Richard Barrett's ‘imaginary trombone’

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Richard Barrett's ‘imaginary trombone’Barrie WebbPublished online: 29 Jun 2007.

To cite this article: Barrie Webb (2007) Richard Barrett's ‘imaginary trombone’, ContemporaryMusic Review, 26:2, 151-177, DOI: 10.1080/07494460701250882

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Richard Barrett’s ‘ImaginaryTrombone’Barrie Webb

Barrie Webb considers Richard Barrett’s works for trombone from the performer’s

perspective. He discusses in detail the preparation for performance of both pieces, in theprocess identifying problems and proposing solutions. As part of this process, he alsodiscusses Barrett’s approach to structure and expression and demonstrates the unity

present between technical means and expressive intent.

Keywords: Richard Barrett; Complexity; Trombone; Percussion; Performance

Introduction

One might be forgiven for thinking that the ‘complex’ composer gives the performerlittle freedom to interpret, since the information communicated in his or her score is

so detailed. And yet Barrett’s works abound in expressive imagery, making it veryclear to the performer that his music is neither primarily a vehicle for virtuoso display

nor the musical equivalent of a circus act. Barrett’s imagery is so strong, andexpressed with such precision and articulacy, that the meaning of his music need

never elude the performer. His directions in the scores are a positive invitation toinfuse the music with meaning and purpose.

Richard Barrett’s two works for trombone were composed between 1987 and 1992.EARTH (1987 – 88) for trombone and percussion is the fifth in the series ofcompositions entitled Fictions. basalt exists in two versions—basalt (1990 – 91) is for

solo trombone, and with the addition of percussion and strings becomes basalt-E(1990 – 92), the fourth of the five sections of negatives.

Preparing EARTH

Almost all those who answered a recent questionnaire about complex music1 said

that they spent significant practice time away from the instrument, especially in theearly stages. Though my most enduring memory of preparing EARTH is of hours at a

Contemporary Music ReviewVol. 26, No. 2, April 2007, pp. 151 – 177

ISSN 0749-4467 (print)/ISSN 1477-2256 (online) ª 2007 Taylor & FrancisDOI: 10.1080/07494460701250882

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time spent trying to perfect a single bar or system, in a score of this kind it is well nigh

impossible—and certainly inadvisable—to open the music and start playingimmediately. First, it is extremely helpful to have overall understanding of the shape

of the piece. Then later, when we begin to look at smaller details, we do so with asense of context. Barrett’s schemes are clearly communicated to the performer via the

notation in the score. Charting the structure of each piece gives a sense of perspectivewhich can simplify the learning process.

Barrett’s works frequently feature a central idea, from which everything else

emanates. In both trombone pieces, this is fundamental to the understanding of notonly the structure, but also the expressive scheme. In EARTH, the structure is defined

by a number of metric modulations, themselves matched to a change or newdevelopment in the musical material and its quality of expression. Ultimately it is the

expression which we are trying to communicate, and here there is a very clearcorrelation between expression and form. In Figure 1, I have charted the tempo

changes and the expressive directions which accompany them.The central section explodes at bar 120, with the discarding of the harmon mute, as

an outcome of what has been coming to the boil immediately before. (This section,

lasting until bar 197, has the fastest tempo, and it is the only one in which the twoperformers play almost entirely together.) Every other section in EARTH marks a clear

break with preceding material. Up to and including the central section the music is forthe most part very purposeful; but afterwards, from bar 198, there is a sudden break,

followed by ‘confused reminiscences’ of the preceding passage in which the trombonesound is ‘confused’ by the liberal use of multiphonics and fluttertongue. And in the

final section from bar 243 the trombonist becomes dislocated from the percussionist,losing all sense of coherent expression, whilst the persistent ritualistic bokusho2

rhythms, periodically interrupted by dobachi3, gradually tame and eventuallyoverpower (unbearably) the trombonist’s decaying utterances.

Figure 1 Richard Barrett, EARTH—overall scheme.

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The Notation of Time

Having mapped out the structure, there are still some details upon which to focus

before picking up our instruments. The rhythmic aspect of EARTH presents a specialdifficulty, and also looks the more complicated because note values are already small

before we start to break them down. Actually, once I was used to that, I felt a specialtension coming from such rhythmic detail—it was never meant to be easy!

