Crase, Frederick (2013) Routine and Isolation: MMus ...theses.gla.ac.uk/4732/1/2014Crasemmus.pdf ·...
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Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] Crase, Frederick (2013) Routine and Isolation: MMus Composition Portfolio. MMus(R) thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4732/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given
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Transcript of Crase, Frederick (2013) Routine and Isolation: MMus ...theses.gla.ac.uk/4732/1/2014Crasemmus.pdf ·...
Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/
Crase, Frederick (2013) Routine and Isolation: MMus Composition Portfolio. MMus(R) thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4732/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given
Routine and Isolation
MMus Composition Portfolio
Fred Crase
Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of
Mmus (Composition)
School of Culture and Creative Arts
College of Arts
University of Glasgow
January 2014
i
Abstract
Contained in this thesis are four works (The Last Day, Isolation Psychosis, Routines, and Intention) and
their respective commentaries, and filmed performances of the guitar-based works (Isolation Psychosis
and Intention) which comprise the body of my MMus composition portfolio, completed 2013. The
music in this portfolio challenges the idea of traditional guitar performance techniques (Isolation
Psychosis and Intention), and binary code as a system of composition (Routines). I take a different
physical approach to the instrument of guitar in order to challenge my own technical capabilities, as
well as those of other performers who may wish to perform my work. This approach was also taken to
generate new technique-driven musical material with interesting and beautiful results. The
commentaries exist to provide both technical and psychological insight into the creation of these works.
Table of Contents
Abstract i
Acknowledgements iii
The Last Day 1
Isolation Psychosis 12
Routines 31
Intention 78
Commentaries 134
Reference Bibliography 149
Additional Material: One data-DVD of video files (.wmv) of the filmed performances of Isolation
Psychosis and Intention
iii
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge and thank my supervising Professor Bill Sweeney. All of his help and
critique helped make these compositions what they are. I would also like to thank Dr. Nick Fells and
Dr. Drew Hammond for their help as well.
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33
glis
s.
glis
s.
glis
s.
3
3
3
47
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
57
glis
s.gl
iss.
3
48
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
p
61
p
ppp
ppp
pp
ppp
ppp
ppp
ppp
p
p
p
izz
p
izz
arco
no
vib
rato
har
m.
har
m.
sul p
on
t.n
o v
ibra
to
har
m.
har
m.
ar
con
o v
ibra
toh
arm
.
har
m.
glis
s.
arco
no
vib
rato
har
m.
h
arm
.
4
9
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
f
66
ff
ppp
ff
ppf
ppp
f
ppp
f
f
ff
gl
iss.
arco
gl
iss.
arco
gli s
s.
h
arm
.
har
m.
glis
s.
50
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
71
pff
pff ff
mp
ff
mf
mf
ff
gl
iss.
ar
co
ar
co
51
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
p
76
p
p
p
p
p
mf
mf
p
izz
piz
z
p
izz
p
izz
3
3
p
izz
3
glis
s.
glis
s.
52
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
f
81
f
f
f
f f
arco
arco
3
3
gl
iss.
arco
ar
co
53
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
p
85
p p
p
mf
mf
3
3
p
izz
p
izz
54
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
ff
poco
acc
el.
89
ff
fffp
fffp
ff ff fffp
fffp
ar
co
ar
co
33
3
3
arco
arco
arco
55
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
f
e =
150
93
f
f f
f
f
f f
p
izz
p
izz
p
izz
3
3
p
izz
56
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
97
ar
co
su
l po
nt.
3
ar
co
su
l po
nt.
5
7
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
10
1
gl
iss.
3
3
3
gl
iss.
58
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
f
10
5
ar
co
glis
s.
3
gl
iss.
arco
glis
s.
5
9
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
fmf
10
8
fmf
mf
mf
fmf
fmp
mf
ar
co
ar
co
p
izz
p
izz
ar
co
ar
co
p
izz
piz
z
60
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
11
0
mp
mf
mp
mf
61
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
p
11
2
mp
mp
mp
mp
mp
mp
sul p
on
t.
3
3
62
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
11
5
mp
p
mp
3
glis
s.
3
63
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
11
7
p
p
gl
iss.
gl
iss.
64
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
11
9
mp
gl
iss.
65
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
f
12
1
(f)
f
f f
f
f
f
gl
iss.
gl
iss.
gl
iss.
