Portfolio of Compositionsetheses.whiterose.ac.uk/19686/1/Redelinghuys - Portfolio of... · The Influence of Artaud p. 20 The Audience and the Theatre p. 22 Artaud’s Music p. 23

PortfolioofCompositionsJamesNicholasRedelinghuysMAbyResearchUniversityofYorkMusicNovember2017

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AbstractThisportfolioisconcernedwithtwonewdevelopmentsinmycomposition.Firstly,I

haveincorporatedtheatricaltechniquesinadditiontoandasanenhancementofmy

purelysonicwriting.Secondly,Ihaveaimedtoengagewith,andattempttoclearly

communicate a central concept with each piece. This commentary outlines the

various inspirations behind these goals, details the techniques I used, and

reflectivelydiscussestheresultsandreactionstothepieces.

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TableofContentsAbstract p.2

TableofContents p.3

ListofAccompanyingMaterial p.4

Author’sDeclaration p.5

Introduction p.6

SummaryofthePortfolio p.9

CompositionalProcess p.13

Structure p.13 MulticulturalismandAppropriation p.15

TheContextofChess p.17

Theatre p.19

TheInfluenceofArtaud p.20

TheAudienceandtheTheatre p.22

Artaud’sMusic p.23

ReflectionsonRehearsalandPerformance p.27

‘Itisn’tanoise…’ p.27 Stim p.30

MurphyvsMrEndon p.32

Auras p.36

Conclusion p.38

References p.39

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ListofAccompanyingMaterials• Scores:

- ‘Itisn’tanoise…’

- Stim

- MurphyvsMrEndon

- Auras

• CDwithvideorecordingsoftheabovein.mp4format

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Author’sDeclarationIdeclarethatthisthesisisapresentationoforiginalworkandIamthesoleauthor.

This work has not previously been presented for an award at this, or any other,

University.AllsourcesareacknowledgedasReferences.

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IntroductionThis portfolio is an exploration of two relatively new interests of mine: a move

towards a more theatrical presentation of my pieces, and a move away from

completely abstract music. I have reached a point in my technical development

whereIamsatisfiedwithmyabilitytomanipulatesound,andamcontenttoallow

this tomaturenaturally. I have insteaddecided to focuson techniquesoutsideof

absolutemusic, so that each piece is driven by both content and context. This is

motivated by a continuous desire to push myself forward, to make my music

relevantwithinatwenty-first-centurycontext,andtodevelopa(hopefully)unique,

andpersonalstyle.

Despite recognizing the futility of defining ‘music theatre’ without any

ambiguity,tofullyconveytheintentionofmypiecesIfeelitisimportanttoatleast

discuss how I interpret the genre. Somedefinitions1relatemusic theatre to opera

(whichexistsasa fusionof ‘themostevanescentandabstractof theartswiththe

mostconcretephysicalmanifestation’2),ortocontemporarydance.Thisdefinition,

labellingmusictheatreaseitheranextensionof,orallthatisnotopera/dance,while

possiblytheleastcontestabledefinition,carrieswithittwomajorproblems.Firstly,

itimpliesacleardistinction:ifmusictheatre,opera,anddanceall involveadegree

ofabstractsoundandconcreteaction,thenonemusteitherdefinetheexactratioof

abstraction/concretionforeach(whichIcontendisimpossible),oracknowledgethat

thedistinctionisonlynominal.Thesecondproblemistheopposite:torelatemusic

theatre, opera, and dance, implies toomuch of a connection. The three articles I

referenceallarguethatmusictheatreisindebtedtooperaand/ordance;however,

thisisreductiveandimpliesateleologicalmovefromonetotheother.Ibelievethat

there is a far simpler,more accurate, andmore inclusiveway to think about, and

therebyinnovateinmusictheatre.1Clements(n.d.)describesmusictheatreas‘akindofoperaandoperaproduction’,andHeile’s(2006)discoursepersistentlyspeaksaboutdance,opera,andmusictheatreinthesamebreathandwiththesameterms2Heile,Björn(2006)‘RecentApproachestoExperimentalMusicTheatreandContemporaryOpera’inMusic&Letters87:1(OxfordUniversityPress)72.

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Iproposethatitisfarbettertodefine‘musictheatre’asaconstantconcept

throughout the history of ‘music performance’ – this includes opera and dance.

Whetherconsciouslydevisedornot,anymusical(orevennonmusical)performance

whichisliveorvideo-recordedcontainstheatricalelements.Theconventionalrituals

of Western Art Music performance are all theatrical in their own way, namely:

walkingonandoffofthestage,bowing,thepositioningoftheinstruments,setting

upbetweenitemsinaprogramme,andtheaudience’sinteractionwithallofthese

gestures. These can also be extended into what one might normally think of as

‘music theatre’, such as opera, and more experimental techniques like audience

participation, theuseofprops,and intricatechoreography,analogous toextended

techniques.Whatdistinguishes individualcompositionsand/orperformances isthe

leveltowhichtheseactionsareacknowledged,controlled,andmanipulated.

This lineof thinking isbecoming increasinglyprominent inmusicacademia,

whichhasmovedaway fromdiscussionof ‘text’ and ‘discourse’, to apointwhere

‘scholarsarenowmorelikelytotalkabout‘performance’and“theperformative”’.3

However,myreasonsforinvestigatingthisgenregobeyondfollowingfashion.Atthe

riskofslippingintoateleologicalfallacy,Ibelievethatafocusontheperformanceis

thenext logical step in avant-gardemusic’sprocessof ‘emancipation’; asmuchas

one can speak about Schönberg’s emancipation of dissonance, and Cage’s

emancipationofnoise,onecanspeakaboutcomposerssuchasKagelemancipating

thestageandperformance.Indefiningallvisualperformanceastheatrical,relevant,

and inherently interesting, it becomes almost wasteful not to manipulate it. In

producingthescores,IdecidedthatifIdidnotdetailapartoftheperformance,that

I would be content with any outcome (analogous to not including a metronome

mark). I also seeahighdegreeof control in theperformanceas a step towards a

solution to the problem of contemporary music becoming increasingly niche and

exclusionary(IexpanduponthislaterinTheInfluenceofArtaud).

Myfirstaim indevelopingmycompositionswastheremovalofabstraction

from performance; the secondwas the removal of abstraction from the concepts

3Heile(2006)72.

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behindthepieces.Thislattergoalwasmotivatedinpartbyennuiwithperforming,

listening to,orwritingpieces thatareeitherentirelyabstract,oronly focussedon

technicalinnovation.Theothermotivationwasconsideringtowhatextentabsolute

musicisfittingforthetwenty-firstcentury,especiallyasamillennialcomposerfrom

outside Europe and North America. Although examining the characteristics and

differences between modernism and postmodernism and the merits of each is

beyond the scopeof this commentary,4Ibelieve thatapostmodernistapproach is

themostfitting.WhilethesoundofmypiecesdrawsheavilyonEuropeanmodernist

traditions (most evidently in my harmonic language), it does so without the

accompanyingaesthetics,anditaimstomovethesesoundsintonewcontexts.

Additionally,eachpiecerevolvesaroundacoreconcept,insuchawaythatit

impacts each level of the creativeprocess: from the initial planning stages, to the

technicalwritingandproductionof the score,andeventually relating it clearlyyet

subtlytotheaudience.Eachoftheseconceptsbeganfromapersonal interest:my

South African nationality, my (amateur) interest in chess and its contexts, and

discourse around my mental health, which is partly autobiographical, and partly

advocacy.MurphyvsMrEndon is themosthumorousof theportfolio, although it

still has a serious edge in engaging with subverting the hierarchy of the

choreography/music relationship. In contrast, the other three pieces are quite

political, dealing with issues of multiculturalism and appropriation, and

representation and advocacyofmental health – all very (positively) trendy topics.

Formethisisfittingforahighlypolitical2017,andhasledtomeavastareaofboth

academicresearch,andcomparisonwithotherpoliticalart.Thislineofinvestigation

isstillinitsinfancyforme,butisoneIintendtopursueovermycareer.Iwilloutline

thebeginningsofmyresearchoverthecourseofthiscommentary,particularlyasit

relatestotheportfolio.

4Thisdiscourseis,inthewordsofJonathanKramer(2002,p.13)‘maddeninglyimprecise’inanycase.

