Legacy General Description

Since I am on a weeklong camping trip(Sept. 12 -18)and I am not composing, I am interrupting my writing about my “Four Poems” to write about a recent composition, “Legacy”. I began my blog-site after reading a mystery novel based around a blog. At that time, I was nearing the completion of my composition “Legacy”, which was being composed for the Washington Sinfonietta. I started my blog-site because I thought it would be interesting for both the musicians for whom the piece is being written and the potential audiences, to be able to experience a new piece of music unfold as it is being written. I also thought that it could be an interesting learning experience for developing composers. Rather than beginning my blog as I was composing the end of “Legacy”, I waited until I began a new one. Subsequently, my blog has created enough interest that members of the Washington Sinfonietta asked if I would consider writing about “Legacy” after the fact. So here I am, on the third day of my mini-camping vacation sitting at a picnic table on a beautiful sunny late summer day in Prince William Forest Park south of Washington, DC jotting down my thoughts.

Since I am now writing about the piece after it was composed, I am including the program notes here to give the reader a sense of what “Legacy” is about.

Legacy is a three-movement composition for chamber orchestra that makes social commentary on the issue of global warming. It was commission by the Washington Sinfonietta, Rufus Jones, conductor.

I. Conflicts - This movement begins with a "cry" from native cultures admonishing our neglect of the environment. The cry is interspersed with "debate" regarding the seriousness of global warming (woodwinds). The debate grows stronger as the cries grow weaker. The debate is quieted by a measure of repeated chords that could be the words, "stop it! stop it now!". A weak cry in the English Horn brings the introduction to a close. An Allegro section follows with a rhythmic and primitive sounding section representing the underdeveloped nations that are destroying the rain forests for economic gain. This material evolves into a more harmonic and contrapuntal section representing industrialized nations reluctant to change, also for economic reasons. Things quiet down as the music takes the listener to another part of the globe, East Asia. Conflict is again present in this section. The music returns to a varied restatement of the industrialized nations music before traveling to India for a section influenced by Raga. This section builds in dissonance until we hear the repeated "stop it now" chords from the introduction. A brief reprise of the cries brings the movement to a close.



II. Consequences - This movement evokes a somber mood that is reflective of living in a climate of extremes. The movement is in arch form as it begins and ends with open harmony reflective of barren lands that once were fertile. The middle section serves as a climax expressive the harshness of the climate. Colleen McCullough’s book, "A Creed for the Third Millennium" was a source of inspiration for this movement.



III. Sacrifice and Compromise - The movement begins with a strong section that suggests progress. It is followed by a quieter and intense section that alternates lyrical lines over a staccato ostinato that creates a sense of urgency. The opening section returns and is followed by a development of the ostinato section. This section is symbolic of how ideas need to be adapted in order for progress to be made. The opening section returns once more before leading into the concluding section where there is coming together of the instruments on a long lyrical line representing more and more people working together for change. The movement ends with a sense of triumph over adversity.

What I’d like to discuss in this first post is the process I used to get started on “Legacy”.

Since I was commissioned by an orchestra located in our nation’s capital, I wanted to write something that would deal with a controversial current events issue, and the concern over “global warming” and its ramifications is something that is close to my heart. The other influencing factor is a request from the Washington Sinfonietta to incorporate some ethnic influences in the piece as their orchestra consists of ethnically diverse personnel. I then came up with the title “Legacy” and the titles for the three movements, “Conflicts”, Consequences” and “Harmony of the Earth”. The ethnic influences were easy to incorporate into the first movement, “Conflicts” as “Global Warming” is an international concern. My true “Romantic” character likes to bring my compositions to a close with a message of hope that follows the conflict and struggles presented earlier. But as I was composing “Legacy”, “Harmony of the Earth” became too much like a pipe dream and even I, with my “Pollyanna” optimism, couldn’t feel comfortable with the title of the third movement. It was while I was writing the third movement that the present title “Sacrifice and Compromise” occurred to me and is a better representation of the realities surrounding global warming.

When I write a piece for a large ensemble, I do not usually compose on a reduced score and orchestrate later. Orchestration is an integral part of my compositions and I orchestrate as I compose the piece, therefore the full score is in front of me from the moment of conception.


To see and hear what is discussed, go to http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=home.score&scoreID=133682

Dr. B

Poem 4 Verse 1 into verse 2

Yesterday I began to work on setting Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". I kept hearing some "travelling" music in my head and needed to get it notated before I forgot what I was hearing. The first verse is essentially a duet between the clarinet and voice with a short flute figure inserted for punctuation on longer notes. The piano is used as well, but more percussively, as it is has a wide spread between hands and each hand uses fourths, fifths, and the occassional third, which give some harmonic support, but is intentionally hollow sounding. The meter changes between 7/8, 5/8, 6/8, and 4/8. A short three part canonic section between flute and piano serves as an interlude between verse 1 and verse 2.

