2012 SCHOOLS’ NOTES - d3o6fyjoj38fs0.cloudfront.net Schools... · 2012 SCHOOLS’ NOTES TOUR 4 Trout Quintet & Quartet for the End of Time ... Messiaen’s Quartet was inspired

2012 SCHOOLS’ NOTES

TOUR 4 Trout Quintet & Quartet for the End of Time

WESTERN AUSTRALIA notes by Kathleen Beazley

Australian Chamber Orchestra 2012 Schools’ Notes WA Tour 4 Trout Quintet & Quartet for the End of Time

TOUR 4: MOTIF MOMENTS Possible Topics/Units of Study: Classical Music; Music for Small Ensembles; Texture.

SCHUBERT: Piano Quintet in A, D.667, “Trout” – 37’00” Helena Rathbone (violin); Christopher Moore (viola); Timo-Veikko Valve (cello); Maxime Bibeau (double bass); Saleem Abboud Ashkar (piano).

MESSIAEN: Quartet for the End of Time – 48’00” Helena Rathbone (violin); Timo-Veikko Valve (cello); Paul Dean (clarinet); Saleem Abboud Ashkar (piano)

VOCABULARY: Ensemble Quartet Quintet Motif Theme & Variation Unison Duet Solo Development Non-Retrograde Rhythms Score Markings Glissando Rall Pizz. Arco Sempre Col legno Da Capo Scherzo Fine

WEB LINKS: Messiaen – Uni of Northern Texas Speech - http://www.ibiblio.org/johncovach/messiaen.htm Lawrence Uni Music IT Notes - http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/it/musicguides/mq/index.php Program notes by Nigel Simeone - http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/messiaen/music/quatuor.html Program Notes - http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~echew/performances/messiaen-qtet.html Boston Uni Messiaen Project - http://www.oliviermessiaen.net/ Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatuor_pour_la_fin_du_temps

Schubert –

Classical Notes “A Trout, A Maiden & A Wanderer” - http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/trout.html About.com Aaron Green Analysis - http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/romanticperiod/a/aatroutquintet.htm Wikipedia Trout Quintet - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_Quintet

http://www.ibiblio.org/johncovach/messiaen.htm

http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/it/musicguides/mq/index.php

http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/messiaen/music/quatuor.html

http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~echew/performances/messiaen-qtet.html

http://www.oliviermessiaen.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatuor_pour_la_fin_du_temps

http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/trout.html

http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/romanticperiod/a/aatroutquintet.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_Quintet


COMMON IDEAS/THEMES TO EXPLORE IN LESSONS:

THEMED COMPOSITIONS: Both of these works are based on written texts in part; Schubert’s work is based on both Die Forelle (poem) by Christian Frederick Daniel Schubart & Schubert’s own work Die Forelle. Messiaen’s Quartet was inspired in part by certain passages from the Book of Revelations. PROGAM MUSIC: Representation of real things through musical concepts. (Schubert – the poem and the piece’s motifs; Messiaen – The religious themes and the work’s movements and motifs (ie; birdcalls)). Themes about the beginning and end of life journeys. Perhaps a sense of journeying. MOTIF DEVELOPMENT: Look at ways that both composers develop each of their works. This can be done by examining specific movements in isolation or through looking at each work as a whole. Particularly examine Schubert’s third movement of the Quintet – Theme and Variation. Particularly look at Messiaen’s use of motifs across several movements in his work.

TEACHING IDEAS: These ideas run in sequence. It would be good to do the Performing activities first to allow students the freedom of creating/performing without pre-conceived ideas. The task can then be done again perhaps after the other activities to see how their ideas or processes have changed/developed. See Teacher Notes for more details about each idea. There are also some pre-prepared worksheets that you can use or model other worksheets on.

SYLLABUS ALIGNMENT Ideas can be applied to years 7 to 12

PERFORMING/DOING COMPOSING/CREATING LISTENING/MUSICOLOGY

IDEA 1 (Interpreting music) Sound scapes created by improvising and inspired by the texts of either Schubart’s Trout poem or the Book of Revelations excerpts. (See attached worksheets 3 & 4 for texts). IDEA 4 (Creating music) Use the idea of representing animals as Schubert (the Trout) and Messiaen (birdcalls) do. Get students to find musical representations of their own animals.

