Pietro Antonio Locatelli

Pietro Antonio Locatelli (b. Bergamo, 1695–d. Amsterdam, 1764) was an Italian composer and a virtuoso violinist. He started his career in his hometown, among the violinists of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo. In 1711 he moved to Rome, probably to study with Arcangelo Corelli, the maximum musical authority of the time. The severe illness and the death (1713) of the great master frustrated the young violinist’s plans, however. Probably Locatelli had to fall back on Giuseppe Valentini, a virtuoso violinist trained at Corelli’s school. In the meantime, Locatelli worked in many places and institutions. His first employment was with Michelangelo X Caetani, duke of Cisterna and Sermoneta and prince of Caserta; he then performed with the musical chapel of Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni and Monsignor Camillo Cybo, the latter the dedicatee of Locatelli’s Op. 1. From 1716 to 1722 he was a member of the Congregatione generale dei musici di Santa Cecilia. Locatelli was in Rome until the spring of 1723. He then started a tour that led him to the main European musical centers. In 1723 Locatelli was in Venice, where made the acquaintance of the patrician Girolamo Michiel Lini, Op. 3’s dedicatee. In 1725 he was in Mantua, where was appointed “virtuoso di camera” by Philipp von Hessen-Darmstadt. In 1727 Locatelli left Italy, never to return. He had short stays in Munich (1727), Berlin, Frankfurt, and Kassel (1728). In 1729 he moved to Amsterdam, where remained until his death. There he started to print his nine Opus numbers composed during the years of pilgrimage. Locatelli wrote only instrumental music, in the genres of concerto grosso, violin concerto, violin sonata, and trio sonata. Le Cène, Van der Hoeven, and Covens were the publishers of his orchestral works, while his chamber works were instead published at his own expense. In addition, he gave weekly private concerts, taught a few rich patricians of the city, and traded in prints, books, and musical items. Studies on Locatelli’s time, life, and works are covered in several book-length studies, a complete edition, and numerous articles.

The Visual Listening Guide

This chapter is a systematic examination of the Visual Listening Guide, a new type of printed graphic guide to facilitate active listening and understanding of orchestral works. Created by musicologist Hannah Chan-Hartley, the Visual Listening Guide is the first of its kind to appear in a concert program book, for use during a live performance. This chapter describes the development and creation of the Guide’s distinctive design. An analysis of its elements reveals how the Guide aims to show the structure of a symphonic work, acting like a map to it, indicating important sonic landmarks and other features. It also reviews the reception of the Visual Listening Guide following its first phase of use by concert-goers from 2015 to 2020, and considers the efficacy and potential of graphic guides to communicate about Western classical music to the broad public, helping organizations foster audience engagement and appreciation.

The Composer's Hand: An Analysis of Selected String Orchestral Works by Arvo Pärt

<p>Arvo Pärt’s music has received little attention from theoretical scholars, in part, because it is often labelled as minimalist or process music. This is due primarily to his use of limited sets of musical materials and predetermined repetitive melodic and rhythmic procedures. In this sense, it is implied that authorial decisions play little role in the compositional process of his music. In addition, the confluences of multiple M-voice/T-voice pairings, which create a rich array of harmonically non-functional chord progressions, do not lend themselves to traditional approaches to musical analysis, thus acting as a further deterrent to analysts and theorists. This investigation postulates that the presence of the ‘composer’s hand’ is much more significant in Pärt’s music than has been previously realised by those who label his music as minimalist or process music; and by engaging in a multimodal methodology, this thesis demonstrates that Pärt’s music does, in fact, respond to post-tonal analytical approaches. It also shows that a non-traditional application of post-tonal analytical techniques can yield valuable and productive insights into Pärt’s compositional system, and that there is actually much for theorists and analysts to discover in his music. The approach to the investigation is based on drawing from and combining several post-tonal analytical methods, any one of which would be insufficient on its own, given the uniqueness of Pärt’s sound world and the fact that such approaches have been developed to enlighten very different repertoires. The methodology incorporates the following post-tonal analytical methods: descriptions of the ‘musical fabric’ of each work; a detailed analysis of how each composition appears to have been constructed; new approaches to visualising the relationships between the pitch classes of particular works; and mappings of each work’s pitch-class and interval-vector content. This investigation demonstrates, through multimodal analysis of six selected string orchestral works by the composer, that hidden beneath the seemingly ‘minimal’ surface layers of Pärt’s music are carefully crafted musical constructions that result from intersecting procedures and multifaceted rules, as well as what appear to be intentional exceptions to those rules – thus revealing the composer’s hand. An awareness of these hidden constructions and the careful craftsmanship that went into their creation can provide the informed listener with the critical foundation from which the aesthetic value of Pärt’s music can be assessed and appreciated.</p>

The Composer's Hand: An Analysis of Selected String Orchestral Works by Arvo Pärt

