Analysis of Michael Torke's Telephone Book

 

Analysis of an Excerpt from Michael Torke’s Torke’s Telephone Telephone Book  Michael Crawford

MUS222 Dr. a!ra Emmery 2 May 2"#$

 

Crawford #  A telephone %ook. &ew 'ol!mes co!ld elicit a stron(er response of rep!lsion from an en)oyment*seekin( reader. +ith +ith pa(e after pa(e of listin(s,merely names and an d %asic details,   %ereft of stories and stripped of their indi'id!alityindi'id!ality- tthere here co!ld hardly %e a collection of words less intri(!in(. et et this now o%solescent %ook ser'ed as Michael Torke’s Torke’s m!sical inspiration and helped %rin( to life a hi(hly ima(inati'e work for cham%er ensem%le. /n a st style yle sometimes descri%ed as post*minimalism- Torke Torke com%ines repeatin( rhythmic fi(!res in a constantly chan(in( harmonic settin( to depict the listin(s in a telephone %ook. Takin( a step away from his characteristic synesthesia and dense orchestral writin(- To Torke rke s!cceeds in creatin( an excitin( work while explorin( a systematic yet flexi%le method of or(ani0ation. o r(ani0ation. My composition instr!ctor introd!ced me to Torke’s Torke’s Color Music after examinin( one of my orchestral works which took a similar stylistic approach. +ith intricately interlockin( rhythms that prod!ced a compo!nd line and a reliance on repeatin( fi(!res as the primary or(ani0in( force- the resem%lance was clear. Ecstatic clear. Ecstatic OrangeOrange- the first of Torke’s pieces that / heard- inspired me with its %rilliant orchestration and relentless rhythmic acti'ity. acti'ity. / took immediate interest in examinin( Torke’s Torke’s work f!rther for the satisfaction of !nderstandin( its theoretical !nderpinnin(s and expandin( my own compositional ideas. +hile +hile Ecstatic  Ecstatic Orange  Orange  wo!ld ha'e %een thrillin( to analy0e in depth- its massi'e proportions pro'ed to %e %eyond the scope of this pro)ect. / th!s %e(an per!sin( m!sical scores and recordin(s for a more mana(ea% mana(ea%le le work. /t was not lon( into this process that / disco'ered d isco'ered Telephone Telephone Book - scored for 1!intet and neatly di'ided into three mo'ements. / ha'e chosen an excerpt mm. #*345 from the first mo'ement- titled- 6The ellow ellow 7a(es-8 as the foc!s of my anal analysis. ysis. Torke’s Torke’s work has not %een a foc!s of extensi'e st!dy. st!d y. &rom the Telephone Telephone Book - / ha'e only %een a%le to locate an analysis of  6The 9l!e 7a(es-8 and / hope to contri%!te to an !nderstandin( of this work and Torke’ Torke’ss

 

Crawford 2 compositions as a whole. After pro'idin( %ack(ro!nd information on Michael Torke and Telephone Book - / will proceed with an analysis an alysis of the mo'ement’s harmonic and rhythmic elements. #

Michael Torke Torke was %orn in Milwa!kee- +isconsin in #:;#.  9efore enterin( colle(e- he st!died %assoon and piano and won pri0es at /nterlochen Academy- %rin(in( an early start to his compositional achie'ements.2 oseph Schwantner and Sam!el Adler and contin!ed his piano st!dies !nder !nd er Da'id 9!r(e.? +hile his earlier infl!ences incl!ded Stra'insky and 9artok- his expos!re to pop!lar m!sic thro!(ho!t his colle(e years led to an e'ol!tion in style. style .$ This shift is e'ident in Vanada Vanada-- a #:4? work that feat!res pop- )a00- and minimalist elements. Torke Torke adds electronic instr!ments- s!ch as synthesi0er- to a cha cham%er m%er ensem%le comprised of %rass and perc!ssion.; +hile it %orrows elements from minimalism- !sin( a contin!o!s p!lse with repeated rhythmic fi(!res- it contrasts from the more ri(idly str!ct!red # Ch!te- >ames. @Torke- Michael.@ ro'e M!sic Bnline. Bxford M!sic Bnline. Bxford Uni'ersity 7ress. +e%. 2# April 2"#$.

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Crawford 3 approaches of its stylistic roots. = Vanada Vanada takes  takes a freer approach as the first of Torke’s Torke’s pieces in  post*minimalist style. style.4 /t also ser'es as an example of Torke’s Torke’s perception of e1!i'alencies  %etween m!sic and color. Sections in in this work %ear s!ch titles as 6%rilliant oran(e8 and 6oli'e mixed with sprin( (reen.8: 7ost*minimalism can %e descri%ed as a f!rther de'elopment of minimalism. #" Tho!(h the style is somewhat 'a(!ely defined- it %orrows from minimalist elements s!ch as repetiti'e rhythmic patterns- a contin!o!s m!sical pro(ression- and a lack of extended melodic lines. ##  Expandin( on these ideas- post*minimalism has introd!ced no'el ways of or(ani0in( this %asic material- often in'ol'in( (reater complexity- f!ller chords- rhythmic layerin(- and a wider ran(e of orchestral tim%res.#2 ; /%id.

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Crawford ? Torke To rke contin!ed his ed!cation at ale ale Uni'ersity- recei'in( m!ltiple commissions while there.#3 Bne of these was Ecstatic was Ecstatic Orange. Orange.1 This work exhi%its pop!lar elements and is a contin!ation of the style that Torke Torke had esta%lished earlier,now in a f!ll orchestral settin(.#$ The  piece is made !p of two sets of opposin( elementsF stasis and acti'ity. acti'ity.#; Six notes comprise the melody- and- altho!(h it appears in 'ario!s contexts- it is ne'er transposed or 'aried. #= The harmonies are similarly static- remainin( in E mixolydian thro!(ho!t the work’s entirety. entirety.#4 The 6ecstatic8 nat!re of this colorf!l piece deri'es from its rhythmic and contrap!ntal contrap!n tal elements.#: An  An incessant sixteenth*note p!lse per'ades the m!sic- and the melody occasionally %reaks into shortcanonical statements. statements.2" /ts form is contin!o!s- in'ol'in( a constant e'ol!tion e'o l!tion rather than clearly

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Crawford $ defined sections.2# Ecstatic  Ecstatic Orange was Orange was premiered %y the 9rooklyn 7hilharmonic in #:4$- and wo!ld later %ecome a part of a lar(er collection known as Color !ieces!ieces- where Torke f!rther explored the coloristic implications of m!sical ideas. ideas.22 23

Torke To rke %e(an Telephone Book shortly after he had finished composin( Ecstatic composin(  Ecstatic Orange. Orange.   Scored for fl!te- clarinet- 'iolin- cello- and piano- this piece pro'ided contrast with the den dense se text!res and harmonies of the pre'io!s work. /nspired %y the (rad!al chan(e accompanied %y constant elements that he fo!nd in the alpha%etical listin(s of the phone%ook- he created a m!sical composition that represented it. it.2? To  Torke rke does not no t stray from his synesthetic responses. "ello# !ages!ages- the first mo'ement- is written in  ma)or- which the composer had always seen as yellow.2$ D!rin( his time at aleale- Torke only composed this mo'ement.2; The addition of 6The 9l!e 7a(es8 and 6The +hite 7a(es-8 the second and third mo'ements respecti'ely- occ!rred a

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