Górecki - Three Pieces in Old Style

I've recently become more interested in orchestral music (the vast majority of my classical music playlists consisted of piano music in the past), and especially starting to learn more about orchestral strings.

As a wind player myself, I don't have the best grasp of the possibilities with string instruments, but some recent listening has given me a better idea. From Finzi's fantastic Clarinet Concerto, Op.31 and Eclogue, Op.10 (which I hope to cover soon) to Jenkins's Concerto grosso 'Palladio', I'm learning a lot.

I'm writing today about Henryk Górecki's Three Pieces in Old Style for string orchestra. I first listened to this cycle of pieces on CD a few weeks back (same stacks/stash as before) and was really drawn by the first and third pieces.

Composed in 1963 at the request of Tadeusz Ochlewski, editor in chief of the music publisher PWM Edition, Three Pieces in Old Style is another composition, after Chorale in the Form of a Canon, in which Górecki draws on Polish early music. In that period, these compositions were a kind of sidetrack or marginal music for Górecki, and he did not give opus numbers to either of them.

[The] Three Pieces in Old Style are, indeed, worlds apart from his radically avant-garde work from the early 1960s. They are refined stylisations of Renaissance melodies, maintained in modal scales, with no traces of dodecaphony or aggressive sound and clear melodic lines and lively rhythms. ... [The] finale is both the culmination of the whole and the expressive peak of the cycle, coming after the first piece, a subtle, lyrical song with beautifully captivating sound, and the second, a folk dance based on a rhythmic ostinato.

Regardless of the composer’s intentions, Three Pieces in Old Style remains one of his most frequently performed works. The cycle also proved extremely important in the context of his later work and the role that quotations from early music came to play in his compositions from the late 1960s and early 1970s such as Old Polish Music and Symphony No. 2 “Copernican”. [1]

From the standpoint of a harmonic analysis, there aren't many substantive remarks I can make without making things unnecessarily complicated. Górecki makes ample use of successive suspensions, and in the third piece uses parallel cluster chords (which completely defies Roman numeral analysis; I'm not going to write a thirteenth chord).

Now that we have the context for the pieces and their inception, let's have a listen!

First Piece

I really love the first piece of the cycle for its repetitive motif creating somewhat of a hemiola (superposition of two time signatures or pulses, in this case ⁶/₄ on ³/₂) and the use of natural minor chords. 

First Piece, mm. 1-4

The rhythmic simplicity and visual simplicity of the opening figure on the score belies the harmonic density of what Górecki has written. I don't have a good idea of how I would notate these chords:

First Piece, mm. 1-4 (condensed)

These closed chords use the tension of minor and major seconds, even as long sustains, to support a repeating melody throughout the first piece.

First Piece, melodic ostinato

Górecki also places different numbers of instruments on each of the drones to change the function of the chords being played — that is, while all of the original chord tones are present, some carry more weight than others as a result of partitioned instrumentation (rather than actual dynamics). It's a subtle way to drive harmony without changing the hushed texture.

First Piece, episode "A" opening

First Piece, episode "A" opening (condensed to reflect relative weights)

Thus, we could actually start to write a harmonic analysis (though I won't attempt it here). As the piece progresses, note how the harmonic contour changes with these voicings. Stacked sustains (see below) also provide both harmonic direction and also a degree of ambiguity.

First Piece, stacked sustains in episode "B" opening

What I most love about the First Piece is the harmonic ambiguity between a minor and d minor because of Górecki's skillful use of the d Dorian mode (d minor with raised sixth #6 to B natural). Let's work with the first appearance of episode "B" -- at 0:56, we feel solidly in d minor, even though the bar prior feels like it has settled on a minor. At 1:04, it shifts again to a minor, helped along by the B natural in the first bar of episode "B" and the lowest pitch being A₃. At 1:09, the use of E₃ on beat 3 shifts the feel back to d minor, but the sustained G major at 1:11 sets us up for the a minor release in the next bar at 1:15. Thus, we can't really conclude that the piece is in either d minor or a minor -- it is simply in d Dorian: a prime example of how to write convincingly in a different mode.

