Cyprian Suite

Carol Barnett

(b. 1949)

Unit 1: Composer

Carol Barnett, born in Dubuqe, Iowa in 1949, is a living American composer, highly
acclaimed for her extensive choral and instrumental works. At the University of
Minnesota, she studied composition with Dominick Argento and Paul Fetler, piano
with Bernhard Weiser, and flute with Emil J. Niosi. Barnett earned her bachelor’s
degree in music theory and composition, then went on to earn her masters in
theory and composition. Barnett is currently a charter member of the American
Composers Forum and has served on its board. She has additional experience as a
freelance music copyist, playing keyboard and singing backgrounds vocals for Ben
Pena, a Mexican guitar player, from 1976-1997. Barnett’s music is performed all
throughout the country and internationally, in places like Israel and Nebraska.

Unit 2: Composition

The Cyprian Suite is a level 4, four movement work for wind band, approximately
fourteen minutes and fifteen seconds in length. Inspired by Barnett’s trip to Cyprus
in 1999, each of the four movements in the Cyprian Suite is inspired by a Cypriot
folk song. When in Cyprus, Barnett studied Greek and Cypriot traditions and music,
particularly folk songs. The first movement of the piece is titled “Servikos,” which
is a Serbian-style dance. The second is “Aya Marina,” which is about a mother
praying to Saint Marina to bring her daughter sweet dreams. The third,
“Exomologhisis,” meaning “confession,” is about a man asking forgiveness from a
priest for having love affairs. Lastly, movement four, “Agapisa Tin,” is a mournful
complaint of a man whose lover did not reciprocate his feelings. The piece
incorporates modal tonalities common in Greek and Cyprian music, yet not
completely familiar to the Western ear. Thus, this work presents an opportunity to
teach and learn about non-Western cultures and delve into musical traditions from
Cyprus, Greece, and Serbia.

Unit 3: Historical Perspective

The Cyprian Suite fits in beautifully with the seven other pieces Barnett wrote after
returning from Cyprus. In 2006, she released a CD album titled, “Cyprus: First
Impressions,” which begins with a wind band piece inspired by the CD title, then
moves onto a short three-movement work titled, “Vignettes: After Pieredes” for
flute, cello, and piano, then “Mythical Journeys” for flute and guitar, “Ithaka” for
baritone and guitar, and finally, the CD concludes with the Suite.

One year before Barnett released the Cyprian Suite, composer Adam Gorb
released his Dances from Crete, a three-movement wind band piece with an added
string bass. The style of this work is strikingly similar to Barnett’s as both
composers garnered inspiration from Greek music.

From the composer:

My trip to Cyprus began with the gift of a book, Tetralogy of the Times:
Stories of Cyprus by George Philippou Pierides. It was given to me by
Theofanis Stavrou, friend and professor of Russian History and Greek
Studies at the University of Minnesota, who, when I told him that I had
enjoyed it and thought it might provide inspiration for an impending
commission, offered to help me travel to Cyprus to meet the author. While in
Cyprus, I purchased several collections of Greek and Cypriot folk songs, in
which I found the four that I later used in the Cyprian Suite. The urge to
translate the sound of the typical Greek folk/pop group into the concert
 band idiom, plus the lyrics of the second, third and fourth songs, combined
to inspire the sound and style of the Suite.

-Carol Barnett

Unit 4: Technical Considerations

The first movement requires technical agility from all the players to perform the
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quick 16 thematic motive accurately and musically. Although the low brass section
often provides harmony, they occasionally play the main theme and thus should
work on resonating with a clear tone so the dark timbres do not muddle the
pitches of the quick melody. Plenty of time should be taken by the conductor to
rehearse the group under-tempo to secure notes, rhythms, and articulation before
playing at the marked quarter equals 104 tempo.

Unlike the first movement, the second movement requires legato phrasing.
Long tones are crucial to practice in rehearsal in preparation for this lullaby,
especially in the horns, clarinets, and euphoniums. The piano dynamics may pose
challenges in places where the instruments play higher in their ranges. For instance,
trombones play up to a C4 (bordering on their higher range) in measures 100-101
but must remain at a piano dynamic.

Movement III requires the ensemble to lock into the tempo right from the
beginning. There will be a tendency to speed up, especially since the same rhythm
(dotted eighth, sixteenth, eighth, eighth) is repeated throughout almost the entire
movement in at least one instrument group. The trumpets’ use of straight mutes in
this movement may pose challenges to young players if they are not accustomed
to the added resistance. The brief polyphonic texture in measures 129-136 may
require special attention in rehearsal since instruments are suddenly exposed.

