Serialism and Poetry in Reginald Smith BrindleÌs

Serialism and Poetry in Reginald Smith Brindle’sEl Polifemo de Oro

Anton Machleder

Reginald Smith Brindle was born in Bamber Bridge, England, on January 5, 1917. His first formal training was in architecture but, after the war, he quickly switched to music. His main teachers were Pizzetti and Dallapiccola, with whom he studied at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Italy. In the mid-1950s, the influence of the more lyrical Italian composers, such as Dallapiccola, can be heard in Smith Brindle’s music. This lyricism can easily be heard in his first work for guitar, El Polifemo de Oro (1949), which is a four-movement work based on Lorca’s poem, Adivinanza de la guitarra . It is the first piece for guitar utilizing dodecaphony.

By focusing on Smith Brindle’s writing on serialism, we gain insight into some of his philosophies in dealing with this procedure. In discussing "creative thought and compositional method," ¹ Smith Brindle stresses the importance of a marriage between "fantasy, imagination and inspiration"² on one hand, and method and technique on the other. He also makes the point that "work" is often the best way to stimulate "creative fantasy",³ and through this act of working one may overcome that "most difficult period in a composition,"⁴ the first conception.

Smith Brindle then relates this concept of "work first" to composition using serialism. He suggests that serialism has built into it a formula for success. By allowing the composer to begin work, "without delay",⁵ on an already delineated note sequence, "certain note successions may suddenly reveal latent possibilities, and the creative faculties of the mind, seizing on these, will form new musical designs." ⁶

The macro-form of this piece, at first glance, would appear to be comprised of four distinct sections (coinciding with each movement), with a return to the A section at the end (see Figure 1 - m.120). However, upon closer scrutiny, the piece reveals more unity between movements (with the last three movements developing material presented

Figure 1: Macro-form of El Polifemo de Oro

in the first movement), which may relate it more closely with the sonata form. The tonal polarities inherent in the two hexachords of the prime row (1st-triadic, 2nd-tritonal) are played out in the work itself. For example, the first movement primarily makes use of the first (triadic) hexachord in it’s use of thirds and consonant harmonies, so as a result it has a restful feeling of tonic centered around E (beginning and ending on the tetrachord E-G#-F-B flat). The second movement moves us away from this feeling of rest and harmonic stasis with the introduction of tritones (see the succession of tritones in measures 24-26 of the second movement). Brindle moves us gradually away from the E centricity of the first movement by first linking us to it with the D# as leading tone in the first four measures. Then he introduces a D natural in measure 5 which creates tonal ambiguity and movement away from E. At the end of this movement Brindle gives us a feeling of closure with the return of the original figure centering around E (measure 45).

Some of the unifying elements found in the last three movements (i.e. row delineation, T6 relationships, "E" as axis, rhythmic groupings etc. - to be discussed shortly) are initially presented in the first movement, which would be similar in relationship to that of the exposition and development sections of a sonata.

To begin with, the first movement acts as an introduction and exposition because it introduces the "tonality" (through the presentation of the prime row with its corresponding tonal characteristics) of the piece as well as much of the motivic material developed in the following movements. If one draws a parallel between a particular tonality (and its derivative scale) and pitch centricity (as a consequence of natural tendencies towards an axis within a row), the overall "tonal" scheme of this piece is very clear. In addition, Brindle makes use of Z-related tetrachords (four-note collections of pitches which are not related by pitch class or by transposition - but by the same interval vector) in each movement, which adds to the cohesive and "tonal" quality of this work.

Notice the tonality of the first hexachord centering around E and the tonal ambiguity of the second hexachord with its tritones. These two hexachords seem to have a similar relationship as a tonic and dominant harmony would have in a tonal context (i.e the restful feel of the first hexachord in contrast to the unrest or tension of the second).

M3rd aug. 3rd m3rd #9; tritone tritone tritone

E G# F A# B D F# C A D# C# G

The majority of hexachords created from this matrix are of a tritonal or triadic quality. This characteristic, resulting from the triadic cluster of the first hexachord and the tritone cluster comprising the second hexachord, is also responsible for much of the invariant quality of this work. Taking this invariant quality into consideration, I have determined that the delineation of rows in this work is analogous to the delineation of keys in a tonal piece.

