THE TRANSMISSION OF IDEAS IN CONTEMPORARY

MUSIC THEATRE THROUGH CONTEMPORARY

TROMBONE TECHNIQUES.

byPeter Keller

Submitted in partial fulfilment forthe Bachelor of Music Degree,

University of New South Wales.

September 1991 .

I certify that this project is entirely my own work, except whereI have given fully documented reterentes to the work of othersand that the material contained in tfris -pL;ect

has not previouslybeen submitted for assessment in any'foimat course of study.

I

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Scott Kinmont (associate principle tromboneof the Sydney Symphony Orchestra) and Trevor Jones (freelance

trombonist and former president of the Australian Trombo.neAssociation) for making available their resources and experience

in the fields of trombone literature and techniques.

1

CONTENTS

Contemporary music theatre and the trombone

Contemporary trombone techniquest

The use of contemporary trombone techniques to conveymeaning in contempoary music theatre

A new piece of music theatre for the trombone .......

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Appendix 2: Bye I'm going

...,,,..'.45

'|

ii

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1

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC THEATRE AND THE TROMBONE

The combination of sound and visual elements in theperformance of music is a long established tradition. Ancienticonographical sources reveal that early civilizations usedmusic as part of ritual, where the music, action and spectatorreactions were closely bound within the framework ofreligious celebrations and pageantryl . Contemp otary musictheatre is a descendant of these events requiring both visual

and auditory attention. lt has evolved through an integration of

elements taken from ritual, folklore, theatre of the absurd and

oriental theatre such as Japanese no drama in which the detailin the components of gesture and delivery is more vital thanthe narrative thread2 .

The subject matter which composers have drawn upon as abasis for contemporary music theatre works is varied but cangenerally be viewed as representing an individual's perception,

thoughts and understanding of the nature of art and culture in

contemporary life3.ln the process of a composer's thoughtsabout musical issues being combined with their thoughts on

social issues, the inner artistic and social enviroments areoften fused. Composers of contemporary music theatre havedeveloped various strategies involving both musical and extra-musical elements which aid the conveyance of their ideas. The

novel musical elements include. the exploration of tone colourthrough new instrumental usages and the supplementary

l Reginald Smith Brindle, The New Music: the Avant-garde since 1945(London: Oxsford University Press, 1975), 146.

2Paul Griffiths, Modern Music: the avant-garde since 1945(London J.M. Dent and Sons, 1981), 248.

3Eric Salzman Twentieth-Century Music: an lntroduction(Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1974), 196.

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2

stimuli have included costumes, props, lighting effects and thestaging of events designed to provoke audience participation.The inclusion of instructions for these theatrical eff ectsencourages the notion that any musical performance which

would not achieve the effect the composer intended it to

achieve unless it is viewed as well as listened to can be

classified as a contemporary music theatre work.

The modern large-bore tenor trombone has enjoyed a

healthy popularity amongst composers of contemporary music

theatre as an instrument valuable for expressing their ideas.The primary quality which makes the trombone an ideal vehicle

for the conveyance of theatrical art is its flexibility in a greatnumber of characteristics, such as unlimited pitch control,large dynamic and pitch ranges, and the availability of a

palette of varied tone colours.

Other factors which may have encouraged composers towrite for the trombone are its capacity for theatrical effectsresulting f rom the sor.netimes expansive movements of theslide, its similarity to the human voice and its possible robustquality which has been used exhaustively to make theinstrument a striking force. lt is in this area that thedirectional quality of the trombone has been used extensivelyand as early as in the choreographed movements of theinstrumentalists during the bigband swing era. Despitefavourable characteristics possessed by the trombone it had

been an instrument neglected by composers who contributed to

chamber and solo repertoire (which includes contemporarymusic theatre) until the 1960's when it was seen by somemore adventurous musicians as an unchartered area ripe forexp lo ratio n.

aJ

CONTEMPORARY TROMBONE TECHNIOUES

The Yugoslavian trombonist/composer Vinko Globokar(b.1935) and the American trombonist Stuart Dempster have

inspired and developed many techniques which have expandedtheir instrument's expressive qualities. A majority of thesecontemporary trombone techniques are utilized in works eithercommissioned or composed by them. One area which hasreceived concentrated attention has been the relationshipbetween the trombone and the human voice. The associationexisted at least as early as the seventeenth century when thescientist Mersenne wrote that the trombone should cultivate avocal style4, and led to the members of the trombone familybeing named after the vocal registers into which theirrespective ranges fall, the Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass and

Contra-bass.