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Summaryoftheportfolio‘Itisn’tanoise…’

for9performers(speech,singing,bodypercussion)andamplification

OverthepastfewyearsIhavegrowntopreferthepercussivesoundsofconsonants

tothemelodicvowel,andmyvocalwritinghasincreasinglycentredonemphasizing

consonants.However,thishasonlyrecentlybecomeatechnicalstatement,thinking

about them separately from their containing words, perhaps even emancipating

them. I regarded consonants and vowels as the constituent elements of vocal

writing, the latter being the more vital component. Therefore removing the

‘essential’vowelssubvertsandrenewsvocalwriting.(UponreflectionIcould,even

should,haveincludedbreathingasaconstituentelementofsinging,thoughIdidnot

consideritatthetimeofwriting.)

From this conceptual germ, the obvious first step was to select which

consonants to use, and which sounds would become the foundation of my sonic

palette. Ieventuallydecidedtousetheclickconsonants fromtheNguni languages

(XhosaandZulu),phonemeswhichIlearntwhenIwasstillinpre-school,andwhichI

heardthroughoutmychildhood,despiteunfortunatelyneverlearningthelanguages.

The purpose of the piece changed from exploiting consonants as techniques to

celebrating the languages and their constituent sounds, and the title reflects this

statement (taken fromaquotebyMiriamMakeba,discussingaudiences’ reactions

to her singing in Xhosa): “Everywhere we go, people often ask me, 'How do you

makethatnoise?'Itusedtooffendmebecauseitisn'tanoise,it'smylanguage.”

The most important result of this was that the consonant sounds became

contextualizedwithin words. I selected ncinci (‘small’ in Xhosa), xaxa (‘greater’ in

Zulu), and qongqothwane (referencing the songQongoqthwane, made famous by

MiriamMakeba,andhistoricallyderogatorily referredtoas ‘theclicksong’).These

wordsinturndon’tfunctionasabstracttext,buteffectivelycontrolthesurrounding

material (Iwill expand upon this later). The accompaniment (or rather, secondary

sound world) is body percussion, which I chose to match the sounds of the

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consonants, and provide an element of choreography to emphasise the structure

(again,Iwillexpanduponthislater).

Stim

forbassclarinetandpiano

Stimwas written for a composition workshop with SCAW duo (Sarah Watts and

AntonyClare).Approximately two-thirdsof theclarinetparthadbeenwritten two

years earlier for clarinet in A. It was a (slightly edited) transcription of an

improvisation ofmine inwhich I experimentedwith varying levels of vibrato, and

quartertonefingerings.Forthisworkshop,Iexpandedtheclarinetpartsignificantly,

adapteditforbassclarinet,andaddedapianopart.

Basedonmycurrent research interests, Idecided toaddanelementof (at

thispointabstract)movement,particularlyasIwasgoingtobeabletoworkshopthe

piece.Movement in a clarinet piece is certainly notwithoutprecedent, notably in

Stockhausen’s Harlekin and In Freundschaft (the latter providing the initial

inspiration for the pervasive swaying). Reflecting upon the content of the piece, I

realizedthatmywritinginthispiecereflectedwhatIcanonlyidentifyasobsessions,

atraitofmydiagnosedhighfunctioningAutisticSpectrumDisorder:namely,avery

rigoroususeofpitchsettransformationsbornofanextremeinterestinthetheory,

andasimilarneedtoexploreasmanypermutationsofthevibratomotifaspossible.

Idecidedtoexplorethislineofthinkingfurther,byincorporatingmovements

associated with ‘stimming’ (that is, repetitive actions which help provide calming

sensory input – somethingwhich I have increasingly noticed inmy own life). The

piece also calls for staging reminiscent of how I personally used to perform as a

soloist: completely disengaged from the audience, and neglectful of standard

performance etiquette. I left the design of the choreography largely to the

performers, informedthroughresearch.The intentof thispiecebecameadvocacy,

attempting to educate both the performers through rehearsal, and the audience

throughperformance,theresultsofwhichIwillreturntoinReflectionsonRehearsal

andPerformance.

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MurphyvsMrEndon

for2chessplayers,narrator,2pianos,andvideoprojection

TheinitialandprevailingthoughbehindMurphyvsMrEndonwaschess.Ihavelong

been fascinated not only by the game and its strategy, but also the culture that

surrounds it (in literature and art), and the design of chessboards,which I see as

primarily sculptural rather than functional. The aim of this composition was to

feature chess as prominently as possible, using it throughout the compositional

process, and most importantly having a live chess game in concert. A secondary

motivationforwritingthispiecewasthatchesswasseeminglyabsentinmusic(with

a few notable exceptions I discuss in the sections on Compositional Process) in

contrasttootherartforms,somethingIfeelshouldbeamended(Iwillexpandupon

thisconundruminalatersection).

Mymost immediate associationwith chess is thework of Samuel Beckett,

whichbecameasecondarytheme.IinitiallyexperimentedwithEndgame,itschess-

likenarrative, and the chess-likemovementof the characters.However, I found it

too abstract for my purpose.Without a concrete chess game on stage, I felt the

performancewouldnotbeabletocommunicatethechessthemestronglyenough.I

alsodoubtedthepotentialof thematerial (andperhapsmyownability) to forma

coherentstructure.

Iwas recommendedto lookat thechessgamefromBeckett’sMurphyasa

possible resource. The game is fully notated, with occasional humorous asides

written in a typically Beckettian, nonsensical fashion (referencing annotations in

chess match transcriptions found in newspapers etc.). This essentially gave me a

script,andastructuretoworkwith,onewhich I followedascloselyaspossible. In

referencingthenovel,Ialsowasabletoworkwithcharacterization,andnarrative.

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Auras:introduction,theme,andsymptomsoftemporallobeepilepsy

forcellist(with2celli),clarinettist(b-flatandbassclarinet),piano,andlive

electronics

This final piece in my portfolio began as yet another reflection on identity, and

aspectsofmyown life.Stimopenedmeup to theworldof thehealthhumanities

and the connection between mental health and the arts. Auras began with this

relationship.TemporalLobeEpilepsyanditssymptomshavebeenasignificantpart

of my life since I was 13 years old, and this composition and the related

compositionalprocess is simultaneously reflection, introspection, catharsis, andan

attemptateducation/advocacyforthisdiagnosis.

Auras are the resultof a localized seizure in the temporal lobe, sometimes

(butnotalways)aprecursortoacomplexseizure,andacauseofadiverserangeof

psychologicalandphysicalsensations.Thesesymptomsare incrediblyvaried,often

very individual, so I selectedwhat seemed to be themost common psychological

symptomsaspresentedinmedicalliteratureandpersonalaccounts.Eachsymptom

is presented individually in short tableaux, all of which are tied together in what

roughlyamountstoathemeandvariationsform,mappingatransformationfroma

conservativestyleofwritingtomoreadventurouslanguage.

I also used this piece as an opportunity to begin exploring two more

concepts. Firstly, in the Introduction, I work with the idea of transforming the

mundane intoperformance, that is: the ritualof settingup thestage towhich the

audience is not privy becomes exposed and stylized. Secondly, particularly in the

Introduction and Symptom 3, the instruments themselves become embodied;

becomeperformers in theirown right, andeven sculptureson the stage. This is a

continuation of the first concept, attempting to diminish the barrier between

performerandaudience.

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CompositionalProcessFor this portfolio I allowedmyself complete freedom in the range of techniques I

used;thisallowedmetocreatepiecesinwhichtheemphasiswastheconcept.This

levelofeclecticismalsoenabledmetodivorceanytechniquesfromtheirattached

aesthetic,andallowedmetoinsertmyown.Asanexample,Ifrequentlyuserandom

number generators to create rhythmic and pitch patterns, but I allow myself to

discard or tweak results I do not like, thus abandoning the Cageian aesthetic of

keepingtheresultsofchanceoperationsirrespectiveoftheresult.

A vital part of the compositional process was a detailed engagement with

eachoftheconcepts.Thisoccurredthroughouttheprocessofproducingthepiece:

the planning and research, the production of the score, the rehearsal, and in

discussionwiththeaudienceafterwards.ThefirsttwostagesIwilldiscusshere,the

lattertwointhelatersectionReflectionsonRehearsalandPerformance.