66
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
f
12
4
f f
f
f
f f
f
gl
iss.
gliss.
ar
co
arco
3
gliss.
glis
s.
3
ar
co
arco
6
7
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
p
12
8
p p
3
3
68
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
13
2
pp pp
69
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
f
acce
l. e
= 2
001
36
f
f
f
f
glis
s.
ff
f
f
gl
iss.
gl
iss.
70
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
14
0
glis
s.
gl
iss.
gl
iss.
71
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
14
4
f
g l
iss.
glis
s.
gl
iss.
72
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
e =
e1
48
gl
iss.
glis
s.gl
iss.
glis
s.
73
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
15
0 gl
iss.
glis
s.
74
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
fe. =
q
15
3
sfz
sfz
gl
iss.
3
33
33
33
33
33
3
3
3
75
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
15
6
sfz
sfz
3
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
3
3
3
3
3
33
33
3
3
33
33
33
33
33
33
33
3
3
3
3
3
33
33
3
76
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
Vln
. I
Vln
. II
Vla
.
Vc.
15
9
sfz
sfz
sfz
sfz
sfz
sfz
sfz
sfz
sfz
3
33
33
33
33
3
3
3
3
3
33
3
33
33
33
33
3
3
3
3
3
33
77
78
Intention
Intention
Intention
Intention
Fred Crase
79
80
Nomenclature: D
ela
y 1
Del
ay
2
Del
ay
3
Rev
erse
Del
ay
Incr
ease
vo
lum
e o
f d
ela
yed
sig
na
l
Dec
rea
se v
olu
me
of
de
lay
ed
sig
na
l
Scr
atc
h r
ap
idly
at
fret
wit
h t
hu
mb
na
il
All
no
tes
in t
ab
latu
re t
ha
t a
pp
ear
in r
ed a
re t
o b
e p
lay
ed w
ith
th
e ri
gh
t h
an
d.
No
tes
in p
are
nth
eses
in
dic
ate
to
uch
/ta
p h
arm
on
ics.
©
20
13 F
red
Cra
se
12-s
trin
g G
uit
ar
12-s
trin
g G
uit
ar
Ref
eren
ce T
ab
ff
sfz
p
sfz
p
sfz
p
Th
e R
oa
d t
o H
ell
... q =
95
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
ffsfz
pff
ra
ll.
rit
.
6
A
R.H
.L
.H. R
.H. L
.H.B
R.H
.
R.H
.
A
R.H
.
3
Intention
Intention
Intention
Intention
Fred Crase
C#
G#
C#
F#
G#
C#
R
.H. L
.H. R
.H. L
.H.
B
tou
ch l
igh
tly
T.H
.
tou
ch l
igh
tly
66
6
T.H
.
tou
ch l
igh
tly
tou
ch l
igh
tly
000131415
1098
456
10 5130
01
36
0
0000
1
36
00
0000
13
78
0
000131415
1098
456
10 5130
1
36
00
01
37
00
01
36
00
01
36
0000130
1212000130
1212
0
81
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
p
Ap
olo
gie
s q
= 8
0
12
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
mf
pf
p
21
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
ffsfz
pf
30
A
let
rin
g
T.H
.
T.H
.
T.H
.
T
.H.
T
.H.
T.H
.
B
R.H
. L.H
. R.H
. L.H
.
tou
ch l
igh
tly
T.H
.
tou
ch l
igh
tly
66
6
T.H
.
00
33
7700
121200
3300
7799
1010
121200
2255
00
33
0079
810
7
700
0
00
00
8
80
00
3
37
7
550
00
0
2
25
50
00
2
58
5
0
00
57
30
02
1012
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1098
456
10 5130
000130
1
36
00
01
36
00
01
37
00
01
36
0
000130
1212000130
12120
82
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
p
Fr
om
Wit
hin
th
e H
ive
q =
72
36
let
rin
g
T.H
.B
Rec
ord
to
bu
ffer
trem1
Scr
atc
h s
trin
g a
t fr
et r
ap
idly
wit
h t
hu
mb
na
il
Scr
atc
h s
trin
g a
t fr
et r
ap
idly
wit
h t
hu
mb
na
il
1210
1210
1210
87
53
5
83
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
trem
1
p
44
R
eco
rd t
o b
uff
er trem2
Rec
ord
to
bu
ffer
trem3
trem
2
810
1011
1213
1210
85
35
712
15
84
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
trem
2
51
trem
1
g
liss
.g
liss
.
