Orchestral percussion as trivial or unimportant simply because, to the untrained eye (or ear), they seem easy to play. The truth is, however, that auxiliary percussion often requires the most use of extended techniques and that the parts for these instruments are frequently the most difficult. Other auxiliary percussion instruments include: Crash cymbals have been used in an orchestral setting since the time of Mozart, when he adopted their sound from traditional Turkish bands to be used in his opera "Abduction from the Seraglio". Since then, crash cymbals have become one of the most written for percussion instruments in classical music and
Joan Carden sang a concert repertoire including Verdi's "Requiem", appearing with Sydney Philharmonia and other ensembles. Overseas, she sang Gilda ("Rigoletto") at Covent Garden in 1974, Donna Anna ("Don Giovanni") at the 1977 Glyndebourne Festival (in the production by Sir Peter Hall) and with the Metropolitan Opera in 1978. Her American debut, however, was as Amenaide with the Houston Grand Opera opposite Marilyn Horne in Rossini's "Tancredi". She also appeared as Constanza ("The Abduction from the Seraglio") with Scottish Opera in 1978. In 1980, she performed with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She sang the four