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TECHNIQUES of the

CONTEMPORARY COMPOSER DAVID COPE

SCHIRIVIER THC>IVISC>N L.E.A.RNING

Ausιralia • Canada • Mexico • Singapore • Spain • Unitcd Κingdom • United States

CONTENTS Introducιion

ι.

χί

BAS1CS Approaches to Conιposίrion Skills and Tools 4 T he Profession 7 Rudiments of Orchesrrarίon and Form

2. ΤΗΕ TONAL LEGACY Basic Key Conceprs

8

12 12

15 Chron1arίcisn1 Expansions and Planing 19 Polyronaliry 3. NEW ROLES Of MELODY 26 Scales 28 Morives Basic Melodic Conceprs Exrendcd Melodίc Lines 34 Accompaniments

17 26

29 32

4. HARMONY, COUNTERP01NT, AND H1ERARCHY T he Overrone Series 38 39 Texture 39 Consonance and Dissonance lnterval Srrengths 40 Roots 41 Progression Srrengths and Chromatίcism 5.

INTERVAL EXPLORAT10N

46

Basic Concepts 46 Fifth and Fourrh Chords 48 Second and Seventh Chords 50 lnterval Combίnations 55

42

38

CONTENTS

χ

18.

206

MEDIA FORMS

206 209 212 214

Multίn1edίa Mίxed Media lιHern1edia Vίrtual Rea\ity

1 9. MINIMALISM

216

Silence as Mίnimalism

217 218 218

Concept Musίc Brevicy Works

Continuities Phase and Panern Music 20. EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC

219 222

Situatίon and Circun1stance Music

223 224 226

Soundscapes Biomusic Antimusic 21.

230

DECATEGORIZATION

231 232

Eclecticism Quotation Sectionalίzation Overlays lntegration

239

Bibliography

/,ιΔeχ

234 236

247

233

INTRODUCTION

216

222

If chere is one characterίstic of the arts that remains constant, it is change. Although Westem C\assical music, to the inexperienced listener, may seem predictable and reli­ ably consistent, it is not . Over the course of centuries, harmonic νocabularies that originated in medίeval organum with open parallel fourths and fίfths have proceeded through triads and seventh and ninth chords to the dissonant, clusterlike chords of the twentieth century. Melodic vocabularies have likewίse developed from stepwise diatonic chants through triadic leaping to extreme chromaticism and pointillism. Rhythm, timbre, and texture have followed similar paths from simple to complex, though less quickly. Those who refuse to accept change, or who canonize common-practice music of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries to the detriment of contemporary music, lack the νίsίοη necessary to understand the inevitable nature of change. Though many a masterpiece was produced during Westem music's tonal centuries, brilliance of craft and musicianship are evident in thousands of works written before and after those years. Techniques of the Contemporary Composer covers many of the changes that have taken place recently and even suggests a few that may yet occur. Central to the book , are three basic concepts: 1. There ίs ηο righι way to compose music, no righι style, only different ones. Each individual must decide on his or her own mode of expression. 2. There ίs no progress in art. W hile it may at first seem plausible that, for example, a late Romantic symphony is superior to a simple tenth-century plainchant, careful consideration may prove the contrary. Α comparison of progress ίη the arts to, for instance, progress in rhe sciences is inappropriate. 3. However music is defined (and it matters little in the final analysis), it pos­ sesses elements that n1ake craft and consistency fundamental to its qua\ity. Tedιniques of the Conιeιnporary Composer is designed to cover the techniques, resour ces, and technologies of composition of the twentieth and early t\\ ency-fίrst centu ήes whίle placίng an emphasίs on the musίc of more recent years. Most musίc αιpositίon books dea! almost exclusίvely with traditional techniques, ίnclusive of t% Principa l αιusic of the early to middle twentieth century. Those that do includι:: nontraditi onal rechnίques usually cover only a few contemporary idioms. The pre­ senc book, however, includes as n1any areas of contemporary composition as possible 1