Structure

The use of definite structures in composition is very important to me, largely

stemming from an education that emphasized formal analysis. I also believe that

structurehelpstogroundthepiece,expeditingthecompositionalprocess,andhelps

the audience to engagewith the piece – if there is a recognizable element in the

music,thentheaudiencecancomprehendtheconceptmorereadily.Myemphasis

onstructureisalsoindebtedtoCage’scredothat‘theprincipleofformwillbeour

onlyconstantconnectionwiththepast’.5

‘Itisn’tanoise…’movesalongaclearlylinearstructure.Asmoreperformers

enter, so the dynamic level increases, the sounds (both spoken/sung and body

percussion)deepen,andtheactionsbecomelarger,andmovefromcreatedcloseto

the performer to the bodies’ extremities. This is derived from Hugh Tracey’s

observation that in Bantu musics the concepts of high and low pitch are5Cage,John(1937/1958)‘TheFutureofMusic:Credo’inSilence(MarionBoyars)p.5.

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interchangeablewiththemagnitudeofthesound.6Withinthislong-termstructure,

the piece is very sectional, with each rehearsal mark acting as a self-contained

exposition,takinganewsound,rhythmicpattern,ortexture,anddevelopingthem.

Thesenowdevelopedideasarethencarriedthroughtherestofpiece,sothateach

movementbecomesaself-containeddiscussionofitsownsoundworld,andasthe

numberofperformers,sounds,andmagnitudesofthesoundsincrease,sodoesthe

number of ways in which these sounds can be used. This is modelled after past

analyses I have done of Lachenmann’s Guero and Serynade, in which the

deconstructedsoundsofthepianoareputtogetheragainthroughwhatamountsto

acontinuousexposition.

MurphyvsMrEndonwasaninterestingchallengewithregardstostructure,

inasmuchasIlargelyremovedmyselffromitscreation.IdecidedthatIwasgoingto

berestrictedby theorderofmovesandcommentarydevisedbyBeckett,and find

structurewithinthis.Forexample,move9(Ng1,e6)resetstheboardtoalmostthe

initial layout, so the music at this point references the opening: a kind of false

recapitulation. The five King moves at the end of the game, which imply the

beginnings of a stalemate, form a coda, without the satisfaction of a definite

resolution.Theintroductionofeachtypeofpiecealsohelpedtoprovidestructural

points, for example:moves14-17, the first time thequeensandkings aremoved,

actsasaself-containedphrase,highlightingthenewleitmotifs.Finally,thenarrator’s

asidesalsoprovidebreaksinthemomentum,delineatingphrases.

Inordertorepresentanarrayofsymptoms,ImouldedAurasintoadeformed

themeandvariationsform.The‘theme’(describedascomposmentis)isdefinedby

the chaconne theme, the alternating use of instruments and spoken passages of

text,7andthegraphicnotationfrommyownEEG.Thepitchmotifisusedthroughout

6Tracey, Hugh (1953) ‘The State of Folk Music in Bantu Africa: A Brief SurveyDelivered to the International FolkMusic Council, on Behalf of the AfricanMusicSociety’inAfricanMusic1:1(InternationalLibraryofAfricanMusic)9.7ThetextsusedaretakenfromLewisCaroll’sAlice’sAdventuresinWonderland(anovelpartlyinspiredbyCarol’sownTLE),FyodorDostoyevsky’saccountofhisownAuras,and(inSymptom3),fragmentsfromdescriptionsofaurasthatIfoundonvariousonlineforums.

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thepiece,transposedand/orinverted;eachsymptomhasasectionoffreelyspoken

text,with theexceptionofSymptom2 inwhich the text is substituted forwalking

(both being traditionally non-musical, and literally prosaic/pedestrian); the EEG

waves(eithercalmorerratic)arealsoomnipresent,eitherasgraphics,notated,or

fromtheelectronics.Asasecondarystructure,thepiecealsomovesfromstabilityto

chaos,fromthehumantotheinhuman,andfromcomposmentistothesymptoms

of epilepsy, and finally status epilepticus. This is accomplished bothmusically and

theatrically:therecognizable‘settingupthestage’gesturesoftheIntroduction,and

theneo-classicalstyleoftheThemerepresentpointsofstability,movingtothemore

abstract.Similarly,theuseofelectronics,initiallyonlyusedtoaddcolour,becomes

almostoverwhelmingbySymptom4:Anxiety.

The structure of Stim is the freest in this portfolio, and the only one not

followinganymodel. It ismoretechnical in itsstructure:theASDcontext ismainly

delivered through the choreography. The bass clarinet part obsessively focuses

aroundawrittenG,andisdefinedbyitsmovingawayandtowardsthepitchclass.

This is accomplished through vibrato, and quartertone movement. The clarinet’s

secondary material, a fast paced series of runs through all of the instrument’s

registers, acts as a contrast to the primary material, and as a signifier for

performance anxiety. The piano part is very much an accompaniment sonically

(thoughthepianisthasanequalroleinthechoreography),andusesthesamepitch-

classsetasdoggedlyasthebassclarinet’susestheG.

MulticulturalismandAppropriation

Aconstantthoughtduringtheconceptualizing,writing,rehearsing,andpresentingof

‘Itisn’tanoise…’wastheethicsoftakingfromanotherculture.Icannotemphasise

enough that Imake no claim over Zulu and Xhosa language and culture.Western

music (both popular and classical), and art in general, has a history of taking

influence and concrete ideas from other cultures, particularly from sub-Saharan

Africa and East Asia. However, in the majority of cases, this amounts to cultural

appropriation, rather than a genuine, respectful dialogue. This was the case in

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musical orientalism, from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century, where

ideas invokingnon-Europeanculturesare included for theirnoveltyvalue,without

anyengagementwiththereferencedculture.Sadly,therearemorerecentexamples

of this, forexample:David Fanshawe’sAfricanSanctus. Thepiece interweaves the

Latin mass with field recordings of stereotypically African music. This not only

conflates the entire continent into one interchangeable mass, but also does not

engagewiththenon-Westernmusics–itsimplyusesthemasacontrast. Idecided

thatifIweretoemployideasfromanotherculture,Iwouldhavetosimultaneously

engagewiththeculturethroughresearch,andintegrateitintomyownstyle,rather

thansimplycopyingwhatanothergroupofpeoplehavecreated.

In dealing withmusic from Africa specifically, the concept seeminglymost

discussed,imitated,andincorporatedintocompositionsaretherhythmicpatterns.I

wantedtomoveawayfromthispurelyrhythmictakeonAfrica:firstlyoutofadesire

todistinguishmyselfandnot followfashion,butalso tomakeastatementagainst

themonotonousdiscourseof‘Africanrhythm’.ReducingAfricanmusictorhythmis

incredibly problematic. It creates an ‘us versus them’ dichotomy of the primitive,

percussiveAfricaagainstthesophisticated,harmonicEurope.Italsodiminishesthe

importance of melody and harmony in African music. Coming from, and being

inspired by South Africa, it would be wrong to ignore the rich choral tradition,

presentinsacred,everyday,andpoliticalcontexts.

This isnot to ignore the importanceof rhythm inAfricanmusic– ‘It isn’ta

noise…’ relies heavily upon rhythm and polyrhythm in the body percussion, the

soundsofwhicharederivedfromthetimbresoftheconsonants,andreferencesto

gumboot dancing (a dance style native to Johannesburg). Rather, I wanted to

undermine the essentialist view of African rhythm. This is an on-going debate

amongst ethnomusicologists. Even African ethnomusicologists such as Kwabena

Nketia comment that ‘since Africanmusic is predisposed towards percussion and

percussive textures, there is anunderstandable emphasis on rhythm, for rhythmic

interest often compensates for the absence of melody, or the lack of melodic

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sophistication’. 8 Again, referring to South African choral tradition as a

counterexample, I am more inclined to agree with Kofi Agawu, who in African

Rhythm:ANorthernEwePerspectiveandTheInventionofAfricanRhythmadvocates

thatAfricanmusic isderived fromAfrican languages,manyofwhichare tonaland

rhythmic.ParticularlyasEweisfromthesamelanguagefamilyasXhosaandZulu,I

havetriedtocreateapiecethatlinksspokenlanguage,choralsinging,andcomplex

rhythms,allofwhicharederivedfromthelanguageitself.

Havingthusdefinedmysoundworldwithreferencetotheculture,thenext

stage was to create a dialogue between it and myself. Being educated in a

thoroughly European style, to abandon that and try to force the piece to sound

stereotypicallyAfricanwouldbebothdishonesttomyself,anddisrespectfultothose

whoIattemptedtoimitate.Ithereforesettledonadeconstructiviststyle,sothatI

couldshowcaseeachideainanexposition,allowtheaudiencetounderstandeachof

theideasinapureform,beforemanipulatingthemwithWesterntechniques.

