Monday, December 8, 2014

Introduction to my Viola Sonata


INTRODUCTION
 
The first movement begins with a root position dominant ninth E chord.  There are first a root position D seventh chord and then a second inversion c min seventh chord before the repetition of dominant ninth E chord.  E ninth and D seventh chords are connected by the common F sharp pitch.  D seventh and c min seventh chord are connected by the common C pitch.
 
The two E chords establish tonality as a minor or A major.  The exact tonality is determined by the embellishment chords not the static pillars of E ninth chords.  The passing chords of D major and c min have both c natural which determines the tonality as a minor.
 
The embellishment elements in the beginning of a piece whether it is
music, or an article, book etc. may carry the function of preparing the ideas presented in the further instances.  C sharp - D pitches trill introduces the nonharmonic tone C sharp pitch at the second bar.  In fact it is the crucial and very last note just before the beginning of the second idea of the first department A of the piece.  The connection is made with C sharp pitch to G min, an augmented forth.
 
Anything we do not understand, that we can not put into a frame of reason or connection goes into our subconscious.  The embellishment
elements go into our subconscious because they are irrelevant to the
strongly established initial chords, which are generally in root
position and clearly identifiable.
 
Gestalt laws, Proximity, Similarity, Closure, Good Continuation apply not only to concious perception but also to the subconscious processing.  Transition in music, is a higher level abstraction of good continuation.  The listening mind may not percieve the identity of sliding tonal centers.  The sounds it hears go to the subconscious.  But the good continuation principle works in the subconscious and at the end of the transition the listening mind welcomes the new tonality, similar to remembering something.  The transition from the central department in c minor to the recap at bar 109 uses 12 tone motives of length 4 bars.  The
reference point of the 12 tone series slides half tone three times...
 
Schuman and Couperin wrote words in their works.  The last movement of my work has two words scribbled on the side of the score.  The word 'clairvoyance' is written on the side of bar 49.  A new 12 tone passage begins at bar 47 with expression marks: 'meno mosso' and 'con presisione e susurrante'.  The tempo at bars 26 - 36 is supposed to be tempo A.  Then comes a 'poco mosso' passage which is faster.  After this 'clairvoyance' passage comes where the tempo slows suddenly and the flow of temporary events is interrupted.  It is the standing back of a person out of the hustle-bustle of instant action-reactions of the daily events and out of this moment, his looking at the whole, which is represented here  through the 12 tone.
 
Normally word painting is the depiction of the meaning of the words that are being sung.  The instrument part reflects the literal meaning of the song either generally or for a specific word.  What happens if the words are written in the score but there is not any vocal part? 
 
The listening mind hears the music but it can not understand it.
The music goes to the subconscious of the listener.