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Leomo, Kevin James (2017) Portfolio of compositions. MMus(R) thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/7930/
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PortfolioofCompositions
KevinJamesLeomo
MA(Hons)
SubmittedinfulfillmentoftherequirementsfortheDegreeof
MasterofMusicinComposition,byResearch
DepartmentofMusic
SchoolofCultureandCreativeArts
CollegeofArts
UniversityofGlasgow
September2016
i
Abstract
Thisthesisisconcernedwiththeapplicationanddevelopmentofmycompositionalpractice,
asdemonstratedthroughmyportfolioofcompositions. Identifyingandunderstandingthe
techniquesIutilisewhilstcomposingformedanimportantpartofthisundertakingandmy
developmentasacomposer.Thepiecesinthisportfoliodemonstratethedevelopmentofmy
compositionalpracticeandpersonalstyle,characterisedbythe importanceoftimbraland
texturalelementsandtheuseofgesture.Iintendedtoutilisedifferentinstrumentationsto
createavariedportfolioofpiecesdemonstratingawiderangeofdifferenttimbres,sounds,
andcolours.InthecommentaryIwillengagewithwhatIhavelearnedfrommyexperiences
overthecourseofthisyear.
ii
MMusCommentary–TableofContents
ListAccompanyingMaterial iiiListofFigures ivAcknowledgements vIntroduction 1MyCompositionalPractice
I.Timbre 3
II.Gesture 6
III.Developmentsthisyear 7
Commentaries
I.CrossCurrents 9
II.TheReef 14
III.SilentKey 18
IV.Strangers 26
ReflectionsandConclusions 29Bibliography 31
PortfolioofCompositions
CrossCurrents forshakuhachi,oboe,koto,andvioloncello
TheReef forBbclarinet,violin,viola,andvioloncello
SilentKey forvibraphone,marimba,andpianofortefour-hands
Strangers forviolinandpianoforte
iii
ListofAccompanyingMaterial
PortfolioofCompositions:
CrossCurrents forshakuhachi,oboe,koto,andvioloncello
TheReef forBbclarinet,violin,viola,andvioloncello
SilentKey forvibraphone,marimba,andpianofortefour-hands
Untitled forviolinandpianoforte
CDcontainingrecordingsofworks
1)CrossCurrents performedbyEnsembleOkeanos
2)TheReef performedbyGlasgowNewMusicEnsemble
3)SilentKey performedbyPiusCheung,ErikoDaimo,ChristinaGiucaKrause,andBenKrause
iv
ListofFigures
Figure1 SilentKey(b.36-39) timbralblending
Figure2a CrossCurrents(b.42-43) unisontimbre
Figure2b TheReef(b.108-110) unisontimbre
Figure3a CrossCurrents(b.6) fangesture
Figure3b CrossCurrents(b.19-20) celloalteredfangesture
Figure4 CrossCurrents(b.45-48) glissandi
Figure5 CrossCurrents(b.4-6) idiomaticwriting
Figure6 CrossCurrents(b.2-3) palindromicgesture
Figure7 CrossCurrents kototuning
Figure8 CrossCurrents(b.62-64) timbralblend
Figure9a CrossCurrents(b.1-2) kotoandcellopizzicato
Figure9b CrossCurrents(b.10) kotoandcellopizzicato
Figure10 CrossCurrents(b.38-40) mura-ikieffectinoboe
Figure11 TheReef(b.12-16) stringtimbraleffects
Figure12 TheReef(b.26) celloharmonicgesture
Figure13 TheReef(b.17-18) clarinetentry
Figure14 TheReef(b.92-95) clarinetsolooverstringharmonicglissandi
Figure15 SilentKey(b.5-6) cascadinggesture
Figure16 SilentKey(b.58-59) repeatedbar
Figure17 SilentKey(b.60-61) pianissimotremolandi
Figure18 SilentKey(b.46-48) contrastinggestures/texturalcontrast
Figure19 SilentKey(b.72-73) vibraphoneandmarimbarepeatedphrase
Figure20 SilentKey(b.54-56) chimegesture
Figure21a SilentKey(b.14) upwardgesture,ff
Figure21b SilentKey(b.15) upwardgesture,pp
Figure22 Strangers(b.1-2) openingmotif
Figure23 Strangers(b.17-19) ripplegesture
Figure24 Strangers(b.42-43) tumblinggesture
Figure25 Strangers(b.56-58) tumblinggesture
v
Acknowledgements
Iwould like to thankmysupervisors,ProfessorBillSweenyandDr. JaneStanley, for their
continuedsupport,advice,patience,andencouragementduringthisprocess.Ithasbeena
pleasure working with you. I’d also like to thank Jane for includingme in her education
project,whichwasanexcellentopportunityandonewhichIhopewecanfurtherdevelopin
the future. I’d like to thank Dr. Nick Fells for his contribution to my knowledge of the
shakuhachi and Japanese music, which I put to use in Cross Currents. I would like to
acknowledgemyfellowSoundThoughtcommitteemembersfortheirhardwork,support,
and good humour in putting together an extremely demanding yet ultimately successful
event.
