Electronic Theses and Dissertations

UC San Diego

Peer Reviewed

Title:
New Compositions for the Double Bass

Author:
Kline, Matthew

Acceptance Date:
2015

Series:
UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Degree:
M.A., MusicUC San Diego

Advisor(s):
Dresser, Mark

Committee:
Davis, Anthony, Fonville, John

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http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1gw6w19h

Abstract:

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

New Compositions for the Double Bass

A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements

for the degree Master of Arts

in

Music

by

Matthew Kline

Committee in charge:
Professor Mark Dresser, Chair
Professor Anthony Davis
Professor John Fonville

2015



The thesis of Matthew Kline is approved, and is acceptable

in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically:

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Chair

University of California, San Diego

2015

iii


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Signature Page. iii

Table of Contents iv
List of Examples. v
Abstract of the Thesis.. vi
Chapter 1 Too Big for the Door 1
Chapter 2 imAge/imagE 7
Chapter 3 Gliding Wind. 12
Chapter 4 INSIDE.. 16
Chapter 5 Capriccio per Siegfried Palm. 20
Chapter 6 Inarritu 25
Bibliography.. 27

iv


LIST OF EXAMPLES
Example 1. 2
Example 2. 3
Example 3. 4
Example 4. 5
Example 5. 5
Example 6. 6
Example 7. 8
Example 8. 9
Example 9. 9
Example 10 11
Example 11 13
Example 12 14
Example 13 15
Example 14 17
Example 15 18
Example 16 21
Example 17 21
Example 18 22
Example 19 23
Example 20 24
Example 21 26

ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS

New Compositions for the Double Bass

by

Matthew Kline

Master of Arts in Music

University of California, San Diego, 2015

Professor Mark Dresser, Chair

In this thesis, I will discuss six contemporary works that include the double bass

in a solo and chamber setting. Each of these works were pieces that I worked on and

performed during my graduate studies at UCSD. This thesis is a reflection of the

research I have done as a performer of contemporary double bass repertoire.

vi


Chapter 1
Too big for the Door by Fernanda Aoki Navarro

In the fall of 2013, I began my graduate studies at UCSD in double bass

performance and was required to take a course in which composers wrote new works for

the incoming performers. This class was designed to encourage collaboration between

the two areas of study, which meant that the composers would draw upon the technical

vocabulary of each specific performer that they were writing for. As we each shared our

artistic work with one another, Fernanda Navarro (1985 - ) and I quickly discovered that

we were eager to work with one another. Navarro decided to write a solo double bass

piece because she not only wanted to explore the unique possibilities of the instrument

but also desired to compose a highly specific work for me as a performer.

There are many different ways that a composer will decide to explore the

instruments that they are writing for. One of the most common methods to understanding

how to write for a particular instrument is one where the composer studies musical works

that have been established and have also proven to be effective in performance. The

composer will then learn from the possibilities and limitations that other composers have

encountered. Another method includes composers who will separate themselves from the

instrument and write music that is then edited and realized for performance by the

performer. The type of approach that Navarro chose was more unique because she began

her compositional work with the source material. She started by borrowing a school

owned double bass and for several weeks explored what unique sounds she could create

1
 2

with the instrument in her hands. Although it would seem that this approach could be

limiting due to her lack of experience with the instrument, this practice actually allowed

the composer to creatively conceive of the bass in a radically new way that was not

weighed down by traditional methods of writing for the instrument.

The piece Too Big for the Door is a great challenge for a performer because the

score instructs the player to treat the instrument like a percussionist and not as a

traditional string player. This new role that the piece requires becomes immediately

obvious when one looks at the notation. Instead of writing a staff with pitches, Fernanda

has designed a tablature that contains different locations on the instrument for the

performer to strike.1 The following excerpt from the score (example 1) shows symbols

that indicate different locations on the double bass such as the chest, fingerboard, bridge,

below the bridge, tailpiece and f hole.

Example 1

1
Navarro, Fernanda Aoki. Too Big for the Door. La Jolla: n.p., 2014. Print.
 3

This score has a very similar appearance to works written for a multi-percussion

setup and the first step that I had to take in learning this work was to learn all the original

symbols that Navarro had created. This felt like I was learning an entirely new language

and it took a long time for me to orient myself with the notational vocabulary.

