All I can say is that Robert Burns must have had a lot of girlfriends and most of them named Jean. When I told the Avion Saxophone Quartet and its director that one of the poems I was using was Bonnie Jean, I discovered that the actual poem is called Jean. Bonnie Jean is a different poem. Anyway, here is the text that influenced the fourth movement:
JEAN
Of a' the airts the wind can blaw,
I dearly like the west.
For there the bonnie lassie lives,
The lassie I lo'e best:
There wild woods grow, and rivers row,
And monie a hill between;
But day and night may fancy's flight
Is ever wi' my Jean.
I see her in the dewy flowers,
I see her sweet and fair:
I hear her in the tunefu' birds,
I hear her charm the air:
There's not a bonnie flower that springs
By fountain, shaw, or green;
There's not a bonnie bird that sings,
But minds me o' my Jean.
I original thought of setting this in a slow tempo but when I got into it, I was impressed by the references to nature and the lightness of the expression of love, that I chose a slow waltz instead. This tempo and style also fits the sequence of movements better as I used a slow tempo for movement 2. There is slight polytonality in this movement. The Baritone Saxophone starts out in F, The Tenor and Alto Saxophones in Bb, and the Soprano Saxophone in C. These keys are closely related so there is not much dissonance.
The form is AABAABCCDBAAB. Contrast is created through melodic material, texture, orchestration and articulation. The tenor and baritone saxophones have a lot of melody in some of the sections. The music almost sounds flirtatious rather than a serious love.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Burnsiana_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Burnsiana Movement 3
The third movement is based on To A Mouse. The poetry follows.
TO A MOUSE
Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!
I'm truly sorry Man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle,
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!
I doubt na, whyles,
but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen-icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request:
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!
Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an' wast,
An' weary Winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.
That wee-bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald.
To thole the Winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!
But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!
The first image that comes to mind when reading this poem was of a mouse scurrying through a field. I tried to represented this by using key clicks in the saxophone. The recorded versions of this movement have the saxophone sounds and not the key clicks, so you will need to use your imagination. I was frustrated trying to get the software to playback with the key click sound. First of all, there were no key click sound in the sampled instruments. I tried to change to a percussion sound, but when I did it changed the notation. Then I tried to use an effect like a snap, but heard no difference. If anyone knows how to do this on Sibelius, I would love to learn how to do it.
The key clicks uses a scalar pattern in g minor. They are interrupted by two measures solos and finally a four measure 5/8 phrase. At measure 20, the key clicks come back in a new key but this time the last measure becomes a 5/8 instead of a 6/8 to add a little variety.
Measure 39 ushers in a new section that represents the accidental interruption of nature's balance. This section is mostly in 5/8, an unbalanced meter.
Measure 55 begins a very highly chromatic section and represents the harshness of winter that both the mouse and the plowman must survive. This section culminates in diminished 7th tremolos before transitioning into a more reflective section at measure 91. This reflection uses the key clicks again, but at a slower tempo along with more reflective interruptions that eventually develop into a quiet ending that leaves the listener with an unsure feeling, much in the way Burns' poem does.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Burnsiana_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
TO A MOUSE
Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!
I'm truly sorry Man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle,
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!
I doubt na, whyles,
but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen-icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request:
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!
Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an' wast,
An' weary Winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.
That wee-bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald.
To thole the Winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!
But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!
The first image that comes to mind when reading this poem was of a mouse scurrying through a field. I tried to represented this by using key clicks in the saxophone. The recorded versions of this movement have the saxophone sounds and not the key clicks, so you will need to use your imagination. I was frustrated trying to get the software to playback with the key click sound. First of all, there were no key click sound in the sampled instruments. I tried to change to a percussion sound, but when I did it changed the notation. Then I tried to use an effect like a snap, but heard no difference. If anyone knows how to do this on Sibelius, I would love to learn how to do it.
The key clicks uses a scalar pattern in g minor. They are interrupted by two measures solos and finally a four measure 5/8 phrase. At measure 20, the key clicks come back in a new key but this time the last measure becomes a 5/8 instead of a 6/8 to add a little variety.
Measure 39 ushers in a new section that represents the accidental interruption of nature's balance. This section is mostly in 5/8, an unbalanced meter.