Most performers are accustomed to mapping out beats, or their subdivisions.

Rather than do it casually (as we might do in any music in order to read it morequickly or reliably), here it is so fundamental that we have to lay it down very clearly

and precisely. Just what we lay down will depend on the context. But our techniquedepends on coordination, which happens in precise time. With music of such

technical difficulty we would be better off knowing precisely when we have to dothings before we actually execute them; then they have more chance of sounding the

way the composer intended.As with the performance of any music, our expectations about rhythmic accuracy

are high. The particular rhythmic problems encountered by the performer in EARTH

are well illustrated by a detailed examination of the first page of the score, shown asFigure 2. All can be rehearsed to advantage away from the instrument. It’s important

that the performer judge their context—for example, whether rhythmic precision isrequired, or whether the function is in fact precisely the opposite, in other words to

negate the rhythmic pulse.4,5

In bars 3 – 5, the trombone rhythm is intentionally blurred (by the continuous

slide glissando) against forceful percussion blows. In bar 3, the 5:6 group is playedproportionally in relation to the precise rhythm of the percussion. In bars 4 and 5, the

five 4:3 groups can be measured while counting a semiquaver pulse; this is importantbecause then the percussion 9:8 in bar 5 will be fitted in proportionally.6 In bar 6, thetrombone has the precise rhythms, relatively straightforward to measure whilst

maintaining a semiquaver subdivision. The trombone’s 13:11 ‘irrational’ rhythm inbars 12 – 13 can be realised in proportion against the precise percussion. In bar 14,

the 7:5 can be rehearsed separately to learn the internal relationships within thegroup, and then put back in context whilst measuring against regular semiquavers

throughout the bar.Other concrete examples will be discussed later, as appropriate, in relation to the

preparation of the remaining sections.

Practice Strategies

Analysis has revealed the central section (bars 120 – 198) as focal point of the piece

(see Figure 3). This can be a good place at which to start practising with theinstrument. It’s not the most difficult section; it enables us to enter the piece quickly

and with music which is more familiar in style than the rest; and we can begin ata steady metronome speed at which we can quickly manage all the details.

Contemporary Music Review 153

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Psychologically this is good, because we will gain confidence from having a

substantial number of bars under our belt relatively quickly. Particular difficultiesinclude the 6:5 grouping for the trombone at bar 141, which can be prepared by

subdivision at a slow metronome speed; up to speed this works against the straightpercussion semiquavers provided the defining second note is in place. And this

passage also requires careful use of the F-valve in order to realise the quarter tones.(On the next page, we actually revised the B quarter-tone flat at bar 179 to B natural,although it could be lipped towards the written pitch.)

Each of the other sections requires a good deal of technical practice with theinstrument, and it is therefore advisable to start work on them all at an early stage.

This has a number of benefits—we will get a feel for the shape of the piece soonerrather than later; and gain relief mentally and physically from the demands of

focusing on just one passage at a time.In the first section (bars 1 – 35, e¼ 64), and as already suggested by reference to

the first page, the rhythmic difficulties can be studied effectively away from theinstrument prior to physical practice. For the long notes, either circular breathingshould be employed or otherwise breathing ‘ad libitum’. All the longer notes are in

almost constant glissando ‘with the slide’, sometimes interrupted by energetic burstsof activity, under the influence of the ritualistic, stabbing rhythms which characterise

the percussion line.Pauses (whether general pauses or long notes) play an important role in EARTH.

