Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christopher Lyndon-Gee.
I - Moderato poco allegro - Très calme - Très agité - Calmato a tempo - Tempo initial - Pesante - Lent - Très lent - A tempo mosso - Moderato - Vif, très souple, mysteriéux - Allegro molto: 0:00
Varèse's "Hyperprism" was composed between 1922-3, being premiered on March 4 of 1923 in New York, performed by the International Composers Guild Ensemble conducted by the composer. The reception was mixed to say the least; part of the audience laughed and hissed throughout the performance while the other part cheered and applauded, this reaction was mirrored by the critics but with a clear predominance of the scathing reviews. Stokowski took up the work, playing it twice in Philadelphia in November and again in New York in December.
In 1923, crucial points were marked in the development of Western music: Schoenberg's Op. 25 presented the beginnings of his 12-tone theory; Stravinsky's Octet launched his neoclassicist phase; Milhaud's "La creation du monde" integrated French "new simplicity" with American jazz. Despite the distinction of these various currents, they each concerned either a desire to innovate structure or revolutionize style. On the other hand, Varèse attempted a revolution not of style or structure, but of pure sound. "I refuse to submit myself only to sounds that have already been heard," Varèse had complained a few years earlier. "What I am looking for are new technical mediums that lend themselves to every expression of thought and can keep up with thought."
The title might be interpreted as referring to crystalline structures, with which Varèse was famously fascinated. He sought out Nathaniel Arbiter, professor of mineralogy at Columbia University, who taught him that “crystal form itself is a resultant rather than a primary attribute. Crystal form is the consequence of the interaction of attractive and repulsive forces and the ordered packing of the atom.” Thus, in Varèse’s own words, “taking the place of linear counterpoint, the movement of sound-masses, of shifting planes, will be very clearly perceived. When these sound masses collide, the phenomena of penetration or repulsion will seem to occur.” And elsewhere, “This [description of crystalline structure], I believe, suggests better than any explanation I could give about the way my works are formed. There is an idea, the basis of an internal structure, expanded and split into different shapes or groups of sound constantly changing in shape, direction and speed, attracted and repulsed by various forces. The form of the work is the consequence of this interaction. Possible musical forms are as limitless as the exterior forms of crystals.”
One of the distinguishing features of "Hyperprisme" was that it entirely eliminated the string section (the role of which had already been diminished in his "Offrandes" from 1921) because Varèse thought strings evoked outmoded Romantic modes of expression. Instead, Hyperprisme highlights the blocky, strident character of the brass, the shrillness of the winds, and the endless variety of sounds afforded by a greatly expanded percussion battery; in addition to the flute, clarinet, and full orchestral brass section, Varèse scored the piece for nearly 20 different percussion instruments played with a variety of techniques. From a global point of view, the structure can be vaguely described as ternary form, further subdivided into nine distinct sections.
Of course, Varèse's skill is not measured by the sheer number of different sounds he assembles, but the way in which he assembles them. His approach to orchestration involves an extreme fluidity of texture so that instruments might follow distinct paths in one moment and assemble to create a complex composite gesture or colour in the next. He often articulates the attack of a note or shape of a melodic gesture in the winds by punctuating it with percussion; in a sense, the winds act as vowels, the percussion instruments as consonants. At the same time, resonant instruments like cymbals and gongs (which offer less rhythmic agility than, say, Chinese wood blocks or a snare drum) provide a washed broadband sound that throws melodic and rhythmic elements into greater relief. Furthermore, the greater attention to non-pitched percussion demands a greater exploration of rhythmic possibilities; Varèse's ability to convey musical emotion through purely rhythmic means rivals that of any composer of the twentieth century.
Picture: "In the Black Circle" (1923) by the Russian-French painter Wassily Kandinsky.
Sources: tinyurl.com/28... and tinyurl.com/22...
To check the score: tinyurl.com/22...
2 окт 2024