One limitation that the composer imposes upon the composition is that the

performer never uses the bow and every sound is created with the hands. Just like

different size drums, there are specific locations on the double bass that create unique

sounds ranging from low to high when struck. The soloist is instructed to use both hands

to hit these designated spots on the instrument. For the first part of Too Big for the Door,

the sounds unfold in a precise rhythmic order that creates a very insistent groove. The

performer achieves this by using the left hand to tap straight 16th notes on the shoulder of

the instrument, while the right hand strikes different locations with varying rhythms.

(See example 2)

Example 2
 4

As this section unfolds, the material for the right hand becomes denser which creates

different melodic contours and polyrhythms against the steady pulse in the left hand.2,3

(See Example 3)

Example 3

In the second part of the piece, the performer still uses the hands in a percussive

manner, but the music is now much more lyrical. For this section, the bassist is required

to tap harmonics that occur within a constantly fluctuating rhythmic pulse. Fernanda

achieves a musical instability by notating the motion of the two hands on different staves.

(See Example 4)4

2
When treating the instrument like a percussion instrument, a performer must take into consideration the
effects this will have on the instrument. In the course of learning this work, I did some damage to my
instrument and therefore now only perform the piece on a cheap double bass that I do not mind doing harm
to. The subject of the bass being a percussion instrument is further discussed in The Contemporary
Double Bass by Bertram Turetzky.
3
Turetzky, Bertram. "The Bass as a Drum." The Contemporary Contrabass. Berkeley: U of California,
1974. 56-71. Print.
4
In this example the motion of the left hand location is notated on the top stave, the resulting pitches are on
the second stave, and the rhythm of the right hand is on the third stave.
 5

Example 4

Although this section uses very simple harmonics as the pitch material5, Example

3 shows that the sonic interest is found in the descending glissandos that occur between

the consonant harmonics.

In the last third of the piece, a pizzicato gesture is introduced that is different from

any material that has previously come before. (See Example 5)

Example 5

This musical fragment is unique because it is the first sign of material that Fernanda

could not have not have conceived at the instrument. Highly specific techniques such as

5
In speaking with the composer, she informed me that the harmonics being used are the 6th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd
partial.
 6

two handed hammer-ons and pull-offs are written in the score. Unlike the rest of the

piece, this is not material that Fernanda discovered with the instrument in her own hands

but rather she is referencing techniques that I employ in my own musical improvisations.

Here is a selection from one of my own compositions, Fragments6, which has a similar

technical approach. (See Example 6)

Example 6

This is a distinct compositional moment because the piece has now combined

both Navarros and my own approach to the instrument. Too Big for the Door becomes a

new work that only could have been created from this particular relationship. Working

on this piece with Fernanda has been a pleasure for me and I am glad to have this new

work.

6
Kline, Matthew. Fragments. Waco, TX: n.p., 2009. Print.


Chapter 2
imAge/imagE by Roger Reynolds

To this date Roger Reynolds (1934 - ) has composed six solo pieces that are part

of the composers image series. This includes works written for Flute, Guitar, Piano,

Violin, Cello and Double Bass.7 Just like the Sequenzas by Luciano Berio8, Reynolds

explores the individual instruments expressive potential through a unique technical

vocabulary. Reynolds has this to say about the pieces:

The image series involves brief complimentary works for a variety of instruments.

imagE/is evocative. Concerned with symmetry, it is more lyrical, continuous, even

tender. imAge/is articulate and sectional, tending towards assertion, and variety. 9

imAge for double bass is entirely pizzicato and includes material that is very

direct in nature. The piece opens with a forceful gesture in which the performer quickly

rakes the open strings up and down with both hands. This same motive establishes the

beginning of new phrases and returns many times in a very abrupt manner. The time

between each section gradually decreases and this formally pushes the work forward with

an agitated momentum. Although the work is aggressive, the composer writes pizzicato

harmonics in such a way that that keeps the bass resonating and also produces

overlapping harmonies. (See example 7)

7
Reynolds, Roger. "Roger Reynolds: Solo." Roger Reynolds: Solo. N.p., 4 Oct. 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.
8
Halfyard, Janet K. Berio's Sequenzas: Essays on Performance, Composition and Analysis. Aldershot,
England: Ashgate, 2007. Print.
9
Reynolds, Roger. ImAge. New York: C.F. Peters, 2013. Print.

7
 8

Example 7

The work also uses techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, buzzing notes and

snap pizzicato.

imagE for double bass contrasts with imAge in that the piece is entirely arco. The

work is very slow and uses mostly harmonics to keep the instrument constantly ringing.