χίί

INTRODUCTION

ίη an inclusive single volume and ίη as objective a nιanner as possible. lt assunιes that knowledge of as many procedures as possible produces true freedonι of expression. By studying and carefully evaluating the ideas presented here, readers nιay lead thenι­ selves to developing their own individual style. Techniques of ιhe Coηιemporary Composer enconιpasses ιwenty-one chapters, orgc1nized to coincide roughly with rwo semesters or three academic quarters of composi­ tion, with time left for review. This can be expanded to a two- or three-year format, with one chapter assigned every two or three weeks instead of one per week. The book also provides both teacher and student with examples, bibliographic references (keyed by parenthetical pointers in the text), and composing suggestions. The bibliography includes a bήef list of relevant books and scores for further study and analysis. The beginning chapters provide a transition fronι conιmon-practice study and gently bridge the gap from learned bias to the exploration of new ideas. The order of the chapters thenιselves ίs logical but does not always reflect historical chronology. Nor does the chapter order reflect any particular progression roward better, more complex, or more definitive techniques. While subsequent chapters do build to some extent on the techniques of previous chapters, this organization should not lead to assumptίons that later chapters have more substantial worth. If any progression occurs here, ίt is one fronι tradition towc1rd innovation, with ιhe last chapter sunι­ ming up ίts predecessors. Chapters are also grouped around similar ideas. Chapters 6 and 7, for example, have nιuch ίη conιmon. Chapters 11 and 12 have likewise sinιi­ lar subject matter, as do chapters 15, 16, 17, and 18. Each chapter presents only an introduction to its subject and should not be considered exhaustive. The musical exanψles are prinιarily nιy own and were composed not as represen­ tations of my personal style but as demonstrations of the points under discussion. As a composition teacher using this book as a classroonι text, 1 require all compos­ ing assignments to be performed, at least ίη the classroonι. This requirenιent extends as well to nιost of the exanιples in each chapter as well as to nιany of the works listed in the bibliography. Many of the book's exanιples also exist in standard MIDI file for­ nιat and are available and downloadable fronι nιy lnternet site: http;//arts.ucsc.edu/ faculty/cope/honιe. Students are encouraged to work οη larger projects that nιay or nιay not interact with the classroonι assignnιents, thus obtaining practical and usable techniques, resources, and technologies from a variety of new styles ίη addition tu completing larger works more demanding in form and content. 1 wish to thank nιy wife, Mary Jane, and the nιany studenrs I have had over mγ thirty years of teaching nιusic conιposition. !η many \vays, these individuals haνe taught me as nιuch as Ι thenι. Certainly, the order of chapters and the nιanner of pre­ sentation are due as nιuch to their suggesriuns, direct and indirect, over the years as to my own ideas. 1 hope that sonιe of these exchanges of influence have proved a5 useful ro them ίη ιheir endeavors as conιposers �.• ιd educarors as they have tu me. Ι also wish ro thank Jill Lectka for her insights, advice, and help and David Roen for copying most of the musical exanιples. Sonιerset Maughωn once noted that there are three rules for writing a novel, bur unfortunately, ηο one knows what they are. While this nιay be true for writing nιusic

TION ΙNTRODUC

χίίί

as well, ίt is inιportant to point out that potential novelists and composers alike have access ro a great nιany resources that can enable thenι to discover those rules for theιnse\ves. The present book ίs not, therefore, about rules, but about resources. It is with these concepts ίη mind that Ι hope to aid readers ίη discovering the techniques of the contemporary conιposer. David Cope

cHAPTER 1

BASICS THIS CHAPTER IDENTIFIES a few good composition l1 abits, lists ideas for preparing scores, and presents suggestίons for developing performance and publί­ catίon opportunities. lt also covers tl1e basic rudiments of orcl1estration and musical form. While such practical matters are often neglected in books on music composi­ tion, rhey represent important strategies for enduring as a composer and not just dab­ bling in the craft (Rochberg 1984).