1215
1517
1715
1213
14
85
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
56
trem
1
trem
2
trem
3g
liss
.g
liss
.
86
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
58
A
1.
4
B
ars
62
- 10
7 a
re t
o b
e im
pro
vis
ed b
y t
he
per
form
er.
It
is t
o b
egin
the
sam
e th
um
bn
ail
scr
atc
hin
g t
ech
niq
ue
as
wa
s u
sed
in
rec
ord
ing
the
loo
ps
an
d s
ho
uld
be
use
d w
ith
bo
th h
an
ds
du
rin
g i
mp
rov
isa
tio
n.
trem
1
trem
2
87
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
68
8
12
16
W
hil
e th
e lo
op
s cy
cle
the
per
form
er s
ho
uld
gra
du
all
y i
ntr
od
uce
ta
pp
ing
, p
luck
ing
, a
nd
ha
rmo
nic
s w
ith
th
e le
ft h
an
d w
hil
e st
ill
scra
tch
ing
wit
h t
he
rig
ht.
Th
e ri
gh
t h
an
d s
ho
uld
gra
du
all
y j
oin
the
left
un
til
bo
th h
an
ds
are
ta
pp
ing
an
d p
luck
ing
.
trem
1tr
em1
trem
2tr
em2
trem
3tr
em3
88
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
trem
1
trem
2
trem
3
80
2
0
2
4
R
EV
ER
SE
89
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
88
2
8
3
2
3
6
trem
1
trem
2
trem
3OFF
90
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
pf
Ex
pla
na
tio
n q.
= 7
210
0
4
0
4
4
T
.H.
T
.H.
trem
1tr
em1
trem
2
OF
Ftr
em2
trem
3
58
5
0
00
57
30
02
1012
91
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
pp
m
f
112
A
0.5
5
trem
1
trem
2
trem
3
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
92
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
114
mf
Rig
ht
Ha
nd
T.H
.
OFF
OFF
OFF
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
1967
06
70
67
06
70
176
70
67
06
70
67
093
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
trem
2
116
T.H
.
67
06
70
67
06
70
1967
06
70
67
06
70
12
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
94
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
118
f
trem
2
6
14
06
70
1314
150
00
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
89
100
00
67
06
709
5
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
120
4
trem
2
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
45
60
00
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
96
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
122
ff
trem
2
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
12
30
00
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
70
67
06
709
7
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
mf
124
mf
trem
2
57
05
70
57
05
70
57
05
70
57
05
70
1012
010
120
57
05
70
1012
100
1012
57
50
57
1012
010
120
57
05
70
57
50
57
1012
100
1012
98
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
p
126
tr
em2
OFF
1012
010
120
57
05
70
1012
100
1012
57
50
57
1012
010
120
57
05
70
1012
100
57
50
57
1012
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
709
9
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
128
p
T.H
.
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
77
70
7
70
5
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
100
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
trem
3
130
T.H
.
tr
em1
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
777
70
7
70
12127
70
7
70
101
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
trem
1
mf
132
mf
T
.H.
trem
3
3
30
5
50
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
12127
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
102
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
134
T
.H.
trem
1
trem
3
3
30
5
50
7
70
9
90
10
100
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
12127
70
7
70
7
70
7
70
103
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
136
trem
1
trem
3
2
20
5
50
3
30
9
90
10
100
7
70
7
70
6
60
5
50
5
50
8
8
5
50
5
50
5
50
5
50
5
50
4
40
104
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
pp
138
pp
trem
1
trem
3
3
30
3
30
777
55
3
30
3
30
3
30
3
30
3
30
3
30
5
50
5
50
2
20
2
20
5
50
5
50
2
20
2
20
5
50
5
50
2
20
2
20
2
20
2
20
5
50
5
50
105
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
f
140
f
trem
1
trem
3
5
50
5
50
2
20
2
20
5
50
5
50
2
20
2
20
5
50
2
20
2
25
50
0
0
0
02
0
58
5
0
00
57
30
00
3
70
57
0
58
5
0
00
57
30
05
100
6
100
106
Gtr
.