<p>Arvo Pärt’s music has received little attention from theoretical scholars, in part, because it is often labelled as minimalist or process music. This is due primarily to his use of limited sets of musical materials and predetermined repetitive melodic and rhythmic procedures. In this sense, it is implied that authorial decisions play little role in the compositional process of his music. In addition, the confluences of multiple M-voice/T-voice pairings, which create a rich array of harmonically non-functional chord progressions, do not lend themselves to traditional approaches to musical analysis, thus acting as a further deterrent to analysts and theorists. This investigation postulates that the presence of the ‘composer’s hand’ is much more significant in Pärt’s music than has been previously realised by those who label his music as minimalist or process music; and by engaging in a multimodal methodology, this thesis demonstrates that Pärt’s music does, in fact, respond to post-tonal analytical approaches. It also shows that a non-traditional application of post-tonal analytical techniques can yield valuable and productive insights into Pärt’s compositional system, and that there is actually much for theorists and analysts to discover in his music. The approach to the investigation is based on drawing from and combining several post-tonal analytical methods, any one of which would be insufficient on its own, given the uniqueness of Pärt’s sound world and the fact that such approaches have been developed to enlighten very different repertoires. The methodology incorporates the following post-tonal analytical methods: descriptions of the ‘musical fabric’ of each work; a detailed analysis of how each composition appears to have been constructed; new approaches to visualising the relationships between the pitch classes of particular works; and mappings of each work’s pitch-class and interval-vector content. This investigation demonstrates, through multimodal analysis of six selected string orchestral works by the composer, that hidden beneath the seemingly ‘minimal’ surface layers of Pärt’s music are carefully crafted musical constructions that result from intersecting procedures and multifaceted rules, as well as what appear to be intentional exceptions to those rules – thus revealing the composer’s hand. An awareness of these hidden constructions and the careful craftsmanship that went into their creation can provide the informed listener with the critical foundation from which the aesthetic value of Pärt’s music can be assessed and appreciated.</p>

"beaucoup plus modal que tonal"

Focusing on three of Dutilleux's mid to late orchestral works - "Timbres, espace, movement ou La Nuit etoile" (1978), "The Shadows of Time" (1997) and "Sur le meme accord" (2002) - this article gives insight into Henri Dutilleux's scale-defined pitch organization techniques and the role of colour in the works of the French composer. The paper questions the ambiguous relationship between tonality and modality, and asserts the previously only peripherally attested importance of modes for Dutilleux's works. An analysis of pitch organization demonstrates how Dutilleux's aesthetic and literature-inspired concepts of "progressive growing" function musically by foregrounding pivot chords or notes, and how their return reflects the idea of involuntary memory ("memo ire involuntaire") derived from Marcel Proust's "A la recherche du temps perdu".

Kohti kriittistä editiota. Musiikkifilologinen analyysi Leevi Madetojan ensimmäisen sinfonian käsikirjoituslähteistä

Leevi Madetoja’s (1887–1947) first symphony in F major, opus 29 (1916) was not printed during the composer’s lifetime. All performances of the work until the 1980s were played from handwritten orchestra parts. The printed score by Fazer from 1984 is riddled with numerous omissions, wrong pitches and mistakes in articulation and dynamics, and it seems to be a hybrid of the composer’s two manuscripts from 1916 and 1943 by an unknown editor. By today’s standards, the result is questionable, considering that the manuscripts were separated by 27 years. This article takes a look at the manuscript sources of Madetoja’s first symphony and is part of a larger project producing critical editions of Madetoja’s orchestral works. My research question is, what are the manuscript sources of Madetoja’s first symphony, and how are they related? I describe the autographs and handwritten orchestra parts and locate them in the source chain using genealogical reasoning and biographical information. I point out which orchestra materials and autographs are connected and highlight essential differences between the manuscripts from the point of view of the critical edition. Finally, I consider which of the autographs would be best suited as the principal source of the new critical edition.

