Jay Vosk, composer

 

Monday: 

It’s not  uncommon for me to work on three or four pieces at a time. In recent weeks the piece that’s been on the back burner has been a work for tuba solo.  Because of time constraints, I was only able to work on it sporadically. Despite this seeming lack of attention, the minutes I’ve had with the piece have proven to be productive. The piece is entitled Ritorno, which means ‘return’. It is similar to the word ritornello which has virtually the same meaning.

The difference here is that the term ritornello is mostly associated with a form from the classical era. In this form there is a section of music that keeps returning alternately with different contrasting sections (ie. ABACADA or ABACABA etc.)

In the case of my Ritorno, lyrical sections of music alternate with  bold, agitated sections resulting in the form : ABA’B’A’’

Certain little motives or fragments also return randomly throughout the piece. In addition, a motive which was initiated in the ‘A’’ section,  might reappear in the ‘ B’ section under a different guise.

The ‘A’ sections are basically lyrical in nature. The ‘B’ sections are generally driving or ponderous. Now and then low jolts creep into the ‘A’ sections and lyrical snippets might appear in the ‘B’ sections, The latter A and B sections are loosely similar to the initial sections A and B. At this point I have one more decision to make before completing the piece: Should it end high ?or low?

Wednesday

Meanwhile, the bassoon quartet moves along. The final section consists so far of doleful  lines in octaves in bassoons 3&4 with bassoon 2 weaving above.Topping off the texture is a mournful answer in the first bassoon …

The saxophone choir piece has reached an impasse. It’s stuck on the launch pad and doesn’t want to take off.So for the rest of the day and up until I fall asleep and possible in my dreams, my mind is preoccupied with the sax choir piece. 

Meanwhile , the tuba piece is put on hold.

Thursday:

Upon waking this morning, my thoughts are still on the sax choir piece. On Thursdays, my wife and I walk this steep hill west of downtown Tucson for our morning workout. I traipse up the steep incline amidst saguaros and prickly pear, with my mind churning around for ideas for the sax choir piece. ‘Tumomoc Hill’ as it is known, is a balm for the mind and soul , and by the time I’m back on level land, I think I have a fresh ,new idea that might just work...

Back home, I made some progress with the bassoon quartet, and brought the tuba piece to a successful ending. (I chose to take the tuba down to its deep, dark bottom range at the successful close.)

Friday:

The bassoon quartet is slowly nearing a conclusion. Today I tried to reach a balance between the dark lower bassons  and the higher, mournful upper bassoons.

The sax choir piece seems to be going well. I’ll reserve sharing the details for now so as not to ‘jinx’ things.

Today I started editing the solo tuba piece. First, I check the pitches, followed by the dynamics, articulations and expressions.

Saturday:

The bassoon quartet seems kind of stalled at this point. At the moment, the challenge is trying to juxtapose the low, dark music with the lullaby. The low dark music seems to be working, but I can’t seem to find a suitable way of reintroducing the lullaby.

I’ve made some progress this morning with the sax choir piece. I can say at this time that the piece is a reconstruction, of sorts, of the Pictures at an Exhibition theme.

 

 

 

Monday:

 The 4th variation of the bassoon quartet came together with relative ease. After establishing a modified ‘punta’ beat ( see the previous blog)comprised of lower voice down beat- inner voices off beat, the variation seemed to almost write itself. It was just a matter of the  placement of the melodic line- offsetting here, delaying there. In order to catch the listener off guard,I slightly shifted the rhythmic pattern at odd moments and  put the harmonic patterns slightly off course.

The 5th variation is kind of an augmented version of the third variation. The first couple of phrases build with slow imitative entrances culminating with a mournful melodic entrance in the first bassoon.

Tuesday:

I continued work on the 5th variation and am at a point where I am anticipating the final section of the piece. Which brings to mind the reasons I’m composing the work in the first place: Besides having the honor to write a work for the Luftbassoons, I was compelled to use the piece as a vehicle to express my contempt for this country’s immigration policies. The newspaper image of a mother with her young child who had to flee Honduras because of gang violence sticks in my mind. This might explain my choice of a Honduran lullaby as a theme of the composition.