Gtr
.
mp
143
mp
trem
1
trem
3
0
58
5
0
00
57
30
00
3
70
57
0
58
5
0
00
710
7
0
00
107
10
0
00
128
12
0
00
128
12
0
00
12
812
0
00
12
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134
Prior to my arrival in Glasgow I composed and thought of my own compositions as something
that must be organic, something that must flow forward often with the constant creation of new
material. I had little patience for developing small amounts of material into larger pieces, and I shied
away from being analytical and systematic in my compositions. These last several months at the
University of Glasgow have changed my composing process entirely, I believe, for the better. This
portfolio for the PgDip in Composition consists of the following three pieces.
The Last Day for modified wind quintet
The Last Day began several years ago with hearing a train going through my hometown of
Butte, Montana one morning. The blast of the train whistle had an interesting sound, and I quickly sat
at my keyboard to try to decipher the pitches it contained. Once I had deciphered the chord I knew
immediately that this was meant to be a piece for winds, specifically for a modified wind quintet. The
notation of the train whistle became the opening chord which lead immediately to the composition of
the first 26 measures. I was forced to put aside what I had written in favor of more lucrative pursuits.
I of course had the intention of finishing later, and it was nearly forgotten entirely until I arrived in
Glasgow.
The morning I heard this train whistle happened to be my last day before moving away from
my hometown. It was one of the last sounds I heard before I left, thus the title of the piece.
Regarding emotional and psychological purpose, it deals with leaving the familiar in favor of
adventure, new life, and the unknown. One is excited to begin a new journey and a new chapter but is
simultaneously nostalgic to have left behind comfort and fond memories.
The Last Day has two primary motives from which most of the rest of the piece is derived.
The first is the textural motive of the sound of a major 2nd interval. This makes its appearance
immediately in the “train whistle” chord in the first bar of the score, specifically between the clarinet
and oboe.
135
The Major 2nd interval is a pleasing dissonance. It is energetic and rather smooth and in a
compositional context has the potential to lead anywhere harmonically or melodically. This interval
was present in the deciphered pitches of the train whistle that inspired the piece and thus appears
throughout.
The second and more prominent motive is presented in the flute beginning in bar 10. Like the
above it also appears throughout the piece, sometimes duplicated exactly and sometimes perverted
almost beyond recognition.
m. 10
Through the course of the piece, this melody appears in every instrument, though not always as
a prominent melody. For example in bars 81-82, 85-86, and 89-90 it appears in the alto flute
fragmented into a rhythmic backdrop with the flute and oboe against the low sustained tones of the
clarinet and bassoon.
mm 81-82
mm 85-86
mm 89-90
The Last Day is composed in such a way as to flow organically while still retaining self-
similarity and consistency of harmonic and melodic language. The organic yet sudden movement of
the piece from section to section was meant to reflect the wandering of the mind when overwhelmed
by the conflict between nostalgia and moving forward and also when more important tasks are
completely overpowered by unrelated thought. In a purely musical sense, this piece is a
136
study of texture and rhythm and how each one can create the other. Writing solely with contrapuntal
texture in mind can create many interesting rhythmic assortments, and inversely writing solely with
rhythmic juxtaposition in mind can create interesting textures.
The structure of the piece, ABACDA, is very loosely based on Rondo form but without the
recurrence of theme A between C and D. The shifting of key signatures is also not in accordance with
traditional tonal structure of rondo form. Another nontraditional element of this quintet is the use of
alto flute in place of the horn. My decision to replace the horn came from my love of the alto flute,
particularly the breathy, sultry tones of its lower register which I had come to enjoy when composing a
short suite of Satie/Impressionist inspired pieces for alto flute and piano for my undergraduate degree.
I also enjoy the combination of the instruments in this modified quintet. There are two flute timbres,
two double reed timbres in the oboe and bassoon, and the single reed timbre of the clarinet nicely
compliments any and all combinations of the other instruments.
I was happy to rediscover The Last Day while in Glasgow, as this town shares many
characteristics with my hometown of Butte, Montana. I believe it was a fitting place in which to
finish the piece.
Isolation Psychosis for 12-string banjo and 12-string guitar
As clichéd as this will sound, the idea for this piece was conceived in a dream, or rather the
state of consciousness just before falling asleep when the mind runs wild with whimsy and fantastic
thoughts. One thought in particular intrigued me enough to get up and write it down. The thought
was of a single instrumentalist playing the 12-string banjo and the 12-string guitar simultaneously, one
instrument in each hand. When I first had the idea I had not yet received these instruments from my
home in the United States, but as soon as I did I began working on the piece.
