Diversity of approaches no single style No single tonality
atonal Irregular rhythms, changing metre, changing tempi Unusual
instrumental techniques Use of non western instruments
Slide 4
Use of 3 note cell3 note cell Ideas built to be distorted and
dismantled Binary oppositions eg b141 tonality in one instrument
and atonality in another Borrowed use of music quotations
Slide 5
In Shakespeares the tempest play, Ferdinand the kings son,
believes his father to have died in a shipwreck. The water nymph,
Ariel, tells Ferdinand that the corpse has changed into something
rich and strange. This change becomes a metaphor for Deanes
compositional approach.
Slide 6
Deane employs this dismantling process in Seachanges the use of
interference and distortion, instruments abandoning their natural
sounds, numerical progression by subtraction, addition and the use
of prime numbers. Order and disorder are constantly colliding.
Instrumental techniques 1. No accents 2. Poss play as many
notes as possible 3. Harmonics on cymbals Harmonics 4. Flag.
Flagelot any kind of harmonicFlagelot 5. Col. Legno strings played
with wood of bow Col. Legno 6. Lv- let vibrate Lv- 7. Senza vibrato
without vibration 8. Sul pont above the bridge Sul pont 9.
Glissando sliding from one pitch to another 10. Strum guitar like
strumming of the strings Strum 11. + Indicates left hand
pizzicatoleft hand pizzicato 12. Snap pizzicato (circle with a +
sign) Snap pizzicato 13. Arco played with the bow Arco 14. Double
and multi stopping bow drawn across several strings Double and
multi stopping 15. Con. Ped the sustaining pedal is used Con.
Ped
Slide 9
G-C creates an interval of 4 th or 5 th when inverted G-A
creates interval of 2 nd A-C creates an interval of 3 rd or 6 th
when inverted
Slide 10
Rhythm changes between
Slide 11
Opening section C uses inverse and retrograde inverse of Dies
Irae chant. The melody is played directly at times but sometimes
played in 5ths. Principle of permutation used in this section.
Slide 12
Bars 1-16IntroductionCrotchet = 80Introduction Bars
17-45Section A b17-27 (Main Melody)b17-45Section AMain Melody Bars
46-64Section B (Totentanz)Crotchet = 120Section B Bars 65-91Section
A1 (Main Melody)Crotchet = 80Section A1 Bars 92-127Section C (Dies
Irae)Crotchet = 120Section C Bars 128-140Section A2 (Main
Melody)Crotchet = 80Section A2 Bars 141-174Coda (Totentanz/Dies
Irae)Crotchet = 120Coda
Slide 13
Intro b1-20 changing time signatures, bars of silence, high
shrill opening represents the harsh glare and heat of the Mexican
sun. B1 introduction of 3 note cell G-A-C forms the basis of entire
work.3 note cell B15 cello brings it to earth B15 B16 piano
descending chords based on inversion of opening 3 notes B19 violin
A harmonic and an open string B19
Slide 14
B21 cello 3 notes cell expanded into inversion of the main
melody B21 B21 Glissando B21 B24 flute prepares for marimba B25
marimba fast ascending passage B27 violin 1 st complete statement
of main melody 6 note phrase subtraction used. B27 Cello inversion
of main melody Cello inversion B37 2 nd statement of melody
inversion on piccolo reduces gradually maracas begin to dominate
music becomes more intense. B37 B44 pedal marking on piano B44
Slide 15
B47 maracas introduce section B47 B49 strings take up rhythm in
parallel 5ths B49 B52 distortion of 3 note cell B52 B61 silence
echoes the silence of the introduction B61 B65 main melody and
inversion for 3 rd time now in accented crotchets on piano violin
and cello repeated 5ths B65 B68 piccolo and strings in parallel
5ths B68
Slide 16
B69 danse macabre rhythm on the maracas and piano plays
accented chords B69 B70 violin glissando 5ths on fingerboard B70
B72 cymbal and gong introduce next section B72 B73 cello D acts as
a drone
Slide 17
B74 Violin main melody heard softly in minims for the 4 th time
and cello inversion of melody B74 B77 subtraction principal and
flute lively counter melody B77 B82 cymbals, gong and crotales add
to rhythm B82 B85 piano 9 note chord subtraction principal B85 B88
piano main melody and strings cello based on distortion of 3 note
cell B88
Slide 18
B91 piano repeating 2nds B91 B93 marimba canon for marimba and
violin based on inverted Dies Irae melody B93 B99 Dies Irae idea in
cello in 5ths B99 B106 cello Dies Irae idea in 5ths B106 B109 piano
joins canon but disappears after 3 bars B109 B113 violin/cello Dies
Irae Idea conveys ghostly, skeletonic effect B113 B115 piano
accented chords leads to march like Dies Irae idea B115 B122 music
begins to change B122
Slide 19
Duo for flute and piano B128 flute 6 note phrase based on 3
note cell reduces down to a single G piano plays surprose Eb chord
increases from 1 note to 7 notes B128 B134 cello anticipates Danse
Macabre which is rhythm of next section B134
Slide 20
B141 strings C major chords Danse Macabre rhythm B141 B144
flute plays canon of b93 continues freely B144 B152 music rushes
towards climax B152 B157 repeat of Totentanz B157 166 all play A
exciting cross rhythms 166 No finality only dissolution!finality
only
Slide 21
Order and Disorder setting something up as a norm only to
dismantle it as quickly. Permutation changing the order of things
1,2,3,4,5,6, becomes 1,3,5,2,4,6. Chord construction use of block
chords on the piano seen as clusters. This effect becomes almost
percussive like. Numerical Progression subtraction and addition are
both used. Prime numbers in Section C in the guiro where the number
of notes and number of rests are all primes. Melodic Transformation
Augmentation b128 Augmentation b128 Diminution b121 Diminution b121
Inverse b21 Inverse b21 Retrograde b93 Retrograde b93
Slide 22
Significance of C Major b141 Deane begins clearly in C Major 2
string parts in C but marimba and piano try to move away to play
atonal. First performance a skeleton was placed in the piano it was
taken out at the end of the piece at b163 and was shaken at the
other players. This served as a cue for the other players to take
up the maracas and play. Deane asked that this was discontinued in
future performances.
Slide 23
In 20 th century music atonality is often a feature as we hear
in Seachanges. However there are a number of places where there is
a clear tonal anchoring: B21 anchor note G B21 anchor note G B50
anchor note A B55 anchor note B B73-84 anchor note D B73-84 anchor
note D B88-91 anchor G B88-91 anchor G B157 anchor B B157 anchor B
B164 anchor A B164 anchor A
Slide 24
Contemporary features changing time signatures, use of
dissonance, atonality. Compositional Techniques inverse, canon,
retrograde, subtraction, addition, prime numbers and permutation.
Explain form of the work. Different performing techniques. Piano
being used as percussion. Approaches to dynamics. Themes
Understanding of musical context of the piece. Personal response to
the work. Ethnic instruments being used.