By consulting Figure 1 the row relationships of the entire work appear to have a formal structure (in the tonal context discussed above) of A(P4 - m.1), B(P9/P2 - m.13 & 21) A(P4 - m.120), with the B section being an expanded A(P9 - m.13 / P2 - m.21), B(R(P2) - m.67), A(P9 - m.87), as compared with the 1st movement. Because of these relationships, and the fact that the whole piece centers around E - by either beginning and ending on some chordal extension of the E axis (see mm. 1,11 and mm. 67,86), or having an ostinato centering around E (see mm.13-20), or a pedal tone on E (see mm. 87-90 and the last measure of the piece) - plus the return of A with a coda, all point in the direction of sonata form (see Figure 1).

Here is the matrix based on the statement of the row (E, G#, F, B flat, B, D, F#, C, A, E flat, D flat, G):

B flat

E flat

D flat

By magnifying this piece further, I discovered more unifying elements at work on a higher level. In his writing of El Polifemo de Oro, Smith Brindle repeats segments of the row sequentially, thereby creating invariance and "greater definition and memorability than would otherwise be possible" ⁷ (see Example 1 mm. 3 and 8 - repeating the [0146] (Z-related tetrachord) motive and mm. 5 and 6 - repeating the [0137] motive). These repeated segments also give us a feeling of motion in a tonal sense. For example, in measure 10 of the first movement, the repeated trichord (B-D-F#) could almost be thought of as a dominant chord leading to the tonic E in the following measure. In defense of this freer approach he states, "the method (serialism) itself is no guarantee of artistic quality. If it produces poor results, it is surely legitimate to make changes."⁸ He also seems to prefer the repetition of rhythmic ideas so as to avoid "thematic indefinition"⁹ (see Figure 1 - rhythmic groupings - also see score mm. 4, 5,10,11 and mm. 72,74).

Example 1: Palindromic Characteristics mm. 1 - 3, 8 - 12

In his book, Serial Composition, Smith Brindle discusses the uses of "permutations and other variants of the series."¹⁰ In his chapter on permutations, he discusses the combining of hexachords (six-note groupings) and the free ordering of the row within each hexachord.¹¹ This practice, which allows the composer quite a bit of freedom, seems to permeate throughout the work. Because of this characteristic, it was very difficult to determine the row ordering (in each movement) after the initial statement.

The first movement is a very condensed "microcosm" of the whole work (see Figure 2). It is almost a complete palindrome (except for the pitch F missing from R(I0) in measure 5) due to the row delineation - the textural, registral and timbral similarities - and the trichordal and tetrachordal groupings of the first and last sections. By consulting Figure 2, one can see how the beginning and ending of this movement are almost an exact mirror of each other. Not only are the rows delineated in such a way as to create a mirror effect (P4 - I0 - R(I0) - R(P4)), but the textural/timbral/registral/chordal characteristics as well. See how the first tetrachord (m.1 - see Example 1, solid lines) lines up with the last tetrachord (m.11) - the following trichord (m.1) lines up with the trichord (m.9) - the "C" (m.2) lines up texturally and registrally with the "C" (m.9) - and the "A" harmonic (triangular note head designates a harmonic) in measure 2 (red enclosure) lining up with the "A" harmonic (m.9) etc.

Figure 2: Micro-form El Polifemo de Oro, first movement

Federico Garcia Lorca / Music and the Guitar

From the beginning, Lorca was drawn to music and, specifically, the guitar. He studied piano later in his life and learned to appreciate all the great composers, but his first love was the guitar, and its expression in the music of flamenco. In a letter to Adriano del Valle he states, "I was ten years old and I fell in love.....then I gave myself up completely to the practice of the simple religion of music and donned the robes of passion she lends to those who love her."¹² The guitar and its symbolism is found throughout the works of Lorca, but a more direct association is mainly found in his earlier works.

