Although Stravinsky himself most likely did not realize the topographical implications of his row succession, certainly he crafted his twelve-tone works with specific rows (such as the foundational rows) for structural and poetic-expressive effects that can be explained by Object-Oriented analysis. In his shorter twelve-tone works (Epitaphium, Anthem, Elegy for J. F. K., Fanfare for a New Theater, and The Owl and the Pussy-Cat), Stravinsky employed the foundational rows, i.e. the Prime, Retrograde, Inversion, and Inverted Retrograde, all of which link or hinge on the first and last notes of the Prime form. In Stravinsky's larger works that use many more rows, such as The Flood and Threni, he still employed rows related to each other by their first and last pitches. These rows, linked and wrapped efficiently and without redundancy, form Torus-shaped or Spherical Objects, which are useful in analysis. Moreover, Stravinsky often used particular rows or Objects to enhance the meaning of the poetry and to create large- and small-scale structure.
How can Object-Oriented analysis help the conductor to rehearse a Stravinsky twelve-tone work more efficiently and to perform a work with a greater understanding of formal and musical-poetical effects? Teaching the performers the pertinent rows, their transpositions, and their canonical manipulation can help the singers when the rows recur melodically or in significant formal areas. In addition, teaching the performers not only where and how Stravinsky employs unusual row formations (such as permutations or misorderings), where he strays to rows from outside of the foundational rows, and, most importantly, how these musical events enhance the dramatic progression of a poetic text, will give the performer a greater understanding of the drama and elevate the level of musical presentation of the poetry in performance. Significantly, because of the varying complexities in Stravinsky's twelve-tone music, the teaching techniques used for different pieces must also vary. Therefore, the remainder of this chapter will suggest possible approaches for the conductor to apply Object-Oriented analysis to Stravinsky's short work Anthem, and the longer Threni.
Because Anthem is an unaccompanied work that employs only the four foundational rows, and because these four rows are repeated often in all four voice parts, the conductor can prepare this work by teaching the foundational rows to the performers. In addition, the conductor can explain the form and musical-poetical effects based on Stravinsky's row usage.
Following a brief summary of the traditional practice of the twelve-tone system as a compositional technique, the conductor can teach the foundational rows a number of ways. Singing rows can be incorporated into a choir's warm-up. The row can be chromatically respelled when doing so to aid the choir. Perhaps the simplest way of teaching the rows for Anthem would be to write the Prime row on a chalkboard and practice singing it forwards and backwards. Doing so would teach both the P-0 and R-0 rows. The I-0 and RI-6 rows could also be written on the board, the I-0 form visually below the P-0 form, and the RI-6 form visually to the right of the P-0 form. The conductor should note that the I-0 form and the RI-6 forms are related by transposition and retrograde order. In addition, the conductor should show that the I-0 and RI-6 rows link from the first and last notes of the Prime form. The I-0 form shares its first pitch with the P-0 form, and the RI-6 form shares its first pitch with the R-0 form.
After the four main rows are introduced, the conductor can progress by singing two connected forms together. For example, the P-0 form connects with the RI-6 form by a shared linking note (as in the alto part MM. 1-8, and tenor MM. 26-33). Also, the R-0 and I-0 forms link (as in the soprano MM. 15-25 and 33-43), and the P-0 and R-0 forms link (as in the bass MM. 15-25 and 33-43).
After the choir is able to sing two linked rows, the conductor might begin to teach two voices at once. For example, from MM. 1-8 the tenors and altos could sing the alto part (in their own range) as the sopranos and basses sing the soprano part (in their own range). The same could then be done in MM. 26-33, this time the sopranos singing the bass part in their own range, and the altos joining the tenors.
Finally, based on the his or her previous preparation, the conductor can teach the most complicated sections where four rows occur melodically at once.
As the notes are learned, the conductor can underscore the A-B-A'-B' form of the work, and also point out places where and why Stravinsky breaks the row orders, as detailed above in the chapter "Simple Application of Stravinsky's Method in His Short Works."
Whereas Anthem only employs four closely related rows, Threni uses many rows at various levels of transposition, and uses row collections, objects, both musical-poetically and formally. Therefore, Threni is even more suited to being taught with the lessons learned by Object-Oriented analysis than Anthem.
The role of the soloists and that of the chorus is often distinct in Threni. Quite often the soloists bear the Lamentations text, which requires more pitches and, therefore, rows, whereas the chorus interjects with the Hebrew letters. Rows are most often employed melodically in their entirety by solo voices. The Prime and Inversion forms are first presented by the solo Soprano and Alto in MM. 5-18. Two Bass soloists sing the identical rows simply and plainly at the beginning of "De elegia quinta" in MM. 384. Despite the importance of the rows that the soloists sing in Threni, the conductor will most likely spend his or her time teaching rows to the chorus. Therefore, the remainder of this discussion will focus on the chorus.