I’dliketoacknowledgetheperformersandensemblesIhavehadtheprivilegetoworkwith
over the course of this degree: CoMA strings, Ensemble Okeanos, Glasgow New Music
ExpeditionandtheOregonBachFestivalComposersSymposiumguestartists.Therehearsals
and performances of my works have provided me with much-valued feedback and
encouragement,aswellasqualityrecordingsofmyworks.
Iwould like to recognisemy friends for their supportduring thispastyear,whether itbe
attending performances of my works, assisting me at Sound Thought, or listening to
recordingsofmycompositions.
Finally,Iwouldliketothankmyparentsfortheirunwaveringsupport,bothemotionaland
financial, without which I would have been unable to undertake and see through the
completionofthisdegree;Itrulyappreciateit.
1
Introduction
Theaimofundertakingthismaster’swastodevelopmycompositionalpracticeandtechnique
whilecontinuingtoestablishmyowncompositionalidentity.Attheoutset,Iaimedtoexplore
the use of timbre, instrumental colours, sounds, and extended instrumental playing
techniques in tandemwith pursuing developments in notation. Iwanted to develop new
texturesandexpressiveeffectsbypushingtheboundariesofnotation.Additionally,Isought
toexpandmyuseofmobilesandlimitedaleatorismtocreateinterestingtextures.
My final undergraduate composition portfolio consisted ofworkswhich explored various
extended techniques and unpitched sounds; much detail was devoted to themethod of
playing and the effect of the resultant sounds. The structure of these works evolved
organically and freely, which was reflected in the various forms of graphical and spatial
notationIemployed.Textures,thefinalandhighestgradedwork,soughttoinvestigatethe
texturalandtimbralpossibilitiesaffordedbyaten-playermixedchamberensemble.Iutilised
a form of spatial notationwhich gave performers some freedom and contributed to the
freely-flowingcharacterofthework.Thisyear,Iinitiallyplannedtocontinuedevelopingmy
workwiththistypeofmusic.However,Imovedawayfromworkingwithalternativeformsof
notationandreturnedtousingmuchmoreconventionalforms.ThiswasnotbecauseIfeltI
hadexhaustedthepossibilitiesofworkingwith thisnotation,butwas insteadamatterof
practicality.Conventionalnotationisfarmoreeasilyreadandperformedwhenrehearsaltime
islimited.TheotherfactorwhichinfluencedthismovewasmyinterestinprovingIcouldstill
createworkswhichreliedlessheavilyonnotationfortheirsuccessfulexecution.
While composing the four pieces comprising the portfolio, I was concerned with further
researchingmusicalelementswhichmostappealedtome.Iwritenotatedmusicprimarilyfor
acousticforces;Iaminterestedindevelopingmycompositionalstyleandvoicewhilstdrawing
on innovations from the past and incorporating musical ideas, elements, or sounds that
intrigueme. Integraltomycompositionalstyle isanemphasisontimbre,byblendingand
experimentingwithinstrumentalcolour,aswellastheuseofgesturetoprovidecoherence
andcohesionwithinapiece.Someaspectsofmycompositionalpracticehavechangedsince
2
theoutsetofthisdegree,whichIwillfurtherexamine.Thesedecisionsallcontributetomy
compositionalstyleandthesoundworldswhichmycompositionsinhabitandexplore.
3
MyCompositionalPractice
I.Timbre
Iplacegreatimportanceontimbre,“atermdescribingthetonalqualityofasound,”1asan
aspect of my music. I am interested in giving detailed attention to methods of sound
production by experimenting with various instrumental playing techniques and the full
dynamic and registral ranges of instruments. In my works I endeavour to explore the
individual timbres of every instrument, as well the relation between diverse sounds and
colours. I aim to examine how these timbres can be altered or configured in different
combinationswithoneanotherthroughoutapiecetocreateinterestingsoundworlds.
Thisnotionof relatingvarious instrumental timbres tooneanother is somethingwhich is
investigatedthroughout theworksof thisportfolio. InCrossCurrents, the juxtapositionof
Japanese and Western instruments allows for a great deal of timbral exploration. For
example,thereiscontrastbetweentheclear,brightoboeandthebreathyshakuhachi,aswell
asdisparitybetweenthesoundofcelloandkotopizzicato.However,Iattempttoreconcile
thesecontraststoacertainextent.Oneexampleisthecello’suseofvariedbowplacement
in order tomirror the shakuhachi’s number of playing techniques and resulting timbres.
