Variations for Woodwind Quartet
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY NORTHRIDGE Variations: for Woodwind Quartet A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Master of Music in Music Composition By Zachary Docter May 2020 The Graduate project of Zachary Docter is approved: _________________________________________________ ____________ Dr. Patrick O’Malley Date _________________________________________________ ____________ Dr. A.J. McCaffrey Date _________________________________________________ ____________ Dr. Liviu Marinescu, Chair Date California State University, Northridge 1 ii Table of Contents Signature Page ii List of Musical Excerpts iv Abstract v Background 1 Structure of the Piece 2 Pitch System 9 Conclusion 12 Appendix A: Composition 13 iii List of Musical Excerpts Excerpt 1 2 Excerpt 2 2 Excerpt 3 2 Excerpt 4 2 Excerpt 5 2 Excerpt 6 3 Excerpt 7 4 Excerpt 8 4 Excerpt 9 5 Excerpt 10 5 Excerpt 11 5 Excerpt 12 5 Excerpt 13 6 Excerpt 14 6 Excerpt 15 7 Excerpt 16 8 Excerpt 17 8 Excerpt 18 9 Excerpt 19 10 Excerpt 20 11 iv Abstract Variations: for Woodwind Quartet By Zachary Docter Master of Music in Music Composition For this capstone project, I have written a set of variations for woodwind quartet. This piece was written in an accessible early 20th century neoclassical-esque style primarily for university level chamber groups. I deliberately utilized a motivically driven 20th century idiom with no extended techniques so that students can work on the basics of chamber playing, namely playing in time and balancing contrapuntal lines. In this sense, it is primarily a didactic piece. However, in the following paper, through an analysis of the motivic development and the pitch system in this piece, it will become apparent that this piece is useful not just as a didactic piece, but also as a fun concert work for professional level quartets as well. v Background At the time I wrote this piece, I was not familiar with this type of ensemble or it’s repertoire. The woodwind quartet repertoire is small and not particularly well known. I chose to write for this ensemble and not for woodwind quintet because I saw it as more of a challenge to write for four instruments rather than five. The piece is written in a kind of contrapuntal neoclassical style which sounds not unlike the music of “Les Six” or Paul Hindemith. This is not a textural piece. It is motivically based and it utilizes traditional motivic development even when the harmonies are much too dissonant to be found in genuine classical period music. 1 The Structure of the Piece The piece follows the theme and variations form fairly consistently albeit with some modifications. The piece begins with an introduction followed by a theme and five variations. The introduction utilizes motives and cells that will later be introduced in the first statement of the theme at B. In the introduction, each type of cell is assigned to a different part and repeated in a densely contrapuntal texture. Here are the cells used in the introduction: 1 2 3 4 In the introduction, each instrument enters one after the other playing their assigned cells and repeating them in a dense texture until the music resolves in a kind of short chorale. The cells are repeated in a second statement of the introduction at A. When this section resolves, the theme is finally stated at B. Here is the theme: 5 2 It is not difficult to see how the motives shown on the previous page are worked into the theme shown on the bottom of the previous page. In excerpt 3 on the previous page, the quarter note triplet pattern is worked into the three eighth note pattern in the third measure of the theme in excerpt 5. The first measure of the theme is derived from excerpt 1 on the previous page. In excerpt 2 on the previous page, the perfect fourth jump down from an f to a c is worked into the 2nd measure of the theme. The sixteenth note triplet figure in the theme is derived from the similar figure in excerpt 4 on the previous page. All of the pitches in the cells of the introduction and their corresponding cells in the theme are the same except for the sixteenth note triplet figures which are slightly different. One can see now that the introduction serves as a kind of overture which introduces all the bare elements of the main theme. After the theme is stated twice, the first variation starts at C. The variations follow the pattern of fast, slow, fast, slow, fast. The first variation at C is fast and it is written in the 7/8 time signature. It relies heavily on a repeating bass line introduced in a bassoon solo. Here is the bass line 6 After the bassoon plays the bass line shown above, the upper woodwinds introduce a variation on the main theme, now modified to work in 7/8. On the top of the next page, one can see this new version of the theme: 3 7 As one can see, this new variation of the theme includes sixteenth note repeated notes which were not seen before. In addition, the ending of the melody is different. After some development within the variation, the variation ends with a pause leading into the second variation at F. The second variation is a slow Adagio in the 6/8 time signature. It features a pastoral melody which is derived from measures two and three of the original theme shown in the top excerpt of the previous page. Here is the melody in this variation: 8 This variation is not as contrapuntal as the previous fast variation. It is heavily homophonic and it utilizes a chorale like texture. Since I utilized rich four note harmonies throughout this variation, all four instruments play at once throughout. The third variation, which starts at H, is a fast scherzo in predominantly 4/4 time. There are two elements in this variation which are not really related to the main theme. The first is a driving open fifth eighth note rhythm in the clarinet and basoon. The second is a Prokofiev-esque motive which adds interest to and is often accomanied by the driving eighth note rhythm. These two elements are shown on the top of the next page: 4 9 10 After these two elements shown above are introduced, the main theme is presented again, now back in 4/4 time. Here is this new variation on the theme: 11 As one can see, this new variation utilizes different note values as the original statement of the theme. It is also slightly syncopated. However, the basic contour of the melody is the same as the original theme in the first two measures at least. This melody and the two elements shown on the top of this page are developed contrapuntally in this variation. The main theme is presented in canon during a part of this variation and toward the end, it is presented as a stretto with all four parts entering one after another. The third variation described above leads straight into the fourth variation at J, a slow atmospheric lament. This fourth variation utilizes a meandering whole tone eighth note scale which is heard slowly throughout. This scale is presented in parallel thirds in the clarinet and bassoon and it acts as a bass line. Here is an excerpt of this scale from the clarinet part: 12 5 These meandering eighth note scales build in intensity until a variation on the main theme appears at the climax. Here is the modified main theme as presented in this variation: 13 As one can see, this version of the theme primarily works on the first measure of the original theme, mainly the sixteenth leap up and the repeated eighth notes. After the music dies down, a more consonant albeit melancholy section starts in 9/8 at K. This section utilizes imitative counterpoint and a Baroque ornamented motive shown below: 14 In this 9/8 section, glimpses of the main theme enter and disappear until the music moves back to the meandering whole tone scales which started the variation. The variation ends slowly and ambiguously with a series of quiet trills which lead directly into a restatement of the introduction of the piece. It was said before that the introduction acts as a kind of overture which introduces elements of the theme. When the introduction returns after the fourth variation at letter M, it serves to let the listener know that we are moving back to a grand restatement of the original theme in its original form. I chose to score the reprise of the introduction slightly differently at M then how I scored it at the beginning of the piece. I allowed time for there to be longer sections of just two or three parts playing. This is because I felt that the four instruments played at the same time too often in the piece. 6 After the reprise of the introduction dissolves, a fast section starts at N in 4/4 time. This section acts as a bridge to build up to the grand restatement of the theme at O. This fast section at N utilizes a driving eighth note accompaniment pattern not unlike the driving pattern found in the 3rd variation. Here is an excerpt showing this driving pattern: 15 This section also utilizes motivic material which is unrelated to the main theme. I felt that this was acceptable as it is simply a transition. Still, snippets of the sixteenth note leap cell found in the main theme can be heard in this section starting at the pickup to measure 154.