Seachanges
Raymond Deane – Contemporary Irish composer.
The title was suggested by the continual change between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and by Shakespeare’s Full Fathom Five in The Tempest where Ariel reflects on the metamorphosis that occurs after death, when the body becomes transformed into coral and pearls, ‘rich and strange’.
Mexican influences
Deane was struck by the Mexican people’s preoccupation with death. The image of death is confronted all the time – skeletons, dance of death and macabre pictures.Much Mexican folk music is played by the Mariachi band,which includes Marimba, Maracas, Guiro and Guitar. (Guitar is suggested by the strumming of cello and violin
Below is the complete recording of Seachanges
There is also a video at the bottom of this page
The title was suggested by the continual change between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and by Shakespeare’s Full Fathom Five in The Tempest where Ariel reflects on the metamorphosis that occurs after death, when the body becomes transformed into coral and pearls, ‘rich and strange’.
Mexican influences
Deane was struck by the Mexican people’s preoccupation with death. The image of death is confronted all the time – skeletons, dance of death and macabre pictures.Much Mexican folk music is played by the Mariachi band,which includes Marimba, Maracas, Guiro and Guitar. (Guitar is suggested by the strumming of cello and violin
Below is the complete recording of Seachanges
There is also a video at the bottom of this page
Form (Structure)
The piece doesn’t conform to a recognised structure. However the movement from section to section is very clear. Each new section starts with obvious changes in Tempo, Texture and Dynamics.
Introduction – 3 note cell (GAC) and the main instruments.
A - Section 1 – Main melody and inversion (Bars 21-45)
B - Section 2 – Totentanz or Dance Macarbre rhythm– introduced on Maracas
A1- Section 3 – (74- 91) Main melody and inversion
C - Section 4 – (92-127) Dies Irae (Canon between Marimba and Violin) .
A2 - Section 5 – Main melody (128-140)
B/C - Section 6 – Totentanz and Dies Irae together. (141-174)
From an examination viewpoint, the following characteristics stand out regardless of the excerpt given in the exam.
Style
Instrumental techniques
Compositional tecniques/devices
The piece doesn’t conform to a recognised structure. However the movement from section to section is very clear. Each new section starts with obvious changes in Tempo, Texture and Dynamics.
Introduction – 3 note cell (GAC) and the main instruments.
A - Section 1 – Main melody and inversion (Bars 21-45)
B - Section 2 – Totentanz or Dance Macarbre rhythm– introduced on Maracas
A1- Section 3 – (74- 91) Main melody and inversion
C - Section 4 – (92-127) Dies Irae (Canon between Marimba and Violin) .
A2 - Section 5 – Main melody (128-140)
B/C - Section 6 – Totentanz and Dies Irae together. (141-174)
From an examination viewpoint, the following characteristics stand out regardless of the excerpt given in the exam.
Style
Instrumental techniques
Compositional tecniques/devices
Contemporary style. (Contemporary means modern)
Unusual instrumental techniques
Changing time signatures
Dissonance
Irregular time signatures
Use of 3 note cell and principle of subtraction (serialism)
Use of prime numbers
Use of extreme pitches
Bars of silence
Other features, though not contemporary.
Inversion
Canon (Dies Irae)
Interval of a 5th.
Unusual instrumental techniques
Changing time signatures
Dissonance
Irregular time signatures
Use of 3 note cell and principle of subtraction (serialism)
Use of prime numbers
Use of extreme pitches
Bars of silence
Other features, though not contemporary.
Inversion
Canon (Dies Irae)
Interval of a 5th.
Instruments and instrumental Techniques.
The vast array of unusual sounds made by playing instruments differently to the way they are normally used is the most exciting thing about this piece. Very often 2 or 3 of these techniques are used
simultaneously. Note that all musicians play Maracas intermittently and all end on Maracas. Also the pianist plays Guiro.
The vast array of unusual sounds made by playing instruments differently to the way they are normally used is the most exciting thing about this piece. Very often 2 or 3 of these techniques are used
simultaneously. Note that all musicians play Maracas intermittently and all end on Maracas. Also the pianist plays Guiro.
Violin and Cello
Double stopping - playing 2 strings at the same time.
Pizzicato - Plucked
Arco - Bowed
Glissando - Slide
Strumming - strum like a guitar
Sul Ponticello - play on the bridge
Flautando - Bow on the fingerboard, (literally "flute-like")
Tremolo - rapid bowing of one note repeated
Harmonics - very lightly touching a string producing a shrill, high pitched, weak sound.
Col legno batt - Bounce the wooden part of the bow on the strings
flag - harmonic
Senza vibrato - without vibrato
Sul Tasto - at the fingerboard
Pizzicato - Plucked
Arco - Bowed
Glissando - Slide
Strumming - strum like a guitar
Sul Ponticello - play on the bridge
Flautando - Bow on the fingerboard, (literally "flute-like")
Tremolo - rapid bowing of one note repeated
Harmonics - very lightly touching a string producing a shrill, high pitched, weak sound.
Col legno batt - Bounce the wooden part of the bow on the strings
flag - harmonic
Senza vibrato - without vibrato
Sul Tasto - at the fingerboard
Alto flute and Piccolo
Piccolo (small) Alto Flute (large)
Tremolo or flutter-tongue
Molto vibrato
Molto vibrato
Percussion
TambourineCymbal (bowed), Guiro, Maracas, Gong (Tam Tam),Rainstick
Marimba, Bass Drum x2, Crotales.
Compositional Techniques/devices
Principle of subtraction
Inversion
Canon
Use of 5ths
3 note cell
Prime numbers
"Wrong notes" Setting something up and then breaking it down.
Bi-thematicism
Principle of subtraction
Inversion
Canon
Use of 5ths
3 note cell
Prime numbers
"Wrong notes" Setting something up and then breaking it down.
Bi-thematicism
Tonality
Seachanges is not conceived in major and minor keys as in the other set works. It is built around the pedal points (repeated or sustained notes) G, D, C Eb and A. These notes sounds like a Doh or main note. Thus we don’t speak of a section being in the key of G but based around the note G.
Seachanges is not conceived in major and minor keys as in the other set works. It is built around the pedal points (repeated or sustained notes) G, D, C Eb and A. These notes sounds like a Doh or main note. Thus we don’t speak of a section being in the key of G but based around the note G.