Assignment 5: Reflections

Get your Waltz on!

My first thought when presented with this assignment was to write a waltz, as it would be easy to create a chord sequence with one chord per bar. I then decided to create a walking bass motif from the notes on the first beat of each bar; this motif follows a 16 bar sequence. I then added chords on top of this bass line, though this proved harder than I first imagined and there is a heavy reliance on inversions of chords IV, V and VI. The first section, Presto, uses this 16 bar sequence 4 times; each note in the bass sequence is accented. The melodic line is then constructed to try and disguise the sequence that follows underneath; the melodic phrases are of different lengths and I try to avoid ending a line at the end of a 4 bar group. Each melody passage works up to a fortissimo, accented crochet, dotted crochet, quaver motif but with no cadence underneath. The first section eventually winds up and leads to an anticipated perfect cadence, but instead the middle section is immediately introduced on a VIb chord.

The middle section uses the melodic ideas of the first section, but in 6/8 time with a broken chord motif underneath using the same 16 bar harmonic pattern. I got this idea listening to the Schumann Piano Concerto, where in the first movement he echoes melodic ideas he introduces in a simple time passage later in a compound time passage. I like this effect, as it creates a sleepy, lilting feel to the opening music; the legato style nicely contrasts the upbeat, detached first section. The left hand is written in an attempt to create a three in a bar feel below the definite two in a bar melodic line; an attempt to echo the waltz feel of the first section. Again, like at the end of the first section, the music winds up to the anticipated perfect cadence, but instead the opening music returns on a VIb chord.

The short reprise of the opening section sees the melodic line embellished while extra notes are added to the bass chords to add more colour. Unlike the 1^st passage, the 16 bar chord sequence is only heard once, with the last bar creating the perfect cadence which, after the previous interrupted cadences, comes as a bit of a surprise.

Prom 8: Britten, Lutosławski & Thomas Adès

In a previous issue of BBC music magazine they had an interview with Thomas Ades about the commissioning and premier of his work 'Totentanz', so I wanted to hear this particular Prom. The concert also featured two 20th Century pieces, Britten's 'Sinfonia da Requiem' and Lutoslawski's Cello concerto. Again, I wasn't able to listen to it live, but it was repeated on BBC Four this evening.

Lutoslawski's Cello concerto begins with the cello playing a series of open string D's very nonchalantly, followed by a long solo opening passage where the cello seems to rattle off a series of bespoke musical ideas, almost like a series of individual thoughts. A loud trumpet fanfare interjects, followed by a muted fanfare before more and more of the orchestra enter. Overall it was too dissonant for my liking; it felt more like a collection of notes rather than any really assembled harmonies. The musical ideas were also too sporadic for my liking; I never got the sense of any development of musical ideas, it was just one idea and sound after another. That being said, the range of sounds that Lutoslawski creating from the orchestra was very impressive; lots of instrumental techniques were required. At one point I thought a child was screaming outside only to realise it was the strings! Paul Watkins, the cello soloist, really expressed himself through his playing and his face, though the latter was somewhat off putting!

'Totentanz', meaning 'dance of death', depicts the idea that, regardless of rank, all humans are united by death. The music opens with very dissonant chords before the baritone, representing death, invites all humans to join in the dance of death. He is accompanied by three piccolos, whip, piano and strings in a high, dissonant, ghastly sounding figure, no doubt to strike fear into the listener. The mezzo-soprano represents all humans, and sings in response to each of death's statements. The music that accompanies the mezzo is less dissonant, sounding more familiar and easier on the ear, which makes it more relate-able. I get the impression Ades tries to create an unearthly sound to death's music while humanities pleading is more humane. Although not as sporadic as the Lutoslawski, I still found it very difficult to listen too. Like Lutoslawski is able to create a vast range of sounds from the orchestra, and even the vocal lines; the mezzo part in particular covered an enormous range. Although called 'dance of death' at no point did it feel like a dance, unlike Saint-Saens's piece by the same name.