Additionally, the ensemble’s overall sound blends together when the instruments create
similartimbrestoovercometheirdifferences.TheReeffocusesonaseriesoflargelydiscrete
episodesinwhichtherelationshipbetweenclarinetandstringsisexamined.Forexample,the
openingconsistsofstringharmonicsandtimbral techniqueswhichgiveswaytosustained
sonoritiesinwhichtheclarinetblendswiththestrings.Perhapsthemostemphasisplacedon
timbre and instrumental colour occurs in Silent Key, due to the piece’s instrumentation.
Centraltothisworkistherelationbetweentheupperpianowithvibraphoneandthelower
pianowithmarimba,inwhichtherespectivepairingscreateuniquetimbralblends.Figure1
demonstrateshowthesoundsofbowedvibraphoneandmarimbainteractwiththepiano.
However,theserelationshipsaresometimessubvertedoralteredatpointsduringthepiece
1Campbell,M.,“Timbre(i).”GroveMusicOnline.OxfordMusicOnline.OxfordUniversity
4
tocreatevariety.Strangersfocusesonthedialoguebetweenpianoandviolinandhowthey
interactwithoneanother’sdifferentsoundworldsandgestures.
Figure1.TimbralblendinginSilentKey(b.36-39)
Asmentioned, I both fuse and juxtapose various timbres and instrumental colours inmy
works. The Oxford Dictionary ofMusic describes timbre as “that which distinguishes the
qualityoftoneofinstrumentfromanother”.2Ienjoysubvertingthisnotionwhenblending
multiple instrumental timbres into one sonority, sometimes on a unison pitch, to create
interestingeffects.Discrepanciesbetweeneachinstrument’spitch,causedbyanynumberof
factors,suchaspressure,embouchure,orstringtension,canaddfurthersonicinterest.
2“Timbre.”TheOxfordDictionaryofMusic,2nded.rev..OxfordMusicOnline.OxfordUniversityPress
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“Timbre isamorecomplexattributethanpitchor loudness; theperceptionof timbre isa
synthesisofseveralfactors”.3Therichcomplexitiesofworkingwithtimbreandthevarietyof
sounds and possibilities available is what draws me to focus on this particular musical
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6
II.Gesture
Anotherimportantaspectofmycompositionsistheuseofgesture.Gesturecanbethought
ofasashape,contour,orpatternthathasauniquecharacterinrelationtopitch,rhythm,
articulation, or timbre. I employ gestures which follow certain shapes or patterns in my
pieces.Theyusuallyreappearthroughoutthepiece,assignificantaudibleeventsinorderto
providestructure.“Composersandimprovisersstructuresequencesofmusicaleventssothat
listeners have easy access to elements out of which musical categories can be built.”
Zbikowski4 touches upon how gestures are organised and repeated to allow listeners to
categorise them; theshapesandcontoursofgesturebecome familiar,providingcohesion
throughoutapiece.“Theworkoverallbecomesanaccumulationofsoundeventsovertime.
Theinitialgesturesgiveshapeandcoherencetothelatergestures.”5
Gesturescanbeutilisedtocreateintelligiblestructures,butSchoenbergwarnsoneshould
avoidmonotony.6Hestressesthatinrepetition,gesturesshouldbedevelopedandvariedto
provide interest. Inmyworks,whengestures reappear, theyare variedby the context in
whichtheyareplayed,whetheritbeinadifferentregister,texture,orcontour.Forexample,
inCrossCurrents, theopening fangesture isheard indifferenttimbralcontextsplayedby
differentinstruments,butalsohasavariedcontourasshownbythecelloatbar19.
Figure3a.‘Fan’gesture Figure3b.Fangesture,altered(b.19-20)
4Zbikowski,L.M.,‘MusicalGestureandMusicalGrammar:ACognitiveApproach’,inGritten,A.and
King,E.(eds.)NewPerspectivesonMusicandGesture(AshgatePublishingLtd,2011),83-995RogerSessionsSessions,Roger,TheMusicalExperienceofComposer,Performer,Listener
(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,1971),626Schoenberg,A.,FundamentalsofMusicalComposition(London:Faber,1967)
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3 3
Kevin Leomo
2015
to Okeanos Ensemble
for shakuhachi, oboe, koto and cello
Cross Currents
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7
III.Developmentsthisyear
Ihavehadseveraldevelopmentsinmycompositionalpracticeoverthecourseofundertaking
thismaster’s.ThisyearIwasmotivatedbyadrivetohavemyworksperformedandrecorded;
asanemergingcomposeritiscrucialtohavequalityexamplesofyourwork.Ifoundmyself
balancing idealistic composition goalswithmore practical ones. An important part ofmy
compositionaldevelopmenthasbeeninamovefromwritingforan‘imagined’ensemble,as
in thecaseofmy finalundergraduatepiece, towardswriting fora specificensemblewith
prescribedinstrumentation.Overthepastyear, Ihavewrittenseveralpiecesforaspecific
ensembleorinstrumentation:CrossCurrentsforEnsembleOkeanos,SpecksInfinitesimalfor
theCoMAstringorchestra,TheReefforGlasgowNewMusicExpedition,twominiaturepieces
forclarinet,violin,cello,andpiano,aswellasSilentKeyfortheOBFCSguestartists.Influenced
bythepracticalitiesofsecuringperformances,Ireturnedtousingmoretraditionalnotation.