Reynolds takes great care in choosing which string the harmonics are played on so that

the music can achieve maximum amount of resonance. imagE is stunning in how it uses

the entire range of the instrument to create many subtle colors. One aspect of the piece

that is particularly striking is how the composer uses a bow technique called falsetto

flautando. This sound is achieved when the bow is placed exactly two octaves above the

note being held by the left hand and the bow is moved quickly without much pressure.

The resulting pitch will be one octave higher than normal and has a very haunting

affectation to the sound.10,11 (See example 8)

10
In 2008, wrote the article A Personal Pedagogy which was published in John Zorns first volume of the
Arcana series. The technique of falsetto flautando is explained in this article. This predates the work that
was done in the Strad and Guts. This article was also referenced by Reynolds when he was writing these
works.
11
Dresser, Mark. "A Personal Pedagogy." Arcana: Musicians on Music. By John Zorn. New York:
Granary, 2000. 250-61. Print.
 9

Example 8

A large amount of the material in imagE is a series of notes that are constantly

swelling. Just like imAge, the phrases become shorter and the constant crescendos

become more insistent. The piece culminates with a deliberate release on the lowest

string. (See Example 9)

Example 9
 10

Both of the pieces for double bass were written specifically for the performer

Mark Dresser12 and are highly influenced by his individual style of playing. In 2008,

Dresser wrote an article for Strad magazine13 that is a pedagogical approach to his

innovative string technique. Reynolds helped edit this article and through this became

very knowledgeable on how to write for the double bass. The pieces include many of his

signature technical approaches to the double bass and were even recorded on a CD/DVD

called Guts that showcases Dressers unique artistry. In Guts Dresser describes a

signature technique that can be heard in many of his recordings.

The double glissando is a two-handed pizzicato technique. A left-hand glissando

alternates a pull-off at the note of arrival while the right hand catches the glissando at

the original point of departure. This glissando can be repeated as an effect or as a

melodic and rhythmic device and is loud enough to project at the same volume level as

normal pizzicato. 14

Here is an excerpt from imAge that employs the exact technique described above.

(See example 10)

12
Reynolds also consulted with the bassist Han Han Cho and imagE is dedicated to her.
13
Dresser, Mark. "Harmonics." Strad Magazine (2008)
14
Guts. Dir. Mark Dresser. Perf. Mark Dresser. Kadima Collective, 2010. DVD.
 11

Example 10

For me, it is very obvious how much Roger Reynolds was impacted by the artistry

of Mark Dresser. I believe that the previous excerpt shows that the composer was not

merely trying to copy techniques that he found interesting but rather is highlighting the

individuality of the performer. imAge/imagE are works that contains the specific musical

vocabulary of Mark Dresser while imposing the formal and expressive design of Roger

Reynolds. Just like the piece Too Big for the Door, these are works that evolved from a

unique collaboration between the composer and the performer.

 Chapter 3
Gliding Wind by Chinary Ung

Chinary Ung was born in 1942 in Takeo, Cambodia but left the country in 1964

due to the oppressive political leadership at the time. He came to the United States to

study composition at Columbia University yet would not return to his homeland for over

thirty years. During this time the composer became deeply invested in the research and

preservation of Cambodian folk music. This period of research would heavily influence

the content of his later compositions. Ung is very interested in traditional eastern folk

instruments and spent many years learning how to perform several instruments native to

Cambodia. One of the defining characteristics of his music is how he creates sounds on

western instruments that emulate eastern instruments.15 The composers music is not just

an imitation though. Through the understanding of both eastern and western sound

worlds he is able to create instrumental colors that are entirely authentic. In conversation

with Ung16, he relayed an analogy that compares his two cultural worlds to colors. He

explained that if the east is represented by green and the west red than his music can be

seen as orange.

Gliding Wind was composed in 1999 and was written for the bassist Keizo

Mizouri.17 Formally the piece draws upon a practice from Cambodian folk music where

15
Kays, John. The Music of Chinary Ung: A Synthesis of Asian Aesthetics and Western Technique. Ann
Arbor: UMI Dissertation Services, 2000. Print.
16
I worked on Gliding Wind with the composer in May, 2015.
17
Ung, Chinary. Gliding Wind. New York: C.F. Peters, 1999. Print.

