ChristophSietzen

Press

• Staud, Percussion Concerto (World Premiere)

  Severance Hall, Cleveland

  • Passages that start as just great fun morph into moments of reckoning. Kinetic riffs give way to shimmering clouds of sound made with everything from ethereal bells to the mundane clunks of ceramic flowerpots, or the harsh rasp of a steel barrel used as a kick drum. After the work reaches a transfigured calm, it embarks on an entertaining but unsettling closing section, vigorous to the point of threat. ...the central role of the percussionist, combined with Sietzen’s flamboyant enthusiasm, casts him in a shamanic role in this concerto. An amazing performance of a compelling piece.

    • Seen and Heard International
    • 13 October 2023

  • Sietzen is a real showman, given to raising his arms high in the air, aggressively hitting his targets, running to and from instruments, even engaging in some audience banter when building the Frank Gehry-like structure that would be his trap set for the evening. His playing was thrilling, not the least for his obvious commitment to this leviathan of a work, which he collaborated in bringing to life. Also amazing was the coordination of his part with the Orchestra’s percussion section.

    • Cleveland Classical
    • 09 October 2023