My initial aim to develop my work with notation, as demonstrated inMorphology and
Textures,wassetaside.Theworksofthisportfoliodonotcontinueinthetrajectoryofthese
previous works, as I did not further pursue developments in graphic or spatial notation.
However,theessenceofthesepieces,exploringtimbralpossibilities,hasremainedprevalent
throughoutthisportfolioofcompositions.
Furthermore,Ihadidentifiedsomeissueswithmyapproachtostructureandthenotionof
creatingacohesivepiece,whichIaimedtoaddressoverthecourseoftheyear.Irealised
that I perhaps introduced newmaterial too quickly or too often before I had sufficiently
developedexistingmaterial.Iintendedtoremedythisbythoroughlyutilisingexistingmaterial
beforemovingon to somethingelse andby reusingor redevelopingmaterial rather than
introducingtoomanynewideas.Linkedtothisissuewasmydesiretocreatemoreeffective
transitions between sections. I began to reuse gestures and ideasmore frequently inmy
piecesasawayofcreatingcoherenceandstructurebyprovidingthelistenerwithfamiliar
material.Gesturescouldreturnlaterinapieceratherthanoccurringonceorinonesection
only,asIhadpreviouslypractised.Initially,Iusedrepetitionverysparsely,toensurewhen
materialwasrepeated,itwasasignificantevent.However,Ibelievethatmyuseofrepetition
hasincreasedthroughoutthefourpiecesintheportfolio.
8
Anotherdevelopmentthatoccurredoverthedurationofthisdegreehasbeenashiftfrom
writingmoreabstractpiecestowardspieceswithasubtleextramusicalornarrativeelement.
Priortothisyear,Iwasuninterestedinrepresentinganythingovertlyextramusicalwithinmy
pieces.Infact,Iwasquiteagainsttheideaandpreferredtowritemusicfocusingentirelyon
thesonicqualitiesofthework,withabstracttitlesgivinglittleinformationaway.However,
thispredilectionhassincechangedandInowfindinterestinhavinganextramusicalstoryor
elementtoguidemycompositionalprocess,asopposedtothinkingsolelyintermsofsound,
asIdidinearlierpieces.Iappreciatetheconceptofhavingalooseideawhichlistenerscan
interpretintheirownway.OleKühlstatesthat“musicalmeaningisfluid.Thesamepieceof
musiccanmeandifferentthingstodifferentpeople”.7Thisnotionwillbefurtherexamined
throughoutthecommentaries.
7Kühl,O.,‘TheSemioticGesture’,inGritten,A.andKing,E.(eds.)NewPerspectivesonMusicandGesture(AshgatePublishingLtd,2011),123-131
9
CrossCurrents forshakuhachi,oboe,koto,andcello c.5’10EnsembleOkeanosBFE/RMAResearchStudents’Conference,Bangor January2016
CrossCurrentswaswritteninresponsetoacallforscoresissuedbythejointBritishForum
forEthnomusicologyandRoyalMusicalAssociationResearchStudents’Conferencetowork
with Ensemble Okeanos. The ensemble is known for its mix of Western and Japanese
instruments.Writingfortheprescribedinstrumentationofshakuhachi,oboe,koto,andcello
providedmewithaninterestingchallenge.Havingneverpreviouslywrittenforshakuhachior
koto,IsoughttolearnasmuchabouttheseinstrumentsduringtheshorttimespanIhadto
completethepiece.Ibeganresearchingtheinstrumentsthemselves,aswellasthetraditions
andperformancepracticesofJapanesemusic.IalsoreceivedassistancefromDr.NickFells,a
shakuhachi player, who introduced me to the instrument and demonstrated playing
techniquetome.Afterthisinitialresearch,IfeltIhadenoughpreliminaryknowledgetobegin
writingforshakuhachiandkoto.
InCrossCurrents,theuseofgesture,harmoniclanguage,andtimbre,wasinformedbymy
researchintoJapanesemusicandinstruments.Idecidedthatwhileworkingwithinstruments
ofanotherculture, itwas important forthepiecetosomehowacknowledgetheJapanese
musictraditionsIhadlearnedabout.IaspiredtocreatesomesortofsynthesisofJapanese
music with my own compositional idiom in order to reflect this. I engaged in writing
idiomatically for the shakuhachi and koto and intended to utilise traditional gestures by
incorporating them into my own compositional style whilst avoiding pastiche or cultural
appropriation. This approach was also taken inmy treatment of harmonic language and
timbre.