Wednesday:

When I’m nearing the end of a piece in my composition process, I sometimes run into snags. I think this is  a  result of my keen desire  to reach the final double bar rather than be my more methodical self. Such was the case today. Whereas yesterday the work on the ‘punta’ variation went quite smoothly, today’s session with the fifth variation was just the opposite. I was attempting to present the slow moving patterns with slow twists and turns but something seemed off.  Now I’m beginning to wonder whether this variation has become too late romantic sounding and too derivative.

Thursday:

On second thought, I think the fifth variation is affective. With a bit of self analysis of sorts, I see that I am making a meaningful connection to the third variation.Here I am presenting slowly moving chromatic lines, once again with the 3 to I formula. The slow moving lines are in the lower three voices with a kind of ‘pleading ‘ answer in the upper voice. So, in a sense, what I’m doing is a kind of augmented reprise of the third variation. With the 5th variation provisionally in place, I began the next section which has yet to get off the ground.

Friday:

The last section of the bassoon quartet piece is beginning to take shape. Now evan  slower imitative entrances  in the four instruments come together in chordal statements. I can now foresee the final
portion of the piece comprised of three moving pieces: 1. A walking bass line in the lowest instrument. 2. Intermittent ‘punched’ chords in the inner voices, and, 3. A final modified statement of the lullaby. I hear it being broken up into a few choice statements. We’ll see how things go tomorrow.

The opening section of the sax choir piece seems to be changing drastically from day to day. This now seems to be the new normal. I end a session on the piece feeling hopeful until the following day when I choose  to scrape the whole thing. There’s an array of criteria that go through my mind, but basically, it’s a gut reaction.Yes, Now I’m hopeful about the the current effort but.....

Saturday: 

I feel I have what’s turned out to be the 6th variation is working to my satisfaction. The final variation does begin with a steady walk, but in the third bassoon’s middle range rather than the 4th bassoon’s lower range. A broken version of the lullaby melody would seem to work along with the walking accompaniment, but I can’t seem to find a role for the inner voices. So as weeks go, this was a week of mixed blessings.

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Monday: 

Today I was able to complete the third variation of the bassoon quartet. I pretty much stayed with the formula of three steady, harmonized voices in staggered entrances against which was an obbligato solo voice. For the next variation,I anticipate writing a kind of punta beat as it’s basis. A ‘punta’ is a very popular genre in Honduras.

In the mean time, I’ve must of had over a half dozen starts and stops to the sax choir piece. Currently, I’ve been taking a more progressive direction. Now the piece begins with slow, repeated high notes in the soprano saxes. They seem to squeeze along in slowly descending dissonances. I envision some sort of ‘whining’ melody in the alto saxes. Perhaps an entrance of dense block chords in counterpoint?

The trumpet/marimba piece is still an iffy venture in my mind. Some portions of the work, such as the beginning of the piece, establish a nice, peaceful patter which I think is quite affective. The quicker second section of the piece seems at times a bit stilted and contrived. Currently, I’m working on a cadenza section in the trumpet. Here, I think the instrument seems free from the constraints of interacting with the marimba.

Tuesday:

The ‘punta’, when performed by Honduran artists really flies! So an initial challenge of writing the 4th variation is establishing the right tempo: too slow and it loses its drive; too fast, and it might be too much of a challenge for the bassoonists. The basic punta rhythm looks like this:













But I modified it to go like this:













Wednesday
This morning I made some inroads into the 4th variation. The challenge is getting just the right balance of repetition and change. I’m trying to accomplish this by periodic rhythmic shifts and subtle modulation of harmonies.

The saxophone choir piece has now settled into a slow moving mass of whines’ in the soprano saxes and wailing leaps in the alto saxes. As is always the case, the slower the piece, the greater the challenge to the composer’s technical skills. So, that explains why the writing process is so SLOW GOING.