TheContextofChess

My interest in chess as a concept ismotivated by a casual interest in playing the

game,mygrowingcollectionofchesssets,andafascinationwithitswidercontexts–

particularlywhatIfeelisanunfortunatedearthofchessinmusicwhencomparedto

other art forms. Chess has permeated the visual arts, both in painting and the

sculpturalconstructionofthechesssets(nottomentionDuchamp’spassionforthe

game), and literature, for example: Lewis Caroll’s Through the Looking Glass, The

SeventhSealdirectedbyIngmarBergmann,2001directedbyStanleyKubrick,andof

course Beckett’s Endgame and Murphy. However in music, the only prominent

examples are John Cage’s Reunion and Chess Pieces, Vic Hoyland’s Dumb Show,

Arthur Bliss’s balletCheckmate, and Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus’smusical

Chess,ofwhichthelattertwobarelyrelatetothegame.

8Nketia,J.H.Kwabena(1974)TheMusicofAfrica(W.W.Norton)p.125.

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Whilethisimbalancemightbeattributedtomusicbeingtooabstract,thisis

exactly theattitude that thisportfolio is refuting–while thesound itselfmay lack

the ability to clearly communicate the ideas, the overall performance can. My

solution was to take inspiration from other artists’ work with chess. First and

foremostwasthenarrativestructuredevisedbyBeckettthatIdiscussedearlier,and

Beckett’s statement ‘drama is following music’9helped to lend credence to my

aesthetic– ifdrama is followingmusic, then Icouldcreatemusicby followingsaid

drama.

The leitmotivicnaturewas inspiredbythreesources: firstly,Cage’sReunion

gaveme the idea of having a clearly defined gesture for eachmove (rather than

havingacontinuousscoretoaccompanythe‘dance’).However, Ididnotwantthe

piecetobealeatoric,desiringasmuchcontroloverthestructureaspossible.Ialso

wanted live instruments, so that the musicians could double the duel at the

chessboard.Ialsowantedtoincludetheideaofchesssetsassculptures,asconcrete

rather thanperformativeobjects. Thepiecesof theBauhaus chess set, createdby

JosefHartwigin1923,areallbasedonthemovementsofthechesspiece.InMurphy

vsMrEndon,thePawns’motifmovesupthekeyboardthesamenumberofstepsas

thepieceontheboard;theKnight,movingup/downandtothesideismirroredbya

motif that moves up/down and stays on the same note; the Bishop’s diagonal

movementbecomesazigzagonthepiano.

IalsodrewonManRay’s1920chessset,notableasbeingthefirstabstract

chessseteverdesigned–Iindicatethisasthepreferredchesssetforthepiece.Each

piece has a definite inspiration (for example: the King is a pyramid, referencing

ancientEgyptiankings),soIdecidedthateachleitmotifshouldconveyacharacterI

associatedwiththepiece,toemphasiseasenseofnarrative.Asexamplesofthis,the

Queen’s glissandi are meant to invoke a powerful character charging across the

board. TheKing’s single chords are slowmoving, reflecting thepiece’sone-square

movement, and dense and stately. The Rook, which exists in other language as a

9McMillan,Dougald&Fehsenfeld,Martha(eds.)(1988)Beckett intheTheatreVol.1.From“WaitingforGodot”to“Krapp’sLastTape”(JohnCalder)p.16.

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(siege) tower, moves slowly, and evenly up and down the piano and board. The

Knight’s jumping (both over pieces in the game, and the horse in real life) is

representedbydisjunct,staccatopatterns.

Theatre

Iwilldiscusssomemorespecifictechnicaldetailsofthetheatricaldesigninthenext

section, The Influence of Artaud. However, for me the process through which I

designedthechoreographyisausefulthingtoreflecton,particularlyasthisvaried

acrosstheportfolio.ThemovementsforStimweredevisedafterwritingthenotes,

and while they were executed brilliantly, this may account for why they were

perceived by the audience as disjointed (as towhether or not that is a positive, I

discuss this later in the section Reflections on Rehearsal and Performance). The

movementandsoundof ‘It isn’tanoise…’wasdevisedsimultaneously,andso the

slightlylacklustrenatureofthephysicalperformancewascompoundedintheoverall

result.TheprocesswassimilarinAuras,andIattributethemorefluentpresentation

tohaving learned from the rehearsal processof ‘It itsn’t a noise…’.Murphy vsMr

Endonwasmy first experience ofwriting accompaniment for a pre-existing set of

movements(andthusaninverseofStim).Ibelievethatinthecontextofthispiece,

whereIwantedthe‘dance’ofthechesspiecesreproducedexactlybythepianists,a

leitmotivic, move-by-move score was ideal. However, as a matter of personal

development, Ibelieve that Iwillneedtodevelopmorestrategies in the future to

create accompanying music that can exist in the context of an audio-only

performance/recording.

Page20of41

TheInfluenceofArtaudI first began thinking about Antonin Artaud’s theories during the early stages of

planning Auras. The piece was at risk of becoming pantomime, focussing on

stereotypedrealizationsofeachofthesymptoms,forexample:literallymovingthe

performers from a higher to a lower staging to depictmicropsia andmacropsia. I

neededtoinjectanaspectofdiscomfort,orsurrealism,andsettleduponthemore

abstractthemeandvariationsmodelIpreviouslydiscussed,aimingatdepictingthe

symptoms more subliminally. I was also intrigued by Artaud’s own history with

mental health, and how this could relate.10Eventually,my reading ofThe Theatre

and Its Double (particularly the manifestos on the Theatre of Cruelty) came to

influenceeverypieceinthisportfolio.

Artaud perceived significant faults in early twentieth-century theatre: it

reveredtheclassicsasuntouchable, idolizedmasterpieces,whichhebelievedwere

‘fitforthepast,theyarenogoodtous’.11Theseplaysweregroundedinlanguage,

andtheactualtheatre(stagedesign, lighting,costumesetc.)servedonlytoconvey

thedialogueinthescript.Furthermore,eitherthescriptorthestagingofthescript

‘ought not to affect the public’, becoming ‘art for art’s sake’.12His solutionwas a

theatreinwhichallaspectsoftheproductionaregivenequalvaluetothescript,and

inwhich the literaryaspectdoesnotdiminish the ‘sublime, the concepts, and the

objects’.13Mygoals inthisportfolioaresimilar: Iaimedtocreateasetofpieces in

10I have subsequently largely abandoned this line of inquiry: the extent towhichbiography influences an author’swriting is beyond the scope of this commentary.Suffice it tosay, in thiscase I takeamoderateposition:whilewriterswhodismissArtaud’swritingsimplyduetohishistoryofmentalillnessandsubstanceabusearefrankly wrong (such as Lyons 1974), and positions such as Bermel’s (2001) whichinsistthattheseissuesdonotimpactonArtaud’stheoryamounttoerasure.Ihopethatsomethingsimilarisevidentinthisportfolio:whilemymentalhealthdoesnotdefinemy composition, it would bewrong to deny that it does not influencemeconsciouslyorunconsciously.11Ataud, Antonin (1938) trans. CORTI, Victor (2010) The Theatre and Its Double(AlmaClassics)p.5312Ibid.p.55.13Ibid.p.54.

Page21of41

whichallaspectsofperformancewereimportant,ratherthanjusttheliteraryvalue

ofthescoreorofthepuresounds.Iwasalsodeterminedthatthepieceswouldnot

beentirelyabstract,andeachclearlyembodiedandcommunicatedaconcept.