At the opening, the long percussion crescendo creates a special intensity before bothplayers move into the ‘harsh and primitive’ opening section. The second section (bars

36 – 76, e¼ 80) begins with a long quiet held pedal B flat for trombone accompaniedby chimes. A straight mute is inserted during this held note, before both instruments

unleash the ‘stabbing and irascible’ material which characterises the next section,delivered in extended bursts of energy, ever shortening, articulated by pauses or‘suspensions’ at bars 50, 59, 65, 70, 74 and 76. The most important aspect of the

music here is its forcefully articulated rhythm, which, once again, can benefit fromcareful preparation away from the instrument first, followed by slow and careful

practice with the instrument(s). I think it’s absolutely necessary to maintain asemiquaver subdivision internally for the whole of this section, not just for practice

but also in performance. This will simplify significantly the preparation andexecution of several groupings (for example, the 6:5 group in bar 43 which otherwise

occurs at an inconvenient place in the bar, or the long 3:2 e group in bar 71, which ismuch more easily read as four demisemiquaver triplet groups). And it is essential topreserve the driving pulse through the most awkward rhythms of the passage, from

bar 51 to bar 58, shown as Figure 4.I would recommend that all of the more advanced groupings of 9:8 (bar 51),

11:8 (bar 55) and 13:10 (across bars 55 and 56) be realised proportionally, whilstfeeling the precise underlying pulse internally—as well as externally with no little

force from the percussion! In my experience this is the only way to play here as aduo, especially during bars 54 to 56, where, throughout a continuous passage

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lasting twelve semiquavers, at least one player always has an irrational rhythmic

grouping—11:8 (trombone) followed by 9:10 (percussion) overlapped by 13:10(trombone). It is in passages like this that one is thankful for the beauty and

clarity of the composer’s score, in which duration is notated proportionally withinany one section, so that when the performer needs this approach it is readily

available! Such care and attention by the composer is always welcomed byperformers and may well have a direct bearing upon whether a work of thisdifficulty is playable at all!

The driving impulse having evaporated, the ‘insecurity’ of the next section (bars77 – 119, e¼ 120) is represented by a contrasting rhythmic style with many

irrationals and only occasional, often subdued (‘fitful’) bursts of energy, all within agenerally much quieter dynamic spectrum. To the same end there is a focus on

timbral variations for the trombone—achieved through the occasional use ofmultiphonics, unstable by their very nature; singing, predominantly in a rather low,

muddy range; and by means of the hand opening and closing over the harmon mute.Additionally, chimes for the percussion serve to blur somewhat the clarity of the drierpercussion instruments, which escape decisively only at the end of this section (from

bars 115 – 119). Bars 79 – 95 from this section are shown as Figure 5.Once again we need to focus on rhythmic problems. In bar 82, the trombone’s 9:7

is easy enough to execute proportionally, against the regular percussion quavers. Inthe first ‘fitful’ passage, which starts in the next bar and lasts to the end of bar 88, the

rhythm needs to be strictly controlled throughout. Here the trombonist provides thestability for the percussionist’s 13:12 and must count semiquavers throughout—they

are rarely far from one’s thinking anyway!—then the 9/16 bar (86) is measured as acontinuation of the 4:3 group at the end of bar 85, making at total of five 4:3 groups

plus one more quaver before both instruments come together in the 3/8 (88) for amore powerful moment before insecurity is restored. In bars 89 and 90, we took theunusual step of playing the two bars as one bar of 8/8; this seemed a fairer reflection

of the musical intention, the trombone line especially seeming to negate a sense ofpulse. And in bar 92, I prefer to ‘escape’ from the prevailing tempo—the classical

soloist always took such opportunities!—and count a proportionally faster tempo insix just for that bar. I feel it gives much greater impetus to that ‘fitful’ moment, and

the percussion easily fits in ‘colla parte’.Insertion and removal of the harmon mute for this section is not easy. First, it

must be inserted securely; it cannot be hand held throughout because the left hand isalso occasionally needed to operate the F-valve. Towards the end, therefore, the mutemust be gradually loosened—I move my left hand into position at bar 110 during

the tongue-stops, and then start to loosen the mute during the wobbly glissando ofbar 115.

The penultimate ‘cadaverous, unearthly’ section (bars 199 – 242, e¼ 96) resemblesa ‘hollow’ version of the preceding central section. The two instruments attempt to

work together; purposeful bursts of energy appear, only to dissolve into aimless,meandering multiphonics and glissandi, until two blows from the vibraslap, followed

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immediately by the first appearance of the dobachi, trigger a last manic utterance

from the trombone as hitherto known to mankind (bar 239). Whilst the vibraslapcelebrates its dominance, the trombonist inserts a cup mute and then plays a tentative

harmonic glissando from position 4 to position 5, before embarking on the finalsection (bars 243 to the end), marked ‘wildly incoherent, hopelessly enclosed’.

