JAVS Spring 2024

traditional Plagal cadence, as well as the transformation of the tonic from minor to major from the Picardy third.

Three different trajectories are observed in the static drone, changing use of scales, and ascending register from the soloist. Furthermore, the return to G as the tonic in m.87 introduces a fourth dimension to the directionality, coinciding with a minor mode in Maqam Bayati . The piece’s journey is complex, G Hijaz (major) → D Saba Zamzam (minor) → G major. While the path might not be straightforward, these general trajectories and tendencies are verifiable in the music’s overall progression. At the final cadence, a greater separation of tasks unfolds as high strings mirror an angelic glow in the high register, reinforced by playing sul ponticell o, contrasting with the lower strings’ pure tone in the low register, emphasized by playing sul tasto . This counterpoint of timbre and technique create a harmonious blend, with the angelic glow of the high register and the purity of the low register further enhanced by unified singing in the final ten measures. Despite taking different paths, all interpreters converge at the end, with the final cadence being the sole instance where sul ponticello and sul tasto overlap, enriching the high harmonics of the high strings and warming the timbre of the low register. Hypnotic spiral One possible outcome of the manipulation of time is what I shall call hypnosis. Hypnosis, to put it in my terms, happens when there is maximal continuity within an attention span. I experience this in various parts of Shubho Lhaw Qolo , most notably in the passage that starts on m. 44, shown in Figure 6. The figure which the violins and section viola play is the auditory analogue of a hypnotic spiral, with the way the sound of interlocking minor thirds wraps around itself and disappears in time as it reappears, seemingly from itself. The instruments blend even better because they are asked to play sul tasto .

Figure 9. Dream Cadence, Shubho Lhaw Qolo.

Multi-Directional Form The concept of multi-directional form is integral to my musical composition, defining it as a structure wherein various musical parameters trend towards diverse directions. This concept is best exemplified in Shubho Lhaw Qolo , where a counterpoint of directionality emerges as musical elements move in contrasting directions simultaneously. A prominent feature throughout most of the piece is a persistent G drone in the bass; even when absent, its presence is often implied. Contrasting this, the solo violist’s top line commences in the viola’s low register and ascends, an anabasis. The G drone continues, clashing with the ensemble’s pulse and conflicting pitches. While the bass maintains its drone statically, the viola ascends in register. This constitutes a “splitting of the sound” as they part ways. Shubho Lhaw Qolo applies ternary (ABA’) form to the choice of tonic. The first tonic in G utilizes Maqam Hijaz , while the second in D incorporates Maqam Saba Zamzam (mm. 44-62). The latter’s Gb in the scale creates a cross-relation between the solo viola and the drone, exemplified in mm. 46-53, leading to a distinct separation of tasks by register: each register takes charge of its own trajectory.

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 40, No. 1, Spring 2024