The trumpet/ marimba piece has emerged from a trumpet cadenza to a return to the marimba ‘patters’ and angular trumpet lines. Somehow I’m still sticking with the piece.

Thursday:

I continued to make headway on the bassoon quartet. In addition to the shifting rhythms and harmonic subtleties, I moved down the melodic  interest to a lower voice and added a third layer to the harmonic accompaniment.

The slow moving whines and wails continued in the sax choir piece. Writing in this manner, with just a handful of pitches has been a tedious process. I’m about a minute and a half into the piece and still haven’t introduced  the tenor and baritone saxes.

Saturday:

I completed the ‘punta’ variation this morning and began work on the 5th variation. So far it’s darker in character. I’m not sure whether to make this more of a transition section rather than a variation with the theme hidden in some way.I’m feeling as if this is the penultimate portion of the work that will lead into the final variation.

The sax choir piece is turning out to be one of the most contemporary sounding works that I’ve written in a while. Now the whines and wails in the upper voices are joined by moans in the lower voices. After a pause, a new section begins initiated by  the lower saxes who proceed in a slow tangle.

 

This morning, I resumed work on the bassoon quartet. My initial trajectory for the piece changed as I set out to write the piece. I’m thinking it best to focus on 2 things: 1. The ensuing possibilities drawn from the theme (a Honduran folk lullaby) and, 2. The idiosyncratic possibilities inherent in the bassoon quartet. I think the text thing at the end and its political overtones is a bit over the top. I might be able to get subtly political in the way I handle what’s on my compositional pallet

Later this morning, I’ll probably return to the trumpet/ marimba piece. At this stage in the work, I’m focusing on lines and configurations in the two instruments that should pose a challenge to both players.What I’m attempting to do, I suppose, is to appeal to the academic musician’s desire to inspire their students and impress their colleagues and department heads. I don’t suppose that is the purest artistic endeavor on my part but it is an intriguing challenge nonetheless.

Tuesday:

I must confess: Writing a piece in theme and variations form is a bit like cheating. Especially when you’re dealing with a beautiful existing melody. With an established melody to work with and an inherent form already in place I’m well on my way. I’ve completed the theme and one variation. The theme begins with a solo bassoon and, after a couple of phrases, is joined by the other bassoons. The first variation presents the theme still intact accompanied by a combination of counterpoint and lush harmonies. When the second variation begins,there’s a sudden shift to a quicker tempo and minor key. The theme is now a ‘cantus firmus ‘of sorts set against parallel running notes in the other bassoons

Thursday:

Yesterday, I hit a snag in the second variation of the bassoon quartet. The challenge was to keep the running notes flowing without sounding too repetitive. I tried nuancing the harmonies as well as the voicing and register choices. Later this morning, I hope to close out the second variation and start on the third .

The sax  choir composition finally seems to have some direction. I think I finally solved the issue I’ve been struggling with regarding how to proceed after the opening statement. This was  primarily by register changes and tweaking of the harmony.

Friday:

I made some progress towards reaching the end of the second variation of the bassoon quartet. How I proceed from there is unclear.So far the pattern has been slow- fast....

Later during my morning session, I completed the second variation. It works out being four tidy phrases interspersed with chromatic falls.

Saturday:

I intuitively set my tempo to ‘slow’ in the third variation of the bassoon quartet. So, just as I suspected, I’m setting up a slow- fast-slow- fast sequence here. The third variation consists of a chorus of three set against a solo obbligato.

And then there’s the sax choir piece! I’ve prettying much abandoned the rising note theme. Then, earlier in the week, I tried out a bluesy idea. It seems the  piece didn’t know whether to swing or move in straight eighth notes. So today I hit upon an angular, staccato pattern in the alto and tenor saxes. It seems to have a clarity and bite to it. Let’s hope this finally takes hold.

