musical elements or ideas
are conserved over a period of time. New pas-
sages emerge by combining panels in different
ways. In these passages the material doesn’t
evolve but is transformed by mutation. These
processes, of course, influence the formal orga-
nization of the piece not only on the surface,
but also on lower levels—for instance, in the
shaping of phrases and motives. All possible
musical elements—notes, pitch-class sets, in-
terval series, motives, orchestration, etc.—can
be part of a panel and subject to mutation.
Established musical material in filters can
undergo a gradual transformation by applying
codes. The filter, on the one hand, degrades
the musical material via gradual diminishing
processes. On the other hand, it can also work
in a constructive way by gradually building up
a new motive. Filters also often conduct the
disrupting of continuity; clear examples are
gradual changes in the length of musical rests
or the addition of rests into the music.
The combination of panels and filters leads
to a strongly process-based composition.
The process itself actually fades to the back-
ground—not only for the listener, but for the
interpreter as well. The music has an organic
and gradual character, which is nevertheless
routed in a clear, process-based processing.
Filters and panels both induce conservation of
the musical material as well as organic growth
within the composition, all for the purpose of
musical expression.
“MARI” FOR MARIMBA SOLO
The opening of “Mari” part I illustrates how
thematic material arises (see Figure 1). Two
cells emerge from two separated single notes
(F5 and C-sharp 3). They gradually build up
and succeed each other at an always decreasing
distance until there is only one sixteenth note
rest left. Both cells together form a figure in
counterpoint.
The next cell follows after a long pause and
consists of a combination of the two previous
counterpoint cells. The material of both cells is
alternately used in an ascending way. From this
emerges a series of intervals that is conserved
through the next cell. The direction is now
mostly descending.
The following cell is a perfect combination
of the two previous ones. These cells are com-
bined into one long descending line in which
every absolute pitch used in the previous cells
only occurs once. In the following cell, the
series of intervals of the long descending line is
turned around again.
The applied codes in the opening section
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
generate panels and filters that dialogue with
each other on a micro-level through the com-
position. The absolute pitches from the opening
section are conserved throughout the construc-
tion of the first synthesis-cell in the second
system. The two opening cells are thus panels
that reoccur.
The applied filter on those cells—the merg-
ing of the two cells—generates a new musical
element: a series of intervals that forms a panel
which reoccurs literally in the next cell. The
notes are nevertheless filtered following this
series of intervals in which some new notes oc-
cur.
The previously used pitches occur again in
the next cell as a panel. Through reorganiza-
tion, a new series of intervals is obtained, which
reoccurs as a panel in the next cell, this time as
a retrograde.
The counterpoint idea is strongly present
in the opening section using the dynamic ppp.
Every cell is clearly built up in an ascending or
descending way. Starting from the dynamic pp,
this changes to a more centrifugal approach of
the series of intervals.
A new succession of intervals is built from
the opening section material. The succession is
used throughout the following section of the
composition. Figure 2 shows this succession of
intervals and the first retrograde. The melody
still has an ascending tendency.
The succession of intervals and the ascend-
ing tendency are both used to create the panels
in the next section of the piece. A filter that
appears regularly in the works of Donatoni
is applied to the rhythmic structure, whereby
the established material becomes fragmented
by the continuous adding of (short) pauses
between the notes of the succession. This tech-
nique already appears in Figure 2 at the end of
the second series of intervals and is continued
until every note becomes an independent musi-
cal event.
The next filter combines two fragmented
series of intervals into one construction in two
voices. These new pitch combinations form the
panels in this next section of the composition.
The series of intervals used in the previous
section loose their importance and slowly fade
away, changing at the same time as the har-
monic material.
The combination of two fragmented series of
sixteenth notes and pauses has an asymmetric
course and makes multiple pauses disappear,
thus creating new possibilities for rhythmic
combinations. A new applied filter transforms
a number of sixteenth notes into grace notes.
Another filter, doubling diatonically connected
notes into two identical clusters, creates a
whole new pitch treatment for the work (see
Figure 3).
The alternating use of pitches and succes-
sions of intervals to create panels is continued
in the rest of part I of “Mari.” Previously ap-
plied filters also return to further enhance the
musical material. Where diatonic clusters are
built by doubling two consecutive notes in a
previous passage, now an inverted filter (break-
ing the clusters down) is applied to shaping the
musical material into a new phrase. By filtering
one of two notes out of the cluster, a new series
of intervals is created, functioning as a panel in
retrograde.
In the next filter, both phrases merge into
dyads. These dyads evolve into a new melody
by applying an inverted filter to them. This
melody forms again the series of intervals, now
in retrograde, working as the panel at the end
of part I of “Mari.”
