JAVS Spring 2017

Concerto Analysis Yusupov, like many composers before him, develops his music through interesting orchestral character shifts, and understanding this idea is important as we take a closer look at the score. In this section, I will briefly examine the harmonic and formal structure of the concerto: this analysis will not include the Postludium or Go Tango for Orchestra movements, since their interest is primarily visual and beyond the scope of what can be accomplished through traditional harmonic analysis. Prelude The first movement starts with the Prelude , which “… is calm and [represents] eternity; these thirty-six bars are the cosmos, because [there is no] human interaction.” 21 Figure 1 presents a formal analysis of the prelude, which is divided into two themes with one bridge section, finishing with a codetta. The large numbers between hash marks represent the number of measures, separated by important moments in the solo viola line.

Movement I: Tango Figure 2 shows a formal analysis of the first movement from m. 37, which, represents “the reality, our reality: havoc, fights, problems, divorces, difficulties, etc.” 22 Yusupov plays with the listener’s ear by composing a serialist theme set within a tonal atmosphere; this tonal atmosphere is created with pedal notes in the bass instruments with the help of the solo viola, which plays the melody. This movement is constructed around the Pitch Class Set [0 1 3 4 6 8 9] 23 —see Musical Example 1. Sometimes this PCS is lightly altered by other, transitory pitches (Musical Example 2); yet essentially, it keeps the same prime form. 24 Figure 2 shows a formal analysis of this movement, mm. 36-225, which uses a motive that is developed gradually in the low strings (celli and bass), and to which Yusupov incrementally adds more instruments: high strings, woodwinds, and later, the percussion. The next section (letter B in the formal analysis, see Figure 2) is a transition to prepare for the cadenza. This section finishes with a sequence of seven quartal chords

Figure 1: Viola Tango Rock Concerto: Formal analysis of Movement I, Prelude Score excerpts © 2010. Used with kind permission from MUSIKVERLAG HANS SIKORSKI GMBH & CO. KG, Hamburg.

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 33, No. 1, Spring 2017

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