As much as I perceive similarities between my portfolio and Artaud’s

philosophies, itwas importanttomethat IwouldnotbeconstrainedbyArtaudian

theatre.Asinfluentialastheideasandtechniqueswere,itisonlyoneelementofthis

portfolio.IallowedmyselftoemploytheTheatreofCruelty,adaptit,contradictit,or

ignore it, as I desired. Theatre, inwhatever form, is a technique in service ofmy

intent,notanaestheticgoal in itself.This isArtaudianin itself:thatto‘restrict[his

writings] intoa theorywoulddo itan injustice’, ratherTheTheatreand ItsDouble

shouldbereadas‘atheatreofpossibilities…theabsenceoflimitations’.14

It was also important that whenever I used the Theatre of Cruelty, or

derivativesthereof,thatIwasawareofthedialogueIwascreatingwiththeatreand

music inspired by Artaud, if only to avoid direct imitation. This is not without its

challenges, as Artaud’s ideas have become subsumed with the likes of other

modernist theorists such as Brecht, such that ‘it is no longer possible to say that

Artaudispurelyresponsibleformanytheatricalinnovationsthatidentifythemselves

with the Theatre of Cruelty’.15I have thus decided primarily to refer to and draw

upon the primary source The Theatre and Its Double. However, I also drew

inspirationfromthewidernebulaofavant-gardeperformances:forexampleIhave

drawn upon Samuel Beckett’s use of austere staging (an Artaudian notion itself),

specifically his generally minimal (yet specific and necessary) use of staging and

costuming.Beckettalsohasapenchantformakinguseofmundaneactionsinnovel,

affected ways, such as the literally pedestrianQuad or the seemingly day-to-day

actionsinKrapp’sLastTape.Developingtheseeminglyunremarkableisalsopresent

inpiecessuchasGeorgeAperghis’sRetrouvailles.Ihavetriedtocapturetheseideas

inallmypieces,particularlyintheopening‘settingupthestage’inAuras.

PerhapsthemostdirectsuccessortoArtaudofwhomIcanthinkisMauricio

Kagel, particular in Staatstheatre. The opening piece Repertoire (and to a slightly

14Bermel,Albert(2001)Artaud’sTheatreofCruelty(MenthuenPublishingLtd)p.4.15Ibid.p.89.

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lesserextent the restof thecollection) isadramatic summaryofalmostallof the

tenetsofTheatreofCruelty,characterizedbyincrediblynovel,complex,andsurreal

actions,sounds,props,andstructures.HereiswhereIconsciouslydepartfromwhat

Artaudseemstohaveenvisionedfor the futureof theatre. I reject theoutrageous

staginginfavourofsomethingmoreaustere,andmorecynical, inkeepingwithmy

personality,andwhatIfeelismoreappropriatefortoday’spostmodernaesthetics.

Thatis:reflectingonthenowandhistory,ratherthantryingtoinventafuture,and

(forwantofabetterterm,andwithoutprejudicetowardsmuchoftheavant-garde

fromthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury),beingmoregrounded.

TheAudienceandtheTheatre

OneofthemostfascinatingaspectsofArtaud’stheatre isthedisintegrationofthe

dividebetweenaudienceandperformers, that ‘[d]irect contactwill beestablished

betweentheaudienceandtheshow,betweenactorsandaudience’.16Thereasoning

istwo-fold:firstlyto‘recruittheaudienceasparticipants’17intheperformance,but

also to subtly ‘bring the individual spectator into a personal relationshipwith the

individualperformer’.18Artaud’svisionwasanauditorium inwhich theperformers

and audience were intermingled, forcing an interaction. In reality, performance

spacesarerarelybuilttobecapableofintegratingthestageandseating,andsoone

must work within the confines of the traditional auditorium. From this emerged

what I seeas thestereotypical imageofaudienceparticipation:actorswalking ‘up

anddown theaisles,asking spectatorsquestions, sometimes tongue-lashing them,

orevenphysicallyassaultingthem’.19

Asmuchas I find this formofbreaking the fourthwall enjoyable, I find its

seemingubiquityinavant-gardeperformancestonowborderoncliché.Thisisnotto

criticizeartistswhousethis technique,ratherthat Ihave littledesiretouse itand

16Artaud(1938)p.68.17Bermel(2001)p.93.18Ibid.p.94.19Ibid.p.93.

Page23of41

feel that today’s audienceno longer sees it as innovative, or shocking as itwould

havebeenduringthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury.Ifeeladesiretoaddmy

ownspinonaudienceinteraction,modernizeit,andmakethepracticesubtlerthan

theoftenaggressiveandinvasivemethodsofsomeperformances.Ratherthanfocus

on physically connecting the audience and performers, I aimed to focus on

establishing a subtler relationship between the two groups. Whereas Artaud and

subsequentpractitionersofaudienceparticipationwishedtoinvolvetheaudiencein

theperformanceasitoccurred,Iaimedtoconnectthemtothecreativeprocess.

ThisisanotherreasonforwhatIearlierdescribedasanaustereperformance

aesthetic.Noneoftheaspectsoftheperformance,fromsettingupthestagetothe

performerwalkingoff,shouldbedisguisedinanyway,andtheaudienceisallowed

toexperiencetheseasemancipatedactions,hencewhywalkingonandoffstageare

important, deliberate actions in all the pieces in this portfolio. This is my

interpretation of what Artaud described as a ‘naked theatre language’.20This is

extrapolated backwards inAuras, inwhich the audience’s attention is drawn to a

(admittedlyaffected)settingupofthestage,attemptingtoshowthatthisisnoless

an important and no less an enjoyable part of the creative process. The narrator

readingtheinstructionsinMurphyvsMrEndonessentiallyamountstothemreading

thescoreoutloud,sothattheaudienceisabletoexperiencethesameinstructions

that the performers use. Stim emphasizes the anxieties behind performance, and

subvertswhat isusuallyapolishedpresentation,again invitingtheaudience intoa

worldbehindwhattheyareusuallyconfrontedwith.

Artaud’smusic

MusicandsoundaresignificantintheTheatreofCruelty,actingbothliterallyandas

ametaphor forhis theatre.Artaudevengoesso faras to suggest thatmusic is its

own‘character’.21Fromtheessay,areadercannotassumethathehadanyintimate

knowledgeof contemporaryartmusic,butheclearlywas thinkingalong thesame

20Artaud(1938)p.65.21Ibid.p.67.

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trajectoryasmany twentieth-centurycomposers,namely inhiscalls for theuseof

‘unusualsoundproperties’22,whatwemightnowrefer toasextendedtechniques.

He also advocated that ‘research is also needed into … appliances’;23this either

impliesaforeshadowingofelectronicmusics,ortechniquesinthesameveinasthe

Italian Futurists’ work with noise machines. Most importantly though, Artaud

consideredmusicasintegraltotheperformance,ratherthanbackgroundnoise.

Unexpected sounds, extended techniques, and electronics are now firmly

established in contemporary composition, all of which I employ freely. For my

personaldevelopment,andforthepurposesofthisportfolio,Artaud’suseofmusic

asametaphorfortheatreisofparticularlyrelevant.Hedescribedstagelanguageas

‘atangibleideaofmusicwheresoundenterslikeacharacter,whereharmoniesare

cutintwoandbecomelostpreciselyaswordsbreakin’.InArtaud’sargumentthisis

thetheatre’sdouble,themetaphoricalfaceofthephysicaltheatre;forme,thisisan

opportunityforabsoluteintegrationbetweentheatreandsoundthroughtheuseof

technicalmusicallanguageasametaphorforthestaging.

Iprimarilythoughtabouttherelationshipbetweenthephysicalandthesonic

asdissonantorconsonant,andhowtheserelationshipscouldcreatevariouseffects

basedoncontext.Themostbasicexampleof this is in ‘It isn’tanoise…’:here, the

movement and sound are consonant throughout, and act to reinforce eachother.

Similarly,inMurphyvsMrEndon,themovementofthepiecesontheboardandthe

musicareconsonantthroughout,buttoadifferenteffect.Whereas‘Itisn’tanoise…’

establishes comfort, and security in the structure, the bizarre nature of the chess

game isonlycompoundedbyreflecting itexactly in themusic.StimandAurasare

examplesofwhat Iwoulddescribeasadissonant relationshipbetweenmusicand

theatre, inthat Ihavetriedtosubvertthemusicalcontent inthechoreography. In

Stim, the nature of the music and movement were deliberately antithetical. In

Symptom 2 ofAuras, the clarinettist and cellist change their speed ofmovement

without pattern, in contrast to the very patterned piano part. As with the two

examples of consonant writing, the results are slightly different. The antagonistic

22Artaud(1938)p.67.23Ibid.p.67.

Page25of41

relationshipbetweensoundandchoreographychangesoverthecourseofStim,and

employsactionsthatseemplausiblewithinthecontextofaperformance.Thisleaves

the audience with a greater sense of unease than Symptom 2, in which the

movement is constantly dissonant, and fairly abstract. The audience is more

consciously awareof thedissonances inAuras, and it thus affects them less – the

degreeofsubtletyisdirectlyproportionaltotheextentitimpactstheaudience.