To see and hear what is discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/fourpoemsblog.html

Dr. B

poem 3 Verse 5 to the end

Even though I worked quite a bit of Friday, I did not post as I was in the middle of this final section and I wasn't sure where things were heading. I did a little bit over the weekend and finished this poem today.

I was struggling quite a bit on how to notate the audience participation. I went to a concert Friday night and heard the Philadelphia Big Brass. It was a marvelous concert and on one piece, "La Virgen de la Macarena", they had the audience shout "ole". The audience was really into it and it reinforced my desire to involve the audience in my "Four Poems". The challenge for me is that my audience participation is more complex. In order to make the audience participation simpler, I decided not to notate the exact rhythm and I hope the audience will stay somewhat together on their own. My "Karaoke" idea of projecting the words and cuing the audience on each word also seems too complex. I just plan to have a handout with the words and sounds the audience needs to do and to have the Soprano lead the audience. I also indicated on my score that audience participation is optional as it is not always practical. The soprano would recite the words and do the sound effects in this instance.

Once I solved that problem, I was free to finish my setting of the words. This entire setting is through-composed (different music for all the words) although there are several unifying factors underlying the free form. After the climax on the words "Yes! That was the reason", the tempo slows down and moves to a duple meter feel for most of the remainder of the piece instead of the triple meter feel. After the aside by the audience on the words "(as all men know in the kingdom by the sea)", the clarinet and piano begin a dramatic and intense section. On the words "chilling and killing my Annabel Lee) both the voice and piano descend in a mostly chromatic line. Immediately following is a change of mood with syncopated, rich harmony and 16th note arpeggios in the piano and lyricism in the flute and voice as the words describe the depth of their love. There is some word painting with soaring lines on "heavens above" and descending lines on "demons down under the sea". An audience participation speaking section occurs next over chords built in ascending perfect 4ths. The middle of this section introduces a five note descending pattern that will recur frequently in the last section of the poem. A return to the syncopated and arpeggiated piano part accompanies a new melodic line in the last section that also includes that descending figure just mentioned. After a rising arpeggio in the piano on the last word, the audience finished the setting by making the sounds of waves.

To see and hear what is discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/fourpoemsblog.html

Dr. B

Poem 3 verse 4 & 5

My setting of "Annabel Lee" is moving towards its climax. After creating the melodic line for verse 4, I went about finding a suitable accompaniment. I was hearing a low clarinet color and created a one measure figure that grew out of the first three notes of the vocal melody (measure 56). Even though this idea came after I created the vocal line, the listener actually first hears this anticipating the vocal melody. Tension in this section is definitely building. I aid this along by using my "wind" motif that brought the chill to Annabel Lee (running 16th note scale) in the piano left hand, once in the piano right hand, and finally in the clarinet at the climax (measure 63). I continue the tension by doing the exact opposite of what I was doing before. Instead of loud and busy, I used soft staccato notes sparsely in the piano and in a repeated pattern in the flute. This gives the impression of quiet seething. This section climaxes suddenly on the words "Yes! that was the reason" with a sudden forte in the voice and the re-entry of the clarinet on a rapid figure at a loud dynamic. This will set up my treatment of the end of the poem, which be discussed in future posts as it occurs.

To see and hear what is discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/fourpoemsblog.html

Dr. B

Poem 3 verse 3

I began today's composing session by working on the interlude between verse 2 and 3. I first created a flute flourish on the word "me" which led into the flourish being imitated in the clarinet. Accompanying the clarinet flourish is a hemiola figure that begins as a triad and expands in oblique then contrary motion. This hemiola rhythmic idea (grouping the 6 eighth notes in the measure to create a three quarter note feel instead of the normal two dotted quarter note feel) was hinted at in the flute in measure 2 and fully present in the clarinet at measure 16. I an often asked whether I consciously do this and the answer is no. My technique as a composer is so much a part of me now, that I just hear things and later, when I go back and look at what I did, I find these unifying factors. Composers must practice technique just like performers. The goal is to have the technique become second nature, however there are times when I need to go back to see what I wrote to find some technique to continue the piece. All composers get "writer's block" and by examining what you did, you can usually find some gem that gets you over the hurdle. Composers wishing to learn about and practice technique might want to examine my book "A Composers Guide to Understanding Music". This book also has activities to help listeners hear music like a composer and to help performers become better interpreters of music. It is available at amazon.com or by
clicking here.
The hemiola then developed into a 5/8 pattern of 2 + 3 for two measures then 3 + 2 for one measure before returning to the 6/8. The expanding harmony and contrary motion created my piano part for the beginning of this 6/8 section. It alternates with a figure derived from the 5/8. This is a curious instance where solving a practical problem leads to a more interesting line. The 5/8 figure began by alternating halve steps, but when I did that here (f,Gb,F,Gb), I had a clash between the "F" in the flute on beat 3 and the Gb in the soprano. My solution was to bring the "F" up to "Bb" and it eliminated the clash but also created a more interesting line.