 

Wednesday:
Today my session started with a return to the ‘ Horn Quintet’. I still need to come up with an appropriate title for this work. Maybe something in regards to how the heat of a desert summer seems to envelop you, or something to that affect.
I wrote the work about a year ago but it was one of those pieces I wasn’t quite sure of. I finally got around to sending it to a hornist friend who thought the piece was ‘cool’ and to send her the parts. Upon reviewing the piece I thought things needed some revising. There was an effective, smooth-flowing section in the strings toward the end that seemed to end too soon. So I decided to write an extension to that part . At the end of my time with the piece today, I sensed it was nearing the transition to the final section, of the piece...’

Next I worked on the trumpet- marimba piece.It’s my intention to keep the piece moderately ‘abstract; enough to come across as ‘modern’. Will this work appeal to trumpeters and marimba players? I really don’t know. The piece,I think, starts out effectively with the gentle purr of the marimba. I sense the piece is losing its ‘challenging ‘ aspects and falling into a rut. I’ll ‘sleep on it’ and see what happens tomorrow.
My daily session concluded with some time devoted to the sax choir piece.

Thursday:
It seems as if I’ve finished the horn quintet. I’m thinking of calling it ‘Passing Ships’. In a nutshell It’s about watching the ships go by on Puget Sound although it is actually more personal than that.I know this is an about face regarding the heat in the desert idea. Music is an ‘abstract’ art ,and I’ve learned long ago that interpreting music verbally is very allusive. In any event, I brought the smooth- flowing section to its conclusion and did a sudden pivot to the final da capo . Prior to this revision, the da capo began with just solo horn but I chose to add slow string glissandi as in the beginning. It seemed to me an effective move that gave the section more heft. From that point on there was no need to make more changes.

I revisited the trumpet marimba piece. A form for the work seems to be beginning to take shape; slow- fast perhaps? A change of pace in the marimba with a return to a written retard of repeated notes.

The sax choir work I spoke of previously is one in a series of ‘choir’ works for different families of instruments. So far I’ve written pieces in this genre for flute choir, clarinet choir and trombone choir. So far the only luck I’ve had is with the flute choir piece that is to be performed this fall by a group in Washington D.C. The sax choir piece is the most ‘choral’ of the works. It features gentle conjunctive movement peppered with fleeting dissonances.

Finally, there is a solo tuba piece that I hope to get back to in the next day or so. Here I’m using ‘measureless’ notation which seems to be freeing me up to take more chances. And, as things go, the piece seems to be taking some interesting twists and turns. As with the trumpet marimba piece, the form wasn’t predetermined but seems to just fall into place as the piece progresses. I see the form of the tuba piece so far as: ABAB maybe a conclusive C.

(Horn Quintet midi recording before revision)

As things stand, my horn quintet will be a work in three movements. So far, the piece is a little more than a third of the way done.
If Structured in terms of tempo, I foresee the entire piece looking like this:
1.slow-fast-slow, II.moderate,III. fast-slow (or slow fast)

Barring any last minute revisions, the first movement is in place.
In the opening, or more aptly termed ‘introduction’,slowly swirling chromatic configurations in the strings cluster together in a kind of ‘knot’.This serves as an accompaniment to the horn.Here the horn stands out by conveying an angular, stately line.
The fast section continues this association between the horn and strings but with driving rhythms. In the course of the movement, a series of these ‘knots’ seem to alternately cluster and loosen up.
Prior to the conclusion of the movement, is a solo horn interlude..
In the middle movement, the horn appropriates some of the chromatic configurations of the strings. The string writing here is more open and airy..

Looking ahead I foresee sizable stretches of pulsing rhythms in the strings against which are set against punctuating repeated notes in the horn.

In a few weeks, I will provide an update of the work. Here is a sample:

Within the act of composing music, there is a constant quest to discover something fresh and unique. With each step of this process there are countless decisions to be made.
This series of blogs will take you through several steps in this process.In this first installment of Clarinet Piece, I’ll run you through my process of choosing what instruments, if any I to write for to accompany the clarinet.