Here's a brief listening guide / road map to the piece, with two distinct repeating episodes:
(0:00) Introduction with long tones lasts four bars, setting up motivic clustered chords.
(0:19) First instance of episode "A" with heavier C₄-F₄ voicing.
(0:56) First instance of episode "B" -- note the stacked sustains.
(1:15) Second instance of episode "A" with heavier C₄-E₄ voicing and accented suspensions in violas.
(1:53) Second instance of episode "B" -- note the divisi of first violins to include a higher voice.
(2:12) Third instance of episode "A" with the second split of the first violins playing the same motif twice here (different octaves each time).
(2:51) Third instance of episode "B" truncated to a four-bar phrase. For the first time, all the string enter on the same unison D₄, and slowly break off into their own sustains throughout the descent. In the final bars, basses enter, rounding out the sound and providing a true sense of climactic energy as the unresolved G major blossoms.

Second Piece

The second piece, in C Mixolydian (B♭ accidental on C major), reminds me of a gavotte or bourrée some other dancelike piece, and it is reminiscent of an older style in spite of the the Mixolydian mode (major with flattened seventh). I also think I find this movement less captivating than the others because the repetition is so stark, in part due to the faster pace. For that reason, I'll leave you to listen to it. The major feature is this melodic ostinato.

Second Piece, melodic/harmonic ostinato

(3:17) First statement of opening melody and episode "A".
(3:42) Shift from ⁴/₄ to ³/₄ but retaining the motif signals episode "B". New harmony with D major and B♭ major also are introduced here.
(3:58) Interesting transition here keeps the harmonic motion in ³/₄ but the time signature changes into ⁴/₄, making...
(4:04) ...the reentry of episode "A" particularly unexpected.
(4:26) Episode "B" reentry.
(4:42) Similar harmonic transition as at 3:58 but with heavier articulations and dynamics.
(4:47) Blending of episode "A" contour and feel with episode "B" harmony with raised third of the supertonic (F#).

Third Piece

Someone in the comments of the video I've linked above suggests that the first and third pieces of the cycle are "proto-ambient" music, but I'm not sure I necessarily agree with that statement entirely.

While the third piece especially relies on drones (exactly what it sounds like, long sustains on unmoving notes), which are common in ambient music, I think it's more austere and purposeful (rather than atmospheric or ambient) in its simplicity, especially as Górecki specifies for all to play without vibrato with tutti senza vibrato. Even "minimalism" doesn't quite capture it; Górecki's phrases are drawn out, while minimalist music more frequently repeats shorter ideas.

Either way, whatever you'd like to call it, I really enjoy the beautiful dissonances and resolutions over the course of this piece. I also really like Górecki's use of the Dorian mode here as well (minor with raised sixth, so iv becomes IV in the mode), sitting on G major which feels like a dominant to C but subverting the cadence to d minor, suddenly but retroactively revealing the subdominant function of G major.

The constant shifting between the tonic centers of a and d does not feel jarring but rather transcendent, rising above musical boundaries of harmony within this diatonic language. In fact, the diatonic writing Górecki displays here makes these pieces of the titular "Old Style" — other pieces by Górecki, it turns out (I did not know this), rely on serialism, intense atonality and polytonality, and other hardcore 20th-Century composition techniques.

The drones on D₂, E₃, F₄, G₅, and A₆ (visualized below so you can appreciate the wide range) serve as a translucent harmonic framework, setting the mode of d Dorian.

Drones of the Third Piece visualized in bass, treble, and alto clef

(It's insane regardless of what clef you look at it in)

Third Piece, episode "A" × 2

Another brief listening guide:
(5:30) Opening of Third Piece. First instance of episode "A".
(5:50) We're now finished with the first half of episode "A". This marks the first statement of the second five-bar phrase (²/₂ × 2 + ³/₂ × 3).
(6:15) Second instance of episode "A".
(6:39) Second instance of episode "A", second five-bar phrase. The E₄—D₄—|C₄—D₄—E₄ motion in the first split of the second violins always gives me chills.
(7:11) First instance of episode "B": A traveling parallel cluster chord catches us (or perhaps just me) by surprise.

