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Saariaho Petals (Melody (Melodies vary between the 'colouristic'…
Saariaho Petals
Melody
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Glissandi figures often trilled e.g Stave 18. Striking glissandi at Stave 23 rising alternatively to C# and F#.
Penderecki uses descending glissandi features in Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima with tone clusters in a similar way in the upper strings.
Xenakis uses glissandi in the Strings noticeably at the start and end of Metastasis, written in 1953. This is part of the 'sound mass' technique in which no individual pitch is more important than the other.
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Texture
Generally monophonic
Opening of Thirteen colours of the setting sun by Murail 1977. Opens with monophonic violin playing harmonic + harsh bow pressure. Then moves on to monophonic flute playing whispering microtonal (flat) notes. Teacher at IRCAM in the 90s. Murail also helped establish Ensemble L'Iteraire with Grisey
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Quasi homophony is created when there are harshly bowed passages (Combined with the harmoniser create an almost chordal sound)
Two part texture heard at stave 8, with the pedal note D in the bass heard with a C natural trill over the top. This is a dyad.
Compare the texture with Metastatis by Iannis Xenakis. Using texture as though he's constructing a building, approaching it architecturally.
Context
Born in Helsinki, Finland in 1952
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Wider Listening
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Artikulation, Ligeti 1958
Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco - Jonathan Harvey (1980)
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Structure
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Can be structured in terms of 'coloristic' and 'energetic' sections E.g 1 - 3 Staves are colouristically which alternates between energetic . LENTO 1-3, 8-9, 13-16.... ENERGICO 4-7... ESPRESIVO 10-13, POCO IMPETUOSO 17 - 27.... DOLCISSIMO 27 - 30.
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Sonority
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Electronic
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The reverb should result in a clear bright sound. If there is any doubt regarding how much to apply, too little is better than too much.
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Who else uses electronics? Murail in Gondwana 1980. Another important element in the piece is the fluctuation between moments of "noise" (in the acoustic sense of "white noise"), represented by scratching or col legno on the strings, toneless breathing on woodwind or brass and by percussion instruments (maracas, sizzle cymbal and snare drum) and moments of "sound" represented by clean, pure instrumental colours and consonant harmony close to the natural harmonic series. These two opposing and autonomous elements can interpenetrate or "influence" each other.
Saariaho actually uses more concrete sounds in some of her earlier work such as Jardin Secret II 1984 with heavy breathing, combined with a harpsichord with the FORMES programme at IRCAM
Gesang der Jünglinge uses of sine waves to manipulate sounds, given it was written in 1955, he is arguably the pioneer.
Acoustic
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Extended techniques
Trills and tremolos for coloristic effect. e.g Stave 18. Is this really an extended technique though?
I think Penderecki goes even further with sonority, instructing the players to use the 'upper sounding board of the violin with fingertips. Arpeggiation of the strings behind the bridge.
Harmonic. Touch 4 harmonics Stave 13. The note is pressed on the fingerboard and a fourth above is heard
Micro tonal intervals Stave 4,5,6 etc.....
Penderecki Threnody, he uses microtonal clusters good link
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Estremamente flautando in stave 9 gives a clear sound, almost like that of a flute.
Dynamics
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Microphones should be 'placed as close as possible to the instrument'. Helps make the sonority and dynamic contrast clear.
Tonality
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However, pedal C in Stave 15 may suggest an underlying tonal centre (but not really).
Tempo Metre and Rhythm
Lento to start
The instruction of 'always last at least 20 seconds' gives part of the performance up to the performer to interpret so loosely aleatoric.
Penderecki uses this technique with 15 seconds, 10 seconds etc...
No Metre.
Vague metre is common in spectralist composers e.g in Gondwana (1980 Tristan Murail) At certain moments, the music is violently accelerated or decelerated mirroring the formation of the supercontinent Gondwana.
Moments where there are distinguishable rhythms e.g Stave 10 dectuplets. That said, the pulse is still vague and indistinguishable.
Harmony
Completely atonal
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However, some distinguishable pitches are heard e.g Stave 15
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