Manifestations of the “non-classical” in the orchestral manner of C. Debussy

The relevance. Multidirectionality of artistic searches in the musical art of the first half of the XX century fully complies with the worldview and values of European culture of that time. The change of perception of the world, matter, time and space is objectified in the sound matter of musical works. Among the composers who have a defining role in paving the ways for new music, we should mention C. Debussy. The purpose of the article is to identify and systematize of “non-classical” features in the orchestral manner of C. Debussy. The novelty of the article is the study of the orchestral manner specifics of C. Debussy as “non-classical” in certain traits. The methodology. The article uses functional, historical, comparative, analytical and complex methods. The theoretical basis of the study are the works of V. Bobrovskyi (2018), H. Golovynskyi (1981), S. Iskhakova (1998), L. Kokoreva (2010), S. Mozhot (2006). The result. Extrapolation of scientific statements of V. Bobrovskyi, H. Golovynskyi, S. Iskhakova, L. Kokoreva, S. Mozhot to the sphere of orchestral thinking and orchestral manner of C. Debussy allowed to reveal signs of “non-classical” as the ones that draw a boundary between the principles of classical-romantic orchestration (based on functional harmony) and new music of the XX century. It is the “non-classical” features that allow to create a new sound matter, a new perception of space and time in the orchestral works of the composer. In our opinion, the manifestations of the “non-classical” are: 1) functional restructuring of the orchestral texture on the basis of non-hierarchy as the dominant principle; 2) building a dense, “concrete” in terms of eventfulness and, at the same time, light (massless), broad musical space, 3) levelling the boundary between the exposing (more integral and continuous) type of orchestration and developing (smaller, dialogical, discrete); 4) interpenetration of continuity and discreteness (discrete continuity) at the level of thematics and orchestration as a consequence of erasing the boundary between the functions of background and relief and the exposing and developing orchestration types. The practical significance. The results of the work can be applied in the training courses “History of orchestral styles”, “History of foreign music”, which are studied in higher education institutions; in further scientific researches.

Orchestration of D. L. Klebanov and V. M. Zolotukhin: a comparative analysis

Background. In the last two decades there was a constantly increasing scholar interest to Kharkiv school of composition as a phenomenon of Ukrainian musical culture. Despite this, a lot of unstudied questions remain, which need to be researched. This includes problems of orchestral thinking, orchestral style and orchestral writing of Kharkiv composers, particularly, D. Klebanov and V. Zolotukhin. The novelty lies in the systematization of the principles of orchestration in the symphonies of D. Klebanov (based on the symphonies 1, 3, 6, 7) and the First Symphony of V. Zolotukhin. Analysis of literature. Orchestral music of both composers is researched quite sporadically. Its several facets are studied in works by M. Cherkashyna (1968), I. Frumina (1969), O. Gusarova (1988), T. Krasnopolska (1964), Yu. Malysheva (1967), N. Ocheretovska (2007), Е. Ponomarenko (2005), O. Roschenko (2005; 2016), А. Zamotaylo (2001), O. Zinkevych (2005), I. Zolotovytska (1980), A. Dmitriyeva (2016). There is an article by H. Savchenko (2018), specially devoted to orchestration of D. Klebanov The goal of this article is to reveal the principles of orchestration in symphonies by D. Klebanov (No. 1, 3, 6, 7) and V. Zolotukhin (No. 1) in aspect of comparative analysis. In the article the author operates such methods of research as analytical, functional, and comparative. Conclusions. In results of studying of orchestral works by D. Klebanov and V. Zolotukhin (First Symphony) in aspects of orchestral thinking and principles of orchestration, we have reached the following conclusions: 1) both composers prefer a triple orchestra, which is quite flexible, in order to achieve full-bodied orchestral texture and be able to operate different timbral colours; 2) in the works of both composer, there is an inclination to equal understanding of orchestral groups, including percussion in the first Symphony by V. Zolotukhin; 3) in the vertical projection there is a differentiation of the groups through orchestral functions, which causes a great transparency of the score; 4) much more slow changes of type of a texture and timbral combinations in horizontal projection sets apart orchestration of V. Zolotukhin from orchestration of D. Klebanov; 5) overall, orchestration of V. Zolotukhin is more dense, filled with doubles, it is dominated by “large touch”, which causes continuity and smaller degree of detailing; 6) a special trait of orchestration of D. Klebanov is thinking by timbral and textural layers with obvious distinction of orchestral function between them. Inside of these layers there is an additional split of orchestral functions which causes rather rare usage of doubles between instruments of different orchestral groups. For V. Zolotukhin, thinking with clearly defined timbral and textural layers is characteristic, which tells about realisation of orchestral polyphonic thinking on the macro level or the whole texture; 7) in orchestration of both composers there is a tendency to colouring: in the First Symphony by V. Zolotukhin it is brighter and more robust due to usage of more diverse timbral palette (from piano harp, celesta to extended group of percussion).

The 1860s

On his return from Leipzig, Arthur Sullivan earned his living as a church organist while making his way as a composer of anthems and serious orchestral works. In the mid-1860s he began a close, life-long friendship with George Grove, founder of the music dictionary which still bears his name and a leading Biblical scholar. As well as promoting Sullivan’s music and securing its performance at the Crystal Palace, Grove introduced him to leading figures in the world of Victorian culture and religion, and influenced his spiritual development and beliefs. He also played a key role in Sullivan’s first and rather tortuous love affair. The death of Sullivan’s father inspired his In Memoriam overture and he put much of his own faith into his first oratorio, The Prodigal Son (1869), which drew on an eclectic selection of Biblical texts and emphasized the themes of repentance, forgiveness, and reassurance that would recur in many of his sacred works.