The end of the first new melody after the
cluster passage is obtained by prolonging the
tail of this phrase using a filter. The last cell
obtained out of the filtering of the clusters
contains two components that prolong the
melody. The applied filter always uses the core
of those two components to achieve the end of
the phrase (see Figure 4).
PERCUSSIVE NOTES 51 MARCH 2014
 The second harmonization of “Mari” part I “Mari” part I, the dynamic range is exaggerated extensions of these chords. Every succession
applies a filter to some of the notes leading to with a big crescendo from ppp to ff, followed by concludes with a chord that has a marcato
an altered harmonization (i.e., a note written in a diminuendo to ppp. “Mari” part II increases accent and that is significantly longer. The
bass clef now appears as the same note read in in intensity from ppp to a tutta forza, as loud as non-accentuated extensions follow logically
treble clef (see Figure 5). possible. the accentuated chords (i.e., every following
The first two cells The basic material in part II of “Mari” con- note is, in fact, the next available note on the
are the correspond- sists of a series of dyads in the low register of keyboard in each of the four voices). The move-
Figure 5
ing passages in the the marimba. In the next period, a melody is ment is centripetal: Both upper voices move
melody leading to obtained by pulling the dyads or combination downwards while the lower voices move up-
dyads in the third of dyads out of each other and adding exten- wards.
cell. The first six- sions. The extensions mostly co-occur with an The duration of the marcato chords equals
teenth rest displayed axis or a mirror of the series of intervals that the number of chords that precede a particular
in the third cell cor- appear in the melody. marcato chord. For example, the first succes-
responds to the first In the third period, the extension goes on sion contains 11 chords. The following marcato
note of both previ- through a filter that alternately adds a semi- chord is worth 11 sixteenth notes in duration.
ous cells in Figure 5, tone and then two semi-tones. This extension The one exception in this filter from the open-
and is the result of a always starts with a semi-tone and goes on ing section is the second series of accentuated
filter that leads into until the distance to the next original note at a and non-accentuated chords. The duration of
fragmented rhythm. maximum of two semi-tones. In this extension, the marcato chord at the end of this succession
The second dyad the axis of the former period are still pres- equals only the second half of the series. The
(C-sharp 5, D5) is ent. Figure 6 shows this modus operandi by composer has omitted for structural reasons
a transposition an displaying the first three periods of part II of another marcato accent in the middle of this
octave above the “Mari.” succession. The very first chord of the piece
D-flat 4 combined A filter starting from the third period, contains a filter that displays the name of the
with the F3 in the first cell. When this note is groups two consecutive chromatic notes in composer: FrAnC(sharp)o, Donatoni: F-C
written in the same place but read in treble clef, the next period and applies a similar modus sharp-A-D1.13
it is read as D5. The second dyad is achieved in operandi. This principle is actually applied In the first part of “Omar,” the notes of the
the same way in combination with transposi- throughout the rest of the composition (see first phrase excluding the marcato chord are
tion over an octave. Figure 7). subject to the first process (i.e., the group-
The new periods in the composition are ings of the notes as they were presented in the
marked by changes in the dynamic course. The “OMAR” FOR VIBRAPHONE SOLO chords remain, but the voicings and order of
first period displays the basic material. Musical The processes used by Donatoni in “Omar” the notes change. See Figure 8). The filter that
elements of the first period reappear in every coincide clearly with the structural sections of is used within both leads to a melodic approach
consecutive period. Parts of the musical ele- the piece. Every section is specified by a new to the material. In the next section (tempo =
ments are or conserved as a panel. Other parts tempo marking. The basic material is presented 155), Donatoni applies a new filter. The voic-
transform via the use of a filter. in the opening section marked by a tempo of ings are changed again with every chord split
The dynamic evolution serves a clear guid- 144. This section consists of a succession of ac- into dyads. After the presentation of each
ing principle throughout the composition. In centuated chords, followed by non-accentuated chord, the basic material is mirrored literally
around the top note of the second dyad. All the
chords from the opening section are treated
Figure 6 similarly throughout this section.
The marcato chords, which were not part
of the preceding section (tempo = 104), form
the beginning of every interjected descending
arpeggio. The next three notes of the arpeggio
are an extension to those chords. The last notes
of every arpeggio emerge through a filter that
mirrors the former intervals.
In the next section (tempo = 93), material
from the marcato accents is subject to a new
filter. An increasingly capricious melody is con-
structed by adding note for note. These addi-
tions go on until the first apparition of B4. This
results in a harmonic-melodic envelope that is
based on the material from the marcato chords.
Donatoni filters out more and more notes
towards the end with the addition of pauses
in the material. The inserted B4 is somewhat
subdued, while the rest of the material holds a
diminuendo until the end of part I of “Omar.”