The title of the piece is derived from the neuroses and altered perceptions of reality that can
emerge in extended periods of solitude which can act as something of an incubator for underlying
psychological issues. Being somewhat asocial by nature, I was alone much of my first few months in
Glasgow and did not venture out much. While I maintained my sanity, I did notice the development
of odd tendencies and an increasing dependence on routine. Having always been interested in
abnormal psychology I decided to bring these thoughts and observations into the piece as best I could.
In addition to these ideas, I also was trying to capture the idea of the “one man band” tradition in
which street and festival performers would build elaborate contraptions that allowed a single person to
perform as an ensemble.
Isolation Psychosis was written almost entirely through improvisation. The playing technique
was also developed through improvisation. Because this technique was so new to me,
137
nearly everything that emerged from improvisation became valid material for inclusion in the piece,
the first result of which was bars 57-58.
The sound of the major second interval, as it was in The Last Day, was also important to
Isolation Psychosis, though in a different way. The thickness of the major 2nd combined with the rapid
alternation between instruments provided an interesting canvas of rhythm and sound. The
composition of this entire section (bars 50-125) was immediately followed by a very natural transition
into the serpentine melody in bars 126 – 129...
… which was then followed by a variation of the melody and rhythm in bars 138-139.
Through improvisation the other sections followed naturally as well. The first (bars 1-49) and
last (bars 216-233) were the last things composed. Bars 216-222 are ordered retrograde statements of
bars 1-6 with each separate 2 bar phrase being stated in retrograde as opposed to all 6 bars being
stated in retrograde.
138
First Section
Last Section
The structure of Isolation Psychosis is essentially a rough arch form (ABCBA) with a highly
varied second B section and retrograde statements of the opening bars in the return of the A section.
The piece progresses as a varying display of technique. The A section, bars 1-49, utilizes both
instruments as one, a single line occasionally harmonized melody being played using the strings of
both instruments. The B section, bars 50-125, is similar to the first in this regard, but with the
addition of a rhythmic backdrop behind the melody shared between instruments. In the C section,
bars 126-164, each instrument gains a bit of melodic independence. By the second B section, bars
165-215, the instruments have gained considerable melodic independence from each other before a
kind of collapse into the restatement of A.
The labor of this composition and the development of the technique came to fruition in my
performance of the piece at Sound Thought, in Glasgow, on March 3rd, 2012.
Routines for double string quartet
Routines originated as a short idea to be played at a workshop with the Viridian String Quartet
in late November of 2011. My initial intention was to compose an almost exclusively pizzicato single
string quartet, but my plans changed quickly when it was suggested I consider doing a double string
quartet.
As I mentioned in describing Isolation Psychosis, I depend upon rituals and routines to get me
through the day. The first piece of material composed for Routines was a notation of my morning
alarm clock.
139
It begins very softly at a very high and rapid “B” pitched beep that grows louder to the point of
being unbearable. There are times when I am not awakened by this alarm, and it instead feeds into
whatever dream I happen to be having at the time. As dreams are so often fragmented and irregular,
this is where I got the idea to add syncopated, fragmented pizzicato texture underneath the “alarm
clock” in the first violin. Eventually the alarm is shut off and the dreams begin again (bar 11). The
dream runs through its cycle and the second quartet enters with high sul ponticello sustained notes
floating above the pizzicato. At bar 24 all instruments enter playing pizzicato, and bars 24-27 contain
the material that shapes the entire piece.
