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dinu
- 论坛博士后
- 19720110
- 729
- 736
- 2003-11-15
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发表于 2014-11-29 09:35
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TRACK07
Introduction and themeI selected the title mosaics for this composition for my memory of mosaics I had seen as a young man in Italy. Mosaics would seem to change in color, in mood and form according to the way in which they reflected the light of the sun: brilliant in the morning light, dark and even somber in the evening’s dusk. The composition itself is in the form of a theme and variations. This form divorced from technical terminology, means what exactly what its name implies. The theme or subject of this discourse followed by variations on the original idea. The composer’s material after all consists of 4 essentials: first, the relationships of the tones in melody and in harmony, similar perhaps to writer’s alphabet related in words and sentences; second, the devices of beat, rhythm which give to the music its flow and its movement; third the assembling of music sentences into larger forms such as the writer’s paragraphs and chapters. And finally, in orchestra works the contrasting qualities of sound. In the same way I analyzing this work I shall attempt to show the relationship of orchestra color to musical form. The theme of our musical discourse consists of only 5 tones: E, G, G sharp, B and C, which I shall ask our first cellist to play:The theme is presented first by the cellos, the basses of the string family, and the bassoons and contrabassoon. Note the way the low strings, low woodwinds blend to sound like something like the deep pedal tone of the organ:This theme is repeated twice, the first time with the addition of solemn color of the trombones and rhythmic beat of ____ drum. The second repetition adds first brilliant sound of the trumpets and later the addition of 4 French horns. The addition of the horns is companied by the sizzling sound of the percussion, produce by a row on the suspended cymbal, which brings the theme to the climax after which it dies away:We are now ready for our first variation. But first we constructed a bridge from the theme to its variation. A musical bridge is after all much like any other kind of bridge. It gets one from one place to another. In this case from the theme to its first variation. The solo oboe takes over the task of leading us to the bridge, assisted in the moment by the violas and the English horn:The clarinets follow echoed by the combination of the flutes, strings and the bright colors of the harp and the celesta:Later we hear the ominous tones of muted French horns and clarinets, under which we hear the percussive plucking of the cellos and the basses. The lonesome sound of the bassoons complete the bridge:TRACK08
Variation 1Out first variation is in the cheerful light of early morning. The pattern of the tone is essentially the same but with a concentration on the more dissonant aspects of the theme and with a much faster beat. And the impish jugular rhythm as though to mark the sorrowful tones of the bassoon. This variation is composed of four short musical questions and answers. The first for 2 solo clarinets accompanied by bass clarinets, bassoons, plucked cellos and basses, is answered by higher strings, harp, celesta and oboe:The second question adds the solo flute, answered again by the strings, harp and celesta:The third question adds the brilliant colors of the piccolo, answered by violins, violas and cellos in unison:The final question is asked by all the woodwinds and strings punctuated by the brass over a variable cascade of crescendos of the harp. It is answered by a scale(音阶) which begin with low string and moves upward until it disappears with high flutes:TRACK09
Variation 2The second variation is perhaps in the light of midday sun. In contrast to the first variation, it concentrates upon the consonant（协和音）aspect of the theme. The sounds are warm and romantic, It begins with two-measure(小节＝bar，有时泛指节奏或拍子) introduction, oboes, English horn and bassoon, answered by flutes and clarinets. Note the change in quality from the astringent(收敛的) sound of the double reeds--the oboes and the English horns to the more placid flutes and clarinets:The melody is in the luxurious sound of all the strings in unison. The background is sustained by trombones and tuba with a strumming(漫不经心地弹拨) of the harp
:This melodic phrase in the first and second violins answered by violas and cellos occupies most of variation :And this is the way in which the little phrase is developed:The soft woodwinds: the flutes and clarinets with the bassoon repeat the introductive measure, answered by the strings, and the oboe prepares us for the next variation:TRACK10
Variation 3The third variation sounds something like a folk dance and is in complete contrast concentrating upon relationships which are not present in the original theme. Something like the relationship being for photography of a positive and a negative. It is in 3 short sections. The tune is in the violins, the accompany chords are in clarinets and bassoons with plucked cellos and basses harp and the bright sound of the triangle:The tune is repeated in the solo flute and bassoon：We place under this a little ____ melody in violas, cellos and English horns:The bridge from the first section of the variation to the second section consists a little confidential conversation among the woodwinds and French horns to the accompaniment of the harp:The second section of the variation opens with the oboe, but soon adds all the woodwinds including the bright color of the piccolo, answered by the strings:The flute quickly bridged the passage to the third section of the variation which repeats part of the first: a scale beginning with low bassoons and ending in the high flutes completes the variation:TRACK11
Variation 4In the fourth variation, the skies have darkened and mosaics appear somber and even sinister in the evening light. It is in two parts, emphasizing the most dissonant elements of the theme. The melody is in the strings with comment by the woodwinds. The violin in the upward thrusting passage answered by violas and cellos, culminating in the outburst of the brass and then subsiding:The strings begin again as before, culminating in an even more violent outburst of the brass and again subsiding:TRACK12
Variation 5 and conclusionThe 5th variation is a kind of variation on variation, employing the devices of previous variations. It begins with mysterious murmuring figure in the violin and harp supported by one clarinet and one bassoon:This figure culminates in the distorted version of folk dance tune from the third variation. In the bassoons flutes and piccolo and is interrupted by a short fanfare in the brass:The murmuring figure begins once more against which the rhythmic figure appears leading again to the folk dance tune now in all the wood wind and celesta, and culminating in the outburst of the brass characteristic of the fourth variation:The rhythmic figure continues in the strings then in the woodwinds with sonority gradually piling up in the brass:In the final announcement of folk dance theme, the strings and harp sound like a huge guitar. Notice the silvery tones of celesta:Adding the brass and the timpani supplies a solid and rhythmic background:Above this we place the dance tune in all the woodwinds, the celesta and the sharp metallic tone of the xylophone:Our story is now almost ended. The brass give out partial statement of the original theme ending with a chord during which the woodwinds and strings send up a kind of musical skyrocket:Another statement in the brass, another skyrocket in the music moves quickly to its final climax:Now let us hear the entire score without interruption.
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