Approaches to Composition Precompositίonal overviews are stressed througl1 out mucl1 of tl1is book. Such overviews usually consist of visual grapl1ics, narratives, or outlines froω wl1icl1 tech­ niques and materials can be derived (Stravinsky 1947). Overviews l1elp composers avoid the problems often encountered in compositions tl1 at are not prestructured: a potpourri of ideas from various composing sessions spaced over days, weeks, and even months. Overviews, wl1 ile malleable to tl1 e very last note of a resultίng composition, provide frameworks for composing more consistent music in larger forωs. Figure 1.1 sl1ows a serίes of overviews of a work for cl1 amber orcl1estra titled Duplum. Figure l.la demonstrates how tl1e work migl1 t appear on a tlπee-by-five­ inch index card. Tl1e horizontal lines here describe texture and dynamics and, along with the vertίcal and angled bars, define the tlπee main sections of the form. Figure l.lb presents a more detailed version of tl1 e work witl1 a few rl1 ythmic ideas sketcl1 ed in appropriate locations. This overview also shows more details about tl1e tγpes of materials ίn each section. Figure l.lc gives more definition to tl1e main ideas, with some of the more important musical ideas written out in traditional notation. Displaying overviews on rhe wall above the primary composing workplace can l1elp to remind composers of tl1eir current context in a work. Beginning a composition from an overview can be as effecrive as beginning a com­ posίrion from a melody, motive, or harmonic structure. Sketching a work (even in �aphic terms) in its complete form before a note or cl1 ord has been written, expand­ ιng it outward tl1 rougl1 larger and larger sketcl1es, often l1 elps composers visualize and hear works in larger forms. Some composers actually begin witl1 tl1 e double bar at the end before composing rl1 eir compositions (Stravinsky 194 7). Tl1 is l1 elps tl1em work where intuition suggests-tl 1us more naturally-and not just wl1ere tl1 e music's notat ion currently happ ens ro stop.

3

CHAPTER ΟΝΕ

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1. 1. Three overviews of a work for chamber orchesrra.

Using a remporary rirle ofren helps when crearing overviews. Composers ofren neglecr rhe significance of a rirle ro an audience and ro rhemselves. Indeed, Hecror Berlioz's Symphanίe Jαηιαιιίqιιe would sound very differenrly were rhe rirle changed ro Sy mphony Νο. l. It is diffίcult even ro speak aboιιr a work, much less conceprualize ir, wirhour irs having a rirle. Skerching provides composers with a way ro hone rheir skills and develop ra\Ι' materials for new works. Example 1.1 shoν.,s a series of skerches by Beerhoven for his Srring Quarter in Α Minor Op. 132. Note how important new elements surface in each sketch as well as how apparenrly unsuccessful ideas disappear. Beerh0\1en revised so heavily that often his initial ideas are ιιnrecognizable in his final drafr; (althoιιgh that is not the case here). Revising materials can be as importanr a parr of the craft of nιusical composition as inspiratioιι and should be regularly exercised. One should avoid including new ideas just because these ideas seem gαxl. Ofren such ideas can be complerely foreign to a work and disrupt its continuity. Keeping a sketchbook can be useful for such inspirations. Sketchi.ng new ideas, concepts , or

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1.1. Α seήes of sketches by Beethoven for his String Qιιarret ίη Α Minor Op. 132.

overvι·ews ιη a separare pad and saving them for later works, especially wl1en inspiraήon . ιs low ebb, can prevent these ideas from inteπupting otherwise consistent music. � ketching often requires that a composer be aware of all of a work's music com­ :ed ro date rather than just the nιusic visible on the current page. Using just one e taff paper helps ensure r at fi ding imp rtanr even s pr vious ro or follow­ ίng r�� : u � � � _ � _� πent poιnt of composιtιon wιl Ι be relatιvely easy. Lιkewιse, using numbered _ IOose pages rather than bound manuscrιpt allows composers ro see a whole work just