As Lorca became more focused on poetry, his musical preference changed from classical, to music of a more "ethnic" character. In 1922, he organized the Festival of Cante Jondo along with Manuel de Falla, which is only one example of his devotion to flamenco music. In discussing musical interpretation he states :

I’m trying to avoid scholarly detail that, when it doesn’t have much beauty, it wearies listeners; instead, I’m substituting emotional detail, because it’s more interesting for you to know whether a melody stirs up a soft breeze that lulls one to sleep or whether a song can place a simple landscape before the just closed eyes of a child, than to know whether one melody is from the seventeenth century or whether another is written in 3/4 time, all of which the poet ought to know, but not talk about, and which really is within reach of anyone who devotes himself to such subjects.¹³

In the poem "Momento," Lorca asks :

when I die,

bury me with my guitar

beneath the sand.¹⁴

Federico Garcia Lorca’s poem, Adivinanza de la Guitarra, was written as part of a set called Seis Caprichos (representing the six strings of the guitar) which were dedicated to the guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza. These poems, along with many others, deal with the Cante Jondo, which is not only an expression that describes deep song in flamenco, but the actual title of the larger poem in which all of these serve as subordinate functional elements. Each element, "bearing within it an essential contrast between freedom and containment, movement and paralysis,"¹⁵ evoking the essence of the cante.

The poem and its corresponding symbolism :

At the round

crossroads,

six maidens

dance.

Three of flesh,

three of silver.

the dreams of yesterday search for them,

but they are held embraced

by a polyfemus of gold.

The guitar!¹⁶

Lorca’s poetry is full of symbolism, and this work is no exception. The imagery in this poem is quite clear, for Lorca’s knowledge of the guitar was intimate. The poem is delineated into four stanzas, perhaps corresponding to the four movements of El Polifemo de Oro, three of which have two sections.

The first section, "At the round crossroads", clearly refers to the sound hole of the guitar and six young maidens dancing (the six strings of the guitar) around it.¹⁷ The maidens, "three of flesh and three of silver", refer to the three treble strings (used to be made of gut, now made of nylon) and the three base strings (made of silk wound with silver). "The dreams of yesterday" I believe refers to the sentiments of a bygone era (synonymous with the character of the guitar) which are in search of a voice (in the strings) to spread their sad lamentations to a world which has lost its sense of value. "But they are held embraced by a Polyfemus of gold" clearly refers to the physical body of the guitar with its single round eye, not unlike the Greek one-eyed god Polyfemus. The description of color is very accurate, because the woods that most flamenco guitars are made of (spruce and cypress) are both golden in color, especially when finished in the traditional manner of French polish.

The Poem and Music / A Descriptive Comparison

In general, the whole of the poem seems to be described pretty well in the first movement. Although, at first glance, the four movements of the music may be seen to coincide with the four stanzas of the poem, upon closer scrutiny one sees only segments of the poem being enacted in the other movements. For example, the second movement’s character may be seen as a vague abstraction of the six maidens dancing with its ostinato figure as does the fourth movement with its repetitive rhythmic figures. Certainly the third movement seems to parallel the third stanza of the poem, with its rich sonority, lyricism and sentiment, corresponding directly with "the dreams of yesterday".

It should also be noted that each movement begins and ends on the tonality of E, which is the tonality of the guitar (tuned : E A D G B E ). The return to thematic material from the first movement (last movement, measure 119) also demonstrates this feeling of enclosure representing the tuning of the guitar.

The following examples will demonstrate the direct and specific connections between the music and poetry through reference numbers in the music, and commentary corresponding to these numbers in the section below :

Ref. 1 - "Tastiera", which translates to "keyboard", is a technique on the guitar in which the strings are plucked directly over the sound hole to produce a full, rich sonority, not unlike the sound of the piano. I believe this musical effect to be an intentional reference to the sound hole of the guitar that corresponds to "At the round crossroads" in the poem.

Example 2: El Polifemo de Oro m.1.

