Variations for Orchestra
Richard Horner
About this work:
I consider this piece to be my first essay in what I have termed polylineality. Polylineality is a concept whereby linear independence is stressed to such an extreme that it attempts to defy macro-simultaneity. A found that Iannis Xenakis discusses a similar concept in his book Formalized Music. The primary objectives in composing this piece were, in addition to composing an evocative piece of music, to explore and gauge the effectiveness of various polylinear soundscapes and to attempt to find saturation points at which linear independence would break down and an aggregate “sonic event”, as it were, would emerge due to individual lines no longer being perceptible.
The piece is in a very loose variation form. The piece opens with pianissimo strings traversing an octatonic collection (Oct[1,2]) through symmetric pitch class sets voiced asymmetrically by means of a four part stretto canon. The only “melodic” interval in this gesture is the tritone. This sets up one of the major structural relations and allows the sum of complementation for the symmetric sets to cycle regularly through the series (0,9,6,3) thus alternating the axis of symmetry between C/F# and Eb/A. At measure 10, the second main thematic idea is presented. A non-repetitive theme of 9 notes that is later stated in 11 and 12 note forms is played by the contrabasses and the second horn.
The rest of the piece is developments and reinterpretations of this material combined with transitional material that undergoes developing variation. The majority of the piece juxtaposes the thematic materials and chromatic lines undergoing elaborate canonic writing in inversion, mirror, stretto, augmentation and diminution, etcetera with seemingly unrelated harmonic formations and coloristic effects such as indeterminate pitch material and microtone clusters. Repetition and ostinati are used to ground the listener and make the disparate parts perceptible.
The organizational scheme is, essentially, an unfolding. Both the harmonic formations and the orchestration become increasingly more dense as the piece progresses with sections of pointillism and/or harmonic regression interspersed (tension/release). 6-note formations give way to 9-note formations which lead to 12-note formations which progress to an 18-note formation with the use of microtones which finally culminates with a full tutti in which the orchestra recaps almost the entire piece in a mere 20 measures ending with a 24-note simultaneity at measure 293. An important structural landmark occurs at center point of the piece, measure 184. Here, the strings again play a stretto canon in which the only “melodic” interval is the tritone similar to that of the beginning of the piece. This time, however, it is played with harmonics and is in 6 voices that traverse the entire chromatic scale. Once again, a cyclic series of symmetric sets are arranged such that the sums of complementation cycle regularly, this time through the series (1,3,5,7,9,11). The counterpart to this is a development on the non-repetitive theme now traversing all twelve tones in the bassoons while the originally conceived 11-note version is sounded by the cello section.
The piece ends with a coda that recalls the opening. The strings again play a 6 voice version of the now very familiar stretto canon. This time, however, the cyclic series of symmetric sets is disrupted by the introduction of asymmetric sets. While the progression seems to want to cycle through the complementation sums (1,3,5,7,9,11), it does not. In closing, the texture thins to 4 voices to again and play the stretto canon with a progression that looks like it may retrograde the opening progression’s sum of complementation cycle (0,9,3,6), but it does not as it now has asymmetric sets incorporated in it and alternates them with symmetric sets. The voicing is now more tightly packed with more voice crossing and the progression no longer outlines an octatonic collection but two 4-note chromatic clusters a minor 3rd apart.
Year composed: 2004
Duration: 00:10:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Unknown
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 1 English Horn, 2 Clarinet, 1 Bass Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 1 Trombone, 1 Bass Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 4 Percussion (General), 1 Marimba, 1 Xylophone, 1 Piano, 1 Harpsichord, 1 Celesta, 28 Violin, 12 Viola, 10 Cello, 8 Double bass
Instrumentation notes: 3(III=pic).3(III=eh).3(III=bscl).2(II=cbsn), 4.2.2.1, timp, 4 perc, hp, pno, cel, strings