orchestra – MHS 123: Music and Technology in the Twentieth Century

April 2, 2019April 2, 2019

Thomas Adès’ ‘Asyla’

Artists express their political view by inheriting a political connotation to their artwork. It is either to express a personal political viewpoint, or it is to contribute, commemorate, and celebrate political events, protests, or a certain group of minority people by inviting attention. Thomas Adès’s ‘Asyla’ written in 1997 is a four-movement piece for a large orchestra that includes six timpani, roto-toms, tuned cowbells, water gong, washboard, and two pianos with one tuned quarter-tone flat. It is one of his most widely performed pieces and was premiered by the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Simon Rattle conducting. ‘Asyla’ is the plural of Asylum and is sort of a wordplay that represents a double-edged meaning of the word.

Asylum refers to both a madhouse where people are sent for protection and a sanctuary for refugees (who have been forced to leave their country) as in political asylum. The word itself is contradicting as people in a madhouse are trapped in a facility, whereas asylum seekers are people who stepped outside of their origins and are seeking a new shelter.

In Thomas Adès’ interview, he explains that the symphony orchestra is no longer a mainstream medium. He argues that composers have evolved, however, the medium – an orchestra, is stagnant in a pre-First World War state. The piece ‘Asyla’ expands the perception of “what an orchestra is”. The wordplay of the title seems to fit the concept of the piece. An asylum seeker is associated with his use of unconventional instrumentations and innovative sound creation, and the trapped people in a madhouse are associated with the piece sticking to a strict four-movement scheme that has succeeded from Haydn (also, the third movement is a dance movement).

Syrian Refugees by Claire Felter and James McBride

Refugees and asylums are huge underground political issues around the world. Not until the day of complete world of peace, there will be refugees and asylums. Around the world, there are 68.5 million people who were ‘forcibly displaced’. The majority of them remained around their home countries, however, 25.4 million of them had to seek asylums and fled to other countries, with more than half being children. The number of immigrants skyrocketed after World War II and 1997 in the UK (when ‘Asyla’ was premiered), there was an increase of immigrants in the UK from the abolition of a law that restricted entrants of people who were married to UK citizens.

In Adès’ interview, he mentions that the original title for the second movement is ‘Vatican’. The Vatican is the smallest country that exists, having a monarchy ruled by the pope (who also carries the role of a king). Citizens of the Vatican are specially picked members who are technically refugees that are given citizenships in order to work for the pope. The Vatican is a source of refuge and hope for immigrants and refugees who have had to flee their homes. However, Adès took away the title after he realized that “it was just too specific to many people”. This made me wonder whether Adès intended to advocate his support of ‘asylums’ for refugees. Nevertheless, his association of artwork to the political concept brought attention and awareness to the public eye, thus bringing significance to both politics and music worlds.

“We write symphonies,” Donald Trump said on July 6th, 2017, during a speech in Warsaw. Article by Anthony Tommasini argues that classical music is often portrayed as the ‘greatest art form’ precedent from Beethoven’s era – “a heroic visionary with a rare link to transcendent realms, creating symphonic works for the ages.” ‘Asyla’ by Thomas Adès is written with a completely different approach (180-degrees to be exact) as the piece deviates from the greatness and highness of the symphonic format. The piece is the opposite from greatness that is full of self-conceit – it is a piece that reflects the greatness of our human nature that looks out for people needing help in times of trouble.

To Listen to full version of the interview (World Premiere):

https://youtu.be/28v6oBv37K0

Another Performance of Asyla:

Interesting Blog Entry: http://themusicsalon.blogspot.com/2014/08/thomas-ades-on-his-asyla.html

April 2, 2019

A New Orchestraa: Using a Relic of the Past to Incite Political Change of the Present

Author: Ava Conway, 4/2/19

I’m sure the barista at Java’s is tired of my instructions by now…“No straw, please,” I say as I order my iced tea and scan the room for an empty seat. As trivial as it may seem, I try to avoid the use of plastic straws whenever possible. It is a small effort to avoid a large-scale production of unnecessary waste contributing to an even larger-scale issue of global warming.

This collection of articles and documentations put out by NASA constitutes the “[Unequivocal] scientific evidence for warming of the climate system” : https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

Effects of this global phenomenon include: shrinking ice sheets, glacial retreat, sea level rise, extreme weather, and more. It is difficult to deny the presence of such a phenomenon in modern society, given this overwhelming scientific evidence. And no matter how many plastic straws we avoid, or plant-based meals we cook, we are all contributing members.

However, there remain those who refuse to admit the existence of climate change, and therefore do not act upon its negative societal effects. Here are a few very misinformed tweets by our president, followed by a link with some interesting commentary on what “global waming” really involves:

http://time.com/5515340/trump-climate-change-weather/

So how must we tackle this issue of awareness, and how can we encourage a world-wide movement towards sustainability?

