My completed piece for assignment one titled 'Wild Dance for Six Percussionists' loosely, but not exactly, follows the framework laid down when I designed my compositional plan. The concept of drawing up a plan before I started composing the piece is not something that had occurred to me before, and it is certainly not something I did for the exercises in part one. Having completed the assignment, I now realise that having a framework to work within was extremely useful, and something that would certainly be required for anything longer than about half a minute in duration.
I labelled the sections as such:
A - Given part (9 bars)
A2 - Modified given part (9 bars)
B - Second theme (9 bars)
B2 - Modified second theme (9 bars)
C - Subsidiary section (12 bars)
C2 - Modified subsidiary section (12 bars)
Score Description
My piece starts by using the given introduction on snare drum. I have introduced accents here for added interest. Then follows nine bars of given material (A), plus a further nine bars of the same material repeated with very slight modifications in mostly the snare drum part (A2). I didn't want to change much in this section, partly to ensure I adhered to the brief of 'continue the given opening', and partly because I liked the given part, and could see how it would fit into my vision for the next section.
Section (B) was my first opportunity to introduce brand-new material to the score. In this section I wanted to create a 'broadening' effect whereby I used slightly longer note values (in contrast to the multitude of semiquavers in the (A) sections) which gives the impression that the speed of the piece has slowed slightly, even though the tempo is still exactly the same. Simultaneously I wanted the music here to build in fury, and I used bass drum and tam-tam rolls in short but heavily contrasting crescendos to create the effect I imagined. Throughout the (B) section the tambourine and snare drum play in almost perfect unison to preserve the forward momentum and the dance-like character of the piece, with the woodblock filling out the texture in the higher register. In section (B2), I first repeat the majority of (B) to firmly establish the new theme, but then I incorporate a different ending; all of the instruments observe a decrescendo and rallentando, and I thin the texture out, the instruments fading through a complete bar of 6/8 time.
The music now enters the subsidiary section, for which I chose to revert from the variable metre used thus far to simple triple time. In this section I wanted to show contrast in many areas, the time signature being one, but also there is now a focus on metallics as four percussionists are instructed to introduce new instruments; wind chimes, sleigh bells, triangle and tubular bells. I was careful here to ensure I have left enough time for players to change to the new instruments, and back again. There is also a marked change of tempo, to a much slower 119 crotchet beats per minute, but the sleigh bells and tambourine act to keep the rhythmic dance feel from stagnating. Alongside the idea of contrast, my main aim in section (C) was to give the feeling of uneasy 'calm before the storm'. In (C2), even though the thematic material is much the same, I start to work the music back to the furious primary material, and I achieve this by gradually bringing back the original instruments, starting with the snare drum.
Once all the previous instruments are reinstated, there is a quick but dramatic crescendo into the reprise, which begins with section (B) and (B2), albeit with an unexpected simultaneous sforzando from all instruments, the tension stretched out with a pause. The quick gallop of (A1) and (A2) is now restored, and both are repeated before a slightly modified ending of (A2) leads straight to (B2) ((B1) is omitted completely at this point). Towards the end of this final section there is an accellerando from all instruments, which then play at alternate ending with crescendos, sforzandos and fortissimos combining to explosively end the piece.
Reflection
As previously mentioned, I found it very helpful to have a plan in place before I began the composition. This meant that I was never really 'lost' while composing, and had continuous focus and a sense of direction. This also meant I didn't have to compose the work in order; sometimes I had inspiration for a later section, and would go and write that before returning to earlier material.
I should make a note on my use of tubular bells in the subsidiary section. The brief calls for a composition for untuned percussion; however my use of the bells is mitigated by the fact they play only a single repeated note, and I don't create any kind of melody with them. The fact stands that this was the only instrument that could produce the sound I wanted at that time.
A lot of difficulties I could have encountered while composing the piece were avoided due to adequate preparation. Knowledge of the software by taking an online course beforehand meant that Sibelius worked for me, not against me. Likewise, having a plan in place meant I didn't lose focus, and researching of percussion instruments gave me the knowledge I needed to produce the sounds I had in my head. This is not to say I didn't encounter difficulties, but when I did I immediately set out to find the solutions so that I could return to my composition as quickly as possible.
I especially enjoyed incorporating an additional playing technique on the bass drum, in the form of the hand mute (indicated by a cross note head). This prevents the bass drum from sustaining the sound over rests, and makes the sound much more concise, especially when there is more than one note per bar. I think the bass drum in particular is a focal point in the music, and helps to tie the whole thing together, especially as the semiquaver run features on the instrument in every section of the piece.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking this piece of music from the planning stages through to the finished product, and I'm also very pleased with the end result.
Meeting The Assessment Criteria
Technical Presentation
I feel that my score is clear and well presented, and I spent considerable time and effort getting to know Sibelius 7 so that I could present my score in the best possible way. Sibelius 7's magnetic layout function also ensures that there are no clashing objects on the page. I believe that my notation is accurate in accordance with traditional musical practices and that all instruments are able to play the music as instructed.
Compositional Skills
I believe that the structure of my piece is sound, and that it feels like a cohesive whole, with repeated sections and ideas creating unity. At the same time I am happy that I have invented, explored and implemented new ideas, and I feel that my piece showcases a range of time signatures, tempos, rhythms, dynamics, articulations and instruments. Any performance directions indicated are able to be executed by the instruments concerned.
Creativity
I was really aiming to tell a story with my composition, rather than a lifeless sounding of noises. I feel I have managed to create an interesting and exciting beginning, middle and end, and have experimented with different instruments and ways of performing said instruments. For example, cymbals, tam-tam and bass drum are at varying points both struck and rolled, the bass drum playing both normal and muted strikes, and the tambourine being both struck and shaken. I wanted to show each instruments unique offerings, and where appropriate their different playing methods.
Stylistic Awareness
I have current knowledge in music theory, but zero compositional experience before embarking on this course. With that in mind, my main aims in terms of supporting learning was becoming comfortable with the notation software, and with percussion instruments. I am not a percussion player, so had to make use of various resources to become more familiar with this large family of instruments. A particularly helpful resource was Samuel Adler's book 'The Study of Orchestration' which I used to make notes on all of the tuned and untuned percussion instruments. YouTube was very helpful for learning the various playing techniques of the instruments, particularly how the bass drum and tam-tam are rolled and muted. I wanted to ensure that any notation in my score was able to be physically performed by real players. Alongside this I also listen to music every day, and have made notes on concerts I have attended, paying special attention to any details particularly relevant to this part of the course.
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