In order to obtain triads, Donatoni uses a
new filter on the melodic series from the first
part of “Omar” (tempo = 104). He filters out
every series of consecutive notes forming tradi-
tional triads and writes them as chords. After

PERCUSSIVE NOTES 52 MARCH 2014

Figure 7 introducing the triads this material is further
extended. Again, the triads are the subject of an
ascending melodic approach. The obtained suc-
cession of intervals are extended and mirrored
downwards (see Figure 9).
A number of filters and panels used in part
I return in part II . The main difference in the
second part is a less chronological way of pro-
cessing. The basic material, which appears as a
Figure 8 panel, is taken from part I of “Omar” (tempo =
104). The processing of this material is worked
out in three ways: 1. filters used in part I of
“Omar”; 2. literal repetition of the material; 3.
serial processing.
Every arpeggiated group in the first section
of part II of “Omar” contains the triads from
part I of “Omar” (tempo = 104). They are liter-
ally copied as a panel into this part. The exten-
sion of these chords creates a harmonization
between the triads and new material. An open
pedal is applied to every arpeggio as well (see
Figure 10).
The second section of part II (tempo = 132)
applies two processes at the same time, spread
out between both hands of the performer. The
upper voice copies the sound aggregates of the
opening section as a panel. The applied filter
classifies the notes into dyads and enhances
them by mirroring them around the last note.
This filter is taken from part I of “Omar”
(tempo = 155). The lower voice consists of the

Figure 9

PERCUSSIVE NOTES 53 MARCH 2014

Figure 10
first bass note of every arpeggio in the opening
section. These bass notes are enhanced further
by mirroring the interval upwards and by
repetition. The combination of the two voices
has again a centripetal movement, which also
appears in the opening section of part I of
“Omar.” Figure 11 showcases the first phrase
of this section. Furthermore in this same sec-
tion, a new filter appears in which every note
that is combined with a pitch class 11 (the note
B) builds up the right-hand ostinato. The left
hand contains the lower voice of the previous
section that repeats itself literally as a panel.
The next section (tempo = 76) classifies the
following chromatic clusters and divides them
over different octaves. The notes inside the
clusters clearly are taken as a panel from the
opening section. The order of the notes remains
mostly the same throughout this section. An
applied filter changes the superposition of the
different layers. Figure 12 illustrates a compari-
son of a fragment of the opening section with
its equivalent fragment in this section (tempo =
76).
The section with a tempo marking of 104
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
PERCUSSIVE NOTES 54 MARCH 2014
found in part II of “Omar” uses almost exclu-
sively material of a dodecaphonic series. This
series comes from the second arpeggio with a
length of two seconds from the opening section
(see Figure 13). A single phrase in this section
quite often contains all twelve tones. The lower
voice of the first part of this section appears
literally as the upper voice of the second part.
The beginning of every note group in the
section marked tempo = 120 stems from the
beginning of the groups found in an earlier
section (tempo = 104). The treatment of the
note E-flat 6 is also significant as the note is
missing in every one of the first four groups.
Furthermore, the eleven chromatic cluster
chords are always constructed around this note.
These cluster chords form the basis of the sec-
tion marked with a tempo of 96. Only the top
note has a descending character. The succession
of intervals contained in this passage have a
clearly diminished feeling, which is reminiscent
of the recent dodecaphonic treatment. Donato-
ni interjects a growing group of notes between
the chords that expands from one to six notes.
These interjections follow the same trajectory
as the top notes of the cluster chords in this
section. The dodecaphonic element is further
explored in the final part (tempo = 126). This
section contains literal repetitions and treat-
ment of the chromatic material.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE
ANALYSIS
Empirical research with students from the
Royal Conservatory (Brussels), Hogeschool
Gent Conservatorium, Hochschule für Musik
Detmold, and ArtEZ Conservatorium proves
that knowledge resulting from thorough
analysis and its practical implementation in
the practice process enhances the level of
performance in a shorter time span, much
more than traditional practice approaches. The
students seemed to achieve a better result in
both technical matters and musicality as well
as in knowledge of the score and style. This re-
search project employed the following tools: 1.
click tracks in different layers; 2. ghost tracks;
3. thorough analysis; 4. annotated scores; 5.
instrument-related solutions for practical prob-
lems.
The click and ghost tracks provided the pos-
sibility to slow down the tempo without losing
the complex time structure, thereby making the
traditional metronome unnecessary. The anno-
tated scores gave clear insights in the practical
organization of the musical material. All these
elements resulted from a thorough analysis
and were applied in combination with each
other by the students. The instrument-related
solutions consisted amongst others of sticking
choices, pedaling exercises, and technical exer-
cises.
Figure 14 showcases a fragment of the an-
notated score. Figure 15 illustrates a screenshot
of the click track.
