Andrew Pease

MUS 242 – Advanced Orchestration

Clifton Williams was an American composer trained at the Eastman School of

Music and active in the mid-20th century. His 1957 Symphonic Suite garnered him that

year’s Ostwald Composition Award from the American Bandmaster’s Association, his

second such award after winning the first ever Ostwald for his Fanfare and Allegro in

1956.

Symphonic Suite contains five movements. They are unified by the singular

theme that Williams uses throughout the piece, as well as by his largely consistent

harmonic language. He distinguishes each movement by its style, rhythm, and form, often

contrasting consecutive movements. Each movement treats the main theme (and, in some

cases, other derivative themes) in a unique fashion. This main theme never appears

completely in unstylized fashion, but it is clearly present in some form in every

movement. It is notable for its ambiguity: when written without accidentals, it begins and

ends on D, so it could be thought of in D dorian. However, its first interval suggests G

mixolydian as well. Williams plays with this ambiguity throughout the suite, even when

using distant derivatives of the theme. (See example 1 in the appendix for a speculative

look at what the theme would be without any stylistic adornment).

I. Intrada

The “Intrada” begins the piece, establishing the basic tonal language while also

introducing the main theme in consecutive, but separate, segments. The movement’s

form is a simple alternation of A and B segments. The A sections are maestoso trumpet

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fanfares that declaim the opening few notes of the main theme. The B sections are

allegro answers by the horns, first trombone, and saxophone, quoting a longer portion of

the theme. These question-answer sections gradually become more similar in character,

until they begin to overlap at the end of the movement. The thematic material of the B

sections also begins to foreshadow the opening motive of the suite’s second movement.

Harmonically, the “Intrada” takes some unexpected turns. The trumpets begin on a solid

E-flat major triad, but move immediately to C-flat major in the second inversion, before

settling on a similarly inverted D-flat major chord in a fermata. A B-flat in the

trombones keeps the fanfare vaguely rooted in E-flat major throughout this strange

exposition, and this root is confirmed on the first B section, as the bass instruments

sustain an E-flat below that same B-flat. Even so, the woodwinds sustain a D-flat major

chord above that, suggesting a loose, jazz-influenced harmonic language verging on bi-

tonality. The theme thus appears in a mode that most closely resembles E-flat

mixolydian. Thus, in the suite’s first four bars (example 2), its tonality has already been

on a substantial journey, foreshadowing more adventures to come.

II. Chorale

The second movement, “Chorale”, is considerably more relaxed than the first. Its

form is AABAB, with a very short coda made up of a sustained E-flat major chord, the

tonic for the bulk of the movement. The A section contains a derivative of the main

theme as stated in the latter appearances of the B section in the previous movement.

Harmonically, the A section is fairly typical three-voice chorale which adds a descant in

its final appearance. The first statement is in E-flat major, but the second moves

immediately to A-flat major where the movement then settles. The B section here

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contains a stylized version of the main theme, heard for the first time in full. Its

harmonies begin sounding like a ii chord, but then are dominated by an E-flat pedal, thus

creating the effect of a sustained dominant over which the modal main theme plays.

Example 3 shows a reduction of both A and B sections as they appear in A-flat major.

III. March

Williams ramps up the intensity of the tempo, rhythm, and harmony in the suite’s

third movement, “March”, in stark contrast to the “Chorale”. The movement opens with

a variant of the main theme stated as an F major arpeggio, thereby establishing the new

tonic, then as a C-flat major second inversion arpeggio (example 4). This tritone

relationship reappears throughout the movement. The percussion section finishes the

introductory section of the movement with a driving soli passage. The movement

proceeds in a form that is broadly AAB with an extended coda. Both A sections consist

of a melody in F lydian that follows from the introductory melody accompanied by

percussive modal harmonies that roughly suggest F mixolydian. In both cases, the

melodic section is repeated and followed by a brief play on the last two notes of the

melody proceeding in the movement’s characteristic tritone above moving triadic

harmonies (example 5). The B section relaxes the harmonic motion considerably, with

sustained chords over 16-20 bars at a time. The rhythmic intensity remains with an

ostinato in the third clarinet and alto saxophone pulled from the movement’s main

melody (example 6). This provides an accompaniment for the suite’s main theme starting

on a D. This theme is stated three times: once over F major, again over D minor, and

finally a bit delayed within B-flat major, implying an overall I-vi-IV motion. With each

harmonic change, the ostinato also changes, gradually increasing the rhythmic intensity

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to the end of the section (example 6). There follows a short section that recalls the

introductory percussion soli and the final ostinato of the B section with some extra tritone

flavor. The coda abruptly changes key to C major and increases the tempo. Steady

eighth notes on a C major triad in the horns are accompanied by smears in the trombones

and a leaping fifth dotted figure in the upper woodwinds. This is punctuated by a tritone

shift recalling the introductory figure. The same tritone relationship brings the movement

to a close.

IV. Antique Dance

After the intensity of the “March”, the suite again relaxes, this time into the fourth

movement, “Antique Dance”. The movement’s form is ABA. The A sections sound

reminiscent of Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies, in ¾ with a bass note on 1 and a chord on 2.

The chords in this case alternate between A minor seventh with a D and D minor seventh.

These harmonies themselves present an ambiguous tonal center, but the melody and

counter-melody used suggest A aeolian. The primary melody is derived from the suite’s

main melody stretched over ¾, and the counter-melody seems to be unrelated. Rhythmic

interest in these outer sections comes from the percussion section, which repeats a two-

measure ostinato using five different instruments. The B section remains in ¾ but goes

faster, essentially in one. It develops a four-measure theme derived from the middle of

the main theme (example 7). This development goes through several keys, focusing on a

lydian modal feel, building to a climax in which statements of the theme in several voices

overlap each other. The section then gradually relaxes, slowing down for the return of

the A section.

V. Jubilee

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 The final movement, “Jubilee”, mints a new theme of its own while also recalling

every previous movement. It begins with an intense introduction using a melody derived

from the suite’s main theme. It then proceeds in the form AABACC-coda. The A

sections are dominated by another derivative of the main theme (example 8). In the first

two, this melody is presented in F major then A-flat major in the soprano voice. The

third A section presents the melody in the bass voice in B-flat minor twice, with

harmonies above suggesting that it is the iv-7 chord of F minor. This harmonic feeling

comes from the preceding B section, which ends in F minor. This section recalls both the

“Antique Dance” and the “Chorale” with its treatment of the melody in ¾, although the

accompaniment is new, featuring some moving inner voices and syncopation. A poco

accelerando dominates both C sections, thereby increasing the intensity of the movement

as it heads towards its end. The melody in both cases begins with a statement of the

movement’s main theme. This theme then appears multiple times in diminution as

compared to the first C section statement. The second C section also begins to use the

upper voice of the final ostinato from the “March” (example 6, final figure). All the

while, throughout every section so far, the harmonic motion is relatively slow, vamping

on the same chord or ostinato for up to 14 measures at a time. The coda runs through a

quick review of aspects from every preceding movement. The “Intrada” is invoked in a

maestoso section. The “March”, “Chorale”, and “Antique Dance” all spring to mind in

the following allegro vivace in C major. As this final section slows down, a trumpet

fanfare again recalls the “Intrada”. The “Jubilee” ends in the same fashion as the

“March”: an arpeggiated second inversion major chord resolves a tritone away to the

tonic. Thus the Symphonic Suite ends with allusions to all that has come before.