On the word "wind", I created a wind line in the piano right hand that carries through for two measures and is used again in the piano left hand in measure 55. The rolling of the chords in measures 54 and 55 reflect the "beautiful Annabel Lee". This is my use of some "word painting" which is a fun thing to do when setting poetry. I took a little liberty with Poe's text by omitting the work "beautiful" before repeating the entire last line of the verse.

To see and hear what is discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/fourpoemsblog.html

Dr. B

Poem 3 verse 2

I usually begin my composing day by reviewing what I have composed thus far. I do this because it orients me to where I left off and because I usually hear something that I could do better. Measure 11 was bothering me because the soprano "D" on beat one was interfering with the "D" on the downbeat of measure 12. The same note in close proximity (sustained and rhythmically strong) can make a melodic line less interesting. I first tried to change the "D" in measure 12, but soon realized that it was the "D" in measure 11 that needed changing. I brought that down to a "C" and changed the next note to "Bb". I also had to slightly change the accompaniment to fit with the changed melody. I think this was an improvement. I'd be curious to see if you (the reader) agrees with me.

I stated yesterday that I was avoiding using the piano to create a timbral change between the 2nd poem and this one. The section I was working on called out for a piano chord that would lead into the flute and clarinet interlude. That piano chord then became an important germ idea for the rest of this section. You will notice that the piano chord consists of perfect 4ths in each hand and is in the middle to high register. I exploit this open interval sound for the accompaniment, sometimes as 4ths and other times as fifths. The intervals change to thirds only at the climax at the end of this section. I am consciously avoiding any low register piano as I am saving this for the more somber sections of the poem.

The flute and clarinet are used more sparingly in this verse, serving as interludes and inserting "color" commentary on key words. The imitative interlude at measures 21 & 22 which begins on the 3rd eighth note occurs two more times, but starts on different beats each time (beat 2 at measures 26 & 27 and beat 4 at measures 32 & 33). This Stravinskian technique of shifting a rhythmic figure to different starting beats is a nice way to add variety to music while having a repetition. It works particularly well here because it rhythmically sets up each of the vocal entrances that follow it.

To see and hear what is discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/fourpoemsblog.html

Dr. B

Beginning poem 3

It is that anxious time for me once again as I am beginning the setting of a new poem, Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee". Even with a general idea of what I want to do, I really have no idea of whether what I am writing will work until I get into the piece. The first thing I considered before writing a note was the relationship of this poem to the others in the set. I wanted a contrast to begin the poem that would set it off from poem 2. Since poem 2 was in 6/8 and 9/8, I didn't want to use a tripple meter again, so I considered 5/8 and 7/8 but the words of "Annabel Lee" kept falling into a 6/8 pattern and the tempo was similar to poem 2 as well. The idea I was hearing to start this poem was cascading 4ths in the flute. So I notated that idea and realized that even though the tempo and meter were similar to poem 2, the mood is entirely different. What developed out of the opening flute idea was a light and playful contrapuntal setting of verse 1 for flute, clarinet and voice. The fact that I did not use the piano also gave it the contrast that I was looking for.

I find it interesting that the music can suggest an interpretation that is not present by the words themselves. "Annabel Lee" is a Romantic poem and in keeping with many of the arts of the Romantic Period, there is a preoccupation with death. The first two poems have this as well. But death is not always gloomy. In Whitman's "Oh Captain! My Captain!" death is both a personal loss and at the same time a heroic death. In Wilcox's "Solitude", death is used as an analogy for loneliness. In "Annabel Lee", death is a symbol of true love. To me, the poem begins with a childlike love that blossoms into a very deep and true love. It is this childlike love that is suggested by the music in the opening cascading 4ths of the flute, the hemiola two 16th and 8th figure that appears in both the flute and clarinet, the staccato articulation, and the imitation between parts.

It is nice to know that my original idea is working. I think a lot of my composing goes on at a subconcious level and it is not until I actually sit down and write that the subconscious ideas emerge. I am also very grateful to technology. No matter how much I have tried, I am a poor pianist. Before technological advances, I would find the sounds I wanted at the keyboard, but could only hear the piece in my head because I could not play what I wrote. Now I have the luxury of the computer playing back what I wrote in real time and it is easier for me to move forward at a more rapid pace.

To see and hear what is discussed, go tohttp://www.cooppress.net/fourpoemsblog.html

Dr. B