Prom 13: National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America

I recorded the BBC Four showing of this prom where, unfortunately, they omitted Sean Shepherd's 'Magiya' and Joshua Bell's encore. I was, however, able to see the two big works of the prom, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Shostakovich's 10th Symphony. Whilst I know these works well, it was interesting to see Valery Gergiev's interpretation of them.

What always strikes me about Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is the length of the melodic line; sometimes you free that one idea has been developed into a 5 minute long phrase, but it seems easy and natural. The sound Joshua Bell was able to produce was amazing and the clarity he gave to the virtuoso passages was stunning.

Shostakovich's 10th Symphony is probably my favourite symphony, partly because of its historical significance, but mostly because of what he is able to do with texture. You go from exposed solo wind passages in the 1st movement to a massive, whirling, full orchestral sound in the second movement. A seemingly empty texture returns in the 3rd movement; there are some haunting solos where you really feel you are reaching deep into the composer's soul and seeing his pain and anguish first hand. Given the numerous references to the DSCH motif it is clearly a very personal movement. The 4th movement begins similarly, but then erupts like the second movement into a dizzying climax, with one of my favourite timpani solos echoing the DSCH motif.

Prom 4: Les Siècles

I was on holiday the week before last so I missed the opening night of the proms, but the first I was able to see was the Prom by Les Siecles.

They played 'The Rite of Spring', which although not new to me, was different because, like all the other works they played in the concert, it was played on period instruments. Although playing on early 20th Century instruments doesn't create a wildly different sound to modern instruments, there was a rawer, more earthy quality to the sound; it didn't sound as pure as a modern orchestra sound which is somewhat fitting for Rite.

Their repertoire also included works from the 17th and 19th Centuries. I was impressed how the performers were able to switch instruments so easily as many must have required different techniques. Each piece they played had a very different sound to it as a result. By starting with the oldest piece, the sound became more familiar are the concert went on.

They played Lully's 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme' where the conductor kept time by banging a large staff on the ground as apparently was the tradition at the time. I found this somewhat off-putting at first, but I suppose this is no different to the role the percussion section play in modern orchestral works.

Research Point: Das Rheingold - Prelude

The prelude brings with a drone from the low strings and a horn call based on three notes of the triad. The lower strings and horn then exchange motifs before the lower strings begin to play arpeggio motifs to create a sense of movement; here Wagner is depicting the flowing of the Rhine. The upper strings then enter with a similar arpeggio motif with becomes faster and more elaborate.

Whilst it is the same for so many bars, Wagner uses dynamics, rhythm and orchestration to create a feeling of suspense and wonder. The music builds in dynamic and range, starting low and gradually increasing upwards. He adds more instruments and the motifs become more elaborate and faster. Towards the end you are just left waiting to see where the harmony is finally going to go; the entry of the soprano eventually breaks the mood and the music shifts to A flat.

When Bjork Met Attenborough

This was a documentary on Channel 4 this evening which followed Bjork developing her latest musical project, 'Biophilla', which aimed to harness the sounds of the natural world. She met with David Attenborough to see how sounds have shaped the natural world; from the evolution to birds to the sounds of the ocean. I found it interesting that Attenborough made an observation that the human larynx is far bigger than what is simply required for speech; he went on to suggest that singing, shouting or other vocalisations came long before speaking.

They also discussed the link music and the natural world has with mathematics. Whilst looking at some quartz, Bjork explained how she had used the structure of crystals as the inspiration for her song 'Crystalline'; their structure gave rise to the time signatures she used; 17/8 for the verses and 4/4 for chorus to create a contrast between the irregular 17/8 time and the more structured 4/4 time.

Bjork wanted to find a way to bring the universe's natural forces onto music. In 'Solstice', she uses a rotary, pendulum harp to symbolise the rotation of the earth, while the swing of the pendulum uses gravity to create the bass line; the instrument is a based on the Foucault pendulum.

She explained how she thinks of chords being like the earth's tectonic plates and how a slight change in pressure can move the plates together, apart or they slide against each other. She also thinks of lightning as being like arpeggios. In the song 'Thunderbolt', Bjork used a Tesla coil to play the arpeggio bass line to create the link between the visual lightning and the audible thunder.

