Frank Corcoran

irish composer

2019 THOUGHTS ON THE NEW “QUASI UN DITTICO” FOR 11 STRINGS

What will the last note of the high solo violin be ?

F Sharp !

Why ? – Because it’s also the first; also because I feel that 6-note descent of ” my” scale of F sharp, E flat, D, C sharp, A flat and G. ( Other tones also will
pull – eg. A ; and the G, F sharp ,- and then from my Frank Corcoran’s Scale Inverted, we have the extra tonal artillery of G, F sharp, C sharp, C, B natural, A flat and F ).
– All pulling towards G – or to its , well not dominant but contra-pole, C sharp.

Trying now to finishing the second movement ” Allegro ” after the first Slow Movement. It appears now as a slowing down from its
initial fast chord repetitions, fierce energy. It deccelerates to sweet collapse, to the lyrically rhetorical solo violin. Repeated chords ( 6- or 5-tone collections ) are both directed AND subtly re-coloured; yes, the full eleven strings – TERRIFIC. Reduce them to bare bones , to their own decay. Yet,

the final solo violin is also a tribute to the ” beauty ” of the cadencing – somehow ! – with that leader’s appoggiatura G onto that

deepest register fifth of A flat and E flat; then that rising sixth A – F sharp, hopeful ? Is this a historical relic ? A tiny chance ?

So semiotics on eleven strings ? ( My slow opening movement had to aim at economy, polyvalency, every sigh and interval and dotted rhythm and crossing lines and Wacky Walz idea and composed funeral-march, slowly hesitating last thoughts on lower strings … magnificent.

Posted under: Humble Hamburg Musings

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