Well, music has always held a very fascinating and powerful connection with the world of politics. There is one piece in particular, Robert Paterson’s 2012 composition “A New Eaarth,” that addresses the issue of climate change particularly well.

Paterson’s title is inspired by a book by Bill McKibeen called Eaarth. McKibben’s book asserts that, because of climate change, the planet we live on today is a different planet than where humans lived centuries ago. Even though it is somewhat recognizable and familiar, it is fundamentally different. The title of my article implies that there is also a difference with the role of the modern orchestra(a). Even though this art form was invented years ago to satisfy wealthy patrons, today’s orchestras hold a unique ability to incite political awareness and change within a community largely divided community. http://robertpaterson.com/a-new-eaarth

Paterson uses somewhat traditional orchestration for this piece. It is written for orchestra, choir, and narrator. The piece opens with an orchestral introduction, followed by a Lennon-esque “Imagine” dialogue with the narrator….

“Imagine a day, perhaps in the future

When we will not worry about the environment.

Imagine a day, perhaps today, or tomorrow,

When our leaders will get together,

Will all get together to fix what is now almost completely beyond repair “

Paterson then writes for the choir to quote famous works of nature-inspired poetry by poets such as Wendell Berry, James Joyce, Percy Bryce Shelly, and William Wordsworth. The lyrics of these poems often portray the serenity of the natural world and its elements. By contrasting these words with harsh fortissimos in the brass section and thoughtful dialogue with the narrator, Paterson’s piece comes across very powerfully as a call to action to save the environment from its destruction.

Futurist composers such as Luigi Russolo would argue that machines create the sounds of daily life of the future. This assertion is very true today, with an abundance of construction of man-made housing, entertainment, and transportation. This transportation in particular is a large contributor towards––you guessed it––carbon emission and climate change. At one point in his score for “A New Eaarth,” Paterson writes annotations for the brass section to mimic car horns. The chaotic and hectic lifestyle of modern life is very accurately portrayed through this effect, and is starkly contrasted with the romantic poetry of peaceful natural landscapes.

The typical sounds of LA’s 405 freeway…

The juxtaposition of romantic poetry and chaotic noise reminds me of the same kind of political satire mentioned in William Robin’s article, “Colin Kaepernick and the Radical Uses of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.'” Robin mentions an 1844 rewording of the Star Spangled Banner that highlights the corruption and racial hypocrisy within America. I like to think of the above pictured excerpt of “A New Eaarth” to bare a similar kind of rewording of its own poetry…except this time through the addition of music. I would definitely agree with Robin that by presenting familiar material in an unfamiliar setting, the satire of politically-driven art is very meaningful. Find Robin’s article here: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/colin-kaepernick-and-the-radical-uses-of-the-star-spangled-banner

Weaved throughout Paterson’s work is a loose quote famously attributed to the writings of Wendell Berry: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” This quote is repeated five times to end the piece, with the SATB choir singing cluster chords. I found this moment in particular to be a very chilling final push towards getting Paterson’s message across. It is the perfect summation of his strive towards a future in which the world treats climate change as a real and present issue. The Earth isn’t something that we get to have for our own; it is something we get to pass off to future generations.

Image result for we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors we borrow it from our children

Paterson’s immersion of a political message in his music is very impactful, because music itself is a very moving art form. By conveying his message alongside a well-composed piece of music, it pulls the listener in from a very emotional standpoint. The links of this piece I have provided above are recordings from the 2018 Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, and Paterson’s own SoundCloud recordings (from his website). The links are public, so anyone with access to these platforms has the ability to listen to and be affected by this work. This piece is the perfect example of the kinship between music and politics in modern society, because of its introduction of something familiar (an orchestra) through a modern lens (topics of environmental activism). Hopefully, many will have the opportunity to hear Paterson’s message and make strides in the process of counteracting global warming.

Such strides may include, for instance, the recent New York ban on plastic bags, a measure which will decrease the amount of permanent plastic waste production within the state. New York is the second U.S. state to put this policy into effect, next to California, and will hopefully cause a positive trend for other states in years to come. The ban will take effect on March 1st of 2020. Read more here: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/politics/2019/03/29/new-york-state-plastic-bag-ban-need-to-know-information-lawmakers-albany-budget?cid=share_fb&fbclid=IwAR0g3sNtNqpg-fbvGBQIRwxJOKg9VYbc7OvQLsiGVASNvscumrWtyG0dpI8

Inspired by Paterson’s message, I know I will make sure to pay more attention to the various ways in which I affect the environment and those around me. Here is a link to an article providing advice on how to create a living which reduces one’s carbon footprint and encourages a sustainable lifestyle, something that Paterson advocates throughout “A New Eaarth”: http://www.globalstewards.org/reduce-carbon-footprint.htm