IDEA 2 (Interpreting music) Instruct students to look at selections from the scores and identify the motifs used (See attached worksheets for templates).

IDEA 3 Years 7 & 8 – Have students listen to one of the movements from Messiaen’s work and draw a representation of the piece (like a reversal of Idea 1). This will address students with more visual styles of learning rather simply audible styles of learning.


IDEA 1: Sound scapes created by improvising and inspired by the texts of either Schubert’s Trout

poem or the Book of Revelations excerpts. (See attached worksheets for texts).

Read through the text that one of the composers has used to inspire his creation. Brainstorm

some visual ideas (mind map) and then get students to associate these ideas with

instruments/sound sources. This can be done with voices only, instruments only, found objects or

a mixture of all.

Option 1 - Students can rehearse their ideas. As the text is read out the students can improvise a

sound scape for the piece.

Option 2 - Students can rehearse their ideas. They can then perform their ideas as a stand-alone piece (older students may be more comfortable doing this).

IDEA 2: Get students to look at selections from the scores and identify the motifs used. (See

attached worksheets 1 & 2 for templates)

Schubert – Concentrate on the fourth movement for this activity (Theme and Variation). You may

wish to identify the theme’s motifs for students in years 7 & 8 before looking at ways Schubert has

varied the main idea.

Students in years 9 & 10 should be able to identify the main theme’s motifs and then how

Schubert has varied the material.

Senior students should be able to also categorise the variations into their proper concepts and

perhaps even emulate them with a known melody (A Nursery Rhyme, Hymn tune or just for fun

perhaps the National Anthem). All worksheet templates are in the Worksheets 1 & 2 at the back of

this booklet.

Messiaen - Given the complexities of this work, observation of things such as textural changes

from movement to movement would be good enough for younger students (year 8 and earlier).

Older students may wish to work through the excellent analysis and free guided listening

resources provided by David Berk, Gene Biringer and Howard Niblock at Lawrence University,

Wisconsin USA: http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/it/musicguides/mq/index.php (viewed 16

February 2012)



IDEA 4: Use the idea of representing animals as Schubert (the Trout) and Messiaen (birdcalls) do. Get

students to find musical representations of their own animals.

Years 7 & 8 (or earlier)

Have students name three animals with distinctive characteristics (physical or behavioural). Now get them to assign the following to each animal: An Instrument (Tone Colour); Volume/accent (Dynamics & Expressive Techniques); Personality (Pitch/Tonality); Motivation (Duration/Rhythm pattern). Now get them to improvise musical ideas to go with each animal using their musical brainstorming as a guide

Years 9 & 10 As above with the following alterations: Rather than just improvising the musical ideas, get students to notate them in some way (staff or graphic). Then get them to teach their idea to another student. They can then expand their explorations into pairing up with other ‘animals’ to see what happens.

Years 11 & 12 As above with the following additions: Students must write out their musical ideas in notation adding all appropriate dynamics and articulations for the chosen instruments. COMPOSITION - MOTIVIC DEVELOPMENT: They then need to consider what a group of each animal may sound like; How would each of their animals interact with each other? In what ways could they get along, or conflict with each other; How could this be represented in a score? LISTENING/MUSICOLOGY: They can then go back to Messiaen’s score and see how motivic development is used throughout his work http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/it/musicguides/mq/index.php (viewed 16 February 2012) AND/OR They could then go to Schubert’s fourth movement and his original Lied and compare the motivic material in each (the fourth movement of the Quintet is based on this Lied). The score for the Lied is in the attached worksheet.



Example Questions (YEARS 10-12 ONLY):

1. How does the composer utilise thematic material to create interest in this piece? Refer to the

concepts of music in your answer.

2. With reference to the concepts of music, How is unity achieved in this piece?

3. How does the composer develop musical ideas through use of the concepts of music in this piece?

4. Select two of the concepts of music (pitch, duration, tone colour, structure, texture, dynamics &

expressive techniques) and comment on their use/role within this piece:


WORKSHEETS


WORKSHEET 1

MOTIF ANALYSIS: YEARS 7-10 PIECE – Composer – Information –

Theme:

Years 7 & 8: The Theme’s melody in this piece is played by which instrument in the ensemble? What role do the other instruments play in this section? Why does the Viola have a different symbol in front of its music/staff? What is the musical term for the note that is played before the first bar in the Violin part? Identify and explain five articulation/dynamic markings in this section (give the bar number that they occur in as well). Years 9 & 10: Find which instrument is playing the melody and highlight it on the score.