Measure 55 begins a very highly chromatic section and represents the harshness of winter that both the mouse and the plowman must survive. This section culminates in diminished 7th tremolos before transitioning into a more reflective section at measure 91. This reflection uses the key clicks again, but at a slower tempo along with more reflective interruptions that eventually develop into a quiet ending that leaves the listener with an unsure feeling, much in the way Burns' poem does.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Burnsiana_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Burnsiana Movement 2
These past week or so, I worked on the second movement of Burnsiana. The poem I used for the inspiration of the movement follows:
O MY LUVE'S LIKE A RED, RED ROSE
O, My Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O, my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun!
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!
I begin the movement with timbre trills. Timbre trills occur when the performer goes back and forth between the regular fingering for a note and an alternate fingering. I put a footnote to these trills indicating that they should be slow and gentle, like the rustling of leaves. I am trying evoke a sense of nature and of beauty. The playback does not create the effect I want as it is too regular and too pronounced. The lyrical (love) melody occurs first in the alto saxophone but soon travels to all the other saxophones during the entire movement, sometimes as solos, sometimes as duets, and sometimes in counterpoint.
Beginning in measure 10, the soprano saxophone plays a descending stepwise figure that once again gets transferred to all the instruments. As the poem intensifies with the ideas of parting and traveling to return, the descending stepwise idea is augmented to create a more undulating sense of urgency (measure 14). The melodic lines along with this figure are still lyrical, but more intense.
I take a liberty with Burns' poem by returning to the more subdued expression of love for the end of the movement. I simply repeat the first thirteen measures at a slightly slower tempo and only create a different ending for this material.
I usually like to create using a transposed score as I can see the ranges the instruments are playing in clearer and transposing in my head to recognize how the pitches sound does not cause me any problems. When working on this piece, I found the constant transposing in my head challenging because the top part is in Bb, the 2nd in Eb, the 3rd in Bb and the 4th in Eb. I was getting confused regarding what pitches were actually sounding. When I placed the score in concert pitch, the tenor and baritone saxophones were still in treble clef, so they had many ledger lines below the staff that were just as hard to read. I then put the tenor and baritone saxes in bass clef for the composing phase and the notes were in the staves, making the creation of the harmony and contrapuntal lines easier. This will be the way I will work on this piece from now on. I put the score back to transposed and changed the clefs back to treble for these posts.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Burnsiana_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
O MY LUVE'S LIKE A RED, RED ROSE
O, My Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O, my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun!
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!
I begin the movement with timbre trills. Timbre trills occur when the performer goes back and forth between the regular fingering for a note and an alternate fingering. I put a footnote to these trills indicating that they should be slow and gentle, like the rustling of leaves. I am trying evoke a sense of nature and of beauty. The playback does not create the effect I want as it is too regular and too pronounced. The lyrical (love) melody occurs first in the alto saxophone but soon travels to all the other saxophones during the entire movement, sometimes as solos, sometimes as duets, and sometimes in counterpoint.
Beginning in measure 10, the soprano saxophone plays a descending stepwise figure that once again gets transferred to all the instruments. As the poem intensifies with the ideas of parting and traveling to return, the descending stepwise idea is augmented to create a more undulating sense of urgency (measure 14). The melodic lines along with this figure are still lyrical, but more intense.
I take a liberty with Burns' poem by returning to the more subdued expression of love for the end of the movement. I simply repeat the first thirteen measures at a slightly slower tempo and only create a different ending for this material.
I usually like to create using a transposed score as I can see the ranges the instruments are playing in clearer and transposing in my head to recognize how the pitches sound does not cause me any problems. When working on this piece, I found the constant transposing in my head challenging because the top part is in Bb, the 2nd in Eb, the 3rd in Bb and the 4th in Eb. I was getting confused regarding what pitches were actually sounding. When I placed the score in concert pitch, the tenor and baritone saxophones were still in treble clef, so they had many ledger lines below the staff that were just as hard to read. I then put the tenor and baritone saxes in bass clef for the composing phase and the notes were in the staves, making the creation of the harmony and contrapuntal lines easier. This will be the way I will work on this piece from now on. I put the score back to transposed and changed the clefs back to treble for these posts.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Burnsiana_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Burnsiana Movement 1
Hello readers,
My next project is a composition for the Avion Saxophone Quartet of Wright State University. This is a commission through the Co-op Press Commission Assistance Program and the composition will be hopefully be premiered at the Ohio Music Educators Association Conference in January 2011. There is also a possibility of a performance at the 2012 World Saxophone Congress in Scotland and this possibility gave rise to the title and inspiration for the composition.