After suggestion from Professor Bill Sweeney, I have toyed with the idea of a literal “cut and
paste” approach to composition, i.e. actually cutting up a score with scissors and physically
rearranging the bars. The cutting away of music lead me to thinking of the on/off idea which lead me
to thinking of 1 and 0, which lead me directly to binary code. Binary code can represent, among other
things, text and punctuation through 8-digit sequences containing only the numbers 0 and 1. With 0
representing a bar of rest and 1 representing a bar of music, I decided to take the material from bars
24-27 and arrange it according to a set binary sequence. I wrote a short poem of exactly 48 characters
including spaces based on a line from William Carlos William's poem “Danse Russe.” The words of
this poem are only known to me, but after translating into binary code I arranged the sequences in
descending order as follows (lines of ~~~~~~~~ indicate material not determined by binary
sequence):
/V1 | 01010011 01111010 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01001100 01101100 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01000010 01001001 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
|
|V2 | 01100011 01101111 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01101111 01111001 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01110101 00100111 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
|
|Vla| 01101000 01101001 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01101100 01101100 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01100010 00100000
|
\Vc | 01101001 01100100 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01101111 01111001 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01100101 01110011
| 7 4 6 5 4 6 3 5 2 4 2 4 3 4 5 5 4 6 4 7
| x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
/V1 | ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 00100111 01101001 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01101110 00101110 01110100 01101101 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
|
|V2 | ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01110011 01100110 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01100101 00101110 00100000 00100000 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
|
|Vla| ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 00100000 01100101 01101110 00101100 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01110011 01101111
|
\Vc | ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01101100 00101110 01100101 00100000 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 01110100 00101110
140
For normal text, numbers, and punctuation, every 8-digit sequence begins with 0, which as I
stated above stands for a bar of rest. There are also instances in the arrangement of these sequences
where other bars of rest occur. All in all there are 20 bars of rest. Immediately I decided that the bars
of rest at the beginning of sequences should be filled by the non-binary instruments and that bars of
rest elsewhere within the sequence should be kept as such. However, the length and regularity of that
many bars of rest in a moderate 7/8 time was not acceptable. I devised separate systems to deal with
each type of rest wherein those at the beginning of each sequence block begin at 7 beats, descending
to 2; begin at 2, ascend to 7. The length of the other 8 bars of rest were to be dictated by the following
binary sequence:
01101100 01101111 01101110 01100101 01101100 01111001 00101110 00101110
The sum total of each individual 8-digit string determined the length of the bar of rest, thus:
01101100 01101111 01101110 01100101 01101100 01111001 00101110 00101110
4/8 6/8 5/8 4/8 4/8 5/8 4/8 4/8
The entire binary-determined pizzicato section was soon finished and I set about composing
contrasting material. With the exception of the bars of rest detailed above the entire binary section is
in 7/8 time, and because of the almost constant presence of the rhythmic pizzicato motive presented
by the cello (see below), everything, with a few exceptions, would be beamed 4+3+3+4 (16ths).
For the other non-binary instruments, I thought that more free and fluid material would serve
as a nice contrast to the very deliberate, mechanical material. The contrast between the mechanical
and the organic serves to depict the conflict between one's thought process and “going through the
motions” of one's day. This is similar to the concept of The Last Day.
Regarding structure, Routines is essentially a theme and variations piece with three themes and
a coda. Each of these themes makes an appearance in nearly every instrument. The first theme makes
its appearance in bar 29. A single instrument statement of the theme is shown below.
141
The theme is played with languid glissando to contrast the sharpness of the pizzicato. The second
theme makes its appearance as a melody in bar 37 in the cello of quartet 2.
This theme becomes most prominent in both cellos in bars 138-145 of the coda. It is played with
sharp staccato, as is most of the coda material, for a percussive effect and for the creation of a
polyrhythmic texture similar to, but more intense, than the pizzicato textures prevalent throughout the
rest of the piece.
The third theme is actually the first to make an appearance in the violins of quartet 2 in bars
24-27, though is less prominent than the other themes.
And in single-instrument form:
The piece was written to build to the coda, the material of which is alluded to throughout the
piece. The climax of the coda arrives when the first violin of quartet 1 reaches the high B tremolo that
opened the piece and sustains this over the churning, driving rhythms of bars 155-160 ending sharply
on a dense second inversion G chord with an added major 7th, 9th, and 11th dissonances.
As stated in the introduction, my compositional process has gone through a massive change for
142
the better. The idea of determining the spacing of musical material and even deriving the material
itself from a devised numerical system is something that I intend to explore much more deeply. In
addition to this, the ambidextrous playing technique I developed in composing and performing
Isolation Psychosis is also something that will be further explored. Perhaps even a combination of
these two things. I feel I am renewed as a composer, and I am excited for the future of my music.
