| Pinky Lee |
Some of the details of the piece included the scarcity of total homophony, that is, all five voices are playing the same exact rhythm for a measure or more. We also discussed how the complexity of the composition is almost overwhelming, and that it takes a long time to digest everything, both visually on the score and acoustically. Nate remarked on the similarity to Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, and I hear influences of Hindemith (his teacher), Stravinsky, and James Brown.
I had hoped to listen to the piece again in class, but our discussion was so productive, we didn't have time. To hear another recording by the Chicago Chamber Musicians, click here.
Some of the notable features of this work include:
1. The first three movements all end with a single voice (I. with a ppp trill in the 2nd trumpet, II. Horn statement (of the first three "dots" of S.O.S), III. 1st Trumpet on a ppp decrescendo. The fourth movement ends in one of the rare total homophonic statements of the S.O.S. theme - drawing even more attention to the conclusion.
2. Frequently, the music does not reflect the written meter and alludes to an alternate meter, much like the distorted reality in the artworks of of Dali and Escher. Like chromaticism, this may have been designed to disorient the listener.
3. Etler uses extended techniques (flutter tongue, half-valve, mutes) quite effectively. Shelby remarked that even the trombone trills indicated that Etler knew his medium well.
4. Etler's rhythmic language is complex, and seems to be one of the central forces of the piece. As Nate put it, he sometimes writes for brass as percussion.
5. Like many modern composers, Etler utilized dissonant harmony, angular melodic material, and push the boundaries of range of the instruments, but to an effective end.
6. A number of you commented that the piece was a bit overwhelming, a bit alienating, and lacked traditional melodies. At first hearing, and as I tried to learn it for the first time, I, too, felt overwhelmed and alienated. But, after hours, days, years of practicing, performing, coaching and recording the piece, I have grown to really like it. Remember your first taste of coffee? or beer? Like most "acquired tastes", you need to keep an open mind and give it more than one chance.
7. As I mentioned, there was a (very believable) rumor that the reason this piece sounds so angry and utilizes Morse Code is that Etler's son died in the Korean War. It's a fantastic story, but totally untrue, as this transcript of an email interchange between myself and Etler's grandson, Jim, confirms:
I am the grandson of Alvin Etler and I came across your blog mentioning him. I have a professional picture of him if you would like that i can e-mail to you. I am actually surprised there are no pictures of him on the web anywhere at all. Drop me a line if interested.
Jim,
.....
Jim,
One thing I wanted to clear up - Alvin's Brass Quintet, a work I make all my students study, is for many reasons remarkable. Sometimes in the void of information, people invent details. Many have heard that part of that quintet, which seems riddled with quotations from morse code, alludes to Etlers son, "who died in the Korean war". I have never seen or heard any evidence to that fact, but it makes for a romantic story. Is there any truth to it? If not, do you know of any influences of morse code in his life/writing? Thank you for your insight.--
- John
.....
my uncle's surprise that he found out he was dead in the Korean war when he was only about 10 years old. I dont know how that started, but my uncle is alive and well on Cape Cod. It has become a big family joke. That piece you are talking about with the morse code, it is "S.O.S." Another unknown fact on my grandfather is that he used to ghost-write for commercials and the like. He told my uncle that he wrote the theme song to the 1950's childrens show "The Pinky Lee Show". I wondered why he would have done that until i looked it up on you-tube and saw that the show was sponsored by Tootsie Roll. That theme song showes his humor. From what my mother says he had a great sense of humor. He was also able to tap out 3 different rhythms at once, one on his left foot, another on his right and then a third on his hands. Its hard to do, I know I have tried and its pretty much impossible.lol funny, but I know that information started on a CD cover. Imagine
Take care, Jim Etler
Below is a video of the Pinky Lee show, of which Alvin Etler wrote the theme song to. You can actually here some dissonance in this silly theme!
This is an online interactive edition of Monday's lecture. Use it as a starting point for your research for your historical perspectives papers. Brass instruments, and brass ensembles have been around for thousands of years. Your paper topic should illuminate one aspect of this rich heritage. You will find more specialized resources in journals, and books than on the internet in most cases. Focus on a topic or subject before the 20th century. To understand brass ensembles as a genre, it is necessary to examine our past.