Bjork wanted to find a way to use technology to make playing music more accessible. Instead of releasing an album on CD, she went on to create an interactive app where you could not only listen to the songs but interact with them; the app uses the touch-screen to change the shape of the music. The programme went on to show how these apps are used in music education in schools, making music education less formal and more accessible.

Although the film finished somewhat abruptly, I found Bjork's thought process and approach to composition fascinating.

Project 14: Improvisation on a dominant

I started by writing the bass line, which is based around a few simple rhythmic patterns. I then wrote the melody with varying length of phrase so that the resolution to the tonic chord never felt natural until the 16 bar.

Project 13: Elaborate cadences

A Major Cadence

I started with a cadence in A Major, with a bass line based on a waltz pattern.

Bb Major Cadence

The second cadence is in Bb Major but slower and more legato with a rocking bass line.

A minor Cadence

This cadence is in A minor with a bass pedal and chords.

B minor Cadence

In contrast to the A minor cadence, this B minor cadence is fast and detached with an Alberti bass motif.

Research Point: Cadenzas

When I think of cadenzas, I think of a short virtuoso passage for a solo instrument at the end of a piece or movement. I remember when doing my flute exams the accepted practice was that any cadenzas for a baroque or classical concerto should be playable in 1 breath. Not everyone agrees with this today, but when writing my own cadenza for the Mozart flute concertos it was a useful constraint on duration.

We studied Mozart's 23rd piano concerto (K488) for A-level music. Unlike his wind concertos, Mozart actually wrote the cadenza for this concerto, although he most likely played the premier of the piece. It is believe he notated the cadenza because other performers wanted to emulate his virtuosity. In the first movement, the orchestra end on a Ic chord, leading into the piano cadenza, which eventually finishes with a V-I perfect cadence.

I was listening to the 1st Movement of Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto and the cadenza is almost a movement within itself. The advantage of the piano being it can add harmony and multiple melodic lines so you can prolong a cadenza; other instruments can only play 1 line so are limited in what they can achieve.

Mendelssohn – Die Hebriden Op.26

Also played at the same concert was Mendelssohn’s 'Hebridian Overture' (Die Hebriden). I had heard this piece a couple of time before, but the more I listen to it the more I release it’s a stunning development of 2 very simple themes to create a piece lasting around 10 minutes.

The first theme introduced at the beginning by the lower strings is meant to depict Fingal’s Cave on the island of Staffa; after seeing the cave on a visit to Scotland, Mendelssohn wrote this opening motif down on a postcard and sent it to his sister Fanny. The first time the motif is introduced it is played legato in a descending phrase. Throughout the piece Mendelssohn then develops it; the violins introduce an inverted version of it in response to the opening phrase. He uses it to build sequences as it is passed round the orchestra; each instrument adding a different colouring to it. He changes the articulation and tempo to change the feel and mood of the piece too.

The second theme is a scalic semiquaver motif which is meant to depict the rolling ocean. Mendelsohn changes the dynamics and range of the motif to go from flat, calm water to a more violent, choppy scene. He also adds accents to the motif, perhaps to symbolise breaking or crashing waves.

I think it’s a very effective piece, with many dramatic elements. As stated above, I think it’s also a brilliant example of how to develop a couple of short motifs into an entire, rounded piece. 

Malcolm Arnold – Scottish Dances

I was at a concert at the weekend where they played Malcolm Arnold’s 'Scottish Dances'. Arnold wrote dance suites for the different nations of the U.K. as well as for Cornwall. I have fond memories of playing the 'Scottish Dances' and his second 'English Dance' suite; there’s something about his writing which makes it very entertaining to play.

i. Pesante

The first movement is based around a detached melody with scotch-snap rhythms. It starts with the strings accompanied by the woodwind and percussion, followed by a response by the trumpets and oboes. The lower brass provide a drone effect, probably to mimic bagpipes, though there are loud high horn interruptions. Arnold makes good use of the percussion throughout the piece, but particularly in this movement to fill the gaps in the melody; the drums and timpani become more prominent as the movement goes on, perhaps to create a sense of urgency.

