![]() ![]() He was especially influenced by composers such as Mahler, Debussy and Bartók Crumb wrote his four-volume piano set Makrokosmos (1972–1979) in response to Bartók's earlier piano set Mikrokosmos. Among his best known compositions are Black Angels (1970), a striking commentary on the Vietnam War for electric string quartet Ancient Voices of Children (1970) for a mixed chamber ensemble and Vox Balaenae (1971), a musical evocation of the humpback whale, for electric flute, electric cello, and amplified piano.īorn to a musical family, Crumb was acquainted with classical music at an early age and his affinity for Classical and Romantic composers in particular would stay throughout his life. His few large-scale works include Echoes of Time and the River (1967), which won the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Music, and Star-Child (1977), which won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition however, his output consists of mostly music for chamber ensembles or solo instrumentalists. The unusual timbres he employs evoke a surrealist atmosphere which portray emotions of considerable intensity with vast and sometimes haunting soundscapes. Crumb's compositions are known for pushing the limits of technical prowess by way of frequent use of extended techniques. ![]() Early in his life he rejected the widespread modernist usage of serialism, developing a highly personal musical language which "range in mood from peaceful to nightmarish". (24 October 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an American composer of avant-garde contemporary classical music. ( Voice of the Whale was written just three years after the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.George Henry Crumb Jr. The flute solo ends with a parody quotation from Also sprach Zarathustra-the trumpet “sunrise” motive-and the piano makes its entrance with the orchestral chords and timpani part. The score instructs that the flutist’s singing and playing should be “perfectly balanced.” The flute’s extended vocalise is only accompanied by the piano’s damper pedal, which is held to create a resonant, underwater sound. The piece begins with the electric flute (aka amplified flute) imitating whale songs by singing and playing at the same time. Vocalise (… for the beginning of time) – Wildly fantastic grotesque The following will give a little insight into Voice of the Whale and how it’s put together. However, what sounds spontaneous is often anything but. You don’t need to know any of this stuff to enjoy the piece-part of its charm is its spontaneous, improvisational atmosphere. This article will break down a few of the incredible sounds in the piece and how they’re notated in the score. Here’s some background on the piece from flutist Tara Helen O’Connor: Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale), written nearly 50 years ago, is a Crumb classic that shows his typically creative voice. He gives extensive instructions yet he strikes a balance between notating exactly what he intends and allowing performers to make their own interpretations. ![]() He notates practically every type of sound, whether traditional melody and harmony, imitations of nature, or new sounds from his imagination. He always sounds like himself and has remained true to his personal style for over 50 years. ![]()
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