Third Piece, episode "B" opening

Here, we see the first traces of Górecki's fondness for serialism. This program note states it nicely:

It is only in the third piece that the expression of successive phrases in the old Polish song comes closer to that which we know from Górecki’s serial music. In this piece, the composer overlaps the string parts, starting the melodic line in each instrument with a different tone of the Dorian scale. This can recall for the audience Górecki’s serial speculations, and results in a dense, emotionally intensive eight-part harmonic structure. This finale is both the culmination of the whole and the expressive peak of the cycle. [1]

(7:51) Second statement of episode "B".
(8:41) After a startling silence, episode "A" returns. The absence of the drone gives this restatement a grounding and firm sense of resolution.
(9:10) Episode "B" cluster chords return.
(9:33) The rearticulation of the cluster chord and its seamless melting into G major gives me goosebumps.
(9:44) Resolute crescendo to the closing on d minor.

I hope you enjoyed this cycle of string orchestral pieces as much as I did. Share this post if you did and leave your thoughts below!

[1] Three Composers / Ninateka. Three Pieces in Old Style. Accessed in English at <https://ninateka.pl/kolekcje/en/three-composers/gorecki/audio/trzy-utwory-w-dawnym-stylu-na-orkiestre-smyczkowa>.

Jenkins - Concerto grosso for strings 'Palladio' - I. Allegretto

The first movement, I. Allegretto, of Karl Jenkins's Concerto grosso for strings 'Palladio' is perhaps one of the most well-known pieces of modern classical music (imitating the Classical Period). Jenkins himself wrote a program note (1996), which I will quote from Boosey and Hawkes's website:

Palladio was inspired by the sixteenth-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, whose work embodies the Renaissance celebration of harmony and order. Two of Palladio's hallmarks are mathematical harmony and architectural elements borrowed from classical antiquity, a philosophy which I feel reflects my own approach to composition. The first movement I adapted and used for the 'Shadows' A Diamond is Forever television commercial for a worldwide campaign. The middle movement I have since rearranged for two female voices and string orchestra, as heard in Cantus Insolitus from my work Songs of Sanctuary.

Hope you enjoy this piece! Share this post and comment below!

Adams - Shaker Loops

I first listened to American composer John Adams's Shaker Loops while cleaning up my room in July. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the minimalism that Adams writes with, while also being so compelled by the energy of the first movement to listen to the rest. I don't seek out strings-only music (as I am more interested in Romantic era music for full orchestra), but this is truly captivating music.

The work was originally written for string septet and had an unspecified number of repeats for each of the "modules," giving this music somewhat of a chance (as in "chance music") or aleatoric component to it. It was later recast for string orchestra and the number of repeats specified, though Adams himself has expressed that he prefers the original version for string septet.

Rather than plagiarizing an entire history of the work, I'll link to Earbox where the composer has written his own program notes and provided context for the inception and development of the work. Since the composer has said he prefers the modular version, I've linked to a recording of that version below. The movements are performed without pauses, so there is a little bit of spillover.

Shaker Loops
I. Shaking and Trembling
II. Hymning Slews
III. Loops and Verses
IV. A Final Shaking

One thing that always strikes me about minimalism is how so much music can come from very limited musical ideas (melody, harmony, texture, etc., or any combination of the above can be stripped from the music). You could realistically argue that not a single movement of Shaker Loops has a recognizable or distinguishable melody, and yet overarching musical gestures create a sense of musical direction that is really difficult to achieve if the music is dragging on a single melody.

I'm also amazed at the variety of textures that Adams conjures up from just a string septet. From listening to Finzi's Clarinet Concerto, Op.31, I realized the power and the range of expression that a string orchestra can have. However, Adams' use of artificial harmonics, tremolo (both repeating and alternating), and other textures adds a whole new dimension to the textural capacity of both a chamber group of strings and to a string orchestra.

My personal favorite is the first movement, but the fourth movement is a very close second, especially with the modular version I linked above. The long rhythmic compression by accelerando that takes place from 23:22 to 24:07 in the third movement is hair-raising (especially when the rhythmic subdivision in the low strings drops out suddenly). One particular note I have in the fourth movement is the ridiculous harmonic shift from B major to C major at 30:36 (start at 30:30), which gives me chills, too.

