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New Simplicity School
Technical Procedures of Antonio Celso Ribeiros Musical
Language
One brief word...
Some Composers are not Islands is the name of Kyle Ganns
article. The author refers to the role that composers now are devoted:
to analyze the other composers' music and to understand/to identify
the contained/received influences.
According to Gann, a life exclusively focused on my own music
seems unimaginable. My musicological work feeds my composition,
and vice versa. When I've been doing too much critical work and not
composing, I get cranky; and when I've been composing continuously,
I dry up a little, and I start to need the interaction with the music of
others.
It's not that I steal so many ideas from other composers,
though of course I never scruple to do that. Nothing about the other
people's music I'm working on went into the piece I just finished. I just
need that rejuvenation from other artist's ideas, the mere presence of
simpatico music I didn't write.
Schumann certainly spent a lot of his career inside other
composers' heads, and seems to have enjoyed having a trunkload of
Schubert's manuscripts in his apartment, from which to draw for the
occasional world premiere whenever he fancied. Liszt played the
piano music of every significant contemporary except Brahms (who
offended him by falling asleep at the premiere of Liszt's B minor
Sonata).
Part of it is what I think Henry Cowell sensed: that there's no
such thing as a famous composer in a musical genre no one's heard
of, and so one's personal survival depends on a rising tide raising all
boats. But Morton Feldman also tells a story of an artist in the '50s
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who, after seeing Jackson Pollock's first astounding exhibition of drip
paintings, remarked, "I'm so glad he did it. Now I don't have to.
Painting by Jackson Pollock
Gann says:
I hear an exquisite piece like John Luther Adams's The Light
Within, and I do think, somehow, "I'm so glad he did it, now I don't
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have to" - partly because I want to hear that kind of ecstatic wall-of-
sound genre, and he can so it much better than I could. Mikel Rouse's
music is so much more sophisticated than my intentionally naive fare,
but listening to him gets me back on track.
Philosophical Bearings
Leonard Meyer [(1956). Emotion and Meaning in Music. Chicago:
Chicago University Press.] begins by defining and contrasting classic
positions in philosophical aesthetics. He outlines two contrasting
dichotomies: the absolutist versus referentialist views, and the
formalist versus expressionist views:
ABSOLUTIST: "musical meaning lies exclusively within the
context of the work itself."
REFERENTIALIST: "musical meanings refer to the extramusical
world of concepts, actions, emotional states, and character."
FORMALIST: "the meaning of music lies in the perception and
understanding of the musical relationships set forth in the work
of art and that meaning in music is primarily intellectual"
EXPRESSIONIST: "the expressionist would argue that these
same relationships are in some sense capable of exciting
feelings and emotions in the listener"
The New Simplicity SchoolFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New Simplicity (in German, die neue Einfachheit) was a
stylistic tendency amongst some of the younger generation of
German composers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, reacting
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against not only the European avant garde of the 1950s and 1960s,
but also against the broader tendency toward objectivity found from
the beginning of the twentieth century. Alternative terms sometimes
used for this movement are "inclusive composition", new
subjectivity (neue Subjektivitt), new inwardness (Neue Innigkeit),
New Romanticism, New Sensuality, New Expressivity, New
Classicism, and New Tonality.
Goals
In general, these composers strove for an immediacy between
the creative impulse and the musical result (in contrast to the
elaborate precompositional planning characteristic of the avant
garde), with the intention also of communicating more readily with
audiences. In some cases this meant a return to the tonal language of
the 19th century as well as to the traditional forms (symphony,
sonata) and instrumental combinations (string quartet, piano trio)
which had been avoided for the most part by the avant garde. For
others it meant working with simpler textures or the employment of
triadic harmonies in non-tonal contexts.
Characteristics:
Neo tonal
Modal
Diatonicism
Sporadic chromaticism
Glacial harmonies
Homophony
Tonic pedal (Drones)
Weak or very simple harmonic progressions
Few use or absence of tone modulations
Melodic emphasis
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Use of ancient forms (suite, danses, gavotte, minuet, nocturne,
gigue, rondeau, sonate, toccata, fugue, canon, hocquetus,
hemiolas, etc) with strong reference to the past
Predominance of an unique compositional element, forexample: minor chords, fixed duration pattern (taleas) etc
Clear compositional structure
Rarefaction and condensation
Sheerness and objectivity
Music technically made easy but not intended for beginners
Thematic similarities between different works; reorchestrations
Quotations and/or rearrangements of works from other
composers
Time signatures in agreement with the musical phrases;
metrical asymmetries, music without time signatures
Contradictory notation rhythmical paradoxisms
Melody made with scales fragments, etc
Recovery of ancient duration values as longa and brevis;
sometimes it makes use of square or white mensural notation
Strong presence of expressivity and emotionality
Search for beauty and pleasantness
Strong presence of religiosity and mysticism
Indispensable gestuality
High level of referenciality through the use of extra musical
sources: pictorial images; literature; architecture; poetry;
languages; cultures; movies; kinetics arts (circus, theatre,
dance)
Paradoxically it can makes use of expanded techniques (paper
or objects inserted between the piano strings; non-orthodox
tuning; overtones etc)
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Motto: behind its apparent
simplicity lays a great
complexity
A verse without music is a mill without
water.