ThereisalonghistoryofperformancepracticewithbothshakuhachiandkotowhichImade
aneffort toengagewith. Iwasabletoemploysometraditional techniques,butthereare
manymorewhichwouldrequirefurtherstudytouse.Somewhichwereutilisedinthepiece
10
include the shakuhachi’s breath tone,mura-iki, and falsenote, sorane, aswell as the the
koto’spitchbending,iro,andvibrato,yuri,techniques.
Intermsofgesture,Isoughttoemployidiomaticwritingfortheshakuhachiandkotowhich
could then be translated onto theWestern instruments of oboe and cello. Indicative of
shakuhachiplayingareslidesorglissandi,whichcanbeachievedbyadjustingembouchure,
fingering, or a combination of the two. This was something I wanted the shakuhachi to
demonstrate,butwasalsoagesturewhichtranslatedwellintothecellowriting.Glissandiare
present in both shakuhachi and cello throughout the piece, which creates a link and
interestingrelationshipbetweenthetwodifferentinstruments.
Figure4.Glissandi(b.45-48)
An archetype of both shakuhachi and koto playing is the use of grace notes. This easily
translatestooboeandcelloandcanbeheardthroughoutthepiece.
Figure5.Idiomaticwriting(b.4-6)
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33
3 3
Kevin Leomo
2015
to Okeanos Ensemble
for shakuhachi, oboe, koto and cello
Cross Currents
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11
CrossCurrentsreferstomovingstreamswhichinteractwithoneanother;thisisreflectedby
theinitialgestures,suchasfigure6,beingtakenupbyotherinstrumentsandpassedaround
the ensemble in a constant dialogue; both within and between the instruments of the
ensemble,andhopefully,betweenthepieceitselfandwithtraditionalJapanesemusic.
Figure6.Palindromicgesture
TheharmonicbasisofthepiecestemsfromtheJapanesepentatonicscale,whichIcombined
withmyownharmoniclanguagetoformasynthesisedscaledforthepiece,whichthekotois
tunedto.Thisdecisiontoincorporatethepentatonicscaleintothepiecewassomethingnew
formeasmypreviousworkshavelargelybeenpost-tonalwithlittleuseoforreferencetoa
tonal harmonic language. Using the pentatonic scale gave me a basis on which to build
melodies and gestures; however, I did not want the piece to sound overtly tonal or
pentatonic, so I endeavoured to imprint my own style on to the piece whilst still
acknowledgingthetraditionalpentatonicscale.
Figure7.Kototuning
TimbreisacentralaspectofCrossCurrents.Iwantedtoexploreeachinstrument’sspecific
timbralandsoundqualitiesandhowtheycouldbeusedandrelatedtooneanother.Ialways
relishinvestigatingdifferentsonicrelationshipsandpossibilitieswithinanensemble.Idoso
by paying close detail to each instrument’s specific sonic profile and how the individual
instrumentscanbecombinedwithanotherwhilstalsoexploringthefullrangeofsoundsthey
can produce. I enjoy blending similar sounds together; one particular example I found
successfulwasattheendofthepiece,wherethekotoplaysaseriesofopenfifthsovera
unisonDsustainedbytheotherinstruments.
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p f mp f p
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Ko.
Vc.
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33
3 3
Kevin Leomo
2015
to Okeanos Ensemble
for shakuhachi, oboe, koto and cello
Cross Currents
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12
Figure8.Timbralblend(b.62-64)
Itookparticularinterestinhavingtheopportunitytoworkwithshakuhachiandkoto,which
Ipairedwiththeoboeandcello,respectively.Apizzicatogestureisemployedbybothcello
andkotowherebothinstrumentsplayasnappizzicato,butthedifferencesintimbrebetween
thetwoinstrumentsarediscernible.
Figure9a.Kotoandcellopizzicato(b.1-2) Figure9b.Kotoandcellopizzicato(b.10)
The shakuhachi has a vast number of timbres it can produce, from lowmellow tones to
breathy sounds. Traditional music for the shakuhachi includes the use ofmura-iki, or a
breathyairtone.TheshakuhachimakesuseofthistechniqueinCrossCurrents,andisechoed
bybothoboeandcellothroughout.Theoboist is instructedtoremovethereedandblow
through the instrument to imitate themura-iki effect,which is thenoverlappedwith the
shakuhachi’sairsoundtocombinethetwo.
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33
3 3
Kevin Leomo
2015
to Okeanos Ensemble
for shakuhachi, oboe, koto and cello
Cross Currents
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Figure10.Mura-ikieffectinoboe(b.38-40)
Inaddition, thebowplacementof thecello isvaried throughout inaway to recreate the
numberoftimbralpossibilitiestheshakuhachihasaccessto.
