Meter as Template: Metric Allusion in Music

by Thomas AdèsDaniel Goldberg, University of Connecticut

SMT Annual Meeting, Arlington, VANovember 4, 2017

Adès, Asyla, mvt. II, mm. 52–59

Adès, Asyla, mvt. II, mm. 52–59, Recomposed in Triple Meter

Durations from Asyla, mvt. II, mm. 52–59, Represented Proportionally

Durations from Asyla, mvt. II, mm. 52–59, Represented Proportionally

Durations from Asyla, mvt. II, mm. 52–59, Represented Proportionally

Transposed Pitch Series in Asyla

Same Note Value Violin I.2 Shorter Violin I.2 Longer

Inexact Correspondence of Durations in Parts with Transposed Pitches in Asyla

Graph of Timing Measurements from a Recording of Asyla (LSO, Adès)

Graph of Timing Measurements from a Recording of Asyla (LSO, Adès)

Graph of Timing Measurements from a Recording of Asyla (LSO, Adès)

Metric Template for the Excerpt from Asyla

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1 -1 -1

-2 -2 -2

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-2-2 -2

-1 -1

Stepwise Descending Lines in Asyla

B major triad(PC C also sounding)

Tonal Center in the Cello Melody in Asyla

Subsection b’ in the Scherzo of Adès, Arcadiana, “L’Embarquement”

Subsection b’ in the Scherzo of Adès, Arcadiana, “L’Embarquement”

Durations from “L’Embarquement,” mm. 40–46, Represented Proportionally

Durations of Five Quarter Notes in “L’Embarquement”

Metric Template for the Excerpt from “L’Embarquement”

Voice Exchange and Dominant Seventh Chord in “L’Embarquement”

Downbeat of m. 44 in “L’Embarquement”

Endellion

Calder

Timing in Two Recordings of “L’Embarquement”

Endellion

Calder

Timing in Two Recordings of “L’Embarquement”

Endellion

Calder

Timing in Two Recordings of “L’Embarquement”

Recomposed

Original

Subsections b and b’ in the Scherzo of “L’Embarquement”

mm. 12–19

mm. 40–47

Discography

Adès, Thomas, conductor. 2016. Asyla. On Adès: Asyla, Tevot, Polaris. London Symphony Orchestra. LSO Live LSO0798.

Calder Quartet. 2015. Arcadiana. On The Twenty-fifth Hour: The Chamber Music of Thomas Adès. Signum Classics SIGCD413.

Endellion Quartet. 1998. Arcadiana. On Adès: Living Toys. EMI Classics 7243 5 72271 2 4.