A friend of mine who teaches middle school orchestra recently asked me to settle a debate he'd been having with his class over my piece Avatar. The argument centers on the very last measure, which looks like this:
His 'cellos and basses prefer playing all of beat 2 as a three-note slur, rather than slurring just the 16th notes and playing the upbeat as an upbow, as written. So my friend, the orchestra teacher, turned to me to judge the case. Here's my response:
The reason it's a two-note slur instead of a three-note slur is:
1.
That same rhythmic figure appears a two-note slur throughout the entire
piece (practically every odd-numbered measure) so playing it that way
at 59 keeps things consistent. It's an essential part of the piece's
DNA. Changing it on the last rhythm of the final measure would be weird.
2.
Playing a two-note slur at m. 59 ensures that the last note is played
with a down bow, which naturally has more power than an up bow and
results in a natural accent.
3. Playing a two-note slur and
ending the piece on a down bow keeps things consistent with the violins
and violas, who also end with a down bow. Everyone ends together on a
strong down bow, which gives the piece both a sonic and visual sense of
finality.
4. I'm the composer and I know what I'm doing.
There's plenty of
room for interpretation when it comes to expression, style, and even
flexibility in tempo and dynamics (within reason) but notes, rhythms,
and bowing are all carefully chosen and shouldn't be messed with.
Especially in this piece, which requires precise, articulate playing.
Let me know what you think – which elements of written music are open to interpretation? And if you have your own debate about something I wrote, I'd love to hear about it and make a ruling.
It's been a while since I posted about the music I've been listening to. I use my iPod when I go running, so up-tempo pop and dance music works best. Nothing against ballads or classical music, but a fast steady tempo helps me keep up my pace. Here are some of the songs currently on my running mix:
1. My World by Hands Up!
There's no video for this one, but the song is really cool. I especially like the percussive, overdubbed violin ostinato. It reminds me of Steve Reich's piece Violin Phase. Also, you don't hear many pop songs (or, really, much of any music) in the key of C# Major.
2. Love You Like a Love Song by Selena Gomez
When I first heard this song on the radio I thought I was hearing a lost Donna Summer track from 1978. It has a great groove and I love those disco violins and the dubstep wub-wub-wubs give it a modern edge. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was listening to a Disney pop princess.
3. Brokenhearted by Karmin
Here's a cool, infectious pop song. I'm especially fascinated by the bass line, which outlines the same four-chord progression (I - vi - IV - V) without variation throughout the piece, similar to the famous ground bass in Pachalbel's Canon In D.
4. Closer by Tegan and Sara
Their new album, Hearthrob, is a real departure for Tegan and Sarah, who made their name with quiet, folksy songs. But I'm thrilled that they found the beat, making this one of the best pop albums of the year. I especially love this track for its bold, hands-in-the-air confidence.
5. Perform This Way by "Weird" Al Yankovic
I think it's generally accepted that induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is the second-highest honor one can achieve in the world of popular music. The first is having your song parodied by Weird Al. And I always like Al best when he skewers the artists themselves (like Smells Like Nirvana), rather than turning the song into something else. I think he picked a great pop culture moment to parody and I'm happy to hear that Lady Gaga was so accommodating.
6. Get Lucky by Daft Punk
Oh, Daft Punk, you crazy French robots. You've done it again. And good on you for bringing in the legendary Nile Rodgers and his funky guitar licks along.
7. Celebrate by Mika
Ohmygodyouguys. Mika put out another album. And (as usual) it is amazing. His cover of Popular from the musical Wicked is getting more attention, but I like this song which, like Get Lucky, features Pharrell Williams. It bears repeating: Mika is writing all the songs Freddy Mercury never got around to.
8. The City by Madeon
Here's a great song for running. It's a cool piece of EDM with a nice, driving beat. And the best surprise is when it ends with a piccardy third! Baroque compositional techniques in the house!
9. Nanobots by They Might Be Giants
The latest from one of my favorite bands. I'm a lifelong fan and I was lucky enough to see them live a second time this year. I hope to see them again and again as long as they keep touring. They're an unabashedly nerdy band that writes awesome songs about nerdy things. As usual, their melodies are infectious, their songwriting is inspired. It's sheer brilliance and I look to the Johns as creative role models.
I'm thrilled to report that my new music for 2013 - 2014 is now available! I'm really excited about this year's selections and can't wait to share them with the world. I've included links in this post so you can buy the sheet music from J.W. Pepper and listen to and/or buy the recordings on the Alfred Publishing website.
First is Dragonfly, a piece in G minor that buzzes with energy and features darting, zigzag rhythms in changing meters.
I did pretty well with my Oscar picks - I got 16 out of 21 (not counting the documentary or live-action short films), which is 76%. Here's the full list, with my correct picks bolded:
Best Picture: Argo
Best Director: Ang Lee Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway Best Original Screenplay: Django Unchained Best Adapted Screenplay: Argo
Best Animated Feature: Brave Best Foreign Language Film: Amour Best Film Editing: Argo Best Cinematography: Life of Pi
Best Production Design: Lincoln
Best Hair & Makeup: Lex Miz Best Costumes: Anna Karenina Best Song: Skyfall Best Score: Life of Pi Best Visual Effects: Life of Pi Best Sound: Les Miz Best Sound Effects Editing: Zero Dark Thirty & Skyfall (a tie!) Best Animated Short: Paperman
Best Live-action Short: Curfew
Documentary Short: Innocente
Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugarman
I thought it was a great show, with only a few mis-steps. The producers of this year's broadcast were the guys behind 2002's Chicago and they took every opportunity to remind us of that fact, shoehorning clips and tributes throughout the show and reuiniting the cast to present awards. We get it. Chicago was a great movie. Ten years ago.
I thought Seth MacFarlane did really well and it was smart of him to acknowledge how thankless a job it is to host the Oscars. The monologue dragged a little, but his Sound Of Music gag was a particular favorite. Overall: thumbs up.
And I like that the ceremony was full of surprise moments like Daniel Day-Lewis's charming acceptance, Jennifer Lawrence being adorable, Quentin Tarantino's sweaty, rambling speech, and a tie for Best Sound Effects Editing.
Hey! Oscar Night is Sunday and I haven't posted my picks yet! Let's rectify that.
Best Picture: Argo
Best Director: Steven Speilberg
Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway
Best Original Screenplay: Django Unchained
Best Adapted Screenplay: Argo
Best Animated Feature: Wreck It Ralph
Best Foreign Language Film: Amour
Best Film Editing: Argo
Best Cinematography: Life of Pi
Best Production Design: Les Miz
Best Hair & Makeup: The Hobbit
Best Costumes: Anna Karenina
Best Song: Skyfall
Best Score: Life of Pi
Best Visual Effects: Life of Pi
Best Sound: Les Miz
Best Sound Effects Editing: Zero Dark Thirty
I took each category on its own merits and it looks like I've picked Argo, Lincoln, Les Miz, and Life of Pi to each take home three awards. It's highly unusual for one film not to stand out.
As usual, I don't pick the shorts or documentary films because I normally don't get to see them ahead of time. But if I had to make an unofficial guess, I'd pick Paperman for Animated Short.
There it is! Under the wire! Enjoy the show on Sunday night!