Asidefromblendingsimilarsoundstogether,Ialsoenjoycontrastingsoundswithoneanother
inunexpectedwaystocreatemusicalinterest.Forexample,theopeningsoundworldofthe
piecehasthesmoothshakuhachigesturealmost immediately interruptedbythekotoand
cellosnappizzicato.Thisjuxtapositionoftwoverydifferentsoundsnotonlysetsthetimbral
tone of the piece, but is also like a sonic representation of the blend of the traditional
Japaneseelementswithmyowncompositionalstyle.
Theworkshopsessionswereextremelyuseful in that Iwasable toworkdirectlywith the
performersandreceivefeedbackandadviceonwritingfortheJapaneseinstruments,which
IwouldtakeintoconsiderationifIweretowritefortheseinstrumentsinthefuture.
Overall,IfeelthatIwassuccessfulinhowIutilisedthefourinstruments.Iexaminedseveral
different relationships between various combinations of the instruments. The gestures I
employedwereeffectiveandIwaspleasedwiththeoutcomeofthetimbraljuxtapositions
andblendingwhichisatthecoreofmycompositionalpractice.Inretrospecthowever,Ihave
justbeguntoexplorethetimbralpossibilitiesaffordedbyboththeshakuhachiandkotoin
CrossCurrents.LearningabouttheshakuhachifromDr.FellsandEnsembleOkeanoswasan
excellentexperience;Iwouldrelishtheopportunitytowritefortheseinstrumentsagainwith
thehopesofdelvingdeeperintoboththenumberofbeautifulsoundstheinstrumentscan
produceandtherichhistoryandtraditionsofJapanesemusic.
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14
TheReefforclarinet,violin,viola,andcello c.10’00
GlasgowNewMusicEnsembleSoundThought2016,Glasgow April2016
This year I was on the committee responsible for organising Sound Thought. My main
motivation for taking partwas to gain a performance of one ofmyworks as part ofmy
master’s.Oneofmyresponsibilitiesonthecommitteewastosecureanewmusicgroupwhich
wouldtakepartinthefestival.GlasgowNewMusicExpedition,anensemblecommittedto
performing new music by Scottish composers, was enthusiastic to partner with Sound
Thought.We launcheda jointcall forscores forcomposerstosubmittheir representative
works, from which we selected four composers to write a new piece for the given
instrumentationofclarinet,violin,viola,andcello.TheReefwasoneofthesepieceswritten
forperformancebyGNMEatSoundThoughtinApril.
ThisworkwasshapedbymytimespentattheCoMAMidwinterComposersCourseinOxford
in January,which focused onwriting for strings. I composed a piece for string orchestra,
SpecksInfinitesimal,whichincludedstringharmonics,extendedtechniques,andvariousideas
forstringsIwishedtoexperimentwith.Havingthispieceworkshoppedandperformedwasa
valuable experience, as I learned a great deal about the notationof harmonics, technical
demands,issuesofbalance,andthetimbralpossibilitiesaffordedbystrings.
TheopeningofTheReeffeaturesharmonicandtimbraltechniquesforthestrings,guidedby
theknowledgeIacquiredfromworkingonSpecksInfinitesimal.Thistypeofwritingwasalso
influencedbyKaijaSaariaho’sworksforstrings,suchasSeptPapillons.Theattentiontothe
methodofsoundproduction,frombowplacementtotheamountofpressureappliedtothe
strings was something which resonated withmy own compositional thinking. I aimed to
create a texturewhere each instrumentwas playing a different type of harmonic trill or
tremolothatwouldlayerupononeanotherandslowlyevolve,withthegoalofexploringthe
soundsofeachindividualinstrument.Ihadexperimentedwithtechniquessuchasthesewith
15
theCoMAstringorchestra,whereIlearnedmoreabouttheeffectivenessandresonanceof
differenttypesofharmonics.Additionally, Iworkedonnotatingtheharmonicsaccurately,
whichwasalsoaidedbymystudyofSaariaho’sworks.DuringrehearsalsofTheReef, the
performershadnodifficulty in interpreting thearrayofnotatedeffects,which includeda
numberofpressuretrillsandalternationsbetweendifferentopenandclosednodes.
Figure11.Timbraleffects(b.12-16)
Anotherexampleofthiswritingoccursatbar26,wherethecelloplaysaseriesofharmonics
bykeeping the fingers stationaryon thenodeswhilstmoving thebowacrosseachstring,
similartobariolage.
Figure12.Celloharmonicgesture(b.26)
Otherimportanttimbralmomentsincludethesecondsection,whichfeaturestheclarinet’s
entry.Theclarinet’supperregisterblendsseamlesslywiththestringharmonics,whichwas
particularly effective in performance. Blending the clarinetwith the strings also occurs in
sectionsB,G,andHwhich includemoresustainedpassageswheretheensemble’soverall
instrumentalcolourisexposed.