ii. Vivace

The second movement, in contrast to the first, is more flowing and at a lively tempo; it has the feeling of a jig. The melody starts in with the clarinets before being joined by the flutes and piccolo; the strings providing pizzicato chords for emphasis before taking the melody over. Arnold shares the melody and harmonies around the different sections of the orchestra, each giving it a different colour. The clarinets return the bagpipe drone theme from the first movement before the mood of the music changes with a sluggish, drunken sounding melody from the bassoon; there are more slurs and dotted rhythms than in the opening. The addition of the bass drum makes everything sound very laboured. The opening music briefly returns in a short coda section.

iii. Allegretto

The third movement is like an air or aria with solos from different wind instruments. It opens with a harp motif and high string sustained chords before the solo flute melody begins. A solo oboe and piccolo then take over the melodic line, accompanied by harp glissandi. There is a call and response section between the strings and woodwind before solo piccolo and low strings continue the melody. The piccolo is set low in its register to give it a very fragile sound, I assume Arnold didn't want the quality of sound a flute would produce in the same register. The intensity of the accompaniment increases towards the end of each of the sections to build up to the change of instrument in the following section. A solo oboe passage leads into a section for horns and trumpets before the opening flute music returns with a gradually rising, diminuendoing phrase to end the movement. The movement provides a very effective contrast to the previous and following movements.

iv. Con Brio

The lively con brio movement always sounds as though it’s on the edge of control; loud, brash brass chords, again reminiscent of bagpipes, played over a rapid melody for the woodwind. The strings have an equally rapid melody beneath wind chords before the opening music returns with added percussion; first in the woodwind then in the strings. A brief passage for piccolos and percussion gives a bit of relief to the drama before the ramp up towards the end; the woodwind return with the opening motif but in a gradually rising sequence accompanied by further brass interjections and added percussion, all building in dynamic and texture to the final chords. 

Assignment 4: Reflections

Brainstorm

I decided to write for clarinet, tenor drum and marimba after writing a short piece for clarinet, snare drum and marimba in project 11 and thinking the combination of instruments worked well.

The piece is in four main sections; there are three contrasting sections and a coda section. The main melodies of the piece are based around two main themes. When sitting at the piano I realised that you could use the triad of D, F and Ab to form different chords depending which note you added; I decided to use Bb, B natural and C natural which gives you a dominant 7^th chord, a diminished 7^th chord and minor added 6^th chord respectively. The second theme is simply a descending chromatic motif on these three notes (C, B and Bb).

The 1^st section starts with the marimba, followed by the clarinet imitating it. The opening theme is developed by the marimba with the clarinet imitating and inverting the motifs. The chromatic motif is heard on the marimba for the first time in bar 7 and this is exchanged between the two instruments along with an exchange where the last note changes between the notes of the chromatic motif. The chromatic theme is developed further by the clarinet from bar 21; the gradually softening exchanges between the instruments sets up the beginning of the second section.

 The 2^nd section begins with the clarinet in bar 28, allowing time for the marimba to change sticks. The section, marked scherzo, is more playful and moves away for the diminished chords whilst still having a chromatic element to sound a little more vibrant than the first section. The clarinet and marimba exchange the melody in inverted forms and diminution in bar 43. The clarinet introduces a new theme in bar 45 which is developed in a sequence by the marimba; the clarinet providing echoes of the chromatic motif in the opening section. The music diminuendos away again to set up the beginning of the third section.

The 3^rd section, beginning in bar 62, is effectively a clarinet solo with a more chromatic feel than the previous section; the marimba and tenor drum accompany with a piano, augmented version of the first motif. It is marked cantabile and has a flowing melody compared to the detached themes of the first and second sections. The clarinet repeats this augmented motif, gradually fading away along with the tenor drum; the marimba dropping out to allow time to change back to hard sticks.

The 4^th section, beginning at bar 77 is a short coda returning to the themes of the first section, but with subtle variations. A diminished version of the marimba melody in section 2 is introduced against an augmented version of an opening motif (bars 83-85).

The inspiration behind the title for the piece came from stories in the press which said that using the term brainstorming was no longer politically correct as it is also a medical term for what occurs in the brain during an epileptic seizure. In this sense, I think it fits the mood of the piece well.