Ialsothoughtaboutthephysical/sonicrelationshipassolo/accompaniment:

nothierarchical,butfluid,suchastherelationshipbetweenasoloistandorchestrain

a concerto,where the two entities can be equal or unequal, working together or

independently,orcanbesilentwhiletheothertakescentrestage.InMurphyvsMr

Endon, the music acts as a definite accompaniment to the action on stage,

attemptingtomakethetheatrethemostnoticeableelementoftheperformance.In

‘It isn’t a noise…’ the action and the sound are inseparable, acting together

throughout. The choreography andmusic in Stim, are structurally dependent, yet

independent in character, and the emphasis changes between them in a

solo/ritornello fashion.Crucially, thishappensatdifferent intervals forbothof the

performers, so that the audience’s attention is constantly pulled from one to the

other,orboth.Auras is lesssystematized inthisway,movingfreelybetweenallof

the relationships Imentioned above.With this, Iwas able to give each section its

own identity, and to create a narrative from the mundane ‘setting up the stage’

opening,toanabstract,surrealfinish.

Finally,thereisthephysicalinstrumentforconsideration.Artaudenvisioned

music as a ‘tangible’ character, and for the instruments to exist as part of the set

(evenproposing ‘musical instrumentsas tallasmen’24). I feel that instrumentscan

becomemorethanobjectsortools,andbecomepartofthetheatricalaction.In ‘It

isn’t a noise…’ the performers’ own bodies are the instruments: therefore, any

musical gesture is a theatrical action and vice versa. In Stim andMurphy vs Mr

Endon,theinstruments(andinthelattercaseeventhesheetmusic)arenecessary

to the theatre,whileAuras takes this to theextreme, thinkingof the instruments,

24Artaud(1938)p.69

Page26of41

evenwithouttheirperformers,asscenery,characters,andperformersintheirown

right.

Page27of41

ReflectionsonRehearsalandPerformanceDue to thenatureofmyportfolio,mypieces canonlybeproperly tested through

rehearsal and performance; they cannot exist on paper alone (not to dismiss the

score as an essential part ofmyprocess). In this section Iwill outline theprocess

behindtherecordingofeachpiece, thechallengesandtheir implications,andalso

audiencereaction.

‘Itisn’tanoise...’

Western musicians without instruments / Visuals: distraction or

enhancement?

Due to the number of people required, and the length of the composition, each

movement of ‘It isn’t a noise…’was recorded separately over the course of two

months.Iwasabletoworkwiththefirstsixperformerspriortotherecordings,but

duetodifficultiesinfindingthelastthreeperformersandasubstituteforperformer

4,thiswasnotpossiblebeforethethirdrecording.Eachrecordingsessionincluded

approximately an hour of rehearsal, allowing me to discuss the aesthetic, and

demonstrate/teachtheconsonantsandbodypercussion.WhileIwoulddescribethe

resultingvideoasgivingagoodindicationofthegeneralconcept,Ialsofoundthatit

didnotreflectallofmyintentions(not leastofallduetomylimitededitingskills).

People who have watched the video have reached similar conclusions. They

commented thatalthough it is largelyenjoyable, it felt stilted,and theperformers

seemedhesitant.

Whilethisisundoubtedlypartlyduetolimitedrehearsaltime,Inoticedthat

someoftheperformersstruggledtotranslatethescoreintophysicalsound.25While

25Surprisingly,teachingtheconsonantswasrelativelyeasycomparedtoteachingthebodypercussion.

Page28of41

Iacknowledgethismaybedueinparttomynotations,26thedifficultiesinexecuting

thebodypercussionweremostpronouncedinthosewhonormallysolelyperformed

with their instruments. (I knew that all of the performers were capable

instrumentalists, all ofwhomhad engaged in contemporarymusic, and several of

whomareexperiencedimprovisers,butnotallwereexperiencedwithnon-classical

performance).

Theremovaloftheperformers’instrumentstouchesupontheemergingfield

ofembodiedmusiccognition,basedonthepremisethat‘bodilyinvolvementshapes

thewayweperceive, feel, experience, and comprehendmusic’.27This idea canbe

perfectlyfittedto‘Itisn’tanoise…’.IasktheperformerstousethebodypercussionI

hadprovidedtoinfluencetheperformanceofthesounds,andviceversa.However,I

did not account for removing the performers’ instruments (indeed, someof them

arrived to rehearse with instruments, even after being shown the score – the

assumption was ‘instrumental unless otherwise told’). The performer’s need for

their instrument isbornout inresearchthatsuggeststhatthemusician“no longer

experiences a boundary between [themself] and the instrument”; that for a

performer to effectively perform they need “clear feedback” and “clear goals”.28

Even having demonstrated the actions (what I thought of as a clear goal), I had

removedaninstinctiveleveloffeedback,thuslimitingtheabilityoftheperformers

toachievethesegoals.

I also believe that the performance was hampered by a failure to

communicatethattheperformancewasas,ifnotmore,importantthanthephysical

translation of the score. This resulted in a performance that lacked a sense of

26Theuseofdifferentnoteheadswithakeymighthavesloweddownthesight-readingprocess.Asolutioncouldbeusingaseparatestavelinepersound,aswithadrumkit.27Leman, Marc & Maes, Pieter-Jan & Nijs, Luc & van Dyk, Edith (2017)What isembodiedmusiccognition?<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319260279_What_is_embodied_music_cognition>accessed24/10/2017p.3.28Nijs,Luc&Lesaggre,Micheline&Leman,Marc(2009)Themusicalinstrumentasanaturalextensionofthemusician<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/200539833_The_musical_instrument_as_a_natural_extension_of_the_musician>accessed24/10/2017p.3.

Page29of41

casualnessandenergy;aperformancestyleIhaverarelyseeninclassical/artmusic

choirs,butofteninfolkandpop(andinparticular,blackSouthAfrica)choirs.29Thisis

not toestablish awhite vs. black/us vs. themduality, but ratherpoints to (what I

perceive to be) an issue with Western art music performance values, that the

traditional view is that classical pieces are ‘ideal objects, approximately realized

through repeatedperformances’.30While Idefinitelyagreewithperspectives such

asNicholasCook’scallforaperformance,ratherthantextdriven,viewofmusic,the

latter isprevalent.31In thispiece (and inotherperformancesituations Ihavebeen

in)theperformer’sinstinctivefirstpriorityistoreproducethescoreasaccuratelyas

possible, and this was never surmounted in the recording. Upon reflection, the

primary problem in this instance was my choice of performers, but it also has

openedupa topic Iaimtoexplore in the future:makingclearermyrehearsaland

communication technique, as well as thinking about how to maintain my

compositionalaestheticwhileincludingthosewhohavelittleexperienceinthisstyle.

Audiences also found the hesitancy in visual performance to be distracting

fromthesound;thatthesoundwasmorecoherentwiththeireyesclosed(apointI

concededafter re-watching the recording). Forme, thiswasbothapositiveanda

negativereaction:itwasfirstlyproofthatthesoundworldhadenoughsubstanceto

exist on its own, fulfilling one ofmy objectives for this portfolio. However it also

surprisedme,asIviewedandstillviewtheperformers’movementsasasignificant

partofthepiece,enhancingthesoundandthestructure.AsmuchasIagreethatthe

levelofdistractionisanegative,Iequallyfeelthatthereissomethingpositivetobe

saidaboutthefaultsofaperformancebeingevident:thatthereisacertainbeautyin

29Asarathercrude,stereotypedexample,onecouldcompareaperformanceofShosholozabytheDrakensbergBoysChoir(trainedinaEuropeanstyle),andtheSowetoGospelChoir(whoperforminablackgospelstyle):https://youtu.be/saJmOw0GGyIvs.https://youtu.be/zmOaChSCt_EIwouldcharacterizethefirstperformanceasexpectedwithinaWesternartmusictradition,butthuslylessengagingthanwhatisacasual,instinctive,andenergizedperformance.30Kramer, Lawrnence (2007) §1 ‘Classical Music and Its Values’ inWhy ClassicalMusicStillMatters(UniversityofCaliforniaPress)p.23.31Cook,Nicholas,(2001)‘BetweenProcessandProduct:Musicand/asPerformance’inMusicTheoryOnline7:2(SocietyforMusicTheory)¶6.

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mistakesbeingmade,and the recordingnotappearing sopolished that it appears

artificial.Thisbringsmetothequestion:towhatextenttherecordingreflectedmy

intent.Mycurrentopinionisthatasaproofofconcept,andtogiveanaudio-visual

guidetothescore,itisamorethanadequateresult.Ihaveaddedthisrecordingto

theYouTubeplaylistofresourcesIlinkinthescore,toprovideasolidexampletobe

builtuponfor(hopefully)futureperformances/recordings.