Figure 6 shows the start of this section.Barrett provides a footnote in the score to describe the ‘new’ notation for

trombone at this point, reproduced in part here for convenience.

From bar 243 to the end, a tablature notation is used for passages where the slide-movement (between positions I and VII) and harmonic ‘glissandi’ (between the 5th

and 12th harmonics, taking the pedal as zero) operate independently of oneanother, producing complex rapid pitch changes. A ‘normal’ stave is interposedwhere slide- and lip-actions coincide.

For practice purposes at least, I feel it is necessary to break down the long bar (243)into smaller, more manageable units. Thus the 19/8 bar becomes 7.5/8, 5/16, 7/16, 5/16, 3/8. I prioritise the harmonic (lower) line because it gives a basis from which the

other details might be realised. For technical/physical playing reasons, the trombonisthas to know what the prevailing pitches are whenever the harmonic line changes

direction. Quite often, these changes coincide with changes in slide position (asindicated by vertical lines in the tablature), so for the most part these pitches are easily

determined. I first practised this skeleton version separately, only later taking on boardthe additional complication of the slide movement proposed by the upper line of the

tablature. In the early stages I actually tried to reduce all the tablature informationonto a single stave,7 although I later dispensed with that and read from the tablature

itself.8 The end result is (or should be) a satisfying correlation (not only here butthroughout the entire work) between instrumental means and expressive intent!

Special Difficulties in EARTH

A practical solution is needed for the plunger mute sections in EARTH. Whilstcompositionally it is clearly desirable to keep the mute—the central section would

then be the only one with no muting employed—our agreed solution at the time ofthe first performances was to dispense with it altogether. The plunger mute cannot

always be held with the left hand at the bell of the instrument (the normal procedure)because of F-valve implications in some sections where it is prescribed. Ivo Nilssonmanages these sections by moving swiftly from bell to F-valve at the appropriate

moments.9 This inevitably requires a slight cutting of values at the ends of bars 5 and13, but on the other hand has the distinct advantage of enhancing the intended

‘straining’ quality of the high passages. Using the plunger mute in these sections alsorenders some of the quarter-tone detail difficult—at bar 14 and especially bars 216 –

218, where ‘lipping’ pitches down takes away the intended force of the quarter-toneglissandi.

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I don’t think we have any option other than to play, as the composer advises, from

the full score. (I never considered reducing the A3 score, although that might be amore reasonable proposition for the percussionist.) I find it necessary to play several

pages continuously before removing a few at a time—and even then the pages to beremoved must be attached to each other for swift disposal. My preferred solution is

indicated in Figure 7, below, which shows how the pages are placed upon one anotherprior to the start of a performance.

Influences, Precursors

Despite the strong individuality of EARTH, it might be worth mentioning other worksfrom the same period which explored similar effects for the trombone. Xenakis’s Keren

(1986), for example, features extensive use of multiphonics10 and passages of glissandi,whilst Klaus K. Hubler’s experimental notation in Cercar (1983) is laid out on three

separate staves—one for slide movement, one for harmonics and a third for pitch cues(later used for the voice)—making an interesting comparison with Barrett’s tablature.

A much earlier example in which the trombonist’s slide movement becomesseparated from note production occurs in the third line of Berio’s Sequenza V (1966).

Berio instructs that the slide pattern set up whilst executing a 10-note loop bemaintained whilst trying to articulate small groups of notes at random as the patterndisintegrates. These two elements (slide pattern and articulations) are separated in

Berio’s notation.11

The Musical Language of basalt

The fundamental language of basalt developed out of the experimental trombonewriting at the end of EARTH, where aspects of playing technique were separated and

Figure 7 Richard Barrett, EARTH—page layout and removal. (The symbol$ indicatesattached pages, ��j�� indicates music stand).