The trombone may acquire more than simply a vocal stylethrough the use of mutes and vocally produced sounds being

channelled along the pipe and out of the bell which, underthese circumstances, has become an extension of the throat.These techniques allow the trombone tone colour to resemblethat of the human voice to a degree that speech-like soundsand words can be pronounced through instrumental sound withreasonable accuracy and clarity. One of the best devices used

to realize this technique is the plunger mute which is usuallya plunger as used by plumbers to unblock drains. When thismute is held in a closed position against the bell the soundbecomes buzzy like a stopped note, but when it is tilted to an

open position the sound becomes convincingly vocal. The areabetween the plunger and the bell has effectively become the

4Marin Mersenne, 15BB-1648. Harmonie Universelle. trans. RogerE. Chapman (The Hague: Nijhoff,1957), 341-43.

4

oral cavity of the trombone throat and its manipulationproduces speech-like textures and shapes. Within theframework of these vocal inflections words can be articulatedby the combination of both buzzed and vocal vowel sounds andconsonants.

'Buzzed vowels' ate created by the trombonistsimultaneously producing a buzzed lip sound and altering theshape of the human oral cavity as if saying the nominatedvowel. Consonants are achieved by employing articulationswhich vary in terms of tongue position and speed at the onsetof a note. Many of these consonants have vowels attached toform pronounceable syllables. The most commonly usedarticulations are the 'tu' and 'du' variety. 'Ku' is anotherpossibility which is commonly featured in alternation with the'tu' attack in the double or triple tonguings used to ensureprecision in rapid passages. The 'tu', 'du', and 'ku' articulationscan be used to suggest consonants other than 't', 'd', and 'k'

when aided by the use of 'bent tones'. As a form of glissando,'bent tones' occur when the pitch of a note is sharpened orflattened not by movement of the slide, but by altering theposition of the lower jaw, causing the lip to buzz higher orlower than allows the pipe to comfortably resonate. Thiseff ect also occurs when the F-trigger attached to manymodern large-bore trombones is depressed half way causing a

slight change in pitch due to extra tubing being partiallyopened5. This technique, known as the'half-valve effect',produces a tone similar in colour to one which is experiencedwhen playing the 'fake notes' which exist between low 'E' andpedal 'Bb' on the tenor trombone. These pitches may be buzzedinto the trombone at the sacrifice of attaining a clear singingsound as the instrument does not possess the physicalcharacteristics which would enable it to resonate naturally in

this range.

SStuart Dempster, The Modqrn Trofnbone: a definition of its idiom(Berkeley: California University Press, 1979), 19.

5

The fact that the pitch patterns involved in speech are not

organized by semitonal relationships makes them difficult tobe accurately represented in the Western musical language. As

the pitch control mechanism of the trombone consists of a

continuous sliding pipe, the performer is at liberty to produce

the smaller than semitone intervals, or microtones, present in

speech.

The vocabulary of the trombone is enriched with harmonicpossibilities through singing whilst playing, multiphonics, andthe manipulation of the intensity of specific partials in theharmonic series implied by a note. When the singing voice is

combined with the sound resulting from the buzzed lip, three

or four-note chords can be heard if the intonation is precise.

Audible beats resembling fluttertonguing appear if theinterval between the played and sung note is less than a tone.Another method of producing multiphonics is the split tone,where two adjacent partials will sound if two embouchuresare formed by the trombonist acting as if playing the note in

the middle of two consecutive harmonics. Other multiphoniceffects occur when vowel shapes formed by the oral cavity are

changed slowly above a fairly low steady note. This effect can

also be created by opening and closing the hand over the stem

of a wa-wa mute, which is also useful in its ability to make an

'u-a' vowel sound as well as dampening the tone, therebyeliminating the lower partials. The instruments' tone may be

altered further by projecting the sound through a large varietyof electronic objects including the electric fan6.

6David Baker, Contemporary Techniques for the Tromhone(New York: Charles Colin, 1974), 302.

6

A technique which secures theatrical as well as musicalinterest is the use of mouthpieces designed for non-brassinstruments. Multiphonic effects which are easy to produce

although not always predictable can arise when double reeds(such as for the bassoon) are inserted into, or single reeds(such as for the bass clarinet) ate attached in place of thetrombone mouthpiece. ln his theatre piece BRTB (1974), David

Cope asks for several different types of mouthpieces to be

tried and eventually rejected, leaving the trombone mouthpiece

as the only suitable accessory to play the short tune at the end

of the workT

Percussive devices may also be used as extra auditory and

visual aspects of a performance. Whilst playing, thetrombonist may tap the foot, shuffle, dance, hit the bell with a

fingernail or mute, or do anything from an infinite number ofactions giving rise to percussive sounds. Other effectsspecific to the trombone include the 'velar click', where thetongue is brought down away from the back of the upper teethwhilst inhalingB and the 'pop', where a strong puff of air isinstantaneously cut off with the tongueg.

