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A POSTCARD FROM CAIRO

THESIS

Presented to the Graduate Council of the

North Texas State University in Partial

Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of

MASTER OF MUSIC

By

Paul R. Luis, B.A.

Denton, Texas

December, 1984

- .

Luis, Paul Reinaldo, A Postcard from Cairo. faster of

Music (Composition), December, 1984, 32 pages, 12 illustra-

tions.

A Postcard from Cairo is a chamber work for three

performers (flute/soprano saxophone, vibraphone/conga, and

electric guitar) supported by stereo tape and two digital

sequencers.

The musical content is a montage of Arabian, Indian, Spa-

nish, and Moroccan ethnic music, combined with avant-garde

sounds. The score reflects a mixture of traditional and con-

temporary elements featuring extensive use of improvisation

and repetition. Each player is required to coordinate his

responses in a variety of ways. Cues are governed by an

analog clock, and pulses are provided by the tape/sequencer

background.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PageLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. . . . . ....... ... iv

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION. *.. . w..w.. . .... . V

A POSTCARD FROM CAIRO. . 8@.s . gg.. .. .. 1

-

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure Page

I. Quintet Saturation Point of Section B . . . . . . , vi

2. Further Progressions of Figure 1 . . . . . . * . . vii

3. Phase-Shifting Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

4. Improvisatory Arpeggios of Section G . . . . . . . viii

5. Saturation Point of Six Sequencer A Patterns . . . ix

6. Passing Cymbal Roll . .............. x

7. Moroccan Drum Beats and Modified Habanera Rhythmn . x

8. First Pyramid Grouping . . . . . . . *. . . . . . x

9. Pyramid Grouping with Dissimilar Harmonic/motivicContent . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . xi

10. Four BasicHarmonic Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Il. Excerpt Showing Flute's Scale . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

12. Contourchematic. . . . . . . . . . xv

iv

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

Introduction

A Postcard from Cairo is a chamber work for three per-

formers (flute/soprano saxophone, vibraphone/conga, and

electric guitar) supported by tape (containing some musique

concrete, and a Spanish guitar quintet) and two digital se-

quencers. Performers will observe an analog clock for their

entrances.

Compositional Techniques

Tape source and sequencers.--Together these two sound

sources provide a fixed, unchanging backdrop for the variable

performance interpretations of the trio.

The performance tape is a stereo mix of eight tracks.

The first three contain segments of some previously recorded

Indian improvisational music filtered through a twenty band

equalizer, emphasizing the percussion sounds (mostly tabla

drums and clay pot) and de-emphasizing others. These seg-

ments are then manipulated in various ways (re-recorded at

different speeds, reversed, juxtaposed, etc.) and serve as

deep background of the work.

The remaining five tracks are used for the guitar quin-

tet. A particular effect is produced by having all prevailing

parts synchronized to the same pulse while at various fractions

V

of a second apart. Figure 1 represents the quintet satura-

tion point of section B that occurs at 3's27"' in the score.

(See figure 1).

$0,a

Fig. I--Quintet saturation point of section B.

Each of the above is recorded seperately using a click track,

and all entrances are guided by a clock. The result, wMle

homogeneous in timbre, is fractionally syncopated. Figure 2

shows further progressions of this basic texture.

A different, phase-shifting type of pattern occurs at

6':15" of the score. (see figure 3). This is based on an

idea first developed by Steve Reich:

A real-time indication.

vi

On Lincoln's birthday in 1968 1 had the idea thatif a number of single tones were all pulsating at thesame tempo, but with gradually shifting phase relations,a great number of musical patterns would result. Ifthe tones were all in phase (struck at the same instant),a pulsing chord would be heard. If the tones were slowlyshifted just a bit out of phase, a sort of rippling bro-ken chord would be heard which would gradually changeinto a melodic pattern, then another, and so on. If theprocess of phase-shifting were gradual enough, the minuterhythmic differences would become clearly audible. Agiven musical pattern would then be heard to change intoanother with no alteration of pitch, timbre, or loudness,and one would become involved in a music2 which worked ex-clusively with gradual changes in time.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

p. 0117.

0 0 i

,...ti U0o o

0 04 t00 p 0 0 O n

Fig. 2 -- Further progressions of figure 1.

In figure two the upper voice continues its pattern while the

lower voice shifts its melodic and rhythmic elements to the

2 Steve Reich, Writings about Music (Nova Scotia, 1974),p. 17.

vii

.. - -.rb,«d# i .. a-' ,.<,...:.,:. .u... ,. '.-k. -.. :ms s . r.-' -. _ + ;:' _: <'. - ', * rt .

left with each set of repetitions.

Fig. 3--Phase-shifting pattern.

The use of ostinato in the taped guitar parts is broken

by the free, improvisatory arpeggios at G (see figure 4), but

returns briefly near the end.

1 _

7*

Fig. 4--Improvisatory arpeggios of section G.

The keyboard sequencer (seq. A) plays two kinds of fig-

ures, each divided into three parts. Figure 5 shows the total

saturation point of these six patterns that culminates at

letter I (10:55). The top three voices are characterized by

long, sustained tones (all in proportional notation), inter-

rupted occassionally by a short motive. Activity of the

bottom three voices is confined to various dynamic shadings of

viii

! t tir

ilF0 R

Fig. 5--Saturation point of six sequencer A patterns,

the given ostinatos.

Sequencer B is stored with percussion sounds which begin

playing at letter B in the score. A 1-96 pulse divi ion al-

lows the composer to program very complex rhythmic events. A

non-metrical effect is thus created while passing a cymbal

roll. (See figure 6). Later, use is made of severaM oroccan

drum beats (see figures 7a,b, and c)3, and modified habanera

4rhythmn. (See figure ?d) .

Par Simon Jargy, IaMusiqu~eArabs (Paris, 1971),pp. 68-69.

This was originally a two-beat pattern, modified byWilliam Walton into three for the third (Alla Oubana) of hisFive Bagatelles for Guitar (Oxford, 1974), pp. 8-9.

ix

~xws-4#setI a/I.r

Fig. 6--Passing cymbal roll.

(a) (b). (e) ( =11 -f 7 i- . :7

Fig. 7--Moroccan drum beats and modified habanera rhy-thrnn.

Trio music.--Each member of the trio is actively involved

in shaping his given material throughout the work. This is

accomplished in a variety of ways, the most notable being the

use of pyramid groupings, the first of which appears at 2' :51"

in the score and is shown in figure 8.

r rr _

i.E .w ++~ y

/ m A. lMw .r rMM" JPI wyhM ~, ~M rY~A '/ .M Yy~ ~h~.

Fig. 8--First pyramid grouping.

x

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Each sub-class of each pyramid grouping offers the assigned

player a choice of three motives (in traditional or propor-

tional notation) to be played a given number of times,

followed by a choice between the other two and so on, string-

ing them together until the next indication. Figure 8 shows

a pyramid grouping where the vibraphone is to begin at 3' :15"

and the flute at 3' :27". One feature of this structure is

that the center player shares a motive with each of the others.

This serves to prepare for some unexpected timbral exchanges.

Of the seven total motives, two are assigned to the vibes

only, two to the flute only, one to the vibes and guitar, one

to flute and guitar, and one to guitar only. Since each player

is continuously and unpredictably changing from one repetition

Fig. 9--Pyramid grouping with dissimilar harmonic/motiviccontent.

xi

to another, there can be an infinite number of interpretations

of the trio music. This is in direct contrast to the rigid

format of the tape/sequencer background.

The harmonic/motivic content of figure 8 is similar in

all parts, but, as shown in figure 9, it can be quite dis-

similar. In this case each motive represents a particular

combination of harmonic/motivic content (symbolized by the

letters a-d, and described in the following section).

Harmonic/motivic content.--There are four basic harmonic

areas. (See figure 9).

Fig. 10--Four basic harmonic areas.

Letter (a) is palindromic, constructed of two whole-tone

chords divided in the center by a semi-tone. Letters (b),

(c) and (d) are linked by an inverted pedal with a change of

diads in the lower voices. These voicings serve only as a

tonal reference and undergo many transformations, mostly in

terms of register and accent. See, for example, the dis-

tribution of the (b) chord in figure 1.

Material for the trio was determined in a slightly

xii

r _ _

different way for each of the harmonic areas. Time frame

O' :00"-2'=:15" of the score represents an unfolding, linear

stringing-out of chord (a) in figure 10. Portions of this

section are quoted verbatim later in the work, and a few seg-

ments are used as motives for some pyramid groupings. Motives

of (b) and (c) have an Arabic flavor, with the flutist impro-

vising at one point on a given scale. (See figure 11).

{otives of (d ) are reminiscent of some popular, old Spanish

songs.

Fig. ll--Excerpt showing flute's scale.

Formal structure.--Formally, this work is of the mosaic

type, put together by juxtaposing contrasting modules of music

as in a rondo, for example. The form here is ABCDBEFCGGHIDEHE,

where A-D (paralleling a-d of the previous discussion) are

subsequently re-combined according to the following formulas:

E=A+C ,F=B+D, G=A+B+D, H=A+C+D, and I=A+3+C+D. The schematic

of figure 12 indicates the durations of the different sections.

Also given is a contour line showing the relative densities

xiii

and dynamic curve (expressed by the vertical axis). Broken

lines indicate the curves of the three musique concrete tracks.

Pulse changes are also indicated.

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Performance Notes

The performers are to face the audience in a semi-circlein any comfortable left to right order with stereo speakersplaced behind and on either side. An analog clock, tiltedupward and in plain view of the players, is to be placeddirectly in front. The sequencers should be programmed accord-ing to the score, and with any mutually acceptable timbres.A sub-mix of sequencer B is desirable, but not necessary. Theaccompanying tape is pre-mixed in stereo and occupies twochannels of the live mix. Seq. A occupies another, and seq. Bstill another. (Unless a sub-mix is made, in which case twochannels should be used with a "spread" pan to isolate eachsound). The guitarist and flutist should decide beforehand whowill start seq. A and the tape deck. (The tape deck shouldhave soft-touch controls and be set on pause before starting).Seq. B is started by the vibist utilizing a footswitch placedunobstructively below. All levels should be precisely adjustedin rehearsal with any marginal error on the side of less, ra-ther than more volume.

Dynamics and articulations are to be freely interpetedby the players in response to the electronic background. Allpulses emanating from this background are eighth-note pulsesand should be used to determine tempos for the repeating mo-tives. Occasionally, different pulses will overlap, in whichcase each player is free to choose the faster or the slower one.

Accidentals used in conjunction with proportional nota-tion apply to the following note only. Those used within ametrical context apply throughout the bar.

Three fermatas are used, and indicate relative pauses :nCNC> (short, medium, long).

Sequencer dynamics are indicated by numerical values,with 5 - 10 roughly equivalent tojo>-f.

One player is assigned to each pyramid and should beginplaying at the indicated time, choosing one of the three mo-tives and playing 1-8 repetitions before choosing another, andso on, until the next indication. At several points a playeris instructed to repeat some previous material. Cues for ter-minating these passages are provided for in brackets next tothe earlier time indications (e.g. 2:01 8;05 ), at which pointthe player involved returns to the unbracketed real-time cuein the score. All cues are governed by the analog clock.

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