Lastly, the instructor may consider incorporating rhythmic warmups into

rehearsals in preparation for the complex 7/8 meter present in the last movement.
The clarinet solo at rehearsal letter B should be given to a confident player with a
strong sense of rhythm. This last movement features a percussion polyrhythm
section with a layering-on of percussive instruments, including less-common ones,
such as the wood blocks, clave, and guiro. This movement incorporates frequent
dynamic changes as well as sforzandos, which may come as a surprise to the
players if they are not well-prepared and looking ahead in their music. The
dynamics are extremely important in demonstrating musicality and phrasing in this
motivically-repetitive movement.

Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations

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The shifting meters and quick 16 notes, prominent throughout all but the second
movement, reflect the quick pace of Serbian folk dances. The first movement of
Cyprian Suite is playful with a dark undertone, brought out by the minor tonality.
The percussive nature of the first movement is established in the first eight
measures, during which only the snare drum and high toms are played. In the
second, lullaby-esque movement, the 6/8 and 9/8 meter help create a lilting flow.
The dynamics remain quiet for nearly the entire piece, never exceeding a mezzo-
piano, save for two measures. The quiet dynamics along with Barnett’s use of
chromatic stepwise motions help develop an ominous, mesmerizing sound,
ultimately reflecting the dream-like story. To successfully play the challenging
rhythms, an instructor may consider clapping through the movement with the
students in rhythm and with correct dynamic levels.

The third movement begins with trombones playing a stately melody, which
is passed around between all the instruments throughout the movement. The use
of straight mutes on the trumpets throughout the movement makes the sound of
the ensemble brighter and more piercing. The rhythmic ostinato that begins the
movement returns at the end, bringing the movement to a close.
 The final and longest movement, “Agapisa Tin,” is set primarily in 7/8, the
first appearance of an odd meter in the piece, and begins with a quiet, reserved
sound. After the percussion’s soli introduction of a driving rhythmic motive, the
music begins to build dramatically until the end. This movement alternates primarily
between a polyphonic call-and-response texture and homophony.

Unit 6: Musical Elements

MELODY:

Each melody in the four different movements originates from a folk song.

The main melodic motive to “Servikos” is presented with both slurs and
staccato markings. Players should perform these articulations with intention to help
create blend and consistency within the ensemble.

FIGURE 1. Movement 1: “Servikos,” melody in concert pitch.

The melody of the second movement is strikingly different from the first
movement and should be played as lyrically and graceful as possible. It retains the
same legato marks each time it is played during the movement.

FIGURE 2. Movement 2: “Aya Marina,” melody in concert pitch

 The third movement is played in an F modal key and revolves around the
following scale, played (as written in Figure 3) in the glockenspiel in measures 24-
27.

FIGURE 3. Movement 3: “Exomologhisis,” F modal scale that serves

as the basis for the movement’s tonality.

The fourth movement presents a catchy melody in 7/8 time introduced by

the upper woodwinds.

FIGURE 4. Movement 4: “Agapsia Tin,” main melody.

HARMONY:

The homophonic texture of the first movement allows for harmonies to be

employed by various instrument groups. As the melody is passed around from
clarinets, to trumpets, to flutes in the beginning, the low brass section, including
trombones, provide harmonies centered on a G minor chord. The G modal tonality
is often sustained in the harmonies and Barnett employs chromatic notes to create
dissonance, like in measure 106 with the F# played by the trumpets against the E
minor chord.

The second movement initially presents the harmony through pedal point in
the clarinets, horns, and vibraphones, outlining a perfect fifth and emphasizing the
D major tonality. At rehearsal letter C, the trumpets take over the harmony,
allowing the low brass, more specifically the euphoniums and tubas, to bring out
the melody. These two sections - trumpets and low brass - alternate between
melody and harmony, as if in conversation.

Movement III presents harmony in the form of a rhythmic ostinato (dotted

eight, sixteenth, eighth, eighth). The harmony begins as G minor triads in the
clarinet section, while the trombones introduce the primary motive. At rehearsal
letter B, these groups switch roles, and the stopped horns enter to provide
additional support and volume to the harmony. The bass clarinet, bassoon, and
tenor and baritone saxophones take the melody in unison, creating a unique and
rich timbre combination.

Although vastly different from the third movement, the fourth movement also
employs pedal points as a harmonic technique. The movement begins and ends
with strong G minor tonality, yet explores various tonicizations throughout.