TDavid Cope, BRTB (Nashville: Brass Music, 1974)

Bstuart Dempster, The Modern Trombone: a definition of its idiom(Berkeley: California University Press, 1979), 43.

The word 'velar' is used in linguistic texts to describe speech soundarticulations which require the tongue to approach or touch the softmembrane forming the roof of the mouth behind the hard palate. R.Hartmann,and F. Stork, Dictionary of Lanquaoe and Linouistics (London:Applied Science Publishers, 1972), 248.

9Giancarlo Schiaffini, The Trombone: increasing its t'echnical andexpressive capacities (Milan: Ricordi, 1982), 27.

Methods of tone production which may have a theatricalaspect are the 'harmonic glissando' on the same note, therinhaled buzz', 'water tones' and instrument deformation. When

executing the 'harmonic glissando' the trombonist must move

the slide as far as indicated whilst attempting to keep theinitial pitch with the buzzed lip. This will cause the startingnote to recur during the manouvre as the length of resonanttubing travels over several partials. This technique is

facilitated by an increasing abundance of alternate positionsfrom middle to high register notes. The 'inhaled buzz' requiresthe lips to vibrate whilst inhalation takes place instead of theusual exhalation that features in conventional playing. 'Watertones' can produce a diverse range of tones which vatyaccording to the amount of water held by the instrument and

the angle at which the slide is held in relation to the ground.

Sounds emitted under these conditions may include gurgling,when either the slide is at an acute angle to the ground or alarge quantity of water is used, which gradually becomessparse crackling as either the slide is levelled to a nearparallel position to the ground (holding it any higher invitesthe water to gush down the trombonist's throat) or the amountof water is decreasedl 0. lnstrument deformation allowsamusing sounds and unusual tone colours through performance

on the various sections of the trombone followingdisassembly.

1oio.

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THE USE OF CONTEMPORARY TROMBONE TECHNIQUES TO

CONVEY MEANING IN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC THEATRE

Key works of Contemporary Music Theatre which featurethe trombone in a theatrical context include Sequenza V

(1966) by Luciano Berio (b.1925), Vinko Globokar's Discours tl(1967-68), and General Speech (1969) by Robert Erikson(b.1917). The extra-musical elements present in these worksserve to represent the meaning contained in the musicalelements in a less abstract form.

Berio's Sequenza V for solo trombone is a work ofcontemporary music theatre in that it includes instructionsfor costume, gesture, stage setting, lighting, and performancetechniques all designed to help the performer portray Grock,the European clown famous for constantly questioning his

seemingly futile actions and efforts. ln an introductory note by

the trombonist Stuart Dempster, who commissioned the work,it is specified that a spotlight is to pick up and follow thetrombonist f rom the moment of entry onto the stage to a

medium height stool in centre stage. The costume consists of awhite tie and tails. The performer is instructed not to

acknowledge the audience but to stand facing the front in thecentre stage position, pause and then gaze upwards as if in

search of imaginary prey. The trombonist then raises thetrombone as if taking aim, plays the first note as if shootingand immediately lowers the instrument again. Arrows in thescore are used to indicate the raising and lowering of thetrombone, the speed of these movements being indicated by theproportional notation. These 'gunshot' effects are also heard on

the second and fourth pitches. The fifth time the trombone is

raised all the motions involved in playing a note should be

executed, including taking a breath, but instead of playing the

9

note the performer is instructed to pull hisl 1 face away fromthe instrument and give the audience a phony grin. Thisclowning gesture, along with the bare stage (the stool beingthe only prop), the modest lighting (a single spotlight) and thelack of acknowledgement of the audience all serve to createthe impression that Grock is in an empty hall, performingalone and questioning the situation.

One of the questions Grock (as represented by thetrombonist) may be addressing by performing Sequenza V is

the very purpose of playing such an incredibly challengingwork. The piece was written in collaboration with VinkoGlobokar and therefore many of the effects the trombonist is

asked to produce require a virtuostic and specialist skill in

contemporary performance techniques. The atmosphere theseeffects create is one of effort or struggle as the trombonisttackles passages where instrumental sounds are combinedwith vocal sounds with the goal of obtaining a similarity ofattack and colour between the two. Feelings of desperationare aroused when the performer audibly inhales air from theinstrument while singing and the constant use of a metalplunger mute (either open, partially closed or fully closed overthe bell) suggests suffocation. Tension is created audibly byoccasionally rattling the mute inside the bell of theinstrument with a fast movement and the large dynamiccapacity of the trombone is used to produce stark contrasts,sometimes between individual notes. Effort is suggestedvisually by passages of fast and continuous movement of theslide indicated as a graph pattern in the score whereinstrumental sounds are produced without concern for themovement of the slide (see example 1).