When one is deciding what to write for, are we talking about something traditional, like a clarinet sonata or something more 21st century like an electro acoustic work? My personal preference is to write for purely acoustic instruments. I find writing for people skilled at playing these acoustic instruments very rewarding. There is something about having the human connection to bring ones written notes to life as opposed to synthesized and computer generated sounds.

Another relatively new development, which had its origins in the 20th century, was to depart from the traditional ensemble such as the string quartet, concerto and and turn to a variety of instrumental combinations. Examples of this are most notably the Pierrot ensemble( an ensemble with the same instrumentation as Shoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire, which is comprised of flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin/viola, cello and piano accompanying the voice.The Pierrot ensemble also has players double instruments. Other chamber combinations can be for like instruments such as bassoon quartets ,trombone choirs and all sorts of hybrid combinations. Nowadays, choirs of like instruments have become quite common in colleges and universities and they are cropping up all over the place in the form of amateur ensembles like flute and clarinet choirs.

Professional players or academic professors, tend to want to be be in the spotlight and so combinations that feature the clarinet are preferable. Those traditional combinations are especially suitable for the professional soloist. In striving for the highest quality of work, it would make sense that I would expect to have a professional performance of my music.
So a list of typical traditional combinations for clarinet might include: a clarinet sonata ( for clarinet and piano or unaccompanied clarinet) , a clarinet quintet ( for clarinet and string quartet), a clarinet concerto ( for clarinet and orchestra and the less traditional clarinet and band or wind ensemble).

Now we need to narrow down this list. We should immediately rule out the concerto. Unless one is lucky enough to get a sizable commission, I wouldn’t waste countless hours writing such a work. Just about every large and midsize city tends to have at least one string quartet and some universities have quartets in residence. Once again, you could secure a commission, send a piece around on spec, or you might have friends in a quartet who might need a new piece by a local composer to fill out their program. In my case, I’ll be writing a quartet for saxophone and string quartet later this year, and don’t want to press my luck.
Now we’re down to the accompanied verses the unaccompanied sonata. By now one might deduce that the less performers involved the more likely one can get a piece performed.
So should I choose the solo clarinet as my instrumentation? Not so fast. The unaccompanied work seems to be the go- to combination these days. Such a combination has been a kind of testing ground for extended techniques such as key clicks, humming and playing, multiphonics and lip glissandi. But I’m going to choose a clarinet and piano piece and here’s why: One reason is my composition history. Over the past few years I’ve written several solo piece that were performed and performed well. What I find is lacking in these sorts of works is a sense of perspective The piano offers the composer many of the things an orchestra can do so such as harmony and texture. And, one final decision; I could choose to have the clarinetist double or triple on another member or the clarinet family. But, being that this piece isn’t commissioned, I’d rather keep things tidy and stick just with just the clarinet.
So have made my first big decision; a work for clarinet and piano.
There are a bunch of other decisions to be made before I actually begin to write down any notes.
We’ll cover that in the next installment of ‘Clarinet Piece’.

The Visions of Harriot Tubman- sample – Organ
A couple of years ago,the US Postal Service decided to put the image of the famous African American , Harriot Tubman,on one of its currency denominations. I was struck by the reaction to this decision, and troubled in particular by the negative responses. I decided to read up on Ms Tubman and found her to be a remarkable woman; among other things one of the key figures of the Underground Railroad in the mid- 19th century. Ms Tubman, a deeply religious woman ,claimed that God spoke to her, urging her to lead runaway slaves to freedom.

This inspired me to compose my Visions of Harriot Tubman. In this work the music grows organically emerging into a kind of paraphrase of the African American spiritual Let my People Go.This was the tune that Harriot Tubman sang as a signal to the slaves she would lead to freedom. As the piece progresses, the music travels in phases from the hymn tune, to jazz ,to blues as so forth. The registrations and edits were by organist David Gay of Tucson, Arizona.
The Visions of Harriot Tubman was composed in 2016.