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given rhythmic independence. In his programme note (corrected) for the UK

premiere of basalt-E in 1995, Richard Barrett wrote:

In basalt the constituent actions of sound production (breathing, embouchure,slide movement, vocalisation, use of the transposing valve and so on) are splitaway from one another, reassembled into new configurations which themselvesdisintegrate, as if straining towards an elusive articulacy. The music for the‘unaccompanying’ ensemble12 consists of a sequence of formal/textual modelswhose own inexorable disintegration takes two alternative forms, either beingdrawn into the ‘wake’ of the trombone by a forced approximation of its twistingand convulsive course, or obstructed by a gradual build up of decaying ‘memories’of previous materials. In common with the rest of negatives, physical/geologicalimages played a poetic role in the conception of the music, such as, in this case, theerosion of hard surfaces or strata into granularity.

Such a composition, once more, can arise from an intense relationship with thesolo instrument in question. My ‘imaginary trombone’, as manifested in basalt, isindebted for its conception especially to Brett Kelly and Barrie Webb, both ofwhom have given inspiring performances of EARTH (1987 – 1988) for tromboneand percussion, but also, by the example of their own music, Ray Anderson, GeorgeLewis, Paul Rutherford.

So, the dismantling of the player’s technique which took place at the end of

EARTH is superseded by its reconstruction in basalt, the trombone tablaturecondensed into a single line, with slide movement indicated above the notes, and

harmonics (here using 1 as the fundamental) placed below them in brackets. There isan effortless fluency about the writing in the way that it flows from one style of

glissando to another. In basalt the language is pure Barrett, with any acknowl-edgement (intentional or otherwise) of previous models other than his own

conspicuously absent. Barrett’s imaginary trombone has discovered its voice.An additional stave is added above the trombone for a vocal line, whose sounds are

derived from a poem by Paul Celan. More of this later!

Preparing basalt

We saw in EARTH how understanding the overall shape of the work gave us a sense of

perspective at an early stage in our preparation, prior to practice with the instrument. Thescheme of EARTH is clear in both structure and content. In basalt the approach is a

little more complicated, but there are many similarities. Here the principal sections of thestructure are defined not by the numerous metric modulations, but by the returns tothe basic tempo of e¼ 52. Returns to the original tempo become more frequent as the

piece progresses; they only take on structural significance when accompanied by changes inmeaning or expressive intent as indicated in Figure 8.

As in EARTH, the most crucial divisions in the work are represented by theexpressive directions on the right of the chart, which define the character of

the principal sections. The underlying structure defined by the metric modulationshelps the performer to be aware of the smaller units and thereby construct the


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larger sections more effectively. The metrical structure in basalt is more unidirectional.

But although EARTH is constructed upon a metric arch, the expressive journey which itproposes is as unidirectional as that in basalt. In fact, both works end in a failure to find

Figure 8 Richard Barrett, basalt/basalt-E—overall scheme.

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that ‘elusive articulacy’ to which the composer refers in his programme note to basalt. In

summarising the interpretation of basalt, Barrett (1992a) writes in the score:

The whole composition should be approached and projected as a kind of narrativeattempting (unsuccessfully) to find coherent expression—however distorted andfractured the sound (and no concessions should be made to ‘classical’ norms), thisstraining towards articulacy should retain a certain dignified stiltedness, like aghost’s narrative in a typical No drama.

The above analysis immediately gives us an understanding of the work and breaks itdown into logical, manageable units. We now have a basis for moving on.

Practising basalt

As in EARTH, we have to consider the rhythmic aspect away from the instrument

before we can begin playing. Here I think it is even more important to map out themain beats than was the case with EARTH. I found it very helpful to do this with thinvertical red lines in pen, usually at the top of the system. I did it throughout most of

the piece, except where the rhythm was quite straightforward.The first page (of which bars 1 – 12 are reproduced as Figure 9) poses a variety of

rhythmic problems which are discussed in some detail here as exemplars for tacklingcomparable situations later on.

