Graduate Recital
On April 18th, 2011, I presented my graduate composition recital in partial fulfillment of the requirements for my Master of Music degree from Bob Jones University. This recital was the premiere for three larger works I had written in the past year.
- Three Movements for Violin and Piano
- Fourths and Fifths
- Seconds and Sevenths
- Thirds and Sixths
- Three Easter Poems (for soprano)
- Good Friday by Christina Rossetti
- Death be not proud by John Donne
- The Dawning by George Herbert
- Three Latin Psalms (for SATB div. choir)
- Non nobis
- Sicut Cervus
- Jubilate Deo
Program Notes
Three Movements for Violin and Piano
For this sonata, I decided to take a slightly different route than some of my previous works. My inspiration for this came from some composition exercises I had done previously that were drawn from Vincent Persichetti’s book, 20th Century Harmony. I am admittedly very tonal in my writing and had never experimented with using the relative consonance or dissonance inherent in single intervals to compose a compelling musical line. This piece was both an exercise for me to expand my harmonic vocabulary as well a challenge to see how much I could do with very little “seed” material (just two intervals!) while at the same time keeping it accessible to the average listener, hence the adherence to familiar classical forms (sonata-allegro, ternary, and rondo). The intervals were paired together by their relative consonance or dissonance; fourths and fifths are perfect (consonant) intervals, seconds and sevenths are strong dissonances, and thirds and sixths are mild dissonances. These intervals are the building blocks for the bulk of the material in the movements.
I. Fourths and Fifths
This movement is (as in customary in an instrumental sonata) in Sonata-Allegro form, which means it contains an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. The first theme in the exposition is built around the interval of a fourth and is very rapid. The piano plays an ostinato pattern of fourth and fifths underneath the violin. The second theme in the exposition is built around the interval of a fifth, revolves around dominant of the first theme (the 5th scale degree) and is slightly slower in contrast to the first theme. The development section takes both intervals and explores various combinations of the two. Frequent changes in dynamics and tonal center create a feeling of “wandering” around in a sea of quartal and quintal harmonies. The recapitulation presents the two themes from the exposition both in the tonic key and slightly varied.
II. Seconds and Sevenths
The form of this movement is ternary AABA, commonly referred to as “song form.” One of my objectives for this particular movement was to explore the beauty that can be found in the strong dissonant intervals in contrast to their frequent use as “tension builders” (see Jaws theme music). The movement is slow and beautiful with a melodic line that often moves disjunctly by sevenths. The left hand in the piano part is essentially just sevenths that move stepwise (in the interval of a second). The B section introduces the ninth (a second plus an octave) in the left hand of the piano as well as small clusters of seconds. The violin cadenza at the end is a stepwise ascent of seconds and sevenths in succession.
III. Thirds and Sixths
A five-part rondo (ABACA) seemed to be the perfect form for this movement which features ever-playful themes of triads and sixths. The use of the interval of a sixth also meant the perfect opportunity to throw in double, triple, and even quadruple stops. This movement really gives the violinist the opportunity to show off a little bit. The opening theme is a combination of mostly triads of varying qualities (major, minor, and augmented) and inversions and is developed slightly while it bounces back and forth between the piano and the violin. The B theme is a combination of thirds and sixths. The piano part is a series of oscillating thirds in both hands frequently at the interval of a sixth. The return of the A theme is even more energetic than before but is short-lived and quickly leads into the C theme. An arpeggiated accompaniment of mostly sixths appears first in the piano, then in the violin while the other instrument explores more uses for the third and sixth. The final return of A is supercharged with imitation and play between the piano and violin and ends in a dramatic fashion.
Three Easter Poems
In planning music to write for my graduate recital, I decided to include something on an Easter theme since it fell on the Monday of Easter week. I began to search for the perfect set of texts with which to compose a cycle of songs for soprano solo (the tessitura of the pieces lends itself better to a mezzo-soprano, though any soprano could conceivably sing it). The texts I settled on – Good Friday by Christina Rossetti, Death Be Not Proud by John Donne, and The Dawning by George Herbert – all contain references to death (specifically Christ’s death) and the resurrection.
