Skip to main content

Part One



Palette de Couleur et de Lumiere


The concept of a palette of instrumental colour and timbre is derived from deepest aesthetic principles of the work.  The choice of instruments are essential to the colouristic balance of the work.

Glockenspiel                                            Vibraphone
Bongos                                                    Congas
Tom-toms                                                Bass drum
Small shaker                                            Tambourine
Whistles                                                  Blowers
                                    Piano
Flute/Alto Flute                                       Clarinet/Bass Clarinet

With the piano as the mediator, the opportunity for balanced and contrasting exploration of instrumental colour are great.  For example;

Woodwind
The two types of combinations are demonstrated below.  The first is cross-species representation where there is a contrast of both instrument and register.

Example 1
                                                                       





                                                                       

The second contrast intrumental colour only.

Example 2









percussion
This is similar to the first cross-species representation above.  Here however, they are of the same instrumental family-the drum.  Therefore the contrast is of timbre rather than colour.

Example 3









This is a contrast of timbre and a subtle change of register.

Example 4









With the keyboard percussion combined (which in terms of colour and register stretches a wide range)interesting cells of timbre and colour emerge. 

Example 5










The combinations are maximised when woodwind are taken into consideration:


Example 6










Example 7
                           Treble           Alto           Tenor          Bass
Catergories I        Flute          Alto Flute   Clarinet      Bass Clarinet

Catergories II       Glock.        Vibraphone.............      Pianoforte 

Catergories III      Cabasa       Tom-Tom    Congas       Bass drum

Catergories can also be made in terms of metal and wood sounding instruments:

Metal                                    Wood
Flute/(alto)                             Clarinet/(bass)
Vibraphone                             Wood blocks...
Glockenspiel...           


Like the previous work Apres La Mort des Artistes, the instrumental combinations are devised through an elaborate and complex plan.  The leading figurative writing is divided between instruments that are intended to dominate the texture. 

             

Popular posts from this blog

Once Upon a Time - by James Dillon

Once Upon a Time   James Dillon Once Upon a Time...Ircam When the premiere of a work called ‘Once Upon a Time’ at the Huddersfield Festival of 1980,  James Dillon was immediately thrust centre stage.   Hitherto, James Dillon's success had been variable.   Mainly learning his craft in libraries rather than formal institutions and without the prospect of a performance at the end, many of his early pieces were left incomplete.   The first substantial work Babble (1974-6) was a brief glimpse of things to come.   Although now James Dillon disregards the rigorous architectural design in which everything 'is mapped out despite the material'.   After the first section was rehearsed by the newly formed Charles Ives Choir who were perplexed by some of the graphic notation, the work was abandoned.    His momentary interest in serialism in ‘Dillug-Kefitsah’ (1976) encouraged James Dillon to examine the seemingly paradoxical notion of a 'parametrical discipline' wo

What is Stockhausen's legacy?

Karlheinz Stockhausen is one of the most important composers of the post war era. He is partially responsible for the creation of the post war modernist music.   But what is his true legacy? Was he the leading composer in his field? Did he invent the 'timbralist' idea of generating music from a single sound? Well, he did accomplish that concept with  "Stimmung'' (Voice) which is completely designed around the single chord of a B flat ninth . But he wasn't the first.  Giacinto Scelsi wrote "Quatro pezzi per orchestre" which is based a single note per movement and that work was written in 1959. Quatro pezzi per orchestre - Scelsi I seriously doubt whether Stockhausen knew about Scelsi's achievement when he wrote Stimmung in 1977. Perhaps one of his greatest works  is " Gruppen'' (Groups) composed for three orchestras. Did it change the way we use the orchestra?  He was a pioneer, especially in the early stages of hi

In the shadow of a genius.

Recently, I have discovered a fascinating revelation about the composers we admire so much.  That behind many geniuses, there usually is a predecessor lurking in the background.  It reminds of that often quoted phrase by Picasso A  good  artist borrows and  great  artist steals Now, I am not suggesting that the composers who I mention are stealing peoples' ideas - there is no evidence to support that fact.  However, I am suggesting that the idea of a genius who came from nowhere may not be accurate.  Let's take the case of Ernest Fanelli.  Who? You might ask.  He is a significant but unknown person in the development of impressionism.  He is an Italian born composer living in Paris.  He composed a good deal of 'new' music at the end of the nineteenth century.  His ideas were quite radical; his instrumentation included harmonics, sul pont., he used wordless choruses.  Unfortunately, he wasn't as talented a composer as Debussy and his music wasn'