Work
Escape (A film by Julian Pertout) : for oboe, pianoforte and string trio
by Andrián Pertout (2015)
Score
Escape (A film by Julian Pertout) : for oboe, pianoforte and string trio / Andrián Pertout.
Library shelf no. 785.2415/PER 6 [Available for loan]
Work Overview
'Escape' was commissioned by Australian film-maker Julian Pertout, and intended as film music to be synchronized and mixed with the film soundtrack of the Escape short film. In the tradition of American composer, pianist and theorist Henry Cowell (1897-1965) and his monumental publication of New Musical Resources (1930), the work explores a variety of compositional techniques developed during the twentieth century by American experimentalist composer Conlon Nancarrow (1912-1997) and documented by Kyle Gann in The Music of Conlon Nancarrow (1995).
The compositional methodology adopted in the work is the development of a 16-bar melody (a four-note motive, followed by a variation; the recapitulation of the original motive, followed by a melodic expansion; a second variation, followed by another variation; a recapitulation of second variation, followed by a melodic expansion) via a remodelling of the original materials within the following three categories of motivic manipulation: melodic transformation of motive, rhythmic transformation of motive, and harmonic transformation of motive. The 16-bar melody is re-contextualized via the adoption of two contrasting transformations (Original [P0] and Inversion [I0]); two contrasting tempos (BPM=88 and BPM=176); and two contrasting sets of pitch material: (1) Lydian Augmented (Third Mode Generated by the Ascending Melodic Minor Scale [C, D, E, F#, G#, A and B]) and Octatonic Major or Diminished 'Whole Step-Half Step' Scale (C, D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, A natural and B); and (2) Lydian b7 (Fourth Mode Generated by the Ascending Melodic Minor Scale [C, D, E, F#, G, A and B"]) and Octatonic Minor or Diminished 'Half Step-Whole Step' Scale (C, Db, Eb, E natural, F#, G, A and Bb); as well as tempo canons (or diminution canons, expressed as polyrhythmic ratios: 2/3/4 and 3/4/6/8). The resulting three-part canonic structure adhering to the following specific set of tempo relationships: BPM=88, BPM=132 and BPM=176; and BPM=88, BPM=117.3, BPM=176 and BPM=234.7.
Work Details
Year: 2015
Instrumentation: Oboe, pianoforte, violin, viola, cello.
Duration: 12 min.
Difficulty: Medium
Commission note: Commissioned by Julian Pertout for the film ‘Escape’
First performance: 12 Dec 15. Federation Hall, Faculty of VCA and MCM, University of Melbourne, Southbank, Melbourne, Australia
The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc associated with this work:
Conlon Nancarrow (1912-1997)
Composer's No. 433.
Subjects
- In the form/style of: Film & TV Music
Performances of this work
12 Dec 15: Federation Hall, Faculty of VCA and MCM, University of Melbourne, Southbank, Melbourne, Australia
User reviews
Be the first to share your thoughts, opinions and insights about this work.
To post a comment please login.