I have selected five poems of Robert Burns to represent through music. The first is My Bonny Mary and the poem appears below.
Go fetch to me a pint o' wine,
An' fill it in a silver tassie,
That I may drink, before I go,
A service to my bonnie lassie.
The boat rocks at the pier o' Leith,
Fu' loud the wind blaws frae the ferry,
The ship rides by the Berwick-law,
And I maun leave my bonnie Mary.
The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glittering spears are rankèd ready;
The shouts o' war are heard afar,
The battle closes thick and bloody;
But it's no the roar o' sea or shore
Wad mak me langer wish to tarry;
Nor shout o' war that's heard afar—
It's leaving thee, my bonnie Mary!
The first stanza brought two images to mind. The first is a drinking song and the other is the rocking of a ship. Both these images suggested a moderate 6/8 meter with a lilt, but when I got into composing the piece, the rhythmic feel changed to incorporate some 5/8 and 7/8 measures as well. It still has the lilt, but the irregularity of the meters adds rhythmic interest.
Measures 1-16 represent the first half of the first stanza which is the drinking song. Measures 17-33 is more intense as it represents a foreboding of the battle to come. The language throughout is modal and chromatic with harmony in thirds and fourths. There is frequent use of imitation.
Measure 24 heralds in the second stanza with fanfare figures. This is the most intense section as it represents the battle itself. At measure 39 cluster chords are used. This figure repeats often in the section though it is varied through sequence, hemiola and syncopation.
The battle winds down by measure 58 and measure 59 to the end uses some of the opening material as both the poem and the music become more reflective of having to leave his bonnie Mary to go off to war. The instrumentation is varied slightly as is the melody to make it calmer and sadder than the opening. The movement ends quietly as if the writer is off in his own reverie.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Burnsiana_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
My next project is a composition for the Avion Saxophone Quartet of Wright State University. This is a commission through the Co-op Press Commission Assistance Program and the composition will be hopefully be premiered at the Ohio Music Educators Association Conference in January 2011. There is also a possibility of a performance at the 2012 World Saxophone Congress in Scotland and this possibility gave rise to the title and inspiration for the composition.
I have selected five poems of Robert Burns to represent through music. The first is My Bonny Mary and the poem appears below.
Go fetch to me a pint o' wine,
An' fill it in a silver tassie,
That I may drink, before I go,
A service to my bonnie lassie.
The boat rocks at the pier o' Leith,
Fu' loud the wind blaws frae the ferry,
The ship rides by the Berwick-law,
And I maun leave my bonnie Mary.
The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glittering spears are rankèd ready;
The shouts o' war are heard afar,
The battle closes thick and bloody;
But it's no the roar o' sea or shore
Wad mak me langer wish to tarry;
Nor shout o' war that's heard afar—
It's leaving thee, my bonnie Mary!
The first stanza brought two images to mind. The first is a drinking song and the other is the rocking of a ship. Both these images suggested a moderate 6/8 meter with a lilt, but when I got into composing the piece, the rhythmic feel changed to incorporate some 5/8 and 7/8 measures as well. It still has the lilt, but the irregularity of the meters adds rhythmic interest.
Measures 1-16 represent the first half of the first stanza which is the drinking song. Measures 17-33 is more intense as it represents a foreboding of the battle to come. The language throughout is modal and chromatic with harmony in thirds and fourths. There is frequent use of imitation.
Measure 24 heralds in the second stanza with fanfare figures. This is the most intense section as it represents the battle itself. At measure 39 cluster chords are used. This figure repeats often in the section though it is varied through sequence, hemiola and syncopation.
The battle winds down by measure 58 and measure 59 to the end uses some of the opening material as both the poem and the music become more reflective of having to leave his bonnie Mary to go off to war. The instrumentation is varied slightly as is the melody to make it calmer and sadder than the opening. The movement ends quietly as if the writer is off in his own reverie.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Burnsiana_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Fantasie Variations on the Polish National Anthem - End
Yesterday, I finished Fantasie Variations and I'm pleased with the way it came out especially considering the departure from my normal style. There are nine variations and I repeat the theme again at the end before moving to a coda.
