explorations in timbre, texture, and space (fall semester)

Explorations in Timbre, Texture, and Space"

Edgard Varèse (1883-1965)!

Edgard Varèse (1883-1965)!

Varèse’s Musical Philosophy !

n  Traditional concepts such as melody, harmony, and counterpoint replaced by interaction of sonic blocks: penetration, collision, etc.!

n  Rejection of romantic notions of “music” !

n  Emphasis on percussion & brass; reduction of string forces.!

n  Models drawn from science and mathematics.!

n  Exploration of “noise” elements in music!

n  Early advocate of electronic music. !

Motives as Static Blocks in Varèse’s Music"

From Elliott Schwartz, Music: Ways of Listening (1982)!

Basic motives!

May be recombined as: !

or as:!

Motives as Static Blocks in Varèse’s Music"

Block A: bass and contrabass trombones !

Intégrales (1924-25), mm. 32-54 !

Block B: F horn !

Block C: wood blocks (and other percussion) !

Block D: high woodwinds !

Block E: tenor trombone !

Block A"

Block B"

Block C"

Statement 1" Statement 2"

Edgard Varèse: Intégrales (1924-25)!

Edgard Varèse: Intégrales (1924-25)!

Block E"

Block D" Statement 4"Statement 3"

Edgard Varèse: Intégrales (1924-25)!Statement 5"

Edgard Varèse: Intégrales (1924-25)!Statement 6" Statement 7"

Edgard Varèse: Intégrales (1924-25)!Statement 8"

Edgard Varèse: Intégrales (1924-25)!Statement 9"

Statement 10"

Interruption of final statement!

Sound Mass Composers"

Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933)!

Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001)!

Witold Lutoslawski(1913-1994)!

György Ligeti (1923-2006)!

György Ligeti(1923-2006)!

n  Micropolyphony!n  Canons!n  “Clocks and Clouds”!

—Musical Characteristics !

Micropolyphony in György Ligeti’s Atmosphères (1961)!

(also note sudden timbral shift from strings to winds)"

n  Canonic imitation!n  Narrow pitch range!n  Texturally static!n  Rhythmically active!

Krzysztof Penderecki: Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (1960)!

György Ligeti: Chamber Concerto (1969)—I. Corrente!

6 "10 "7 "10"8 "9 "6"9 "7"

10"7 "10 "8"9"6"9"7"

6 "10 "7 "10 "8 "9"

6 "10"

7

10 "8 "9"

6

9

György Ligeti: Chamber Concerto (1969)—I. Corrente!

Timbral modulation from winds to strings"

Setting up a recording of Ligeti’s Poeme Symphonique (1962) for 100 metronomes.!

György Ligeti: Chamber Concerto (1969)

III. Movimento preciso e meccanico ! 3:2"

7:6"

5:3"

4:3"

3:2"

4:3"

7:4"

7:6"

5:3"

(unmeasured)"

“granulated” texture"

Use of polyrhythm and polytempo to simulate “clocks”!

Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question (1908)!

“Silence of the Druids”"

“Perennial Question of Existence”"

“Flutes and Other Human Beings”"

Minor Third"

Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question (1908)!

Diminished Fourth (Major Third)!

Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question (1908)!

Seating Plan for Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Gruppen (1957)!

Rehearsal for first performance of Stockhausen’s Gruppen (1957), conducted by the composer (left), Bruno Maderna (center), and Pierre Boulez (right).!

Setup diagram for George Crumb’s Star-Child (1977).!

Henry Brant conducting Bran(d)t Am den Amstel (1984), Amsterdam.!