From the authors’ experiences, multiple
performers have researched different contem-
porary compositions in similar ways. However,
the inaccessibility of individual research and
the impossibility to easily share the tools, due
to incompatibility in the software used, contin-
ues to be problematic. Therefore, the authors
have established the project Living Scores (LS)
Learn.
LS Learn is a platform for sharing research
in contemporary music performance. The plat-
form provides learning trajectories for specific
compositions and proper tools, designed to
support the practice process of the repertoire.
For further information, explore and examine
the following website, www.living-scores.com.
CONCLUSION
Franco Donatoni’s solo percussion composi-
tions, “Mari” and “Omar,” illustrate not only
his process-based approach to composition,
but also a subsidiary flowing style. A thorough
analysis of these solo percussion works provides
the performer with an evolutionary view of the
music along with an arsenal of performance
practice tools. The authors’ burgeoning LS
Learn platform will increasingly provide musi-
cians with tools for enhanced practice and ul-
timately performances of many contemporary
music compositions, including Donatoni’s.
“Omar” was a performance selection for the
2013 PAS International Solo Vibraphone
Competition.
ENDNOTES
1. Franco Donatoni, “Questionnaire on complexity
 in music,” Complexity? (Accompanying booklet
to festival, Rotterdam: March 1990); and Decker,
Bradley D., “Preserving the Fragment: Techniques
and Traits of Franco Donatoni’s Late Chamber
Music,” Perspectives of New Music 46, No. 2 (Sum-
mer 2008).
2. This research was conducted on students in
Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussels, Hogeschool
Gent Conservatorium, HFM Detmold and
ArtEZ Conservatorium.
3. Biography found on www.brahms.ircam.fr/franco-
donatoni; http://www.wrightmusic.net/pdfs/fran-
co- donatoni.pdf1111; www.ricordi.it/catalogue/
composers/franco-donatoni.
4. Among others, Prix de Liège in 1951, Prix de
Radio Luxembourg in 1951 and 1953, Prix de
la société internationale pour la musique con-
temporaine in 1961, Marzotto-prize in 1966,
Koussevitstky-prize in 1968 and a Psacaropoulo-
prize in 1979.
5. http://brahms.ircam.fr/franco-donatoni#bio.
6. Poirier, Alain, Franco Donatoni: Trajectoires op
http://brahms.ircam.fr/franco-donatoni#parcours.
7. Ibid., 5.
8. Ibid., 4.
Figure 14
Figure 15
9. Albera, Phillippe, l’Infini turbulent op http://www.
contrechamps.ch/OLD/txt5.html.
10. Santi, P., ed., “Franco Donatoni, ‘Presenza di
Bartók,’” Il sigaro di Armando (Milan: Spirali,
1982), p. 87; and Decker, Bradley D., “Preserving
the Fragment: Techniques and Traits of Franco
Donatoni’s Late Chamber Music,” Perspectives of
New Music 46, No. 2 (Summer 2008).
11. Bindle, R. Smith, “The Lunatic Fringe III—
Computational Composition,” The Musical Times
98 ( July 1956) 354; and Decker, Bradley D.,
“Preserving the Fragment: Techniques and Traits
of Franco Donatoni’s Late Chamber Music,” Per-
spectives of New Music 46, No. 2 (Summer 2008).
12. Decker, Bradley D., “Preserving the Fragment:
Techniques and Traits of Franco Donatoni’s Late
Chamber Music,” Perspectives of New Music 46,
No. 2 (Summer 2008).
13. These compositional techniques were also used
by other composers, such as Igor Stravinsky and
J.S. Bach.
Tom De Cock is a freelance musician in Eu-
rope performing with such groups as the Ictus
Ensemble, Ensemble Modern, MusikFabrik,
and Netherlands Radio Chamber Philhar-
monic. He is a regular member of Ensemble
XII, Nadar Ensemble, Triatu, and Bl!ndman.
Additionally, he has performed at such events
and festivals as Agora Paris, Darmstadt In-
ternational Summer Courses for New Music,
Donaueschingen Festival, Klangspuren Festival,
Bang on a Can, Ars Musica, and Huddersfield
Contemporary Music Festival.
Vincent Caers is active as a freelance percus-
sionist, percussion teacher, musical researcher,
and programmer in Belgium. He is a member
of the Flemish Sinfonietta and co-founder of
Blow (www.blowmusic.be), with whom he per-
forms and commissions contemporary works
for saxophone and percussion.
Kristin Van den Buys is a senior researcher in
charge of research efforts for the Erasmus Uni-
versity College as well as Professor of Music
History and Coordinator of Research in the
Royal Conservatory, both in Brussels. She also
serves as a member of the Centre for Studies
on Media and Culture (CeMeSo) for the De-
partment of Communication Studies at Free
University, Brussels. PN
PERCUSSIVE NOTES 55 MARCH 2014