Folquet de Marselh (Marseilles), the troubadour immortalized byDante Alighieri(1265-
1321) in his Paradiso
Antonio Celso Ribeiro
Analysis of some of his Compositions
Elements:
Resonances
Medieval compositional procedures
Baroque-like ornamentation
Tonic pedal (drones)
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Weak or very simple harmonic progressions
Thematic similarities between different works; reorchestrations
Predominance of an unique compositional element
Homophony
Time signatures in agreement with the musical phrases;
metrical asymmetries, music without time signatures
Contradictory notation rhythmical paradoxisms
Melody made with scales fragments, etc
***
Resonances...
There are two kinds of resonance in Antonio Celso Ribeiroscompositions. The first one deals with sound residues left bydissonant cluster-like chords changing afterward into consonancesplayed by the piano (examples shown here: El Diablo y laMelancola and Break Away Secrets); the second one deals with
resulted consonance/dissonant by holding down the respective piano
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key after the note is played (examples shown here: DresdenImpressions Cloister and The Bethsaida Miracle ato secondo).
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Break Away Secrets
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The Bethsaida Miracle ato secondo
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Medieval Compositional Procedures...
Some compositional techniques from the Middle Ages arerecovered in order to add some excitement and beauty to the work.
Here we include the use of polyphonic notation (example shown here:Verzweiflung), imitation and counterpoint (see: Danse des Fous),polychrony several tempos occurring at the same time (see: PipingDown the Valleys Wild); dance-like melody (see: La Doncella y laMelancola Dulce Dame Donaira en Dulcidana), use of retrogrademotion (see: Le Lacrime della Vergine Triste Ploratio), hocquetus-style accompaniment (see: Le Lacrime della Vergine Singultus),Gregorian chant style melody (see: Si la Beaut).
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Ten or Maybe Nine Short Useless Songs of Joy or Strangeness
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Danse des Fous
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La Doncella y la Melancola
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Le Lacrime della Vergine Triste Ploratio
Le Lacrime della Vergine Singultus
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Si la Beaut
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Baroque-like ornamentation and style...
Revival of baroque ornaments as trills, gruppettos, mordents,doppelt-cadences, appoggiaturas, acciaccaturas, glissandis, andportamentos (see: Ten or Maybe Nine Short Useless Songs of Joy orStrangeness Stille Leuchtet die Kerze). Also is brought in evidencethe spirit of baroque suite, in the overall structure of a composition,
making some allusions to Bach and Haendel textures employment(see: My Menuet is Broken, Two Baroque Sadness y una Valsdesvairada para l). From Brazilian baroque, Antonio Celso Ribeirosteals the dark atmosphere and deep religiosity of Minas GeraisChurches, mainly those built by Francisco Antonio Lisboa(Aleijadinho). Examples: Bitter Baroque Ballads Tears; Ave;Breve Litania para Nossa Senhora das Mercs; Le Jeu du Roi quiJamais ne Ment.
Ten or Maybe Nine Short Useless Songs of Joy or Strangeness StilleLeuchtet die Kerze
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Ten or Maybe Nine Short Useless Songs of Joy or Strangeness
Two Baroque Sadness y una Vals Desvairada para l - Entre
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Bitter Baroque Ballads Tears
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Ave
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Breve Litania para Nossa Senhora das Mercs
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Le Jeu du Roi Qui Jamais ne Ment
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Tonic pedals...
The use of a constant and steady note in the composition is anallusion to pre-polyphonic organum vocal music of late medievalEurope and other classical traditions as Japanese gagaku or theByzantine chant (ison). In the musical examples, the drone notecauses the melody to flow (see: Amoris Divini et Humana Antipathia Sanatio Amoris), or recalls the bagpipe music (see: O O O Par laPluie Oh! Amargo Fim!). It can also evoke the power and religiosityof Byzantine chant (see: Preghiera alla Vergine Canto e), orcreating an ecstatic/tense movement (see: Cheiro de Terra Molhadade Chuva Ciranda).
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Amoris Divini et Humana Antipathia Sanatio Amoris
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Preghiera alla Vergine Canto i
Cheiro de Terra Molhada de Chuva Ciranda
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Weak or Very Simple HarmonicProgressions...