Now identify, in each of the Variations, the following features: Give details in the appropriate boxes:

VAR 1 VAR 2 VAR 3 VAR 4 VAR 5

Melody: Which instrument is playing the melody (don’t forget to look at the Piano part too)

Texture: Which instruments play other roles? What are those roles?

Duration: What types of rhythms are used? In which parts?

Articulation: Identify any special articulations, playing techniques or dynamics used in this variation.

Pitch:

Is the melody on the same notes in this variation? Are there any “new” or different notes used in the accompaniment parts. YRS 9 & 10 – Identify the key/tonality of each Variation

Favourite: Which is your favourite variation? Give 5 Musical reasons.


WORKSHEET 2

MOTIF ANALYSIS: YEARS 11 & 12 PIECE – Composer – Information –

Motifs in Theme: Give Bar number and description.

Now identify how the concepts have been used to vary this material in each of the Variations. Give details in the appropriate boxes:

VAR 1 VAR 2 VAR 3 VAR 4 VAR 5

Pitch

Duration

Tone Colour

Texture

Dynamics & Exp. Techs

Structure


WORKSHEET 3

REVELATIONS TEXTS THAT INSPIRED MESSIAEN’S QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME:

Revelations 4:3

And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an

emerald, encircled the throne.

Revelations 8:6

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

Revelations 9:1

The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The

star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.

Revelations 21:11

It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,

clear as crystal.

Revelations 21:19

The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first

foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald.

Revelations 20

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a

great chain.

TASK:

Use these passages from the Book of Revelations to inspire a musical idea of your own for each of the

quotes. Notate your motif so that others would be able to perform them. This may involve staff

notation and/or some form of graphic notation.

HINT Remember to think about ALL the Concepts of Music when coming up with your motifs.


WORKSHEET 4

“Die Forelle/The Trout” Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart from http://www.hitech-solutions.com/trout/Schubert.htm

In einem Bächlein helle, In a bright little brook Da schoß in froher Eil there shot in merry haste Die launische Forelle a capricious trout: Vorüber wie ein Pfeil. past it shot like an arrow. Ich stand an dem Gestade I stood upon the shore Und sah in süßer Ruh and watched in sweet peace Des muntern Fischleins Bade the cheery fish's bath Im klaren Bächlein zu. in the clear little brook. Ein Fischer mit der Rute A fisher with his rod Wohl an dem Ufer stand, stood at the water-side, Und sah's mit kaltem Blute, and watched with cold blood Wie sich das Fischlein wand. as the fish swam about. So lang dem Wasser Helle, So long as the clearness of the water So dacht ich, nicht gebricht, remained intact, I thought, So fängt er die Forelle he would not be able to capture the trout Mit seiner Angel nicht. with his fishing rod. Doch endlich ward dem Diebe But finally the thief grew weary Die Zeit zu lang. Er macht of waiting. He stirred up Das Bächlein tückisch trübe, the brook and made it muddy, Und eh ich es gedacht, and before I realized it, So zuckte seine Rute, his fishing rod was twitching: Das Fischlein zappelt dran, the fish was squirming there, Und ich mit regem Blute and with raging blood I Sah die Betrogene an. gazed at the betrayed fish. Die ihr am goldenen Quelle At the golden fountain Der sicheren Jugend weilt, of youth, you linger so confidently; Denkt doch an die Forelle, But think of the trout, Seht ihr Gefahr, so eilt! and if you see danger, flee! Meist fehlt ihr nur aus Mangel Mostly it is from lack der Klugheit, Mädchen, seht of cleverness that maidens Verführer mit der Angel! miss the angling seducers. Sonst blutet ihr zu spät! So beware! Otherwise you may bleed too late! Translation by Adnan Kazazic

http://www.hitech-solutions.com/trout/Schubert.htm


TEACHER NOTES


MESSIAEN

Benitez, V.P. 2008, Olivier Messiaen: A Research and Information Guide, Psychology Press, New

