Martin Grubinger in conversation with Philipp Bohnen (13 min.)

Peter Eötvös composed his percussion concerto Speaking Drums especially for Martin Grubinger. In February 2019, the Austrian multi-percussionist made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker. As if playing the large number of percussion instruments required by the work by heart was not enough of a challenge, Eötvös also demands that the soloist recite Hungarian nonsense poems at the same time. This enables a direct dialogue with one’s own instruments, as Grubinger explains in this interview with the Philharmoniker’s violinist Philipp Bohnen and is demonstrated using a selection of examples.