The conductor could begin by teaching the foundational forms as described for Anthem. He or she could present a brief summary of the traditional practice of the twelve-tone system as a compositional technique. Then, he or she could write the Prime row on a chalkboard and practice singing it forwards and backwards with the chorus. Doing so would teach both the P-0 and R-0 rows. The I-0 and RI-6 rows could also be written on the board, the I-0 form visually below the P-0 form, and the RI-6 form visually to the right of the P-0 form. The conductor should state that the I-0 form and the RI-6 forms are related by transposition and retrograde order. In addition, the conductor should show that the I-0 and RI-6 rows link from the first and last notes of the Prime form. The I-0 form shares its first pitch with the P-0 form, and the RI-6 form shares its first pitch with the R-0 form.
After establishing the foundational rows and their relationships to each other, the conductor could point out in Stravinsky's score where these rows are used. Perhaps the I-0 form could be taught by first singing the row as written on the chalkboard, and then as written in the score in the chorus parts in MM. 194-203. The conductor should tell the chorus that pitch repetitions (like those in M. 196) are one of Stravinsky's typical compositional devices. Rotation is another device, which a conductor could tackle when teaching the RI-6 row sung in the Soprano part in M. 197. In MM. 231-245, the I-0 (Soprano and Alto 1, sung twice), R-0 (Alto 2 and Tenor, sung twice), and RI-6 (MM. 235-238) parts could all be taught using the chalkboard and applying the rows to the score. Using MM. 231-238, the conductor could practice with the chorus singing two foundational rows simultaneously. The conductor should also remind the choir that the RI-6 row is identical (except for rotation) in M. 197 and MM. 235-238. The conductor can show that the RI-6 row is also in MM. 19-22, but this time individual choral voices hold their pitches as the others sing their members from the row. The conductor should again point out another of Stravinsky's compositional devices: restating a row member that has already been sung in another voice in order to create a harmony. In this case, the Sopranos and Altos sing the B in M. 22 already sung by the Basses in the previous measure.
After the choir becomes familiar with Stravinsky's foundational rows and a few of his compositional devices, the conductor could teach all foundational rows at once in MM. 412-417. An appropriate method would be for the conductor to show how each row exists in each voice (P-0 in Altos, R-0 in Sopranos, I-6 in Basses, RI-6 in Tenors). The conductor should show how occasionally, the vocal parts share row members and consequently Stravinsky trims certain row members from their part. Also, sometimes voices exchange members to create more interesting harmonies. After teaching one voice at a time, the conductor can try pairs of voices, and finally the entire chorus at once.
A conductor should show how Stravinsky often uses pitches from a single row harmonically, in two parts (the Sopranos and Altos in M. 188-193), and in four parts (the full chorus in MM. 358-383 for the Hebrew letter THAU).
Once the foundational rows are ingrained in the minds of the chorus, the conductor can teach the chorus the rows as they occur in Stravinsky's music (with his rhythmic values). Then, the conductor can teach the other Objects, explaining that the row shapes are identical but transposed to new pitch levels.
As the notes are learned, the conductor can underscore the formal structure of Threni by pointing out how and where the foundational rows return as the work's structural foundation. The conductor should show the chorus places where and why Stravinsky employs different Objects, as detailed above in the chapter "Threni: Large-Scale Musical-Poetical and Formal Row Employment with Objects." The conductor should also explain the significance of Stravinsky's large-scale use of RI-3 for the Hebrew letters in Sensus spei, also detailed in the chapter on Threni above.
As the conductor teaches the chorus notes, he or she should also tell them about Stravinsky's interesting depictive row constructions, such as the permutation in MM. 405-408 for the words "converte nos, Domine." Further, the conductor can explain how Stravinsky uses rows from different Objects for expressive effect. For example, the Second Object is often associated with weeping or enemies. Many of these depictive devices are detailed above in the chapter "Threni: Large-Scale Musical-Poetical and Formal Row Employment with Objects."
Object-Oriented analysis can help the conductor to rehearse a Stravinsky twelve-tone work more efficiently and to perform a work with a greater understanding of formal and musical-poetical effects. Teaching the performers the pertinent rows, their transpositions, and their canonical manipulation can pay off when the rows recur melodically or in significant formal areas. Furthermore, teaching the performers not only where and how Stravinsky employs unusual row formations (such as permutations or misorderings), rows from outside of the foundational rows, but, most importantly, how these musical events enhance the dramatic progression of a poetic text, will give the performer a greater understanding of the drama and elevate the level of musical presentation of the poetry in performance.
Stravinsky's Topology. Doctoral Dissertation. Boulder, CO: University of Colordao, 2000. www.lulu.com/akuster
(C) Copyright 2000 Andrew Kuster. All Rights Reserved.