12
 13

individual pedal tones are expanded to create large phrases and ultimately architectural

signposts for how the piece unfolds. The pitch material for the work is comprised of

mainly eastern modes that are similar to the western pentatonic scale, however the

organization of the harmonic material is almost never predictable since the tonal center

for any given section is constantly shifting. An interesting aspect of Gliding Wind is how

the timbre of the double bass is constantly changing. This is achieved with highly

virtuosic technical demands for the performer. Ungs notation is extremely specific with

the bow location on the string and will produce drastically different sound worlds in the

duration of just one held pitch. Here is an excerpt from Gliding Wind (See Example 11)

that demonstrates how the composer changes the color of a melodic line through shifting

bow placement.

Example 11

In rehearsals with the composer, he kept insisting that I not think of my instrument in

this piece as a double bass, but as some new instrument that is being created in the

moment. The use of quarter tones combined with finger nail plucking, sporadic tremolo,

or multiphonics creates a very beautiful and original sound world.

 14

Just as the title would suggest, Gliding Wind is a constantly changing landscape

with many different lyrical episodes. The piece begins with a long crescendo that then

descends by a major seventh. (See example 12)

Example 12

This type of downward leap is a fragment that will emerge throughout the work.

Although the piece is structurally divided by divided by different episodes, it can be

difficult to tell where one idea begins and another ends. The music has many cadential

landing points but the musical meaning of these moments seems to dissolve as the piece

moves on to the next idea. For me, this music is inherently vocal and although the work

contains many extended techniques for the instrument, the piece never deviates from the

lyric character. The music is always in constant motion and the lines sometimes seem to

have no end. When silence does happen, I feel that they paradoxically bring both relief

and tension at the same time. The first part of the piece contains material that is very

sparse but the work becomes denser as the harmonic material is developed. Gliding Wind

culminates on a low E at the very end and slowly disappears into silence. (See example

13)

 15

Example 13

 Chapter 4
Inside by Kenneth Gaburo

The piece INSIDE by Kenneth Gaburo (1926 1993) was composed in 1969 and

was written for the bassist Bertram Turetzky.18 During this time there were almost no

other bassists who were as dedicated to new music as Turetzky and this piece is one of

almost two hundred and fifty compositions that were commissioned by him.19 Gaburo

was a colleague of Turetzkys at the University of California San Diego and this work is

a great example of the type of musical experimentation that was occurring on the west

coast at the time.20 The composer was very interested in linguistics and how the

fundamental aspects of language could be integrated into musical composition. For

example, in Gaburos Antiphony VIII for solo percussion, the soloist interacts with a tape

recording that has spliced up individuals verbal reaction to the threat of nuclear war.

His work and interest in this area are very well presented in his book Allos.21

Kenneth Gaburo describes the work INSIDE as a Quartet for one Double Bass

player and requires the performer to vocalize while playing the instrument.22 Along

with kissing, tongue clicks, and sucking, Gaburo uses five phonemes derived from the

18
Poyourow, David. A Performance Analysis of Kenneth Gaburo's Inside: (Quartet for One Doublebass
Player): A Thesis ... San Diego: U of California San Diego, 1977. Print.
19
Turetzky, Bertram. A Different View: A Memoir: The Story of the Father of Modern Bass-playing. Del
Mar, California: BT&NC, 2014. Print.
20
Other faculty at UCSD during this time included Pauline Oliveros, Roger Reynolds, and Robert
Erickson.
21
Gaburo, Kenneth. Allos, "other" Language. La Jolla, Calif. (Box 1192, La Jolla 92038): Lingua, 1980.
Print.
22
Gaburo, Kenneth. Inside : Quartet for 1 Double Bass Player. La Jolla, California: Lingua, 1976. Print.

16

 17

title of the piece: I N S Ai D. These sounds are reordered among other double

bass sounds in a very pointillist style. The actual word INSIDE is never actually formed

until the very last moment. A unique type of tablature notation is used for the score and

the piece requires that the performer invest a large amount of time learning the language

of the score. Just like the composition Too Big for the Door, much of my beginning work

with this piece was spent away from the instrument studying the score and learning how

to read it. Each sound has its own individual symbol that is spatially notated within an

open grid that determines approximate pitch, rhythm and tempo. (See example 14) To

best prepare myself for the work, I made flash cards with each symbol and what

technique is associated with that symbol on the individual cards. I then memorized each

card so I could read the score fluidly before I picked up my instrument.

Example 14

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study with Bertram Turetzky on this

score and he gave me valuable insight on how to execute such a complex work. For

example, he emphasized how I should conceive of the phrasing in the work. Although

 18

the piece has a highly original sound world, the phrasing is actually very symmetrical and

classical in design. In this phrase (See example 15) you can see the beginning of the

gesture as an antecedent and the second part as the consequence.

