Derek Charke - Distant Voices I & II

Distant Voices I & II (8') 2002
flute and piano

Sample Audio - (opens in new window)
Mark McGregor, flute and Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, piano

Distant Voices was written for a class at SUNY Buffalo where I analysed another composition and composed a new work using similar methods... I began with Toru Takemitsu's Piano Distance by breaking it down into several basic layers of material. I wrote out all of the chords, grace notes and single pitch phrases. In doing so I discovered that the basic pitch material was derived from a single pentatonic scale. I then looked at Voice and wrote down a few key elements.

I began with a recreation of the constituent components. I decided on a different pentatonic scale consisting of D,E,G,A and B. I then wrote down a chromatic scale that was missing one scale degree, in this case there is no Bb in the single pitch phrase units. I created single pitches for the single pitch phrases utilising a similar number of notes and use of non-pentatonic scale notes. The exclusion of Bb was strictly adhered to for the single pitches. I then created pitch material in which to build a similar number of chords. I decided to create the same number of chords, 63, with a similar contour to the top pitch of the chords in Takemitsu's Piano Distance. The same process was repeated to create the single pitches in which to base the grace notes and grace note chords from. I had to have a combined number of 48 chords and single pitches for the grace notes in order to match Takemitsu.

I created the full chords and grace note chords by retaining similar intervallic relationships under each of the new single pitches. I also worked within each chord from start to finish with out regard for registral considerations. The "new" chords and grace notes were then laid out on separate pages in the same phrase units of the original. I also created 3 chromatic clusters built off of the same intervallic range. Elements retained from Voice didn't include pitch but included extended techniques and the proportional time frame for the second movement of my new composition.

Distant Voices 1 was created using a similar time scale as Piano Distance where each measure is worth approximately 3 seconds. I laid out 80 measures that could be filled with the material I had created. For the first piece I was thinking of moments of activity followed by space and visa-versa. Intuitively I entered the single note phrases into the 80 empty 'boxes' in the same order as the precompositional material but with registral changes. These single pitch phrases retain the original phrase units but are split between the flute and the piano. In this way the original phrase units are filtered but at the same time remain intact.

The next step was entering all of the chords. The chords were split unevenly, mostly going to the piano. The few chords that were given to the flute either became multiphonics or arpeggiated chords. The three clusters were distributed intuitively at measures 36, 68 and 80. After this came the grace notes. These were entered directly into the final score as anantecedents or consequents to single pitches or chords and also as gestures in and of themselves. I was striving to achieve various combinations of single pitches, chords and grace notes interweaved amongst one another and independent of each other to create various gestures that would shape the piece. Each time a gesture is initiated there is a variation. It can start with a grace note, chord or single pitch and continue in a similar fashion or be interrupted or accompanied by another layer of material.

The idea of resonance and composed silence as used in Takemitsu's piece plays a vital role here. In the first measure I use a toneless note G that is silently depressed by the pianist, but then activated by the partials of the low C nature in the second bar. This occurs a couple times during the piece. The pedaling of chords to varying degrees of length add to this composed silence. I also wanted to merge the two instruments into one sound. To accomplish this I instruct the flutist to play into the piano at points so that the piano can resonate the flute sound. The use of the single pitch material spliced between the two instruments creates contrapuntal situations that also call for a more unified approach to tone production. For example in measures 38 to 43 I incorporate characteristics of attack and decay similar to the piano in the flute line. In these measures the flute has a series of sudden dynamic changes that emulate an attack, rapid decay and the sustained quality of the piano.

Distant Voices 2 was created using a similar time scale as Voice. The basic concept for this piece was a sudden shift from activity to non-activity. I decided that the ratio of 5/8, doubled to 10/16 would serve as the moment of this shift. Since there are a total of 16 systems, I choose the first 6 as the active section and the final 10 systems as the passive. There is no single pitch material for the piano in this movement. All of the gestures were taken by inverting the harmony of the chords and grace notes so that the bottom note became the top and visa-versa. The phrase units were then read in retrograde.

If you look at the first chord in the piano you will note that it is from chord phrase number 27, the last chord number 14 (G,F,Db,C,Gb,D,Bb). These phrase units or gestures were placed on a preliminary sketch in a random intuitive fashion but for the most part counted down in retrograde fashion (chord phrases 30 to 1 and grace note phrases g21 to g1 (g for grace notes)). The pitches for the flute were taken from the initial single pitch material for the creation of all the chords, grace notes and single pitches phrases. You can trace these pitches with that of the flute line in retrograde and with registral shifts.

Dynamics and other techniques were added during the process to accentuate certain features of the gesture. This was done with the idea of inhalation and exhalation, time and space, as discussed by Takemitsu (see the excerpt from my lecture recital below). The extended techniques for the flute are all from Voice but I was not trying to emulate a shakahatsu flute. These techniques are not inclusive to Takemitsu but the way in which he uses them creates ebb and flow more in tune with our body, mind and soul. They become part of the inhalation and exhalation of life. I was trying to achieve a similar zen-like state with the ending of this second movement but the events are too regular and therefore don't quite achieve the desired affect. (I'll be making a few amendments to the piece in the near future.) The flute has to play into the piano also striving to achieve an amalgamation of sorts between the two instruments. There are times where the flute sound just seems to emerge from the piano, for instance the high D in system 2 just after the tongue ram.