Ref. 2 and 3 - These sections seem to make reference to the six dancing maidens. Notice the repeated E (in ref.#2) is played on a "flesh" string and the repeated Bb (in ref.#3) is played on a wound "silver" string. #9; #9; #9;

Example 3: El Polifemo de Oro m. 4.

Ref. 4 - Here is another reference to the sound hole of the guitar (tastiera) in which the strings form a gate "denying entrance to the ‘dreams’ seeking the captive girls."¹⁸ Note how this musical statement, an echo from its occurrence in the previous measure, has yet another reference to the word "dreams" in the poem.

Example 4: El Polifemo de Oro m.6.

Ref. 5 - To produce a pizzicato on the guitar, one must "embrace" the strings with the palm of the hand and pluck with the thumb. This technique seems to correspond with "they are held embraced" in the poem and becomes more evident when seen done. This technique must be done right next to the bridge which is what actually physically holds the strings to the guitar.

Example 5: El Polifemo de Oro m. 7.

Ref. 6 - This musical effect produces a sound (by the abrupt stopping of the strings) which resonates the entire instrument, hence referring to the "golden Polyfemus" (the physical body of the guitar).

Example 6: El Polifemo de Oro m.10.

Ref. 7 - The sf in measure eleven vaguely represents the exclamation mark in the phrase "The guitar !".

Example 7: El Polifemo de Oro m.11.

Further Comments on Performance

In talking about performance, without being redundant, one should take into consideration all of the previously discussed materials and come up with a way of visually or aurally connecting the music with the poetry. In a performance, one could first discuss the poetry and its literal translation in the music, and as a result the audience would be listening specifically for these connecting characteristics (a copy of the poem in the program notes would help).

In the interpretation, one should also take into consideration the serialist aspects of the piece and have this be a determining factor in the phraseology. In understanding the row delineation and other unifying elements of the piece, the performer has insight into the interesting and unique qualities of this work. Making a conscious effort to bring out these interesting points in performance enhances, not only your appreciation of this work but, the audiences appreciation as well.

Also, to quote Lorca, one should try "substituting emotional detail, because it’s more interesting for you to know whether a melody stirs up a soft breeze that lulls one to sleep or whether a song can place a simple landscape before the just closed eyes of a child" and have this detailed, emotive response to the poem be the impetus that spawns your creativity.

Notes:

1 Reginald Smith Brindle, Serial Composition .(London : Oxford University Press,1966)

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 ibid.

5 Reginald Smith Brindle,Serial Composition. (London : Oxford University Press,1966).

6 Ibid.

7 Reginald Smith Brindle, op. cit.

8I bid.

9 Ibid. , pg. 23-34. A term used by Brindle to describe a lack of rhythmic unity in a given work, see 1st mov. mm 4,5,10,11.

10 Reginald Smith Brindle, op.cit. pg. 154-160.

11 Ibid.

12Edward F. Stanton, The Tragic Myth. (Lexington : University Press of Kentucky, (1978), pg.23.

13Edward F. Stanton, The Tragic Myth. (Lexington : University Press of Kentucky, (1978), pg.54.

14Loughran, David The Poetry of Limits (London: Tamesis Books, 1978) pg. 54.

15Edward F. Stanton, op. cit pg.23.

16 Loughran, David op. cit. pg. 54.

17 Edward F. Stanton, op. cit pg.40.

18 Ibid., pg. 43.

Bibliography

Garcia Lorca, Federico The Poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca. London : The Dolphin, 1939.

Loughran, David K. The Poetry of Limits. London :Tamesis Books, 1978.

Pohren, D.E.The Art of Flamenco. Sevilla :Society of Spanish Studies, 1972.

Sadie, Stanley The New Grove. London : Macmillan Publishers Limited, 1980.

Smith Brindle, Reginald Serial Composition. London : Oxford University Press, 1966.

_____________________ Music in the Modern Age. London : F.W. Sternfield, 1973.

_____________________ Musical Composition. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1986.

Stanton, Edward F. The Tragic Myth. Lexington :University Press of Kentucky, 1978.