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The Reef
to GNME, Sound Thought 2016
Kevin Leomo
2016
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16
Figure13.Clarinetentry(b.17-18)
TheReef’sformalstructureisepisodicinnature.Eachsectionhasitsowncharacter,defined
bydistinctivegestures,harmonies,instrumentation,andrhythmiccharacteristics,aswellas
byadescriptiveexpressionmarking,whichrepresentsavisualimagefromthetitular‘reef’.
Thisorganicevolutionsupportsthetitle,whichreferstothenaturalphenomenonofacoral
reef.Isoughttoexplorevariousthingswhichoccurorwouldbepresentinareef.Thispiece
wasstrongly influencedbyavisualelement,which isunlikethemajorityofmyworksand
marks a departure from my usual working method, normally concerned with sonic
affordancesratherthanthemusicaldepictionofavisualimage.
Thepieceopensquietlywith sectionsAandB, followedby climaxesandquieter sections
throughout,creatinginterestinthevarietyoftension.SectionCfeaturesrepeatedupward
climbinggestureswhichreachaclimax(b.27-32),repeat(b.33-35),thenbeginagain(b.36-
40).SectionEopenswithquickinterplaybetweenviolaandcellobeforeallinstrumentsjoin
to play a series of descending, tumbling gestures; in effect, the opposite of the climbing
gesturesofsectionC.Eachsectionischaracterisedbyitsownseriesofgesturesorbyhow
the instruments interactwithoneanother.Althoughthework is largelyepisodic, thefinal
sectionseesareturnoftheopeningmaterialofsustainedchordsandtimbralstringwriting,
thistimecombined.Thisactsasawaytoindicatethepiecehascomefullcirclestructurally.
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17
Aswithallmycompositions,instrumentationisoneofthemostvitalaspectsofTheReef.It
providedmewitha compositional startingpoint. I sought toexamine the similarities and
differencesbetweentheclarinetandstrings,andhowdifferenthierarchiesorrelationships
betweentheinstrumentscouldbeexploredthroughout.Certaininstrumentstakeonmore
soloisticrolesattimeswhilstatotherpointstheinstrumentshavemoreequalroles.Ialso
wantedtofeaturedifferentinstrumentationthroughout,fromsolostofullensemble.There
aretwosectionswhichfeatureoneinstrumentasasoloist:sectionDfeaturessolocellowhilst
section F features solo clarinetwith the strings accompanyingwith continuous harmonic
glissandi.
Figure14.Clarinetsoloovercontinuousstringharmonicglissandi(b.92-95)
TheideaofsoloandaccompanimentisrevisitedinsectionGwhereeachinstrumenttakesa
turnplayingadescendingmelodiclineoversustainednotes,referencingthemuchquicker
andmore chaotic lines of section E. Exploring the different relationships and hierarchies
betweenthe instrumentswasacrucialaspectofthispiece. Inessence,thiswasmeantto
representmusicallythedifferenthierarchiesorfoodchainofanimalsandorganismswithina
coralreef.Thisisalludedtoineachsection’sdescriptivemarkings.Therefore,TheReefwas
influencedextramusically,butinaverysubtleandimplicitway.
Inreflection,Iperhapscouldhavemademoreuseoftheclarinetanditstimbralpossibilities.
Thestringsemployavarietyofplayingmethodsandtechniques inordertocreateawide
arrayofsounds;however, I feeltheclarinetcouldhavebeenfurtherexploited inorderto
matchthestrings.
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18
SilentKeyforvibraphone,marimba,andpianofour-hands c.8’35
PiusCheung,ErikoDaimo,ChristinaGiucaKrauseandBenKrauseOregonBachFestivalComposersSymposium,Oregon July2016
SilentKeywaswrittenformyattendanceattheOregonBachFestivalComposersSymposium.
Composers were asked to submit their choice of five instrumentations from the list of
available performers; I was allocated two percussionists and piano four-hands. This
instrumentationappealed tomeas Iwaseager toexplore the timbralpossibilitiesof this
combination of instruments. I had previously begun sketches for a piece for two pianos.
Composingforpianofour-handswassimilarandprovidedtheadditionalchallengeofavoiding
partcrossing,an imposed limitation.Duringmyundergraduatedegree Iwroteapiece for
piano,marimbaandvibraphoneinapost-minimaliststyle.Iwasinitiallytemptedtotakea
similar approachas keyboard instruments arewell suited tominimalism,but Iwanted to
adhere to my personal compositional style that I have been developing throughout this
portfolio.