143
Intention for 12-string guitar and Max/MSP processing
Intention did not exist even as a thought until mid-February of this year. Prior to that point I
had been attempting to expand on what I had done with Routines for double string quartet in which I
had used binary code sequences as a system of composition. I was attempting to write another piece
for double string quartet but with the addition of a horn quartet. I was also attempting to further
expand the use of binary code sequences in production and development of musical material. I began
composing this piece in early December, and almost immediately I ran headlong into writer's block. I
loved the idea of the piece, the further use of binary code, the warm and lush sound of strings and
horns together, everything. I was stuck. Very little I composed was worth the time and effort to
develop, and what little existed was not enough for a full piece.
My frustration continued through the beginning of February until I had an idea, not for strings,
horns, and binary code, but for guitar. I had an image in my mind of playing a guitar that was
positioned before me like a violoncello. Almost immediately I composed the following:
The piece flowed rather quickly from that point onward, and shortly thereafter I realized that in the
previous piece for horns and double quartet I had been trying to do almost exactly what I had already
done in Routines. It wasn't fresh or original in the context of my own work, so I filed it away to
perhaps be dusted off for a second look sometime in the future. The struggle with the previous piece
and the associated writer's block partially inspired the title of Intention. The primary inspiration,
however, was the contrast of material from beginning to the end of the piece. It was begun as one
motive but through the duration of the piece evolves into something completely different, though still
retaining echoes of the original motive, the original intention. Also, the piece began as simply a piece
for guitar, but with the inclusion of Max/MSP processing, as per the suggestion of Bill Sweeney, the
piece as a whole became more than what was intended.
As I mentioned above, the composition of the piece flowed smoothly and organically. After
the first theme (bars 1-5), pictured above, a contrasting theme (bars 13-29) came about at the same
time, pictured below:
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Most of the material throughout Intention is based upon these two themes, based either on the
musical material, the playing technique, or both. The exception to this is the middle section, which is
more about texture than melody. It is based upon a palindromic arrangement of loops recorded in
Max/MSP. The loops are recorded using the technique of rapid scratching of the wound guitar strings
with the thumbnail, which through processing takes on a sound akin to a combination of tremolo
strings and an oud. The texture created by this technique combined with the reverse delay create a
very interesting texture that is a 60/40 mixture of ethereal harmonies and the noise of fingernails
scraping metal wherein one must listen closely to decipher the beautiful from the chaotic. There are
three different loops – trem1, trem2, and trem3.
The loops are recorded one after another, and once completed all play through three times.
The loops are then reversed, playing through twice before trem3 is turned off. After the next cycle
trem2 is turned off, and after the final cycle of trem1 all loops are truncated to sustaining only the
first note. While these cycles of loops are played, melodic material is improvised over the top, giving
the piece the potential to differ greatly in each individual performance. The improvisation does have a
structural component. It is to begin with the same thumbnail scratching technique as was used in
recording the loops. This technique should be used with both hands during improvisation. While the
loops cycle the performer should gradually introduce tapping, plucking and harmonics with the left
hand while still scratching with the right. The right hand should gradually join the left until both
hands are tapping and plucking. The improvisation section concludes with a reiteration of the final
bar of the second theme, the final note of which should fall just as the loops are truncated.
In a similar fashion to Isolation Psychosis for 12-string guitar and 12-string banjo, Intention
was composed almost entirely through improvisation. Improvisation is an important element in my
composition. I write quite a lot for instruments that I play myself, and a large portion of the material I
develop for these instruments is conceived that way. I also like to include improvisational elements in
my works. The very nature of it means that no performance of this piece and others like it will ever be
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the same twice. Also similar to Isolation Psychosis it was based upon the idea of a different physical
positioning of the instrument and an ambidextrous playing technique. I had an image in my mind for
quite some time of playing a guitar positioned like a violoncello using both hands on the fretboard, as
shown below.
