On September 29, 2019, Adam Larison and Andrew Stroud, also known as Duo 220 gave a performance as part of the Texas A&M University Guitar Symposium. The performance was held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in College Station, Texas. The church provided a small, intimate space. The performers were neatly dressed and both played guitar. In this report we will analyze four pieces of music that were performed by Duo 220: “In a Landscape” by John Cage, “Prelude, Fugue, and Variation, Op. 18” by César Franck, “Three Madrigrals, H. 313, Allegro” by Bohuslav Martinů, and “Sonata in D Major, R. 84” by Antonio Soler. The focus of our analysis will be in two parts. First, we will identify the significant musical aspects of each piece, and how they reveal each composers historical or cultural influences. Secondly, we will describe our emotional reaction to each piece, and to the performance as a whole.
In a Landscape, almost in its entirety is performed with long, sustained notes. One of the performers noted that Cage intended for this piece to be played on the piano with the sustain pedal held throughout. For much of the piece, the texture is monophonic or homophonic with each performer taking turns playing the leading melody. Rhythmically, In a Landscape follows a ¾ pattern, that mostly consists of eighth notes. The piece rarely intensifies past a certain volume. These elements work together to create a piece that is constantly moving, and rarely ever resolved. In a Landscape is indicative of the historical background in which it was composed. In 1948, the world was focused on the aftermath of World War II. The uncertainty of the social and political climate of the post-war era, played a major part in everyone’s life and surely influenced Cage’s work. The uncertainty and meandering of this piece reflects the global ponderance of what the world would be like after the war.
Prelude, Fugue, and Variation by Cesar Franck consisted of three parts. Each part slightly differed in volume and intensity, but the signature dynamic element was the swelling of volume at the more dramatic moments, and the silence between parts of the piece. Texturally, the piece was mostly polyphonic. Rhythmically, the piece followed a rigid tempo. The piece changed started in 9/8 time, changed to ¾, and then back to 9/8. Prelude, Fugue, and Variation draws heavily upon variation around a central theme. Spending time in mid 1800s in France, Franck no doubt was under the influence of famous piano composers and performers such as Liszt and Chopin. His advanced harmonic technique is a result of the musical culture of France at the time, while his heavy use of polyphony is likely a result of his conservatory training, and is reminiscent of earlier composers such as Bach or Vivaldi.
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Three Madrigals H. 313, Allegro by Bohuslav Martinu was one of the louder pieces performed at the event, and mostly maintained a loud sound, but dropped in intensity and tempo to accentuate the more dramatic moments of the piece. The piece switched back and forth from homophonic to polyphonic. Because of Bohuslav’s Czech heritage, he likely gained inspiration at least in part for his harmonic and melodic intensity from historical Czech composers such as Antonin Dvorak, who was also known for his melodic inventiveness. Another important factor to consider was Bohuslav’s exile from Europe to the United States during World War II. Likely, this change to his lifestyle greatly impacted his compositions.
The final piece, Sonata in D Major by Antonio Soler consisted of mainly medium level dynamics, with lower or higher portions corresponding to the different sections. The piece is almost entirely polyphonic, except for solo monophonic runs. The most striking part of this piece are the dramatic shifts from the major to the minor mode that are included to shift the emotional pace of the music. The piece rarely uses intense harmonic structure, likely because of Soler’s origin as a Spanish church music composer. Because such composers were limited to chords and intervals that the church deemed acceptable, they used inventive melodies, and structures to build intensity in their compositions.
The pieces that I mostly responded to were Franck, and Martinu’s compositions. I suspect I reacted this way because of the dramatic shifts in tempo and mood. My mood changed throughout the concert in response to different pieces. For instance, during the John Cage piece, I felt very pensive and relaxed. While the piece was stimulating, it was also meditative. However, during the Franck piece, I felt very excited, as I expectantly awaited the changes in tempo and feel. The concert’s selections were very diverse, and each new piece instilled a different set of emotions in me. I felt that Duo 220 performed very well, and I could not have asked for a better guitar version of these performances. The info that the performers provided before some pieces was also very helpful to my understanding and enjoyment of the pieces. It gave me a sense of the understanding of the cultural or historical aspects of the music.
Attending this performance enhanced my education of classical music by providing me with examples of musical pieces from many different eras and cultural backgrounds. Because I now have a base of understanding and knowing what to listen for, I can better appreciate any future classical performances I may attend. In researching the music and composers, I learned a great deal about the circumstances that lead up to each composition’s inception, and of the composer’s life. This research allowed me to listen to the music with a greater understanding of the culture and historical implications that each piece relayed. Overall, I enjoyed the experience of this event very much because it let me venture out of my comfort zone with music.
Works Cited
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. ‘Antonio Soler.’ Encyclopædia Britannica. March 22, 2016. Accessed October 20, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antonio-Soler.
- ”In A Landscape’ by John Cage.’ Vic Firth. November 02, 2015. Accessed October 20, 2018. http://vicfirth.com/in-a-landscape-john-cage/.
- ‘John Cage – In a Landscape.pdf.’ Scribd. Accessed October 20, 2018. https://www.scribd.com/document/339240660/John-Cage-In-a-Landscape-pdf.
- ‘Prélude, Fugue Et Variation, Op.18 (Franck, César).’ Prélude, Fugue Et Variation, Op.18 (Franck, César) – IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. Accessed October 20, 2018. https://imslp.org/wiki/Prélude,_Fugue_et_Variation,_Op.18_(Franck,_César).
- Svatos, Thomas D. ‘Composers.’ The OREL Foundation | Bohuslav Martinu | Biography. Accessed October 20, 2018. http://orelfoundation.org/composers/article/bohuslav_martinu.
- ‘Welcome to Naxos Records.’ César Franck- Bio, Albums, Pictures – Naxos Classical Music. Accessed October 20, 2018. https://www.naxos.com/person/Cesar_Franck/27179.htm.