York, viewed 8 February 2012

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=OSemX0XgZGQC&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=Revelations+te

xt+for+Messiaen&source=bl&ots=tfi_1ikEv&sig=_WP7YShZF5Z0ktcnA9jPwcz5l_g&hl=en&ei=9LuaT

rHQNaSiAeN_omsAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBw#v=onepa

ge&q&f=false

The Quartet for the End of Time – Olivier Messiaen

Niblock, H. 2008, Introduction: Olivier Messiaen, Quator pour la Fin Temps, Music Guides,

Lawrence University, viewed 8 February 2012


Biringer, G. 2008, Analysis: Olivier Messiaen, Quator pour la Fin Temps, Music Guides, Lawrence

University, viewed 8 February 2012


Olivier Messiaen was born in Avignon, France on December 10, 1908. He was a composer, organist, and renowned teacher, and one of the most significant French musicians of his generation. According to Grove Music Online, Messiaen "was a musician apart. The sources of his music may be traced on the one hand to the French organ tradition and on the other to the innovations of Debussy, Stravinsky and Bartók, but right at the start of his career he found a modal system that has a completely individual sound, and to this he remained true, even when he vastly extended the possibilities of his style after World War II. He was alone, too, among major 20th-century composers in his joyously held Catholic faith, which again was unswerving, however much he came to value non-European cultures, especially Indian and Japanese. As a teacher he instructed many of the most prominent composers of the next two generations." The musicologist Paul Griffiths gives a brief general description of Messiaen's music as follows:

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=OSemX0XgZGQC&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=Revelations+text+for+Messiaen&source=bl&ots=tfi_1ikEv&sig=_WP7YShZF5Z0ktcnA9jPwcz5l_g&hl=en&ei=9LuaTrHQNaSiAeN_omsAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false







"He had his music move with a singleness of purpose, even while it drew on a range of sources (chant and late Romantic orchestral sound, birdsongs and irregular rhythmic patterns) with no attempt at synthesis. Indeed, his mosaic forms, coupled with static harmonies derived from his personal system of modes, give even his earliest pieces an original sense of time not as flow but as pre-existing, revealing itself to human temporality in sequences of brilliant unalike instants." Messiaen's most significant composition, the Quartet for the End of Time, received its premiere performance on January 15, 1941 under extraordinary and unusual circumstances. Messiaen wrote the work while a captive in a German prisoner of war camp during World War Two. That camp was the Stalag VIII A, located near the town of Görlitz-Moys in Silesia, Germany. During the course of his captivity, Messiaen met three fellow prisoners who were also accomplished musicians: Etienne Pasquier, a world-class cellist who had already secured an international reputation as a member of the Pasquier Trio; Jean Le Boulaire, a violinist who had studied at the Paris Conservatory; and Henri Akoka, a clarinettist who was a member of the Paris-based Orchestre National de la Radio. Accordingly, Messiaen scored his quartet for violin, cello, clarinet, and piano, and these four prisoners gave the piece that first performance in 1941 before an audience largely consisting of other prisoners of war. The performance took place in one of the prison barracks that had been converted into a makeshift theatre, and with Messiaen playing on an old upright piano. The quartet exemplifies all of the principal characteristics mentioned above, drawing upon plainchant, imitating birdsongs, using irregular rhythmic patterns, and above all serving as a profound expression of Messiaen's Catholic faith: the title refers to a passage in the book of Revelation, where an angel announces "there will be no more time." The Quartet for the End of Time provides many interesting possibilities for discussion. There are two fascinating stories connected with the piece-the story of its composition in a prison camp, and the apocalyptic story told by the piece itself. [Whether we can believe him or not, Messiaen claimed that these two stories were not directly related to one another!] In addition, the quartet can be approached from many different angles: the use of many interesting or novel ways to organize musical time, the use of birdsong, the use of tone colour and of colour imagery (the angel is crowned with a rainbow), and the representation of other elements from Messiaen's biblical inspiration. Each movement may be critically compared with specific passages in the composer's preface to the work, and the analysis given on this website greatly facilitates such comparisons. Soon after the 1941 premiere of the quartet, Messiaen was released, and within a year he had been appointed to a position teaching harmony at the Paris Conservatory. His classes became legendary, and he trained and influenced nearly all of the most important musicians (including Boulez, Xenakis, and Stockhausen) in Europe's post war avant-garde. Messiaen died in Paris on April 28, 1992.