Stim

Engagingtheperformers/Disturbingtheaudience

Theprocessofrehearsingthepurelymusicalcontentofthispiecewasverysimple,

resultinginonlyafewminornotationalchanges.Themainissuesaroseindirecting

and encouraging the performers to make use of the choreography. In the first

workshop,SCAWduoindicatedbothtrepidationandenthusiasmattryingsomething

new. Both of the duo said that they had never attempted a choreographed

performance before, though Sarah Watts was knowledgeable of Stockhausen’s

HarlekinandInFreundschaftandpickedupontherelationbetweenthemandStim.

The swaying choreography was relatively unproblematic, however the acting was

metwithreservation.Bothofthempointedoutthattheywerenotactors:averyfair

point, yet one that surprised me. From my personal perspective, my solo

performances always involve a degree of acting, attempting to appear more

sociable,andengaging than Iam in life.Thechoreography formewasanti-acting.

Askingotherperformersaboutthis,theycommentedthatalthoughtheyalsoputon

somelevelofpersona,theydidn’texperienceallofmydifficulties.

Prior to the performance I gave a short introduction to the piece, my

personalconnection,theoriginofthechoreography,andofthemusicalmetaphors

involved. Some audience members were not present for this introduction, which

gavemea(verysmall)sampleofreactionsfrompeoplewhosawtheperformance

knowingmyintent,andfrompeoplewhoonlysawitasanabstractcomposition.The

formergroupseemedtograspthelinkbetweenthesoundandtheASDeasily,and

primarily discussed ASD, neurodiversity, and the ethics of its representation. This

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dialoguewasexactlywhatIhadhopedfor:themusicandeventhetheatrebecame

secondary(thoughnotunessential)tothediscourse. Iwasparticularlybuoyedthe

byperformers,bothofwhomnotonlyengaged inwhatwasnecessary,but spoke

about taking a very active interest in the topic as a whole, even speaking to

acquaintancesandpeopleinvolvedinASDcareandadvocacyabouttheproject.

With those people who were not present for the introduction, the ASD

subjectwasnotevident(understandableconsideringhowabstractthetitleis).Their

reactions were more technical, concerning the relationship between the

choreographyand sound, and the interaction (ordeliberate lack thereof)between

the performers and the audience. Althoughmy intentwas not fully imparted, the

feedbackpromptedme to thinkhow I coulddevelopmycompositional technique.

Withregardstothechoreography,theaudiencefoundthedissonancebetweenthe

music and movement very distinct, especially so with the acting. One audience

member even went so far as to describe the performance as ‘very disturbing’ (a

positiveresponse,asitimpliesthattheperformancedidnotendupasapantomime

of stimming). A more critical reaction was that the uncoordinated nature of the

choreography was distracting: in creating the contrast, I had also created two

simultaneous structures, forcing the audience to concentrate on one to the

detrimentoftheother.Reflectingcritically,Icanseehowthiscanbeinterpretedas

atechnicalerror,flyinginthefaceofcompositionalunity,andIevenagreewiththis.

However, for me, the audience’s reaction is the deciding factor. The sense or

disconnect,evenifitwasn’tunderstoodintandemwithASD,wasmygoal.Whilethe

ultimate aim of my compositions is clear communication of my intent, in

combination with sound compositional technique, reflection upon this experience

has left me resolute that eliciting a strong reaction from the audience is worth

sacrificingsomeorevenallofmyobjectives.

Thefinalperformancewasverysuccessful intheend,andcaptureda lotof

what I had intended. I attribute this to three things: firstly, SCAWduo’s desire to

engage with the piece and present a convincing performance (for which I am

incrediblygrateful).Thisattitudeenabledthesecondandthirdways inwhichthey

achieved the result. Part of the rehearsal process involvedme demonstrating and

Page32of41

talking through the actions I required. I also provided a list of online articles and

videosrelatingtoASDandstimminginparticularsothattheperformerscouldlearn

and understand where I was coming from (effectively a form of advocacy), and

developtheirowninterpretationontopofwhatIdemonstrated.

These points interestingly relate back to the rehearsal process of ‘It isn’t a

noise…’, in that I attempted both of these, but without great success. Upon

reflection it is obvious that very few of the performers actually engagedwith the

online resources I provided, or benefitted significantly from my demonstrations.

Withno intent todemean theperformers, I feel that this couldbeputdown toa

contrastinmotivationbetweenthe‘Itisn’tanoise…’ensembleandSCAWduo.This

isnotduetoaninherentlackofcare,butratherduetodisparityinskilllevelandthe

complexity in thework. In thecaseof ‘It isn’tanoise…’ the lackof rehearsal time

causedtheperformerstostrugglewiththenewtechniquesIpresented.Asdiscussed

by O’Neill and McPherson, ‘if an activity is too difficult and skill levels are low…

[performers]feelapathy’.WithStim,althoughtheinstrumentaltechniquewaslow,

thechoreographychallengedtheduo:‘toremaininflow[motivated],thecomplexity

oftheactivitymust…[take]onnewchallenges’.32

MurphyvsMrEndon

Thevalueofintent/Theprogrammenote

Murphy vs Mr Endon was performed by members of York University Chimera

Ensemble.Duringtherehearsalprocess,Ileftmanyofthedecisionsuptotheother

performers.Thepianistsandnarratordecidedexactlyhowthetimingwouldwork.

ThenarratorandMrEndonwerefreetoactwithinmyinstructions,andwedevised

thefinalstagingandcostumingasagroup,mostsignificantlythepianistsswapping

places at the beginning which I have included in the score. For me this was as

importantapartof thecompositionprocessasproducing thescore,as itengaged

32O’Neill,SusanA.&McPherson,GaryE.(2002)§3‘Motivation’ineds.Parncutt,R&McPherson, Gary E., The Science and Psychology of Music Performance: CreativeStrategiesforTeachingandLearning(OxfordUniversityPress)p.35.

Page33of41

the performers in the topic, rather than relying on the old-fashioned production

model of composer-performer-audience, and a statement against Taruskin’s idea

that‘[p]erformersareessentiallycorrupters—deviants,infact’.33

Of this entire portfolio, thiswas the piece I wasmost determined to be a

clear communication of a concept, namely that the audience should immediately

understand chess as the central theme, and that the music was only an

accompaniment. The piece was performed twice on the same day. The evening

performancewasaveryaccuraterepresentationofthescore(and is therecording

submitted in this portfolio). The afternoon performance was less successful,

especially thechessgame inwhich therewerenumerousmistakes.AswithStim, I

wasabletospeaktobothpeopletowhomIhadexplainedtheconcept,andthose

who came to theperformancewithnoexpectations. Therewere alsopeoplewho

attendedbothperformances.

My explanations of the piece began in different ways depending on the

person,suchasthehistoryofchessinthearts,thereferencenovel,orthetechnical

consideration,butalwaysstatingthatthecentralelementisthechessgame,trying

to explain how I see it as dance. Based on audience feedback, it seems that this

explanationwasrequired:aswithStim, theaudiencewassharplydividedbetween

those who received an explanation of the concept and those who did not. The

former grasped the ideas readily and discussed them, and the latter were more

concernedwithwhattheyhadjustwitnessed.UnlikeStim,thisgrouppredominantly

expressedconfusion,andignoredthegameentirely,discussingMurphyvsMrEndon

asapieceofpuremusic.Theaccuracyofthechessgamesdidnotaffectthisopinion,

further suggesting that their entire concentration was entirely on the music

(conversely, for those who knew the context, the mistakes were distracting and

noteworthy– in several instances, the inaccurate layoutofpiecesnecessitatedmy

rearrangingoftheboardmid-performance).

33Taruskin, Richard (1995)Text andAct: Essays onMusic and Performace (OxfordUniversityPress)p.13.

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As to why this occurred, I can only speculate. Following on from my

experienceswithStimand‘Itisn’tanoise…’Ibelievethatthisisaresultofconcert

culture. 34 Specifically, thinking about what the difference between what the

audienceexpectedversuswhattheyreceived. Inbothperformancesthepiecewas

presented alongside performances of purely sonic music – perhaps some of the

audience were unable to change their perspective for a single piece in the

programme,andsoonlyconcentratedonthepuremusic. Itwasalsoperformedin

an academic environment, and so victim to (as with ‘It isn’t a noise…’) Cook’s

distinction between the score as text versus script.35The score, the notes are still

predominantlyviewedasanabsolutetext,ratherthanascriptasIintended.

