A Study of a Relationship between a Compositional Concept of Modern Instrumental Music and Extended Techniques in Stanley Friedman’s SOLUS
Ki-Bum Park · 2011
This study illuminates special features of Solus for unaccompanied trumpet performance to deliver new interpretations and music-educational implications of contemporary music. Namely, it provides rich analyses of composition methods and innovative techniques executed in the serial structures of each movement of Solus and how those are closely related to various performance fashions of contemporary instrumental music. Solus is composed of four movements with the twelve-tone row, which require a various range of techniques, which are as follows: tremolos, flutter tonguing, mute effects, pedal tones, shakes, accelerando and decelerando bandings, micro-tonal effects, slide glissando, lip-trills, double-dynamics, exclamation, and open tubing technique (the echo effects achieved through the removal of the second valve slide in the final movement). As each movement proceeds, Stanley Friedman interprets those techniques as a reflection of the composer’s psychological state of mind. The first movement begins with A-A′-B-A″ in harmony with four pitch classes of the twelve scales and calls for techniques like tremolos, slide glissando, multiple tonguing, and so forth. Tension transforms into a rubato waltz mood at the scherzo of the third movement. In the fourth movement, the technique of holding all the wind instruments represents, among others, the climax of innovation and creativity, thereby indicating immediate availability of mute effects. Stanley Friedman consummates a composite of the scale structures and numerous techniques in an effort to express feelings of the composer throughout Solus. Solus employs almost all of available techniques for its composition. Therefore, it undoubtedly functions not only as a useful and educational repertory for professional composers and those who pursue the field of music compositions, but as a tool that allows first-class musicians for more intricate yet delicate performance.