RHYTHM:
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In movement I, Barnett incorporates 16 note rhythms for a flowing stylistic effect
in the melody. In the harmony, she employs an ostinato as the driving rhythmic
force. The use of ostinati is also prevalent throughout movements III and IV.
Movement II is set in 6/8 and utilizes very basic rhythms, usually some combination
of dotted quarter notes and eighth notes. The pitches should be the main concern
in this movement. Movement III brings back the same rhythmic ostinato present in
the first movement and illustrated in Figure 5: dotted eighth, sixteenth, eighth,
eighth. This ostinato remains consistent throughout the majority of the movement
and provides continuity between the first and third movements. The shifting meters
and rhythmic complexities of the compound meters in the third movement will no
doubt be a challenge for students just beginning this piece. The instructor may
consider having student count and clap this movement before learning pitches.
 FIGURE 5. Rhythmic ostinato in movements I and III

TIMBRE:

The combinations/pairings of instruments throughout this suite help paint unique

tone colors. The low reeds and low brass sections carry the melody more often
than what is commonly seen in other modern band scores. The most important role
these instruments have in the context of the entire ensemble is revealing a darker
timbre, creating dramatic shifts in the mood and overall sound.

Barnett gives the percussion section a soli-esque section in the fourth

movement, which dramatically alters the aural perception of timbre that the
audience internalized since the first movement. Because this is the first instance of
solely percussion playing, the timbre shift is somewhat jarring, yet effective in
capturing the audience’s attention toward the end of the piece - a timing choice
that was no doubt intentional by the composer.

Unit 7: Form and Structure

SECTION MEASURE EVENT AND SCORING

Movement I: “Servikos”

A 1-71 Repetition of the main motive in different

instruments with shifting dynamics and
timbres
 th
B 72-119 Flowing 16 notes contrast with the driving
rhythmic ostinato; woodwinds are more
isolated on melody and brass on harmony

A’ 120-134 Main motive returns with slightly different

rhythms; melody is light and quiet as all
instruments but clarinets drop out; ends with
strong statement of the theme with everyone
playing the final two bars.

Movement II: “Aya Marina”

A 1-39 A lulling eighth notes (microbeats) tune in

the clarinets, flutes, and oboes create an
undulating motion, while the other
instrument play staggered entrances on
dotted quarter macrobeats.

B 40-87 An ominous tone suddenly takes effect in a

canonic structure as the instruments engage
in conversational dissonant lines, followed
by consonant long-tones in a major tonality,
reverting to a soothing mood

A’ 88-115 The main theme reappears in the low brass;

instruments layer in; movement ends with an
unsettling descending chromatic scale

Movement III: “Exomologhisis”

A 1-52 Statement of the main theme and returning

ostinato from first movement; trombones
 begin with melody (a modal variation of G
harmonic minor) then pass it to bass
clarinets and bassoons

A’ 53-103 Some variation of the main theme to start,

then moves into a development section with
tonicizations in A major

A’’ 104-166 Variations of original theme are presented in

various tonalities, dynamics, instrumentation,
and rhythms with some overlapping parts,
staggered entrances, as well as homophonic
sections

Movement IV: “Agapisa Tin”

Introduction 1-25 Slow, ascending and descending scales; 4/4

meter switches to 7/8 meter; clarinets,
trombone, and tuba begin with melody, then
pass it off to upper winds

A 26-34 Repeated section that introduces the main

theme; major texture and dynamic shift from
introduction

B 35-60 Percussion “interlude” - instruments have

layered entrances

C 61-112 Other instruments return playing

repetitive and dissonant leaps, which
when combined with the rhythms in the
percussion section, create a disjointed feel;
key begins rising by half steps building up to
the return of the main theme
A’ 113-164 The movement ends with a bold statement
of the theme and prominent harmonies on
the thirds; dramatic ending with all
instruments playing and lush harmonies

Unit 8: Suggested Listening

Barnett, Carol. Cyprus: First Impressions.

Barnett, Carol. Vignettes: After Pierides.

Cesarini, Franco. Greek Folk Song Suite.

Gorb, Adam. Dances from Crete.

van Lynschooten, Henk. Suite on Greek Love Songs.

Woolfenden, Guy. Illyrian Dances.

Unit 9: Additional References and Resources

Barnett, Carol. Cyprian Suite. New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1999.

Blanco, Charlie. “BCM International and Its Role in the Contemporary Wind Band.”
PhD diss. Arizona State University, 2016.

“Carol Barnett.” Morning Star Music. ECS.

Miles, Richard, ed. Teaching Music through Performance in Band, Volumes 1-7.
Chicago: GIA Publications, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2007.

Rehrig, William H. The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music: Composers and Their
Music. Paul E. Bierley, ed. Westerville, OH: Integrity Press, 1991.
Contributed by:

Alexandra Charney

B.M.E, Sunderman Conservatory of Music

Gettysburg College ‘22

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania