Harmonielehre is a forty-minute orchestral composition by the American composer John Adams, composed in 1985. In his memoir, Adams stated that the piece "was a statement of belief in the power of tonality at a time when I was uncertain about its future"[1] and that it was "a one-of-kind [sic] once-only essay in the wedding of fin-de-sièclechromatic harmony with the rhythmic and formal procedures of Minimalism".[2]
The composition's title, German for "study of harmony", is a reference to Arnold Schoenberg's 1911 music theory textbook of the same name, a study of tonal harmony.[3] Other theory texts titled "Harmonielehre" include those by Heinrich Schenker (1906) and Hugo Riemann (1893).
Adams has stated that the piece was inspired by a dream he had in which he was driving across the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and saw an oil tanker on the surface of the water abruptly turn upright and take off like a Saturn V rocket.[4] This dream and the composition of Harmonielehre shortly thereafter ended a writer's block Adams had been experiencing for eighteen months.[5]
The first movement begins with the powerful repetition of chords in E minor in minimalist fashion. These chords form a recurring theme throughout the movement, interspersed with motoric episodes that use Schoenberg's harmonic progressions as chordal "gates" (a name coined by Adams to describe juxtapositions of harmonic areas in his music).[6] At the center of the arch-like 17-minute movement arises what Tom Service has called an "achingly expressive lyrical theme."[7]
The Anfortas Wound
The brooding second movement, based on the legend of the Fisher King, shuns minimalist processes, favoring bleak Sibelius-like soundscapes, building inexorably slowly to twin climaxes of brutal dissonance, the second of which is drawn from the climactic sonority of the first movement of Gustav Mahler's unfinished Tenth Symphony.
The third movement, according to Adams, is inspired by a dream that he had about his infant daughter Emily, whom he and his wife had briefly nicknamed "Quackie".[3]
Instrumentation
The piece is scored for the following orchestra:[8]
Harmonielehre appears in the True Detective TV series Church in Ruins (S02e06).[9] It also appears in the Modern Era soundtrack of the computer game Civilization IV,[10] along with several other pieces by Adams. It also appears on the I Am Love soundtrack.[11] The work was selected for inclusion in The Guardian's list of "50 Greatest Symphonies".[7] Dubstep musician duo Nero sample the beginning of the first movement in the second track of their 2011 album Welcome Reality, "Doomsday".
References
^Adams, John (2008). Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life. London: Faber and Faber. p. 129. ISBN978-0-571-23116-4. OCLC 961365919.
^Grahckheuhl (2017-12-13), Civilization 4 Soundtrack: Harmonielehre: Part I, archived from the original on 2021-12-21
^IMDB (2010-10-18), I Am Love trailer, retrieved 2016-10-18
December 27, 2022
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For the book by Arnold Schoenberg see Arnold Schoenberg Writings For the book by Heinrich Schenker see Harmony Schenker Harmonielehre is a forty minute orchestral composition by the American composer John Adams composed in 1985 In his memoir Adams stated that the piece was a statement of belief in the power of tonality at a time when I was uncertain about its future 1 and that it was a one of kind sic once only essay in the wedding of fin de siecle chromatic harmony with the rhythmic and formal procedures of Minimalism 2 The composition s title German for study of harmony is a reference to Arnold Schoenberg s 1911 music theory textbook of the same name a study of tonal harmony 3 Other theory texts titled Harmonielehre include those by Heinrich Schenker 1906 and Hugo Riemann 1893 Adams has stated that the piece was inspired by a dream he had in which he was driving across the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge and saw an oil tanker on the surface of the water abruptly turn upright and take off like a Saturn V rocket 4 This dream and the composition of Harmonielehre shortly thereafter ended a writer s block Adams had been experiencing for eighteen months 5 Contents 1 Movements 2 Instrumentation 3 Recordings 4 Uses 5 ReferencesMovements EditThe composition is in three movements First Movement The first movement begins with the powerful repetition of chords in E minor in minimalist fashion These chords form a recurring theme throughout the movement interspersed with motoric episodes that use Schoenberg s harmonic progressions as chordal gates a name coined by Adams to describe juxtapositions of harmonic areas in his music 6 At the center of the arch like 17 minute movement arises what Tom Service has called an achingly expressive lyrical theme 7 dd The Anfortas Wound The brooding second movement based on the legend of the Fisher King shuns minimalist processes favoring bleak Sibelius like soundscapes building inexorably slowly to twin climaxes of brutal dissonance the second of which is drawn from the climactic sonority of the first movement of Gustav Mahler s unfinished Tenth Symphony dd Meister Eckhardt and Quackie The third movement according to Adams is inspired by a dream that he had about his infant daughter Emily whom he and his wife had briefly nicknamed Quackie 3 dd Instrumentation EditThe piece is scored for the following orchestra 8 Woodwinds 4 flutes 2nd 3rd and 4th doubling piccolos 3 oboes 3rd doubling english horn 4 clarinets in B and A 3rd and 4th doubling bass clarinet 3 bassoons contrabassoonBrass 4 horns in F 4 trumpets in C 3 trombones 2 tubas Percussion timpani 4 percussionists 2 marimbas vibraphone bowed and struck xylophone tubular bells crotales bowed and struck glockenspiel 2 suspended cymbals high and low sizzle cymbal small crash cymbals bell tree 2 tamtams 2 actually referred to as Medium Gong in the second movement 2 triangles different pitches bass drum dd Keyboards piano celestaStrings 2 harps string sectionRecordings EditEdo de Waart San Francisco Symphony Nonesuch 1985 Simon Rattle City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra EMI 1994 David Robertson Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Arch Media 2008 Michael Tilson Thomas San Francisco Symphony SFS Media 2012 Peter Oundjian Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chandos 2013 Kent Nagano Orchestre symphonique de Montreal DECCA 2019 Giancarlo Guerrero Nashville Symphony Naxos 2021 Uses EditHarmonielehre appears in the True Detective TV series Church in Ruins S02e06 9 It also appears in the Modern Era soundtrack of the computer game Civilization IV 10 along with several other pieces by Adams It also appears on the I Am Love soundtrack 11 The work was selected for inclusion in The Guardian s list of 50 Greatest Symphonies 7 Dubstep musician duo Nero sample the beginning of the first movement in the second track of their 2011 album Welcome Reality Doomsday References Edit Adams John 2008 Hallelujah Junction Composing an American Life London Faber and Faber p 129 ISBN 978 0 571 23116 4 OCLC 961365919 Adams p 130 a b John Adams on Harmonielehre Earbox John Adams Retrieved 2015 10 23 Harmonielehre Archived 2010 05 17 at the Wayback Machine John Adams Retrieved 2010 07 15 Adams John Hallelujah Junction Composing an American Life Farrar Straus and Giroux 2008 pp 128 129 Phrygian Gates Archived 2011 06 07 at the Wayback Machine John Adams Retrieved 2011 04 15 a b Symphony guide John Adams s Harmonielehre The Guardian 11 March 2014 accessed January 19 2018 Adams John 1998 09 23 Harmonielehre Earbox John Adams Retrieved 2020 08 24 True Detective Soundtrack retrieved 2019 01 22 Grahckheuhl 2017 12 13 Civilization 4 Soundtrack Harmonielehre Part I archived from the original on 2021 12 21 IMDB 2010 10 18 I Am Love trailer retrieved 2016 10 18 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Harmonielehre amp oldid 1061451789, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