Let me know what you think of these pieces in the comments below and share this post if you enjoyed it!

Finzi - Clarinet Concerto, Op.31 - III. Rondo: Allegro giocoso

*This post is part of a series on Gerald Finzi's Clarinet Concerto, Op.31 for clarinet and string orchestra. Feel free to read the other posts, linked below!*

Clarinet Concerto, Op.31
I. Allegro vigoroso (post)
II. Adagio ma senza rigore (post)
III. Rondo: Allegro giocoso

As in my other posts on the Finzi Clarinet Concerto (performed by soloist Robert Plane with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, directed by Howard Griffiths), I'll share a walkthrough of the piece.

Introduction
(19:29) An off-kilter and punctuated introduction in f# minor gets this movement off to a rocky start.
(19:35) Just as soon as it begins, the key seems to modulate to c# minor, but then falters into...
(19:40) ...d minor, which does not last long as the cellos march along, dropping a whole step with succesive perfect fifths until finally landing on a pedal G, leaving us in...
(19:43) ...c minor. Finally, the chaotic motion wanes to a C4 drone on violin and slower motion in cellos and basses.

Rondo - A Section
(19:52) The rondo begins here, and the clarinet introduces its theme.

(20:17) The theme begins to digress onto another path.
(20:19) From here until 20:29 is a super fun type of passage to play on clarinet.

(20:31) Rondo theme transposed from C major to A major.
(20:50) Call-and-response figure between first violins and clarinet.
(20:55) This winding type of figure shows up repeatedly in different fashions over the course of the finale, in different keys and tonalities (major vs. minor), but this sort of contour is reoccurring.

(21:16) That winding figure extends into this waltz-like interlude.

(21:31) The interplay between the strings and the clarinet rhythmically (exchanging when they take the eight-note subdivisions in their interwoven melodies) is interesting.

(21:49) Tasteful and crisply played trills in second violins/violas and violas/cellos.

(22:01) Clarinet reenters with a new waltz melody, picked up by the violins ten seconds later.

- (22:16) Violas double the first violins.
- (22:19) Second violins double the first violins.
- (22:21) Finzi breaks off a solo violin part from the first violins, which embellishes the clarinet entrance texturally.
- (22:32) First violins back in unison.

(22:36) Clarinet brings back the winding figure from earlier.
(22:48) Already stratospheric ascent to a definite key change...
(22:54) ...where the clarinet restates the rondo theme in A major. This is significantly more challenging to play smoothly than the first occurrence.
(23:13) Sudden modulation to D♭ major. This warm tone continues for some time.
(23:30) Reducing to a single string line threads into...

Rondo - B Section
(23:36) ...the second rondo theme!

This interlude in D♭ major happens almost entirely in the clarion register of the clarinet, which is the most comfortable range to play in from a response standpoint. The throat tones are difficult to make full and round, while the chalumeau register can struggle to speak in time and with a clear articulation. The altissimo notes are far more difficult to control, but the clarion register perfectly balances all of these. You can call it the "sweet spot" for clarinet playing.

(23:55) Innocuous modulation to c# minor from D♭ major (same tonic) using the clarinet's perfect fifth as an anchor.
(24:01) Strings play the second theme in E major, relative of c# minor. Clarinet joins in unison at 24:08, and later splits off with a countermelody.
(24:21) Interesting interlude here, marked scherzando (It. "playfully", "jokingly"), which quickly becomes extremely energetic.

(24:42) Strings play the second theme in F# major this time, suddenly modulating to B♭ major.
(25:00) Actually, to b♭ minor, given all of the accidentals and the tone of this segment! The winding motion returns here.
(25:14) Stratospheric climax again — to B♭ major.
(25:24) Clarinet plays first theme in B♭ major (C major on clarinet).

First Movement Reprise
(25:50) In the style of the first movement!
(26:06) Recognize this material from the first movement?

(26:19) Slow clarinet cadenza.

(26:36) Recapitulated material from the first movement coda.

(26:56) Recapitulated material from the first movement clarinet introduction.

Rondo - Coda
(27:24) First theme returns in all violins, quickly diverging before the clarinet's frilly entrance.

(27:36) Aggressive arpeggios in the clarinet part propel the orchestra towards a vigorous ending.

Thanks for reading and following along with this concerto! If you missed the posts on the first and second movements, check them out — links at the top of this post. Share this post and leave your comments below!

Score excerpts taken from the Hawkes & Son (1953) edition (London) via IMSLP.org.
Clarinet excerpts taken from the Hawkes & Son (1951) edition (London).

Finzi - Clarinet Concerto, Op.31 - II. Adagio ma senza rigore

*This post is part of a series on Gerald Finzi's Clarinet Concerto, Op.31 for clarinet and string orchestra. Feel free to read the other posts, linked below!*

Clarinet Concerto, Op.31
I. Allegro vigoroso (post)
II. Adagio ma senza rigore
III. Rondo: Allegro giocoso (post)

As in the post on the first movement of Finzi's Clarinet Concerto (performed by soloist Robert Plane with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, directed by Howard Griffiths), I'll share a walkthrough of the piece, pointing out important moments, techniques, and motifs.

(7:52) As a stark contrast to the first movement, the second movement begins with a lamenting Adagio, centering on two key dissonances: (1) a minor second (half-step) of G-A♭ and (2) a tritone A♭-D. The marking con sordino (It. "with mutes") instructs the string players to use string mutes, significantly changing the tone and dynamic reach of the notes played.

(8:15) The strings break out into multiple parts, rather than exchanging a single line as before. The dissonances between the string lines slowly resolving and becoming suspended creates a musical 'wandering' effect.
(8:30) The dissonance between D-E♭ resolving to C-E♭ stands out to me here.
(8:40) The clarinet enters from niente (It. "nothing"); it isn't marked in the score, but Plane starts from there anyway, slowly emerging from the string sustain. The clarinet cadenza (this is also a cadenza, startlingly different from the one near the end of the first movement) centers on the same intervals as the opening violin figures. The hairpin dynamics always peak at the local highest note (where the contour direction changes), which lends itself to tone changes in clarinet register, which get brighter as you move up the range of the instrument.

(8:58) When the strings die out here, Finzi really milks the clarion and lower altissimo register for their more piercing tone. Plane carries the melody with incredible grace, but the mf dynamic at the height of the contour is far easier than marking it at mp or quieter. A tone of desolation rings here.
(9:13) The clarinet fading out on A₅ (concert G₅) is relatively easy to manage. The strings return in similar style as before; entering on VI⁷ (A♭^M7) with a closed voicing of the A♭ major chord in the lower string and octave Gs floating overhead creates a simultaneous warmth and frostiness.
(9:24) The Neapolitan sixth (N⁶) makes a gorgeous return here, instantly darkening the harmony.
(9:35) The subsequent use of B♭ major (D♭ from N⁶ → D♮ from VII) softens the tone again before the clarinet entrance.
(9:41) Clarinet entrance; using the same relative intervals as before, up a perfect fourth (concert C-D♭ and D♭-G). The clarinet fading out on D₆ (concert C₆) is far more difficult, as an altissimo note. Plane renders this perfectly, without thinning out prematurely.
(9:56) Beautiful string motif. This melody makes multiple appearances in the second movement, in major and minor keys.

(10:30) Clarinet enters on the same opening figure, starting on concert D₅.
(10:47) This sudden change in character from c minor to f minor via b♭ minor took me by surprise the first time I heard it — immediate chills.

(11:05) Clarinet embellishes the melody in violins with a sixteenth-note arpeggiated figure with suspensions and resolutions back-to-back in its motion.

(11:16) The brief departure from B♭ major using the concert A♭ major chord is artfully written into the clarinet melody.
(11:28) This string passage makes its first appearance with a relatively relaxed tone. One might consider this phrase to be the start of the exposition, as it is later repeated. However, unlike the first movement, this one does not have a strong sonata form — the repeated sections are scattered throughout and interspersed in other material.