In bars 1 – 5, all the essentials are calculable by careful subdivision. In bar 2,subdivision into 64th notes fixes the rhythm. In bar 4, a good solution is to practise

the bar slowly, dividing in semiquavers, and then introduce a further subdivision into32nd notes for the 4:3 groups; once that stage is secure we can feel comfortable just

subdividing the last three counts into semiquavers. Then in bar 5, if we continue tosubdivide, counting semiquavers, the start of the nested 7:6 is easy to locate, and thegroup itself disciplined by the third semiquaver of the bar; counting for the 5:4 group

begins on the fourth semiquaver. Bar 11 is more difficult. Actually the bracket overthe top should read 7:6 and not 8:7, which in fact makes life easier, relatively

speaking, because we are already in this ‘groove’ from the previous bar. The solutionis first to practise the larger 7:6 group of bar 11 in isolation to establish the relative

values, the nested 7:6 presenting no problem; then fit the group proportionally intothe time of three regular quavers.

The sub-sections from bars 13 – 15 and bars 16 – 19 each contain an awkward 11/16measure. I think the solution lies in how we count these bars—basalt has no guidanceon this, but the score of basalt-E has suggested groupings for irregular bars written at

the top, above the solo line, to aid the conductor, as shown in Figures 10a and b.At bar 14, the suggested 3 group at the beginning of the bar seems to be designed

for the benefit of the viola. But for the rest of the ensemble, and especially for thesoloist, the bar would be much easier viewed as 22223, and then the difficult 5:6

group could be distributed proportionally across three quaver beats. This practicalsolution may be especially welcome since the rhythm in this bar is complicated by


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numerous grace notes. In bar 17 too, the proposed counting is difficult for the soloist,

making the 6:5 grouping more awkward than necessary. If the first semiquaver weretaken separately, and the rest of the bar counted out in quavers, this would make the

6:5 group significantly easier to accommodate without creating any additionalproblem for the other players. I therefore prefer to group this bar 122222.

Nothing has been said so far about the technical difficulty in basalt. The difficulty ofthe glissandi, the wide range, liberal use of the F-valve, and quarter tones make this pieceexceptionally advanced. It can only really be tackled through very careful slow practice,

however slow that practice is, with relative values correctly represented at all stages of thelearning process. That means that the difficult rhythmic problems have to be solved first;

complex as the rhythm is, the procedure is in principle no different from preparing FolkeRabe’s Basta (1982), which also features the technique of glissando across harmonics and

is best mastered through careful and precise slow practice.In basalt, whilst I would probably begin practice with the instrument from the

beginning of the work, a more stimulating approach (already proposed whendiscussing EARTH) would be to get into each section as soon as possible. When wetire from rehearsing the opening, it is very easy to move on to the start of the second

section, from bar 29, where one finds not only comparative respite from the rhythmiccomplexity, but also some welcome rest for the embouchure! Project this approach

through the whole piece and we may also see that practising from each of the keypoints in basalt makes a lot of sense in trying to grasp the progressive metric

modulations that shape each section.Returning to our detailed look at the first section, the remainder (up to bar

28) presents fewer rhythmic problems (though no mean technical challenge!) as thetempo quickens. The same is also true of the work’s second section (bars 29 – 54) which,

in complete contrast, abandons the glissandi and the voice (both returningspasmodically from bar 40), its ‘broken machinery’ represented by low staccato notes,eccentric dynamics and dysfunctional groups at slower or faster note speeds. Figure 11

shows the start of this section.From bar 55, ‘suddenly disorientated’, phrases are momentarily fragmented before

a long building process begins. In this passage, I propose a proportional solution tothe rhythm in bars 61 and 62 with their nested groups. The glissandi take over again,

and by the end of this section the voice is almost permanently present, in ever closerproximity to the instrument, until they become united at the most critical moment in

the piece. The performer should aim to have the voice on an almost equal footingwith the instrument when this point is reached (bar 77). In basalt-E this momentis further reinforced by a temporary coming together of the ensemble, shown in

Figure 12.13

The rigidly rhythmical nature of this coming together gives a ritualistic feel to this

moment, marked ‘stiffly rhetorical’. The trombone and voice together retain theirassertive character throughout this section (bars 77 – 95), but in the next (bars 96 –

109) the voice strives to escape its role as a modulator of the trombone sound andtentatively tries to construct a phrase of its own, shown in Figure 13.