Previously,Ishiedawayfromhavingprogrammenotesorincludingmuchinformationabout
thepiece for theaudience;however, thisviewchangedfollowingtheperformanceofThe
Reef.Idesiredfortheaudiencetobemoreengagedwiththepiece,aswellastoconveysome
sortofmessageortheme.Iaimedtosodobywritingabriefprogrammenotewhichwould
be read before the performance, to better explain the title. I decided to provide some
guidancetothelistenerinregardstowhatthepiecewasabout,ratherthanprovidingthem
with solely an abstract title. Additionally, I considered that this would be a way to
contextualisethepiecewhichwouldbebeneficialforthoseunfamiliarwithlisteningtonew
music.Ididnotwanttoforceanythinguponthelistenersthroughtheprogrammenote,but
insteadprovidemyownpersonal justification forwriting thepiece, andwhat I felt Iwas
communicating.TheindividuallistenercanmakeuptheirownmindbutIthoughtthatitwas
importanttoincludethecomposer’sperspective.
19
Oneofthekeyaspectsofthepieceistheinstrumentationandhowtheinstrumentsinteract
withoneanother,especiallyhowtheindividualcoloursblendtogether.Isoughttocreatea
seamless,organicflowbetweengesturesIutilised.Forexample, intheopeningofthethe
piece,thepianoplaysalowD#followedbythevibraphone’sentranceseveraloctavesabove
withaD#rollwhichslowlyemergesfromaveryquietdynamic.Themarimbathenjoinsthe
vibraphoneonthesamepitch,furtherevolvingtheD#timbre.Thepianothenreiteratesthe
D#beforebeginningatumblinggestureandisjoinedbyvibraphoneandmarimbainunison
octaves tocreate the fused timbreonceagain.This singlemelodic linepassesaroundthe
ensemblebutcontinuallymorphsastheinstrumentsjoininandfadeout.
Figure15.Cascadinggesture(b.5-6)
Timbre and merging of sound are at the forefront of the piece, as the vibraphone and
marimbaareoftentreatedlikeextensionsofthepiano.Thisisachievedbythevibraphone
andmarimbadoublingoneof thepianoparts tocreatea fusedsound.Thevibraphone is
pairedwithpianoone,asitshigherrangeblendswellwiththetimbreofthehigherregister
of the piano and the use of the pedal by both instruments adds further colour to the
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for vibraphone, marimba and piano four-hands
for the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium
Silent Key
Kevin Leomo
2016
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soundworldofthepiece.Conversely,themarimbadoublespianotwo,asitsrichbasstones
complementthepiano’slowerregister.
At bar 23 the vibraphone and marimba are bowed, creating an ethereal, atmospheric
soundworldwhichIfindparticularlyeffective.Thebowedtimbreoftheinstrumentscontrasts
with thenormalmethodofplayingwithmallets.Here, Iexplore the lower registerof the
marimba,whichproducesaveryrich,deep,andresonantsoundwithmanyovertones.Thisis
juxtaposedbythevibraphone,playinginamuchhigherregister,whichsoundsmoreclean,
shining,andglass-like.
Inregardstotimbre,resonanceisanextremelyimportantaspectofthepiece.Thepianoand
vibraphone pedals are frequently employed to capture and suspend the resonances and
sonoritiesplayed throughout. Thenotionof spaceplays an important role inSilentKey; I
wantedtheaudiencetobeabletoappreciatetheheldsonoritiesafteragestureoractivity
hasoccurredbefore themusicmoveson to thenext phrase. This natural spacebetween
gesturesalsohelpsprovideformtothepiece,whichisanaspectofmycompositionsIhad
beenworkingtoimprove.
Figure16.Repeatedbar(b.58-59)
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I also intended to explore the large dynamic range of the instruments. There are quiet
sections, aswell as sectionsof intensityand loudness.Atbar58, theensemble repeatsa
chaoticcascadinggesturethreetimeswhichisfollowedbyacompletecontrastofextremely
quietmarimbaandpianorollsintheirlowestregisters.ContrastexiststhroughoutSilentKey,
ranging from differences in dynamic to the juxtaposition of texturally dense and sparse
passages.
Figure17.Pianissimotremolandi(b.60-61)
Inrespecttotexture,Iaimedtopresentanumberofvariedandinterestingideasthroughout.
Therelationshipbetweentheinstrumentsisveryimportant,asmentionedpreviously.They
arearrangedandjuxtaposedinvariouscombinations,asdemonstratedbyfigures16,18,19,
and20.Eachhas itsowncharacter,determinedby texturaldensity,dynamic, and rateof
movement.Figure16demonstratesadenseheterophonicphrase,whereeach instrument
plays a variation of a contoured cascading gesture. The unrelenting effect is reinforced
throughthebarbeingrepeatedthreetimes,beforetailingoff.
Usuallythefourpartsplayasimilargesture,butoccasionallytwoideasarepresentedatonce,
inopposition.Forexample,atbar46,thevibraphoneandpianoonemelodyiscontrastedby
themarimbaandpianotwoplayingrhythmicalfigures,similartopreviousgestures.Thelarge
texturaldifferenceinbothpitchrangeandrateofmovementbetweenthesetwodifferent
ideas highlights the contrast to greater effect. Combining previousmaterial together in a
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