(11:52) Clarinet entrance is gorgeous. Finzi's clarinet flourishes are at once captivating and emotional but also incredibly skillful, without being superficial or pretentious.

(12:25) Return of the signature melody, in c# Mixolydian (c# minor with raised sixth scale degree: A♮ → A#).

(12:38) Finzi's careful transition to b minor (clarinet in c# minor, written as d♭ minor) with violas alternating between E-D♮ compared to the earlier E-D# is both sweet and gloomy.
(12:54) The mournful violin melody here, stringing for two short phrases, perfectly sets up...
(13:11) ...the clarinet entrance, on a figure that somewhat resembles an inverted melody (but not quite; contour-wise is appears similar).
(13:31) This entrance in B major is a relaxing contrast to the minor key material that preceded it.
(13:54) These four bars are totally heart-melting. The shift from octaves to thirds in the first violins changes the character of the passage, making it feel warmer. The crystalline transparency of the clarinet line with the strings 'diffracting' through it is awesome. Successive minor seconds in the viola parts and the 4-3 suspension seen in the second violins in the last bar shown below give me chills.

(14:13) This menacing passage in ³/₄ starts us off on the road to the climax. The motif in the violas (then second violins) and upper split of the cellos returns time after time through the end of the second movement.

(14:25) Clarinet enters on the same motif, and develops new ideas from a continuation of that musical line alternating between ³/₄ and ²/₄.
(14:41) Clarinet repeats the motif an octave up and continues on a different trajectory.

(15:08) The motif is repeated yet again, with just a clarinet D♭ in between the rest of the line. This leads to the clarinet's descending triplets, which initiates a section of growing tension that leads to the climax. The triplets become an important leading motif.

(15:22) This twice-repeated clarinet phrase is joined by strings in the second bar of the second instance with the descending triplets.

Finzi chooses concert d minor, which sits nicely on the clarinet. Clarinet can hit the tonic in the altissimo, clarion, and chalumeau registers, and the simple key signature lends itself to more difficult passages and for them to be in tune. The joining of strings and clarinet allows the sound to blend easily without undue effort from the soloist, since the feature here quickly becomes the orchestra.

(15:36) Appassionata (It. "passionately", "impassioned") — if you need string only music to describe what grief feels sounds like in the most melodic way possible, this is it. The motif appears in a different tonal context, but the contour is the same.

(15:56) As the tempo rapidly grinds to the starting tempo, the unofficial recapitulation begins with the same string material seen at 11:28. See the first (left) and second (right) instances.

Rather than being split between second violins, violas, and cellos (upper splits of each), Finzi reorchestrates the melodic part into the violins only sul G (on the G string, which has the richest tone of the four strings of the violin), brightening the sound considerably (you can hear that it is grittier the second time around, paired with the more extreme dynamics). 

(16:20) Clarinet entrance of the recapitulation. Compare the two instances. The clarinet has an extra arpeggiated flourish to change keys.

(17:04) Return of signature melody of second movement in F# major.

(17:25) The subsequent clarinet entrance is a doleful calling out, using the Neapolitan sixth (concert A major in g# minor) to darken the tone again with the clarinet in the chalumeau register at the N⁶.

(17:46) A four-times repeating chord change, g#—A (i—N⁶), with a suspension of D# over the fifth of N⁶ (D#-E) gives me chills (lots of moments in this movement give me chills). The second time it occurs, it's actually g#—A⁷ (i—N⁷; uncommon notation), which produces the D#-E dissonance as well as the added dissonance of the dominant seventh (G♮-A♮).

(18:18) Clarinet enters with a melody previously heard at 13:31.
(18:43) Final statement of the signature melody leads to...
(18:54) A series of chord changes similar to that of 17:46 with f—G♭ major alternating (i—N⁶), also with f—G♭⁷ (i—N⁷) as the first iteration instead of the second.
(19:07) Final statement leads to a pastoral ending to the second movement.

I hope you enjoyed listening to this heavenly second movement! Leave your comments below, share this post, and look out for a post on the finale soon!

All score excerpts taken from the Hawkes & Son (1953) edition (London) via IMSLP.org.