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At bar 110, the trombone leaves the voice behind and immediately enters another

world, ascending to heights which lie predominantly above the voice range. This sectionfeatures almost exclusively glissandi across harmonics. These must be carefully prepared

as discussed earlier, with the rhythmic basis in place from the outset. The solution forthe 13/16 bar (118), in which the whole bar is to be played in the proportion 17:13, is to

practise it first in isolation before fitting it in proportionally.The harmonic glissandi begin to dissolve into trills from bar 120 (see Figure 14,

which shows bars 119 to the end), whereupon the voice, striving for the last time

towards its ‘elusive articulacy’, ‘cracks’ (as far as possible into the mouthpiece) threefragments from Celan’s poem Lichtzwang (from which all the vocal sounds in basalt

are derived):

das staubbekronte (crowned with dust)—aufge(rissene) (lacerated)—sandgesaumt (edged in sand)14

A short breath mark (actually notated in brackets, but which I have always taken)articulates the start of the final section—in basalt-E this is at first accompanied by thewhole ensemble, here a shadow of its former self by comparison with the assertive

beginning of the work. Having discarded the voice, the trombone has finally found itsown expression in a passage of untroubled, ‘other worldly’ beauty. The continuous pp

trills are divorced from any regular rhythm, and a proportional interpretationmatches the free-floating, sometimes soaring quality of the music.

As if to emphasise a connection between Barrett’s two trombone works, the finalgesture of basalt is rather like a sudden intrusion from EARTH, a favourite five-

semiquaver figure which interrupts the ‘other worldly’ beauty of the high trills andbrings the listener back to earth, or to Barrett’s ‘uneasy’ reality as inner tensions

resurface. (In this section of basalt-E, the ensemble provides an increasingly subversiveundercurrent, anticipating the final trombone outburst.)

Interpreting the Voice in basalt

Alongside, or rather from within the sound of the trombone, there is another voice (thehuman voice) trying to escape and find its own ‘elusive articulacy’, which is never truly

achieved. As we have seen, it comes closest where syllables or words are either whisperedor ‘cracked’ through the instrument.

Personally I had to somewhat rationalise the voice part in basalt; when thetrombone plays loud and high, for example, it is difficult to make a meaningfuldifference with the voice. But even though at first the voice is mostly imprisoned

within the trombone sound, and can rise only occasionally to levels which make adifference, the notation affects us psychologically. My strategy in the early part of the

work was to get out what I could, and mark in the score where I was convinced Icould make a difference. During the third section (bars 55 – 76), the voice emerges to

become a powerful constituent of the trombone sound, and forms an integral part ofbasalt’s central idea from bar 77. By this time the range is more focused, and


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everything is possible. From bar 109 the voice finally becomes separated, taking steps

towards an independent expression, which, as we have seen, is never coherentlyrealised.

Conclusion

Richard Barrett’s works for trombone constitute a significant contribution to thetrombone repertoire and an important advancement in the evolution of trombone

writing. To bring his ‘imaginary trombone’ to reality is a real challenge for anyperformer on many levels; but the challenge must be seen in the context of the

expressive intention which it serves. Barrett’s expression is very direct and wideranging, from the beauty of the ‘keening’ trills in the final section of basalt or

the ‘wildly incoherent, hopelessly enclosed’ language at the end of EARTH to thepowerfully direct central sections of both works, where instruments and/or events

come together, creating a sense of ritual. The struggles, technical and symbolic,through which performer and music pass on the way to these focal points serve tothrow any such coming together into bold relief. The impact is positively

spellbinding! What is always striking in EARTH and basalt is a wonderful cohesionbetween technical means and expressive intent. That is why we play this music.

Notes

[1] Questionnaire circulated July 2006, and completed by 15 performers active in theperformance of complex music. For further details of findings, see Redgate (2007).

[2] Circular Japanese woodblock with wooden-headed beater.[3] Bowl-shaped Japanese bell with leather-bound beater.[4] Barrett himself writes about this feature in connection with Michael Finnissy’s music under

the sub-heading ‘The ‘‘Problem’’ of Notation’ in Barrett (1995) pp. 39 – 42.[5] Steven Schick gives numerous examples of how to solve rhythmic problems in ‘Preparing

Bone Alphabet’ in Schick (2006), pp. 90 – 115.[6] The trombonist must, however, take care to maintain the continuous glissando.[7] Compare the composer’s solution to this problem in basalt.[8] I don’t use the suggested circular breathing for this passage, although I do for the opening of the

work. The F-valve tuning slide, removed at the end of bar 243, must be replaced at bar 265, inreadiness for bar 267. In bars 268 and 269, the low B a quarter-tone flat can be approached bylipping up first position, easier on an instrument which has springs at the top of the slide.