SCHUBERT

Green, A. 2012, Schubert Quintet in A Major, “Trout” – Op. 114: Analysis of the First Movement,

About.com, Classical Music, viewed 8 February 2012,

<http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/romanticperiod/a/aatroutquintet.htm>.

Schubert Quintet in A Major, “Trout” - Op. 114 Analysis of the First Movement By Aaron Green

The first movement is in Sonata form, complete with the traditional exposition, development and recapitulation. Unlike most quintets based on the traditional string quartet, the Trout features a violin, viola, cello, bass and piano. This provides for a very different colour and texture. Throughout the piece, Schubert tends to stay on the straight and narrow harmonically, frequently modulating to the third or fifth. In the development, however, he throws this out the window by making a surprise jump to Ab (flat) major (more about this in the walkthrough that follows.) The

recapitulation itself is a harmonic aberration in that it begins in the sub-dominate as opposed to the dominate. Exposition Introduction Schubert begins the first movement of the quintet with a twenty-four measure intro. This introduction opens with three different motifs that are used as building blocks for the remainder of the piece. The first is the triumphant A Major arpeggio up two octaves in triplets (mm. 1, 6, 10, 25, 33, 38, etc.), the second is the “so-fi-so-do” in the violin; the third is the “re-mi” cadential appoggiatura (mm. 6, 10, 14, 18, 21, etc.) which frequently resolves to the third, giving the piece a joyful, light feeling. Throughout the beginning of the exposition, the triplet is the most important rhythmic figure. Bars 25-49 The Bars following the introduction are rife with the triumphant triplet theme. It is playfully called and echoed by the violin and piano as the viola, violoncello and basso provide a pizzicato accompaniment. Transition In measure 50, Schubert begins a rhythmic and harmonic modulation through C and A Major, eventually landing us in E Major at measure 64. Bars 64-113 Here, Schubert begins a duet between the violin and violoncello against an arpeggiated piano accompaniment. The pattern is imitative with each part echoing the other. There is a nine-measure phrase introduced in measure eighty-four which is subsequently repeated by each of the instruments. Codetta The Codetta is notable because of the rapid, running sixteenth notes that trade off between parts. This continues on until measure 135 where the composer suddenly and unexpectedly shifts us into D Major for a short time before modulating to E Major directly before the impending development. The Codetta ends with a perfect authentic cadence.

http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/romanticperiod/a/aatroutquintet.htm

http://classicalmusic.about.com/bio/Aaron-Green-11835.htm


Development Unlike the exposition, the development cannot as easily be broken up into neat little chunks. This section is harmonically unstable, making no less than thirteen modulations! The development opens by moving to the flat six of E Major (which is not entirely unexpected given Schubert’s use of Augmented Sixths). Perhaps the most notable thing about this section is the fact that one set of modulations make up an E¨ chord (we move from E¨ Maj. in mm. 163-170 to B¨ Maj. Mm. 171-176, to G Min, mm. 177-180 and back to E¨ Maj. In mm. 181-184.) Beginning in mm. 173, there is a tonic B¨ pedal that continues for several Bars. Shortly thereafter, we move into broken chords in the piano with a string melody over the top. This is sequenced into F minor beginning in measure 185. In measure 189, however, we abruptly (and quite unexpectedly) move to A¨ major. This modulation triggers a complete mayhem of harmonic progressions. In only a few short Bars, we move through A¨ Major, B¨ minor, C¨ Major, B Major, E minor, D¨ Major, and F# minor before coming to the beginning of the recapitulation in D Major. Recapitulation The recapitulation is extremely easy thanks to Schubert’s simple modulation to the sub-dominate of the exposition. Thankfully, all we have to do is transpose everything down by a perfect fifth; this is, in fact, precisely what he did, barring the introductory material and 4-2 canons in Bars 100-113). Hence, the texture, form and interplay between instruments is exactly the same as the expo.

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2012 SCHOOLS’ NOTES - d3o6fyjoj38fs0.cloudfront.net Schools... · 2012 SCHOOLS’ NOTES TOUR 4 Trout Quintet & Quartet for the End of Time ... Messiaen’s Quartet was inspired