Example 15

Turetzky released a recording of INSIDE which shows his meticulous and strict

approach to the piece. However, with a score as abstract as INSIDE I felt compelled to

discover my own personal interpretation of the work and reimagine how this piece could

be presented in a live performance. The notation might present itself as a very austere

work from a modernist time period, but I believe that the title is a sly wink at something

much more provocative. For me, it is impossible to separate sounds like kissing and

sucking from sexual implications. The piece INSIDE contains an element of absurd

theatricality within the rapid motions and singing that is required. I find there is a great

tension that occurs with dealing with all of these elements within a very quiet and

delicate sound world. The work INSIDE challenges how I present myself before a live

 19

audience and has taught me new ways to approach musical theatricality. Inside is a

wonderful composition and I am grateful for the strange new world that I have been

introduced to.

 Chapter 5
Capriccio Per Siegfried Palm by Krzysztof Penderecki

The Carpiccio Per S.P. was written by Krzysztof Penderecki in 1968 and as the

title would imply, this work was written for the cellist Siegfried Palm. Palm, just like

Bertram Turetzky was a major champion of new music during this period and had

compositions written for him by prominent composers such as Kagel, Ligeti, and

Xenakis.23 The Capriccio was composed during Pendereckis early period that occurred

from about 1958 197024 and during this time he was considered one of the most

prominent experimental composers. Other works composed during this time were his

Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, Polymorphia and the epic St. Lukes Passion.25

Pendereckis sound is very identifiable by his use of chaotic sound masses. The

composer Iannis Xenakis26 would describe this technique that he used in his own

compositions as being stochastic however Penderecki would approach his own music in a

much less mathematical way than Xenakis. Penderecki would write several works during

this time with the title Capriccio. This includes the Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra

and the Capriccio for solo tuba. All of these works have a similar notation lexicon that

Penderecki was developing during this period that include graphic notation for sound

23
Kontarsky, Aloys, and Siegfried Palm. Siegfried Palm - Intercomunicazione. Universal Music, 2002. CD.
24
Since about 1980, the music that Penderecki has been composing can be described as neo-romantic and
draws upon 19th century forms.
25
Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work: Encounters, Biography and Musical
Commentary. London: Schott, 1989. Print.
26
Konach, Sharon. "Pendragon Press Book: Xenakis Matters." Pendragon Press Book: Xenakis Matters.
Pendragon Press, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

20

 21

clusters, approximate pitch material, rhythmic grids based on clock time and symbols for

extended techniques.27

The Capriccio Per Siegfried Palm pushes the instrument to absurd extremes that

are at times almost comical and this work can be seen as a type of joke. This is very clear

in the moments when a silly major chord is juxtaposed with material that is excessively

violent. (See example 16)

Example 16

The piece contains harmonic material that will begin as lyrical but is then

transformed into something so dense and fast paced that the individual notes become

virtually unrecognizable. (See example 17)

Example 17

27
Robinson, Ray. Krzysztof Penderecki: A Guide to His Works. Princeton, NJ: Prestige Publications, 1983.
Print.

 22

Penderecki writes extended techniques like bowing the bridge, hitting the

instrument, bowing the tailpiece and playing with just the left hand. Just like Gliding

Wind, the piece dissolves into nothing. However, the Capriccio has a far more sarcastic

and pessimistic finality to this ending. The performer is required to bow the tailpiece and

is hunched over in defeat. (See example 18)

Example 18

During the summer of 2012, I met the composer Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - ) at

the Akademie Penderecki Westfalen in Germany and performed in an orchestra under his

baton. This was an incredible opportunity for a young musician to perform with one of

the most famous names in 20th century music and I decided that I could not pass up the

opportunity to play for him solo. When I approached him he was very kind and let me

present many of my solo double bass works for to him. Penderecki was very enthusiastic

about my work as a performer and suggested that I try performing his solo cello piece

Capriccio Per Siegfried Palm.

I was obviously very excited about this project, however, because this

composition was not originally for my instrument, my work on the piece began slowly.