As I stated before, Intention was originally a piece for acoustic 12-string guitar. As the piece
developed, it was suggested by Bill Sweeney that I might add Max/MSP processing to the piece, as I
had composed a piece for my undergraduate degree which used Max/MSP processing and 12-string
guitar. I had not really used Max/MSP since that piece was composed, so I essentially had to relearn
everything about the program. Through having to relearn the software, I was made to carefully
consider what the program was capable of and what exactly it could bring to the piece. In other
software I had experimented with switching between different delay times in different sound channels,
and given the very rhythmic nature of the second half of the piece, it seemed natural to use this for
enhanced rhythmic effect. It rapidly came back to me, and after often infuriating trial and error, the
end result was this patch:
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As complex as it appears, the patch is fairly simple in what it does. There are two different
delay effects, the first being a stereo reverse delay and the second being a normal delay with different
predetermined delay times which can be changed during the performance for different rhythmic and
textural effects. This delay is also stereo, having different delay time ratios for each channel, which
are (right/left) 3/2, 8/3, and 2/3. In addition to the delay, and as I mentioned previously, there are also
three samplers with
forward/reverse/sectioned playback. The most complex part of the patch is the “counter” object on
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the lower left side. Each sample bank sends out a signal when the loop has finished playing and has
returned to the beginning. I have taken the signal from trem1 and routed it through the “counter,” and
when certain numbers are reached other functions of the patch are automated. For example, when the
first loop begins its 5th repetition the counter sends a signal to reverse all loops. And as the counter
continues it turns off the other loops, and finally it truncates and activates all loops. This was done to
circumvent the need for manual starting and stopping of each loop, thereby greatly diminishing the
chance for catastrophic failure. I had used delays, counters, and loops to a lesser extent in
undergraduate work, but for this particular patch I had to refine them into something more.
The structure of Intention is an ABA ternary form with a highly varied recapitulation of A as
well as the addition of a coda. In a similar fashion to Routines, the coda is the climactic and focal
point of the piece. The technique in the coda is quite percussive, and it is an effect I have used in
previous guitar pieces. I have expanded on this technique, however, and have brought it into more
ambidextrous territory. In other pieces I had only used the right and to strike the harmonics, but for
this piece I use both. Until the coda the piece was predominantly minor tonality centered around C#
with the use of elements of phrygian, lydian, and mixolydian modes. The use of harmonics, due to the
overtone series of the strings, brought it into very celebratory Major territory. It is a fitting end to a
piece called Intention, which began as rather dark and dissonant.
Intention, as has been stated, began as a solo acoustic guitar piece. It became much more
through the use of Max/MSP programming and two-handed technique. It is a piece that celebrates
more than just the guitar. It is a piece that celebrates the history of plucked string instruments. There
are references to the oud in the thumbnail-scraped loops, to the African kora and other such harp-like
instruments in the physical positioning of the instrument, and finally a bit of a reference to the
hammered dulcimer in the hammered harmonics of the coda. This piece was a culmination of
disciplines and techniques I learned and developed in my time here in Glasgow.
There have been many pieces written for electric/acoustic guitar and digital sound processing,
but in its technique and with the choice of 12-string guitar over an electric guitar or a nylon-string
classical guitar, Intention is a unique addition to the modern guitar repertoire. The use of a 12-string
guitar combined with digital sound processing and the ambidextrous approach makes this piece at
once multi-timbral and multicultural in the aforementioned technical references to the oud, kora, and
hammered dulcimer. Intention is a very modern piece with diverse and ancient influences and is
accessible to a lovers of popular music and academia alike.
Shortly after the completion of Intention I was asked to give a private showing of the piece to
the composition faculty. Having previously only played the piece alone in my flat, it was a nerve-
wracking yet enjoyable experience. It was suggested to me that I might expand the sound field of the
piece, taking it out of simple stereo and into a quadraphonic sound field. I also was pleased at how
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well received the thumbnail scratching technique was received. For the future development of
Intention and other pieces, these are things of great potential. It was wonderful to receive feedback in
such a setting, and as is usual for me, it felt equally wonderful to perform. The systems and
techniques that have come about in my music have given me great confidence as a composer and
performer and will all be further explored, from the binary-determined structure of Routines to the
ambidextrous techniques of Intention and Isolation Psychosis. What I have learned and developed
here at the University of Glasgow will be with me all my life.
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Bibliography
Berio, Luciano. Laborintus II. 1965. Universal Edition, 1976.
Hale, Thomas A. Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana
University Press, 1998.
Janáček, Leoš. Mládí. 1924. Souborné kritické vydání děl Leoše Janáčka. Řada E ; sv. 6, 1978.
Osmond-Smith, David. "Voicing the Labyrinth: The Collaborations of Edoardo Sanguineti and
Luciano Berio." Twentieth-century Music 2nd ser. 9.1 (2013): 63-78.
Stravinsky, Igor. Three Pieces for String Quartet. 1914. Boosey & Hawkes, 1947.