The final fast section begins with a 5/8 variation where the measures are grouped 3+2. When I marked the tempo as 8th equals 240, little did I know that the tempo was ideal as it transitions with the eighth equaling the eighth into 6/8, where the dotted quarter equals 80, and then to 3/4, where the quarter equals 120, which was the tempo of the opening fast section. The opening piano motif uses the dotted eighth and sixteenth rhythm that permeates the theme. The saxophone enters (measure 147) with an elaborate filling in of the minor third opening interval of the theme with a turn (note, note below, note, note above). But the rest of the 5/8 is mostly free material, thus is very far removed from the theme. There are three large phrases for this idea (measures 147-165) and those 3 phrases repeat (measures 166-184), but with the piano doing the melody and the saxophone filling in for the first two phrases then back to the reverse for the last phrase. The 6/8 section at 185 varies the B part of the theme and is more recognizable even in 6/8. Hemiola of 3 against 2 is used a lot in this section.
An extension by one beat transitions the listener back into the minor variant heard earlier but with its own variation of the chromatic runs from measures 202-209. Measure 210-217 is a variant of the introduction and then the theme returns to remind the listener of what was varied. I set up the coda at measure 241 with a 5/4 measures that repeats the turn motif and sounds as if things are coming to a halt before the boisterous, rousing close.
After listening to the entire piece, I altered the chords in measure 125 so that the altered chords create a smoother progression. Because of this, I've included the entire composition in the 8/18 posting of the Sibelius file, but the mp3 is just measures145 to the end.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Fantasie_Variations_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
The final fast section begins with a 5/8 variation where the measures are grouped 3+2. When I marked the tempo as 8th equals 240, little did I know that the tempo was ideal as it transitions with the eighth equaling the eighth into 6/8, where the dotted quarter equals 80, and then to 3/4, where the quarter equals 120, which was the tempo of the opening fast section. The opening piano motif uses the dotted eighth and sixteenth rhythm that permeates the theme. The saxophone enters (measure 147) with an elaborate filling in of the minor third opening interval of the theme with a turn (note, note below, note, note above). But the rest of the 5/8 is mostly free material, thus is very far removed from the theme. There are three large phrases for this idea (measures 147-165) and those 3 phrases repeat (measures 166-184), but with the piano doing the melody and the saxophone filling in for the first two phrases then back to the reverse for the last phrase. The 6/8 section at 185 varies the B part of the theme and is more recognizable even in 6/8. Hemiola of 3 against 2 is used a lot in this section.
An extension by one beat transitions the listener back into the minor variant heard earlier but with its own variation of the chromatic runs from measures 202-209. Measure 210-217 is a variant of the introduction and then the theme returns to remind the listener of what was varied. I set up the coda at measure 241 with a 5/4 measures that repeats the turn motif and sounds as if things are coming to a halt before the boisterous, rousing close.
After listening to the entire piece, I altered the chords in measure 125 so that the altered chords create a smoother progression. Because of this, I've included the entire composition in the 8/18 posting of the Sibelius file, but the mp3 is just measures145 to the end.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Fantasie_Variations_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Fantasie Variations on the Polish National Anthem - Middle
To create a four-measure transition to the slower section, I used a motive from the first measure of the anthem in the left hand of the piano and answered it with the motive inverted in the right hand of the piano. The idea is extended freely as it modulates to F major and the Andante.
My idea for the Andante was to explore the feminine cadence style trait if the polonaise. A feminine cadence resolves on a weak beat instead of a strong beat (example: dominant chord on beat 1 and tonic chord on beat 2). I also used the same dotted rhythm motive I used in the transition as the basis for a free melody for this section. To break up the regularity of phrasing, there are meter changes, irregular length phrases, and a forte sextuplet that adds and element of surprise. Measures 113 to 120 is a variation of the second part of the anthem that incorporates elements of the measures preceding it.A sudden modulation using the sextuplet idea followed by a fragment of the Andante melody transitions the listener to the Lento.
The Lento is the most lyrical section of the piece. It is also freely based on the opening rising motive of the anthem but without the middle note. Lush harmony that contains some borrowed chords for chromatic interest permeates this section.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Fantasie_Variations_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
My idea for the Andante was to explore the feminine cadence style trait if the polonaise. A feminine cadence resolves on a weak beat instead of a strong beat (example: dominant chord on beat 1 and tonic chord on beat 2). I also used the same dotted rhythm motive I used in the transition as the basis for a free melody for this section. To break up the regularity of phrasing, there are meter changes, irregular length phrases, and a forte sextuplet that adds and element of surprise. Measures 113 to 120 is a variation of the second part of the anthem that incorporates elements of the measures preceding it.A sudden modulation using the sextuplet idea followed by a fragment of the Andante melody transitions the listener to the Lento.
The Lento is the most lyrical section of the piece. It is also freely based on the opening rising motive of the anthem but without the middle note. Lush harmony that contains some borrowed chords for chromatic interest permeates this section.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Fantasie_Variations_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Fantasie Variations on the Polish National Anthem
Hello readers. I have been working on a new composition for about two weeks. My work has been sporadic because I have also been completely revising my website which is now up and running.
My new composition is being composed for saxophonist David Wozniak and pianist Libby Vanatta who received a Recording Grant from Co-op Press. David wanted a new piece with Polish influences and suggested using the Polish National Anthem.
I find it challenging to compose a composition based upon music with a very simple structure. The chords of the anthem are I, IV, V, the melody is totally diatonic, the meter is 3/4 with a Polonaise rhythm, the form is AB and the phrases are four measure phrases. In in order to be consistent, stylistically, one needs to respect this simplicity, yet at the same time, strive to be inventive.
I began with a simple introduction using motives from the melody is a brief contrapuntal treatment. After an eight measure introduction, the anthem is stated with the polonaise rhythm. On the repeat of the B section, I ornament the melody a little bit.
At measure 33, my ear suggested a minor mode variation. The piano plays alone for the first eight measures then the saxophone joins with a chromatic variation on top of the chordal piano part. I end this variation with a 4/4 measure followed by two more 4/4 measures as an interlude. This breaks up the 3/4 pattern.
The next variation is quieter and thinner in texture, just the saxophone variant and the left hand of the piano. After eight measures, this repeats, but the right hand of the piano does some staccato arpeggios before erupting into a chromatic flourish. Once more I end with a 4/4 measure followed by two more measures of 4/4 interlude.
The last new variation of this fast opening section is the farthest removed thus far. The interlude that precedes it uses some chords in fourth that sets up a looser melodic and harmonic variation. I change meter more frequently therefore creating variety in rhythm as well.
To end this fast section, I repeat the minor variant from earlier but add a little saxophone fill in the sustained notes of the first eight measures.
I plan to transition to a slower section and will discuss that after it is composed.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Fantasie_Variations_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
My new composition is being composed for saxophonist David Wozniak and pianist Libby Vanatta who received a Recording Grant from Co-op Press. David wanted a new piece with Polish influences and suggested using the Polish National Anthem.
I find it challenging to compose a composition based upon music with a very simple structure. The chords of the anthem are I, IV, V, the melody is totally diatonic, the meter is 3/4 with a Polonaise rhythm, the form is AB and the phrases are four measure phrases. In in order to be consistent, stylistically, one needs to respect this simplicity, yet at the same time, strive to be inventive.
I began with a simple introduction using motives from the melody is a brief contrapuntal treatment. After an eight measure introduction, the anthem is stated with the polonaise rhythm. On the repeat of the B section, I ornament the melody a little bit.
At measure 33, my ear suggested a minor mode variation. The piano plays alone for the first eight measures then the saxophone joins with a chromatic variation on top of the chordal piano part. I end this variation with a 4/4 measure followed by two more 4/4 measures as an interlude. This breaks up the 3/4 pattern.
The next variation is quieter and thinner in texture, just the saxophone variant and the left hand of the piano. After eight measures, this repeats, but the right hand of the piano does some staccato arpeggios before erupting into a chromatic flourish. Once more I end with a 4/4 measure followed by two more measures of 4/4 interlude.
The last new variation of this fast opening section is the farthest removed thus far. The interlude that precedes it uses some chords in fourth that sets up a looser melodic and harmonic variation. I change meter more frequently therefore creating variety in rhythm as well.
To end this fast section, I repeat the minor variant from earlier but add a little saxophone fill in the sustained notes of the first eight measures.
I plan to transition to a slower section and will discuss that after it is composed.
To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Fantasie_Variations_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B
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