“We need to believe that we can change,

That we can change who we are

And those around us”

-Robert Paterson, “A New Eaarth”

January 31, 2019

The Victory of the Valve

Centuries ago, when the horn’s main purpose was merely to signal different hunting strategies in the great outdoors, the thought of it becoming a regular member of the orchestra was utterly blasphemous. Who would want the uncivilized, brash calls of the hunting horn to intrude on the serene melodies of the orchestra?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmQv67CmPf8

Well, through a long process of technological modifications, the horn achieved the ability to express the chromatic melodies of its counterparts. This was due in large to the invention of the valve in 1818, an advancement still present in the instruments played by professionals today.

The Natural Horn

Before going into detail about the process of inventing a valve system for the horn, it is first important to understand its previous form. In the early 1800’s, most of the European horn players played what we today refer to as the “natural horn.” The term “natural” simply implies that the horn player could only produce the notes of the harmonic series that was available to him or her in that specific key of tubing. The harmonic series (or overtone series) is a recurring pattern of notes that exist in the natural world. It begins with a fundamental note, and is followed by a series of partials each doubled in frequency (Bernstein, “Harmonic Series – Explained”).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TlQryUBz3E

The natural horn was in a circular form and had a bell on one end and a mouthpiece on the other (think, for instance, the apple post horn emoji 📯). Different slidable lengths of tubing, known as “crooks,” may be added to the instrument in order to change the key in which the horn sits in. It was discovered by Joseph Hampel that by altering the right hand’s position in the bell, the notes of the harmonic series could be altered chromatically (Tuckwell 26). In the year 1800, Joseph Vandenbroek, a member of the Paris Opera Orchestra, published a treatise on the horn, all based off of Hampel’s discoveries (Tuckwell 28). This hand-stopping technique, along with the introduction of tunable crooks, greatly expanded the possibilities for horn repertoire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upsUkKyo6dQ

The Horn’s Rise in Popularity

Composers such as Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven took a liking to the natural horn and began implementing ways to unify horn section writing (first and third horns play in a higher register, while second and fourth horns play in a lower register). But as the popularity of the horn increased, composers were largely limited with the music they could write for the natural horn (Gregory, “The Horn in Beethoven Symphonies”). The range of available notes was considerably low, and not every audience member was in favor of the bright color of the hand-stopped pitches.

Technological Experiments

In order to make the process of changing keys more feasible on the horn, J.B. Dupont invented an omnitonic horn in 1815 in which every crook was built into one moveable slide (Gregory 29).

**Dupont Omnitonic horn, c. 1818 (Tuckwell 36)**

Yeah, that’s a lot of tubing. Clearly, this instrument was extremely heavy and in some cases still required the player to change mouthpiece position. Callcott, born in 1801, tried to popularize a “radius French horn,” but it, too, was very cumbersome (Tuckwell 38).

**Radius French horn, Callcott (Tuckwell 38)**

The Valve–At Last!

Finally, after much trial and error, Heinrich Stolzel and Friedrich Bluhmel were issued a joint patent for a valve system on April 12, 1818 (Tuckwell 42). Originally, their invention consisted of two piston valves. One of the valves lowered it by semitone and the other by a whole tone. If used together, a note could be lowered a whole minor third. Now, the horn could perform in four different keys without a crook change or right hand movement.

https://gph.is/2AmePHo

This new way of considering the build of horns truly changed the course of the instrument’s future. Later versions of the valve developed, including the vienna valve, and the more common rotary valve (Tuckwell 47-49). But without the Stolzel-Bluhmel patent in 1818, these innovations could have been entirely nonexistent.

The invention of the valve changed the future of this instrument—and every brass instrument, for that matter. It largely expanded the possibilities for composers and players alike by allowing a greater range and facility of the instrument. This revolutionary musical technology can definitely be seen as a “victory” because of its continual use in the orchestra today, after years of trial and error. By understanding this process from limited hand-stopped horn playing to chromatically limitless valve horn, one might gain some curiosity as to how we might be able to improve the current forms of the instruments played in the modern orchestra, and perhaps cause a new sort of “evolution.”

Sources

Bernstein, “The Harmonic Series – Explained”

Fitzpatrick, Horace. “The Valveless Horn in Modern Performances of Eighteenth-CenturyMusic.” Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, vol. 91, 1964, pp. 45–60. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/765964.

Gregory, Robin. The Horn. Faber and Faber, 1961.

Gregory, Robin. “The Horn in Beethoven’s Symphonies.” Music & Letters, vol. 33, no. 4, 1952, pp. 303–310. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/729742.

Tuckwell, Barry. Horn. Schirmer Books, 1983.