Yet Another Quartal Piece

[Ed Sharpe]

After listening to the two previous Quartal pieces I decide to write my own example of Quartal harmony/thinking. I was partially motivated by the fact that I found the two previous pieces to still have prominent triadic tendencies, both in their vertical structures and in their linear movements.

When I first started think about my piece I built a pentatonic scale using stacked perfect fifths, I suspect many know, and maybe all you know, that by stacking five perfect fifths on top of each other (C, G, D, A, E) you end up with all of the notes a pentatonic scale. If you invert the stacked fifths you end up with stack fourths. This was the starting point of my piece. Tried to make sure that not only where my vertical structures built in 4ths, but my horizontal lines also incorporated fourths and tried to avoid movement by thirds as much as possible.

So for your amusement and ridicule: OBSIDIAN WAVES AND MISSING THOUGHTS




PS: I am not a piano player, so …

[Joseph]

truly Advocatus Diaboli

[Deleted]

Well, Ed, your music is always of interest to me, but before I take the time to enjoy this one, I must try to get to town between downpours which always threaten my itty bitty Honda Fit, and I no longer enjoy driving my Ford BMF. So I will listen in a couple of hours, and then listen/read, and probably post the quartal piece I wrote some hears ago.

Richard

[gavbrown]

Hi Ed,
You have certainly gone "full quartal/quintal" with this piece, which I like. I think you are showing that you understand the power of this type of harmony, which can be dramatically expressed, as in your opening sequence, and also how it can be quietly expressed, as in your middle section. I found the piece satisfying and congratulate you on it. Thanks for sharing!
Gav

[Deleted]

Well, Ed, I returned from town and had to overcome a problem on my other computer, so I just now was able to pay attention to your piece.

It certainly demonstrates the use of the technique. I like it. I think you have intentionally or otherwise illustrated that like 12 tone or whole tone scales, it is a useful tool, not necessarily an entity in itself, as I discovered 9 years ago.

It did not appear so terribly difficult, except for my ancient arthritic joints.

You piece makes me think of something like "Debussy at the Black Hawk" where I heard a few jazz greats back in 1955 & 56.

Richard