Re: [F_MINOR] List artits called

[Jost Ammon <jost.ammon@GMX.DE>]

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 14:23:46 -0500
"Cline, Eric" <Eric.Cline@REICHHOLD.COM> wrote:

> I am a chemist by trade and education, but I spend much of my time pursuing
> artistic endeavors.

Please go and get the following record:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000FYHM/ref=m_art_li_3/104-5026664-2573546?v=glance&s=music

If you cannot afford to do so drop me a line and I encode the piece "Slink" of this album to mp3 and provide it for download on my website. Then - not only as a chemist - read the following notes from the composer and pianist:

I am listening to St. Mathew right now and must stop writing for a
moment...  Yes the double choir is powerful but more powerful is the
motivic development.  Yes this a perfect embodiment of architecture, and I
am also reminded of organic chemistry.  It sounds to me like endless
molecules organically linked. To give you an example of how the great Bach
influenced me consider how my piece "Slink" develops.  Let's put this in
the context of chemistry.  Slink starts with an atom that contains an
ascending fifth, Eb Bb, followed by a linking atom that only contains F,
followed by an atom that mirrors the first atom but is a major third
higher: G, D.  This major third is significant and further developments
will make that clear.  But let's call these first five notes a molecule.
The next molecule contains only the atom of the ascending fifth, C, G..
The next molecule is similar in many regards to the first molecule because
it contains the ascending atom, D,A, followed by the singular atom, Eb,
followed by a mirror of the first atom in this third molecule, F. C, but is
a minor third higher.  This minor third will also be dealt with later.  Now
look at how these first 12 notes replicate the first five.  The first five
contain a two note atom linked by a one note atom to another two part atom.
 The first 12 contain a five note molecule linked by a two note molecule to
another five note molecule.   I suggest you listen to only the first few
seconds of Slink until this parallel is clear.  Now the game has already
begun because the molecules start at different points in the meter, (It's
all 4/4 and ends up as a standard eight bar phrase BTW)..  The game is
furthered by longer molecules playing with the idea of ascending two note
atoms linked by singular atoms to ascending atoms, and the displacement
within the meter is also continued.  Notice when the second voice enters it
starts with an inversion of the opening atom, now it's a descending fifth -
F, Bb, and goes on to add new material but also to comment on the existing
material.  The third voice is designed for contrast.  The first two deal
mainly with the interval of the fifth but the LINKING notes were always
next to each other as in a scale.  So the third voice deals with the idea
of the scale and contains very few leaps.  With this introduction of the
third voice we have a clearly implied harmony and it swings between Eb
major and C major.  I told you the issue of the ninor third would be dealt
with.  There is an interlude where these ideas are further explored and
then a reprise of the three part culmination.  But in the next section the
harmony  swings between Ab major and C minor, thus dealing with the major
third issue, and the melody expands on both the scales and leaps of the
previous material.   For instance, the first four notes of the melody in
this section start with a step (in inversion to the first step) followed by
a fifth (in inversion to the first fifth).  The inversion idea is furthured
by rhythm as the the first four notes of the piece contain the fifth
followed by the step. These four notes contain the inversion of the first
step followed by the inversion of the first fifth.   Thus we have a
rhymythic inversion of the leap and the step.  The end of all this
expositional material contains and ascending (again) series of thirds
(A,C,E,G,B,,D,F#,A) inverting again the order of the introduction of the
major and minor third idea.  Listen to Slink again with this knowledge and
tell me what you think.  And let's all keep listening to Bach.

(from a private email conversation)

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