Theaudience’sreactionpromptedtwoquestions:whatcanonedotoinform

the audience, andwhether or not this is actually helpful or desirable. Apart from

speaking to each audiencemember individually (an unrealistic exercise), the best

methods of communicationwould be an oral introduction, or a programme note.

Thefirst,frommyperspectiveisundesirable:frompersonalexperience,unlessone

elects toattendapre-concert lecture, itcanbeanoffputting,evencondescending

experience.AlthoughIdidthistoacertainextentwithStim,itwasinthecontextof

a workshop, and so some degree of quasi-academic introduction seemed

appropriate.36

Astowhetherornottheprogrammenotehelped,Iaminclinedtothinkthat

itdidn’t.Firstly,thereisnoguaranteethat,norwaytomaketheaudiencereadit(in

this case I suspect that it was not widely, nor intently read). It also changes the

emphasisoftheconcert.Relyingontheaudiencereadingtheprogrammenoteshifts

theemphasisfrombeingengagedwiththeactiononstageinthemoment,topulling

them out of the figurative performance space into amore literal concert hall. An

34Iamnotdismissingthepossibilitythatitisduetoafailingofmydesign,butasIamatthispointunabletothinkofsolutions,Icanonlypursuethisquestion.35Cook(2001)¶15.Cookrefutesthetraditionalnotionofthescorebeinganabsolute‘text’tobeveneratedandreproducedasaccuratelyaspossibleinfavourofregardingitasa‘script’,thatisthestartingpointforcreatingaperformance.36AlthoughIdescribedtheaudienceofMurphyvsMrEondonaspartofanacademicenvironment,thecontextoftheperformanceitselfwasthatofapublicperformance.

Page35of41

extensionofthis isthatitchangestheperformance,ofwhichtheprogrammenote

becomes a part. As discussed in theMusic Educators Journal, the performance

beginswhentheaudiencereads theprogrammenote,but that thisnote is ‘better

unwrittenthanunread’.37Insayingallthis,Iseenoharminprovidingaprogramme

note, and it is my concession to the traditional formality of classical concert

etiquette.

Ultimately,thisexperiencechangedmyideasaboutintent.Thiswasnotonly

promptedbytheperformanceofMurphyvsMrEndon,butbysubsequentresearch

into the reception of other experimental performances. Firstly, a comparison

suggestedbyRogerMarsh:thepremierofBeckett’sNotI.Thenuancedmonologue

cannotbeunderstoodafterasingleperformance,duetoitscomplexity,speed,and

fragmentary nature. But the sense of bewilderment is enough for thework to be

fully realized. A similar example is of the performance of Birtwistle’sPanic at the

1995Proms.Although it is far fromexperimental totheeducatedaudience, itwas

perceivedasexperimental inthecontextofthelargelytraditionalLastNightofthe

Proms. For all the background to the composition (such as the dialectic between

‘panic’ as in hysteria, and ‘Panic’ as in cheerful and impish as relating to the

character Pan), that the audience were ‘awed and dumbstruck’ 38 was not

detrimental to the piece. As journalist Robert Maycock comments, ‘it ought to

shock’.39Whateverthereactionwas,itisanactiveandimportantcontributortothe

performance.Thesenseofconfusion,orlackofunderstanding, is initselfaperfect

reaction to the absurdity of the scene. As I allowed the performers to be active

participantsinmy‘script’,sotootheaudiencebecomeauthors;Iallowedmyselfto

notworryaboutdictatingtheintentofmy‘text’.

37N.A. (1968) ‘Program Notes: Better Unwritten than Unread’ inMusic EducatorsJournal54:7(SagePublicationsInc.)96.38Maycock, Robert (17/09/1995) Last Night of the Proms BIRTWHISTLE PREMIERERoyalAlbertHall,London inTheIndependent<http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/last-night-of-the-proms-birtwhistle-premiere-royal-albert-hall-london-1601655.html>accessed06/11/2017.39Ibid.

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Auras

Creatingavideothatreflectsperformance

As an ensemble, itwas decided early in the rehearsal process thatwewould not

perform the piece live. With our various commitments, and a large department

performance midway through the rehearsal process, we felt that it would be

impracticaltogetthe20-minuteperformanceuptoasufficientstandardtoperform

in one sitting, and to organize an audience during the end-of-term period. I also

believethatthepiecewouldnothavehadthefullnarrativeimpact ifonlysections

wereperformed.Thisisincontrastwiththesimilarlylong‘Itisn’tanoise…’,inwhich

the simple structure can be understood more readily (hence I have retroactively

outlinedwhichsectionscanbecutinperformance).

Thisdecisionhadbothadvantagesanddisadvantages. Iwasvery conscious

that the piece was designed to be performed live. There would have beenmore

sense of surprise in the Introduction; the ‘setting the stage’ gestures would blur

performanceandthebehind-the-scenesaction(ifonlyforafewseconds),whereas

inrecordingitobviousthatfromthestartthatit isdevised.Anotherillusionthatis

affectedisthatoftheinstrumentsplayingthemselves–eitherbeingmimedor left

standingwhiletheelectronicsprovidethesound.Inthecontextofavideorecording,

thiscanattimessimplylooklikeatechnicalissue:thatvideoandaudioarenotco-

ordinated. Finally, in being designed for a live performance, the composition to a

certainextent countedonanaudiencememberwatching theperformance froma

single point. The reality of a video recording is that this cannot be achieved: cuts

necessitateachangeofcameraangle,andtofilmtheentiretyfromtheaudience’s

perspectivecancreateadull,un-dynamicresult.

However,eachoftheseproblemsledtosolutionsthatIthinkbenefittedthe

overall result.Theuseofa cameraallowedme toartificially create theaudience’s

perspective.WhileIthinktheresultsareveryeffective,Ihavemixedfeelingsabout

this approach. On the positive front, I was able to create a more authoritative

production, and display only what I want the audience to focus on. This was not

entirelycontrived;inreality,thestagingwasdesignedtoforcetheaudience’sgaze.

Page37of41

Awatcherwouldnaturallyobserveareasofactionratherthaninaction;forexample

one would watch the clarinettist and cellist in the Introduction and Symptom 4,

rather than the stationerypianist. Italsoallowedme tomanipulate theperiods in

which the instruments aremade to ‘perform’without the instrumentalists, simply

focussing on a photograph of the instruments, and not having to move the

instruments around the stage. It also removed the need to work out the best

placement of the speaker. It also allowed me to emphasise the narrative from

humantoinhuman,bybeginningwithshotsincludingtheperformers,andmovingto

(wherepossible)shotsofjusttheinstruments.However,allofthesepositiveresults

are essentially compromises, and diminish the role of the audience as an

autonomouscontributortothecreativeprocess.

Anotheradvantageofcreatingarecordedproduction isagreaterdegreeof

control over the electronics. I was able to time the notated electronics in the

IntroductionandSymptom3precisely.Iwasalsoabletotrymultipleversionsofthe

improvisedelectronicsintheIntroduction,thetransformedrecordinginSymptom1,

andtheexactlengthofthedelayinSymptom3and4.Similarlywiththevisuals,this

absolutecontroloverthesoundisgoodforcreatinganauthoritativeinterpretation

of the score, in removing the potential for mistakes it ultimately becomes a less

authenticrealizationofaperformance.

Page38of41

ConclusionThe process of conceiving, writing, performance, and discussing this portfolio has

affordedmemanynewdirectionsfordevelopingmycomposition.Iamverypleased

withthewaymytechniqueisdeveloping,especiallyinmyabilitytodeviseanddirect

the theatrical actions – this is something which I aim to continue developing

organically.Theideaofwritingconceptualratherthanabstractcompositionsisvery

appealingtome,andthiswillprobablybecomeasubstantialpartofmyfuturework,

particularlyreflectinguponmynationality.

I intendtocontinuealloftheseideasoverthecourseofaPhD,refiningthe

concept of general ‘theatre’ into ‘physicalmovement’. That is, I will focus on the

performers actions (be it part of instrumental technique, choreography, or

otherwise)outsideofanynarrativecontext,synthesizingphysicalgesturesfullyinto

my sonic language,and researchinganddiscussing thevariousways inwhich they

caninterrelate.

Page39of41

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