1. Good Friday
This poem paints the picture of a person standing beneath the cross of Jesus and feeling strangely unmoved and emotionless despite watching His blood drop slowly from the cross and witnessing the outpouring of emotion of others at the scene – Mary, Peter, and even the sun and moon. The falling groups of seconds in the piano signify the drops of blood falling to the ground (“thy blood’s slow loss”). The opening vocal line is very still and silent, reflective of the lack of emotions felt by the speaker. The middle section (the second and third strophes of the poem) become much more agitated and recitative-like as the scene surrounding the cross is described. The piece ends as it begins, a slow, prayerful lament that God might, like Moses, strike this “rock” and produce water (tears).
2. Death Be Not Proud
The tempestuous piano accompaniment and disjunct melody line in this song stand in stark contrast to the previous song as the poet mocks and insults death itself. Because of Christ’s resurrection, death has no grip on those whose faith rests in Him. The middle portion of the piece is slower and more beautiful as it paints a picture comparing death to “rest and sleepe.” The mocking continues and builds slowly in intensity leading up to an even more defiant denunciation of death – “Death, thou shalt die.” Eternal rest in heaven is made possible because of Christ’s victory over death.
3. The Dawning
The text of this poem is related to Easter in that it states the practical ramifications that Christ’s resurrection has for the believer. We can be comforted knowing that because Christ overcame death, we have nothing to fear. His death brings comfort to a sorrowing heart. “Christ left his grave-clothes, that we might, when grief draws tears or blood, not want a handkerchief.” The two strophes, which are nearly identical in their meter, allow for a stanzaic approach to form in this piece.
Three Latin Psalms
For this set of choral pieces, I chose to set some familiar Latin texts from the Psalms. The texts for this pieces – Non Nobis, Sicut Cervus, and Jubilate Deo – are drawn from Psalms 115, 42, and 100, respectively. Rather, than setting the entire psalm, I chose particular verses from these chapters to convey the message I wanted.
1. Non Nobis
“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?” (Psalm 115:1–2). Many settings of the Non Nobis that I have come across, particularly those associated with the various adaptations of Henry V, are very noble and regal in nature and contain one powerful melodic line that is repeated with increasing intensity and boldness. My setting takes this idea of a recurring melodic line but with a more reverential approach. The tune is first stated a cappella by the tenors and basses in a chant-like manner. From there it is repeated, developed, interspersed with contrasting material, and eventually climaxes with 8-part divisi and soprano descant. The pieces ends as it began with a slow, chant-like statement of the tune from the tenors and basses.
2. Sicut Cervus
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My tears have been my meat day and night…Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance” (Psalm 42:1, 3, 5). In this piece I attempted to paint the sorrow and pain that is felt when God seems far off. The poetry of the Psalms is full of imitation and repetition to express or emphasize certain ideas. The opening melodic line in the sopranos (“As the hart panteth…”) is repeated (“so panteth my soul”) to emphasize the similarity expressed in the text. The heaviness of spirit expressed in the middle portion of the piece is immediately followed up by an exultant phrase in the relative major to depict the hope the believer has in God despite troublesome circumstances in life. The end of the piece is an inversion of the beginning with the basses singing the initial melody with the sopranos, altos, and tenors harmonizing above them with “Oo’s” and “Ahh’s.”
3. Jubilate Deo
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations” (Psalm 100:1, 5). I decided upon an asymmetrical meter (10/8) for this piece because it brings energy and exuberance to the music and because it fits the declamation of the text perfectly. The form is a modified rondo in which the recurring theme is the one set in 10/8. The rest of the piece bounces between differing meters – 6/8, 3/4, 4/4, and even 8/8. The layering of different rhythms on top of each other helps build the momentum and excitement throughout.
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