[9] Discussed by email and telephone, December 2006.[10] A complex instrumental sound created by causing the lips to vibrate independently on

adjacent harmonics (as opposed to singing and playing simultaneously).[11] See Figure 1 and its explanation in Webb (2007), section VI, ‘Interpreting Section A’.[12] Percussion, violin, viola, cello and double bass.[13] A similar procedure articulates the start of each section, generally less assertively than at bar

77, except for the beginning with its united heavy fff down bows.[14] The final line of this poem ‘mir wachst das Fell ubers gewittrigem Mund’ (my storm-

weathered mouth grows over with hide) is quoted at the end of the score.


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References

Artaud, Pierre-Yves. (1992). La virtuosite, le virtuose et sa partition. Marsyas, 21, 5 – 9. Institut dePedagogie Musicale et Choreographie, Paris.

Barrett, Richard. (1988). EARTH (1987 – 88). London: United Music Publishers.Barrett, Richard. (1992a). basalt (1990 – 91). London: United Music Publishers.Barrett, Richard. (1992b). basalt-E (1990 – 92). London: United Music Publishers.Barrett, Richard. (1995). Michael Finnissy—an overview. Contemporary Music Review 13(1), 23 – 43.Berio, Luciano. (1968). Sequenza V (1966) for solo trombone. London: Universal Edition.Fox, Christopher. (1995). Music as fiction: A consideration of the work of Richard Barrett.

Contemporary Music Review 13(1), 147 – 157.Hubler, Klaus K. (1986). Cercar (1983) for solo trombone. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Hartel.Neville, Peter. (1991). A grounding in EARTH. Sounds Australian, Autumn, 33 – 34.Rabe, Folke. (1982). Basta for solo trombone. Stockholm: Editon Reimers.Redgate, Christopher. (2007). A discussion of practices used in learning complex music with

specific reference to Roger Redgate’s Ausgangspunkte. Contemporary Music Review, 26(2),141 – 149.

Schick, Steven. (2006). The percussionist’s art: Same bed, different dreams. New York: University ofRochester Press.

Webb, Barrie. (2007). Performing Berio’s Sequenza V. Contemporary Music Review, 26(2), 207 – 218.Xenakis, Iannis. (1989). Keren (1986) for solo trombone. Paris: Editions Salabert.

Appendix: Barrett, Trombone Works—Performances and Performers

EARTH

First performance: Barrie Webb and Elizabeth Davis, 14 June 1988, American Cafe, Amsterdam(Holland Festival).

Barrie Webb and Elizabeth Davis—other significant performances:

German premiere: 13 August 1988, Darmstadt (34 Ferienkurse)United Kingdom premiere: 18 December 1988, LondonAustralian premiere: 15 August 1989, Melbourne

First recording: Brett Kelly/Peter Neville

Other recordings: Ivo Nilsson/Jonny Axelsson

Other performers: Kousei Murata/Noriko Miyamoto

basalt

First performance: Barrie Webb, 10 November 1995, Accademia di Spagna, Roma (Nuovi SpaziMusicali Festival)

UK premiere: Barrie Webb, 26 April 1996, University of Huddersfield (Electric Spring Festival)First recording: Benjamin Marks

basalt-E

First performance: Brett Kelly/Elision Ensemble/Sandro Gorli, 10 May 1992, Melbourne

European premiere: Barrie Webb/Darmstadt Ferienkurse Ensemble/Roger Redgate, July 31 1994,Darmstadt

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UK premiere: Barrie Webb/Ensemble Expose/Roger Redgate, 28 November 1995, LondonFirst recording: Brett Kelly/Elision Ensemble/Sandro GorliOther recordings: Barrie Webb/Ensemble Expose/Roger Redgate, December 2000, BMIC, The

Warehouse, London (BBC Archives)


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Documents

Richard Barrett's ‘imaginary trombone’