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Opposing to the traditional concept of tonal harmony, wherestrong harmonic progressions are generally the norm, the work ofAntonio Celso Ribeiro prioritizes the use of weak harmonicprogressions. This option causes the music to sound more neutral(see: Amoris Divini et Humana Antipathia Babylon Amoris), oreven ecstatic and intimate (see: Dolores and Cor Som PalavrasSoltas K).
Amoris Divini et Humana Antipathia Babylon Amoris
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Cor Som Palavras Soltas - K
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Thematic Similarities Between DifferentWorks; Reorchestrations
Sometimes two different compositional ideas share the samefeeling, image, or fate. So, the possible solution for this impasse isboth scores to share thematic similarities. Examples: DresdenImpressions Reflexes of the Light Through the Colored Glass-Window of the Old Church & La Doncella y la Melancola La VidaDebe Seguir; Two Baroque Sadness y una Vals Desvairada para l Entre & Brevissima Missa Pauperis Veni Sancte Spiritus; TheBethsaida Miracle Ato Secondo & Bitter Baroque Ballads 3Disillusion; Las Visiones de Margarida la Loca 4 & Mia SantaMargarida 1; A Velha Sarah est Serena e to Saudosa & MiaSanta Margarida 3. In other occasions, theres a need to expand,
contract or to give new colors to a certain kind of composition. Thus awork scored for two instruments can be reorchestrated into 11instruments, the same way a work scored for five instruments can berearranged for two instruments (see: Break Away Regrets andSongs of Sadness 4)
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Break Away - Regrets
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Break Away - Regrets
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Songs of Sadness - 4
Songs of Sadness 4
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Dresden Impressions
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La Doncella y la Melancola la vida debe seguir
Two Baroque Sadness y una Vals Desvairada para l Entre
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Brevssima Missa Pauperis Veni Sancte Spiritus
The Bethsaida Miracle Ato Secondo
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Bitter Baroque Ballads
Las Visiones de Margarida la Loca - 4
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Mia Santa Margarida 1
A Velha Sarah est Serena e to Saudosa...
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Mia Santa Margarida 3
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Predominance of an unique compositionalelement...
Some of the works share a preference for one specificcompositional element. In the following examples (O O O Par la Pluie
Dulcidana and Song of Sadness II) the chosen element is theminor chord.
O O O Par la Pluie - Dulcidana
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Songs of Sadness - II
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Homophony...
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Theres a need sometimes, to have all things sounding together,
under a unique voice, a unique body of sound. Homophony is onlyused in vocal or choir works, making the understanding of thetext/words clear and precise.
Preghiera alla Vergine Canto e
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Lege mich wie ein Siegel
An Autumn Greeting
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Time signatures in agreement with the
musical phrases; metrical asymmetries,scalar melodies, fragments...
Rather than mark a regular pulse, time signatures are usedaccording to the musical phrase, functioning the same way theregular language does, obeying to it own sintax (see: Le Printemps).The time signature also defines the length of the musical phrase(metrical asymmetry), as seen in Cnticos de Veneracin a la Virgende las Rosas Adoracin II and Amoris Divini et Humana Antipathia LAmour Humain. Scalar melodies can be seen in Bitter BaroqueBallads Disillusion and in Le Lacrima della Vergine Lamentationes. Melodies built from scalar fragments can be seen inTwo Mechanical Birds and a Melancholic Cage The MelancholicCage and in Dies Irae des Fous Cantus IV.
Le Printemps
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Cnticos de Veneracin a la Virgen de las Rosas
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Amoris Divini et Humana Antipathia LAmour Humain
Bitter Baroque Ballads Disillusion
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Le Lacrime della Vergine
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Le Lacrime della Vergine Lamentationes (continued)
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Two Mechanical Birds and a Melancholic Cage Melancholic Cage
Dies Irae des Fous Cantus IV
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Contradictory notation rhythmical
paradoxisms...
Sometimes the composer uses a contradictory time signature toexpress a special feeling, swing or mood. In Solido, a clear 2/4meter is used instead of right 3/4 meter, even though the musicitself claims for this ternary feeling. In Bitter Baroque Ballads, thecontratempo (countertime) in the piano part creates in the cello partthe false feeling of syncopation, as the part is written in thetic
mode. In Brevissima Missa Pauperis Pater, theres an inappropiateuse of the 9/8 meter, both for piano and voice, since the basic swingfor 9/8 (tuplets) is not considered on it. In La Doncella y la Melancola Dulce Dama Donnez Moi lAdieu, the piece is written in 3/4 meter,but is sounding effectively in 6/8 meter. In Visiones de una ViejaVentana Mamma, the rhythm pattern in the electric bass part, withits regular syncopation and tuplet gives the (false) feeling of movingfaster than the other instruments (polychrony).
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La Doncella y la Melancola Dulce Dama Donnez Moi lAdieu
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Visiones de una Vieja Ventana - Mamma
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