11The sung parts of the work fall into a vocal range suitable for atenor or bass voice.

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Example 1

dynamic ma (1=soft as possible, 7=loud as possibtel- inst mental sounds - o- oinhalation

I

aJz

slide movement @

It is after this laboured section that the performer uttersvocally a bewildered 'WHY?' which signals the more relaxedbeginning of the second section of the work as if the futilityof the situation has been realised. Much of the opening of thissection is played with a 'breathy sound' which can only beproduced by the existence of a loose or completely effortlessrelationship between the trombonist's embouchure andinstrument. This calm mood does not last long as tension is

once again introduced through techniques such as singing andplaying simultaeneously, fluttertongue, harmonic glissando on

the same note, and double or triple staccato. As the tensionincreases to a near a painful level in each of the two sectionsthe question 'WHY?' appears in the instrumental colour. This isachieved through the use of the buzzed vowel techniquefeaturing the vowel sounds 'u', 'a', and 'i' (see example 2 a,b &

c).

Example 2 o,b & c

ua I

uaua

a b

Ar,\

plunger mute open or closed

sung notes

played notes

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The work glides to a passive end as the vocal and instrumentalsound blend onto the same pitch at a soft dynamic. Berio'sSequenza V signalled a new attitude towards the trombone as

a solo instrument. Some combinations of techniques includedin the work, such as the simultaneous use of glissandi, 'wa-

wa' mute effects, and singing whilst playing (see example 3),

are possibilities available only to the trombone and thereforethe piece can be considered as the first work written for thetrombone that cannot be played on any other acousticinstru ment.

Example 3

@'

Many works of Vinko Globokar have made the trombonegrunt, shriek, neigh, croak, bark, bellow, pant, snore, spit,howl, whisper, groan and cough. These sounds are produced

through a variety of embouchures, fluttertonguing, singing andplaying, harmonics and muting with a large range of objects. ln

Discours ll Globokar has concentrated on making theinstrument speakl 2. The piece, based on a French textdescribing the similarity between the spoken language andplaying the trombone, may be performed by either f ive

12The English translations of the French word 'discours' are given as'speech' or'discourse'. B. Atkins, A. Duval, and R. Milne, Collins RobertsFrench-English. English-French Dictionary (Glasgow: Collins, 1984),213.

1,2

trombonists or only one live performer with a pre-recorded

tape. The quintet version is more satisfying theatrically as it

enacts a debate between five personalities. These charactersare portrayed through the combination of various performance

techniques and physical behaviour. Globokar believes that it is

through this cooperation of the mental and physical energiesinvolved in performance that intensity of sound is achievedl3.

The metaphorical conversation is animated by themimicking of human expression in both individual and social

contexts. Etiquette is observed by the trombonists rarely'speaking' simultaneously, the ensemble only uniting for briefconfrontations or agreements, or the parts exchange ideas informs suggestive of questions and answers. Performancetechniques contribute to the body sounds created by the five

conversationalists in their interaction. Laughter,exclamations, gibberish and angry sounding tones are heard as

well as salivatory noises arising from the build-up of water in

the slide ensured by the instruction that the trombonists arenot to empty their water keys during the performance.

The section of the text 'mais ilya aussi une analogie'

[but there exists an analogy] is realised instrumentally as

follows (see example 4):

Example 4

plunger mute or cl

&

oryL -.t...Qio.1"

13Paul Griffiths, Modern Music: the avant-garde since 1945(London: J.M. Dent and Sons, 1981),231.

tq,.{

ttl=t"{Cl

t3

Eaeh syllable is pronounced by the techniques noted i'n table 1

TABLE 1 Techniques used to express words in Discours //1a

Robert Erikson's General Speech for solo trombone,written to fulfil a commission by Stuart Dempster, is based on

General Douglas MacArthur's retirement speech given in 1962at West Point. The work requires the trombonist to becostumed with a military hat, dark glasses, shoulder pads,white satin gloves, medals and other appropriate insignia

l4Derived from an 'Explanation of symbols' section attached to thescore of Discours //. Vinko Globokar, Discours ll (Frankfurt: Henry Litoff'sVerlag, 1969).

WORD ISOLATEDSCXJNDS

PER FORMANCE TECHNTOUE(S)

mars

ilya

aussi

une

analogie

mars

i

va

AU

ssi

u

ne

a

nalo

g

re

speak normally outside the mouthpieceblow caused by suddenly stopping the bell withthe plunger

spoken through the instrumentshort inhaled breath soundplay an 'E flat' with very little tonesound) with an open plunger

(breathy

play 'C sharp' with the plunger three-quartersclosedspoken normally with the mouth away fron themouthpiece

play a high 'F sharp'with a closed plungerblow produced by suddenly closing the slide

sung vowel with certain amount of instrumentalsound addedplay a low 'F'with an open plungerplay an 'A flat' with very little tone (breathysound) with the plunger three-quarters closed

blow into the instrument imitating the consonanti'sch'very shorl spoken vowels

14

painted with fluorescent paint. After entering in a 'militaryfashion' the performer takes position behind an opulent lectern(upon which two smallish American f lags are mounted) anddelivers excerpts taken from General MacArthur's speechthrough the use of both vowel and consonant sounds produced

through the trombone. Sections of the speech are printed in

small lettering above the music. Above these, wordabstractions consisting of the vowels and consonants intendedto determine the shape of the oral cavity for each note have

been included in large lettering. Rests and repeated lettersindicate the length and stress each sound is allocated. Thispiece addresses the relationship between speaking and playing

the trombone by the bell acting as an extension of the throat.

The extra-musical elements in the work, including thecostume, special lighting, props and use of gesture serve thepurpose of suggesting a very powerful military personage. Thisis done theatrically by the performer sticking out the chest toshow off medals and giving the audience an intense starewhilst leaning forward in one of the pauses which occurthroughout the piece. The movements of the slide (dictated by

the notes prescribed in the score) are suggestive of expressivearm movement as if to emphasize points considered importantby the speaker. A larger-than-life effect is created when thetrombonist suddenly rises to full height after performing thefirst sentence of the text with bent knees hidden behind thelectern. The content of the text is reflected by instructionsfor expressive poses such as 'HARD STARE SURVEY AUDIENCE'(see example 5) when the significance of the West Point 'DUTY,

HONOR, COUNTRY'motto is explained and'PREPARE FOR

SOLEMNITY AND SELF PITY' (see example 6) before theretirement is announced. The musical elements introduce a

f arcical quality, where speech is distorted to somewhatcomical lengths and pleasantly avoiding seriousness anddignity that such an occasion of retirement should demand.

15

Example 5

^/-,\>Doo iee 'yoN-oR - cvffT'TRpttrgl, /=\ lhO (f)'"1 I\ililru0, I

Drry t- 5,HONOR COUNTRY THR,EE

HEI6+IT,/, YOIC(

/, I t .f-..-.-.---.....- ry V ,rp-$--ff

Example 6

--] \-/-it To0DAye00*H0l(S * Myg FlllA - - - -IROII CCALL,rWlTHee00 '-'\

20ttsl6' l.1ARX5 t{y Frl{AL Rou CALL wrn{ You F tn -.

,'- rl

TODAY

- . BoDY avrvre

v*}SELF

SoEr+rryPtT', i.1

\ap (in{en*) V

Due to the possibility of various timbres the trombone is

the optimum instrument to convey the exaggerated pride and

extroversion of the personagsl 5 as well as the subtleties of

vocal inflection. lts low range further suggests a male voiceand makes vowel harmonics an attractive possibility as far ascontemporary trombone techniques are concerned (see example7).

-

I

lSThese qualities are well documented in General Douglas Mac Arthur'sautobiographical Reminiscences (New York: Crest, 1964), 480-84.

16

Example 7 (all five vowels are used in this example)

UH g RGII I DE POS TAilDZOUIYOUR GUIDE PosI STUDS OIJT

lnteresting multiphonic effects occur when vowels are slowlychanged above a steady note, causing different partials of theharmonic series the sound for each vowel (see example B). This

technique is best realized in the range extending from low 'Bflat' down the interval of a fourth to 'F' in which much ofGeneral Speech has been writtenl6.

Example I

wywyyAHeeuHeR-

I

lxEy ARE yoUR

np>#<,y>?f<,y>tr

'Bent tones' resulting from the use of the 'half-valve effect'(see example 9) and 'fake notes' (see example 10) aid in thepronunciation of consonantsl 7. They also encourage theproduction of microtonal intervals.

l6Stuart Dempster, The Modern Trombone: a definition of its idiom(Berkeley: California University Press, 1979), 10.

lTStuart Dempster, idid., 17.

L

t7

Example I

HHAL-LO}{ DWU R - EUH ;HALLOWED WORDS

-

Example 10

fian ]tFROI{ l

v

Consonants are produced when notes are articulated with thetongue in the same position it would be in if one werevocalizing the sound. To emphasize the similarity betweeninstrumental and vocal colour some consonants are produced

by the voice and some vocal vowels are sung through theinstrument in addition to the instrumentally realized speech.ln the context of this piece, bent tones, fine gradations ofpitch change, and marked alterations in pitch result in

microtonal intervals which represent the microtonal f luidityof speech (see example 11).

-.J-4-f-tH--

18

Example 11

cApTo--llltzooHo-- u T,eilelcllsllullu DesTntluilt]llgrulll----llDz l,Hl{0 }lgll,DlJl{CAPTAIIIS WHO HOLD I}IE NATION'S DESTINY IX II{EIR HAIIDS THE H0r{Erll T{E

I (r*e)/lt

U<J

Dynamic markings, a velar click (see example 12), the use of'ahem', belch, and cough sounds, and an instruction to 'whisper'(see example 13) imply the stresses, moods, and impuritiesthe human process of speech involves.

Example 12

nflueyilGP0gN *TtI

i

RATIYIHG PDINItlRVE

| :>ta. _. _,(r/) lrI

Exam ple 1 3

l,JgAF' -[D IJYC HAI }l- - -J[I H o

WonLD oF CHAN6. F tn<

hJ .JJ

I ) .A^r-tO.--l- rr t .l!tl

\ ii.

\

L9

Berio, Globokar, and Erikson have all relied heavily upon

the relationship between the trombone and the human voice in

their contemporary music theatre works. The physical actionsinvolved in realizing the numerous contemporary trombonetechniques proffer to suggest effort in Sequenza V, intensityin Discours ll, and expressive bodily gestures in GeneralSpeech. The success of these works lies in the fact that theyare not saturated in meaningless displays of technicalvirtuosity. Rather the skill of the performer is used to evokeatmospheres such as the mock grandeur in General Speech or

the tension, conf usion, and eventual relaxation arousedinSequenza V. By not viewing the performance of these works,

the impact of the composer's message is drammaticallyreduced. The extra-musical elements of these works provideconcrete f rames of subject matter within which the moreabstract messages of the music may be applied.

A NEW PIECE OF MUSIC THEATRE FOR THE TROMBONE

The accompanying piece of music theatre is a workwhere the introduction of contemporary techniques is used tosuggest the process of adaptation and change which motivationhas the capability of exercising upon an existing situation. The

development of the musical elements represents the idea thatwhen these characteristics are combined with knowledge frompast experience quality of life can be improved. The theatricalelements apply this concept to a specific context, making it

less abstract. Entitled Bye l'm Going, the piece signifies thedeparture of a young Czech man18 from a life of apathy to alife of achievement.

18the voice part of the composition falls into a tenor or bass range.

20

The work, although performed without breaks, can be

divided into three sections symbolizing the speechs given by

the monarchs of the Czech regions of Slovakia, Moravia, andBohemia who were attending a banquet to celebrate thenomination of their kingdoms as the ideal fairytale settings.The first consists of a narrative introduction followed by theperformance of the 'song' for trombone and piano in whichDu5an, the king of Slovakia spoke of nature which is ordered.The second is the imitation of a band arrangement of a

Moravian folksong or 'dance' by the solo trombonist whereElul6[ia, the queen of Moravia spoke of dance which is inspired.ln the final section, 'colourmusic', the trombonist reinterpretsthe opening song without the supportive role of the piano as

Ruprecht, king of Bohemia spoke of colour which can be both

ordered and inspired.

The stage setting enables the present and the past to be

revealed simultaneously. A table with a sleeping drunk seatedwith back to audience and the trombonist and pianist seatedawake across it facing the audience is to occupy the frontportion of one side of the performance area and threemannequin kings in extravagant and colourf ul clothing aresituated in the back portion of the other side of the stage. Apiano is positioned behind the table and a cassette player in

the vicinty of the ElulSlia mannequin queen. A small, well-littable on which stands a one litre transparent containercapable of holding water is located near the edge of theperformance area in front of Ruprecht. Speakers may be placed

in any location that satisf ies the condition that performersand audience can hear the sounds they emit.

The trombonist rises (with instrument in hand) as if togo to the bathroom but as crossing the stage notices the kings.

The trombonist approaches DuHan cautiously. When he senses

that the king is harmless he becomes eager to brawl with him.

2l

Quickly appeased by the mannequin's lack of retaliation he

casually removes a hat from DuSan's head and puts it on his

own, but it appears to be more irritable than comfortable. Upon

searching the interior of the hat he discovers the manuscriptof a song. Meanwhile the pianist has taken position at thekeyboard as a recording of the sound of a Slavic voicedelivering a narration based on Czech history is played. As the

speech concludes the pianist and trombonist perform the song

after which they turn to each other and shrug shoulders. Theybegin to return to the table. The pianist, arriving f irst, sitsbut the trombonist hesitates remembering the purpose offormer rising, and crosses the stage once again. This timeElulSlia is confronted and loses her vest to the trombonist. ln

the vest pocket he finds a cassette which he promptly plays on

the nearby cassette player and does a little dance, after whichthe solo trombone arrangement of the folksong contained on

the recording is performed.

By this stage it should be obvious that the trombonisthas left the pianist and the drunk. He hurriedly moves to meetRuprecht, the final king, from whom he acquires a tie. ln a

chest at the Ruprecht's feet (if the mannequin has feet) he

finds a chest which contains glasses of coloured water. Theare carefully removed from the chest and placed on a small,well-lit table in full audience view, after which the soloarrangement of the original 'song' is performed. After the finalnote has been played the trombonist notices that there are no

more mannequins to meet, the drunk and the pianist are asleepat the table and he is wearing new clothes so he exists withtrombone

The basis of the 'song' about nature is a setting of apoem where notes assigned to letters are used to developmelody as a function of the frequency of appearance ofindividual letters in the poem. Harmony is derived through thecombination of letter notes to form both chordal andcontrapuntal textures. The solo part is written in a vocal-like

22

range and with very little markings indicating expression orstyle. The trombonist is expected to interpret the melodic line

by by changing registers and using techniques other thancontemporary trombone techniques.

The 'dance' is the Moravian folksong e2 pfilaete pies pote

[When you go through the fields] first presented in a simplemountain band arrangement whose texture is subsequentlymimicked by the solo trombone. The different layers of soundpresent in the band arrangement are achieved trombonisticallythrough the use of a variety of techniques. These includesinging-whilst-ptaying and split tone multiphonics, benttones, vowel sounds and their resultant harmonics, harmonicglissandi, and percussive devices produced by foot tapping,bell hitting, velar clicks and pops as well as fluttertonguing(produced by r:olling the tongue in an identical manner as the

Czechoslovakian language demands for the pronunciation of the

letter 'r').

The 'colourmusic' is a synthesis of the two sectionswhich precede it. The trombonist is to appear to be using what he

has learnt through performing the 'song' and 'dance' to create anew work based on colours achieved through water sounds,multiphonic effects and microtonal intervals. Glasses ofcoloured water are poured into the slide section of the tromboneto produce the water sounds. Audible tone colours are paralleled

with these visual colours by each hue representing a differentcontemporary technique. When the coloured waters are mixed atthe conclusion of the work these techniques are combined. Theaddition of yellow water results in effects such as overblowingwater sounds, trills and fluttertonguing all suggestive of thedecoration of a sound. Singing-whilst-playing is used in

conjunction with blue water and the plunger mute is used whengreen water is added to the mixture. Red water is intended to

appear to be causing microtonal passages where the tromboneslide is divided into twelve instead of the usual seven positionsinvolved in tonal playing. This distinction is indicated in thescore by markings of 'n=7' for sections where the octave is

divided into twelve intervals and 'n=12' for the microtonal

sections with twenty-one intervaltwenty-one approximately equidista

23

s1e. This forms a scale with

nt intervals within what was

al three bars of the work the

are stated instrumentally by

previouslynames of

an octave2o. In the finthe three monarchs

mixing the techniques the colours seem to have inspired (see

table 2).

TABLE 2 Techniques used to express words in B.ve /m Gorng

WORD ISOLATEDSOUNDS

PERFORMANCE TECHN rOU E(S)

ElulSlia

ouYan

Ruprecht

e

lu

6lia

dusan

rup

recht

breath-attack (no tongue articulalion),half-closed plungerthree-quarters-closed plunger, breath-attack,lenutoopen plunger, breath-attack, tenutoclosed plunger, breath-attacksustain previous pitch and open plunger fully

lhree-quarters-closed plunger,'du' articulationopen plunger, downward glissandoencompassing a microtonal interval

open plunger for articulation but closeimmediately after attack, fluttertongue,purse lips and allow a short burst of air escapeas tongue protrudesplunger fully-closed for articulation but openimmediately after attack, fluttertonouinq, thuck

19The symbol 'n' is used to designate the number of positions thetrombone slide is divided into

2Osee appendix 1 for a chart containing position numbers required toplay the notes on a slide divided into twelve positions torming twenty-oneinte rv als.

24

APPENDIX 1 N=12

Trombone slide position chart f or 'n=12' producing a

microtonal scale with twenty-one intervals within an'octave'. ln the sections of the work based on this scale, flatand sharp signs are separated by an interval equal to thatwhich separates a flat from a natural and a natural from asharp.

IT,ON

I

2

3

+.

T

6.

7.

g.

q

r0.

tt.

lzq+

1.+

25

2.

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+.

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7.

t.

1"

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26

b+

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+.

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t.

1.

10.

IL

tt.

D-r + {-

27

t.

2.

3.

+.

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6.

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1.

b+ f- i+

bs

b e h.:-

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bo=

b*-+

h9"b, be

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br

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28

APPENDIX 2 BYE I'M GOING

The author's own work of music theatre, Bye l,m Going fortrombone, piano and three mannequin monarchs.

BYE I'M GOING

Notes regarding the stage set-up and extra-musical performanceprocedures are included in the main body of the paper and will notbe repeated in this appendix. An explanation of the symbols used

by the author to designate various comtemporary trombonetechniques for which no known standard notation exists is

included overleaf.

TEXT FOR THE TAPED SLAVIC VOICE: to be read as theperformers prepare to play the 'song'.

Queen Elulalia of Slovakia and King Dusan of Moravia joined KingRuprecht of Bohemia for a grand food festival at his castle.

The reason for the celebration was this:their lands had recieved nominations for being ideal fairytalesettings.

As a symbol of gratitude, each monarch was expected to speak atsome length on what they considered to be the most notablefeature of their land.

Dusan spoke of nature, Elulalia spoke of dance and Ruprecht spokeof colour.

t- -nco-t

'a1rirz

j.v.

-?roloc\'ona1 r.o|.^llor.. a. is d,^r*,lio^ i,. Secoods.

'SV.ort fc\!.\Se

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- Stide V,br^{o

- ql\ voca.\ Soon cl s ihdtc€^t(d o^ {he s<1a'ro,lc s{crvc

afe |o be f*dt.al lhro-5lr iLe 1a5{rravr^1,rrt.

-xheee neresscrrT slid< posilions are. il^oticc.tr.l

obovr- nctel anJ sho.^lcl Aellr^ilcl7 lre. user( +u

y*d,^cr-' ber,.l torres',

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45

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SECTION 1: SCORES

Berio, Luciano, Sequenza V. London: Universaledition,1968.

Cope, David, BRTB . Nashville: Brass Music Lld, 1974.

Erikson, Robert, General Speech. New York: SeesawMusic Corp., 1966.

Globokar, Vinko, Discours ll . Frankfurt: Henry Litolff'sVerlag, 1969.

SECTION 2: BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS

Baker, David, Contemporary Techniques for theTrombone. New York: Charles Colin, 1974

Baker, Theodore, Baker's Biooraphical dictionary oflvl rrsicia ns Revised by Nicolas Slonimsky. NewYork: Schirmer Books( a division of Macmillanpublishing Co.), 1.978.

Bornoff, Jack, Music and the Twentieth Century lMedia.Florence: Leo S. Olschki, 1972.

Brindle, Reginald Smith, The New Music: the Avant-gardesince 1945. London: Oxford University Press,1 975.

Atkins, Beryl T., Alain Duval, and Rosemary C. Milne,Collins Robert French-English. English-FrenchDictionary. Glasgow: Collins, 1984.

46

Griffiths, Paul, Modern Music; the avant-garde since1945. London: J.M. Dent and Sons, 1981.

Hartmann, R., and Stork, F., Dictionarv of Lanouaoe andLinguistics. London: Applied SciencePublishers, 1972.

K6nig, Wolfgang, Vinko Globokar. Komoosition undlmprovisation. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf undHdrtel , 1977.

Mac Arthur, Douglas, Reminisqences.New York: Crest, 1964.

l\llersenne, lvlarin, 1588-1648. Harmonie Universelle.translated by Roger E. Chapman. The Hague:

O'Loughlin, Niall, 'GIobokar, Vinko,' in The New GroveDintionarv of [/rrqin anrl N/rreinianq Edited byStanley Sadie, 7:448.London: Macmillan Publishers, 1980

Salzman, Eric, Twentieth-Centurv [t/usic: anlntroduction. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall,lnc., 19V4.

Schiaffini, Giancarlo, The Trombone: increasino itstechnical and expressive capacities. MilanRicordi , 1982.

Dempster, Stuart , The Modern Trombone: a definition ofits idiom. Berkeley: California University Press,1 979.

SECTION 3: DISCOGRAPHY

Erikson Robert, General Speech. Performed by StuartDempster, trombone, New Music for VirtuososNo2. New World Records: NW 254.

Globokar, Vinko, Discours ll. Performed by VinkoGlobokar, trombone, Vinko Globokar. .Trombone.DGG avant garde.

Berio, Luciano, Sequenza V. Perlormed by ChristianLindberg, trombone, The Solitary Trombone.BIS CD-388.

4l