When I first opened the score, I was immediately terrified of playing such a technically

demanding work on the double bass. The cello is a much smaller instrument than the

 23

bass and is more suitable for the type of agile string writing found in the Capriccio. The

more I studied the work though I realized how much of the composition was determined

by the physical properties of the cello. What makes the piece technically challenging is

how Penderecki pushes the performer to produce sounds that are testing the absolute

physical limits of the performer. The following passage from the cello score

demonstrates how the performer must play two pitches as high as possible and then
28
alternates to hitting the bow behind the bridge. (See example 19)

Example 19

I took these extremes that are written into the score and reworked them to where

they suited the idiomatic realities of the double bass. The composer and I had many

meetings about how to make this piece work best on a different instrument and he

concluded that the piece is still workable if certain techniques change as long as the spirit

of the initial gesture remains intact. As an example, here is a passage from the Double

Bass version of the Capriccio. (See example 20)

28
Penderecki, Krzysztof. Capriccio Per Siegfried Palm. Mainz: Schott Musik, 1968. Print.

 24

Example 20

On the cello this passage would normally be played by bowing and fingering

behind the bridge of the instrument. The bass is too large for this technique to be

achieved in the correct tempo and so instead I produce a similar nasally, pinched sound

with my bow behind my left hand to the composers satisfaction.

The world premiere of the Capriccio per S.P. double bass version took place in

August 2014 in a concert organized by the composer. I am very grateful for the

collaboration I had with the composer and the new work that resulted from it.

 Chapter 6
Inarritu by John Dorhauer

I met the composer John Dorhauer (1985 - ) during the summer of 2013 in

Westpark, Wisconsin where we were both participants of the Fresh Inc music festival.

This program was an excellent opportunity for composers and performers to collaborate

on new compositions. Although I did not work on any music with Dorhauer during this

particular summer, I was very inspired by his compositions and decided to commission a

piece from him. I am part of a trio in San Diego that includes flautist Michael Matsuno

and pianist Kyle Adam Blair. We are always looking for new compositions and the

composer decided upon the instrumentation of Flute, Double Bass and Piano. This work

would also serve as a companion piece to the Bagatelles by Gyorgy Kurtag for the same

group of instruments.29

Inarritu is a personal work to me because John was very intentional in writing

specific double bass techniques that I have developed in my own compositions and

improvisations. Similar to Navarro in Too Big for the Door, John studied pieces that I

had written for double bass and created material that was influenced by my technical

approach to the instrument. I previously showed an example from my composition

Fragments. (See Example 6) Here is an example from Inarritu that appropriates certain

technical approaches from my own work. (See example 21)

29
Kurtg, Gyrgy. Bagatelles. Budapest: Editio Musica Budapest, 1982. Print.

25

 26

Example 21

This example uses slap bass, hammer-on/pull-offs, and dry pizzicato. Dorhauer

succeeds in taking a vocabulary that is unique to a performer and presenting the same

idea in a radically new context.

The title Inarritu is a tribute to the Mexican film maker Alejandro

Gonzalez Inarritu (1963 - ) and the form of the work is based on Inarritus fim 21

Grams.30 Just like the film, there are several different narratives that occur in this trio

and the piece does not unfold in a conventionally linear manner. Each time a new

element emerges, a different type of music then abruptly interrupts it. This schizophrenic

unfolding is similar to the chaotic sound world of Charles Ives, John Zorn31 and also the

cartoon music of Carl Stalling32. The types of material in the work range from

melancholic melodies in the double bass to banging inside the piano to jazz flute lines

that are reminiscent of Ron Burgundy33. The piece displays a whole range of emotions

30
21 Grams. Dir. Alejandro. Gonzlez Irritu. Focus Features, 2003. DVD.
31
John Zorns compositions have many diverse compositional approaches. For this example I am
referencing the sound world of works such as Carny and Hockey.
32
Cooke, Mervyn. The Hollywood Film Music Reader. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.
33
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Dir. Adam McKay. Perf. Will Ferrell. 2004. DVD.

 26

that are funny, bizarre, complicated, touching and delightful. I am grateful for this new

work that John has given me.

Bibliography
21 Grams. Dir. Alejandro. Gonzlez Irritu. Focus Features, 2003. DVD.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Dir. Adam McKay. Perf. Will Ferrell. 2004.
DVD.

Cooke, Mervyn. The Hollywood Film Music Reader. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

Dresser, Mark. "A Personal Pedagogy." Arcana: Musicians on Music. By John Zorn.
New York: Granary, 2000. 250-61. Print.

Dresser, Mark. "Harmonics." Strad Magazine (2008)

Gaburo, Kenneth. Allos, "other" Language. La Jolla, Calif. (Box 1192, La Jolla 92038):
Lingua, 1980. Print.

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