Twelve-tone Chords with Minimum Tension

[@scothebert6366]

12TONECHORDS, MY VERY FAVORITE ONE. :) COOL! THANK YOU.

[@FransAbsil]

@scothebert6366 You're welcome. I'm sure you are aware that the chords discussed in the video are a subset from all possible twelve-tone chords, and with specific characteristics. Thanks for the feedback.

[@kpmaynard]

This was a remarkable demonstration of the use of the SSoMC. Thank you!!!

[@FransAbsil]

You're welcome. The video content is a combination of the SSoMC approach to writing orchestral textures in layers (strata technique, instrumental forms) and using harmonic source material from 12-tone idiom. Hopefully you got something useful out of it.

[@kpmaynard]

Yes, I am familiar with the basics of twelve-tone composition. I am used to starting with the row and deriving harmonic structures therefrom. In this case, you began with 6 consonant harmonic structures then introduced SSoMC techniques to turn those structures into a continuity. I was impressed by the musicality of the resulting compositions the strata technique was able to inspire. Unfortunately, not many composers stamp their work with (Schillinger inside :) ) and I have found most of the teaching examples are usually dry and uninteresting. It was illustrative to see how you crafted that huge, beautiful sound. Thank you again, I will stay tuned.

[@monsterjazzlicks]

I love WL. I first discovered him about 20 years ago. I also read the CBR book, which is totally fantastic. I bought another book recently called Conversations With WL, but I have not started it yet . . .

[@FransAbsil]

@monsterjazzlicks Thanks for the feedback. Obviously I agree the Charles Bodman Rae is a most insightful book on Lutoslawski's music. I can't remember to what degree the Conversations book adds to that knowledge (I don't own a copy; have seen it in bookshops quite a while ago).

[@monsterjazzlicks]

@@FransAbsil I think it was published under Chester Music.

[@monsterjazzlicks]

@@FransAbsil At college all of the students called him Ray Charles!!! lol

[@FransAbsil]

@monsterjazzlicks How most disrespectful ;-) No Batman Rays?

[@monsterjazzlicks]

@@FransAbsil - CBR's pet-hate was (the frequency of students) misspelling: RYTHM, or RHYTM. It's actually quite shocking how many degree pupils continuously made this unforgivable error!

[@NikiMcNally]

Amazing thank you!

[@FransAbsil]

Thanks for the feedback. Good to hear that as a producer you found something useful and hopefully inspiring on this channel. Good luck with your creative work.

[@NikiMcNally]

Yes. Very useful. I aspire to be a great composer one day. Unfortunately, I am quite far off from that goal but videos like these help me get one step closer. Thanks again, all my best!

[@coreylapinas1000]

Your example reminds me of Stravinsky

[@FransAbsil]

@coreylapinas1000 In order to reply to this comment I had to replay my own example from quite a while ago (memory failing). I studied the book 'Stravinsky's Late Music' (J.N. Straus, Cambridge University Press, 2001), and remember his not-too-strict application of serial elements. Of course he is a genius in any style; if there is some resemblance between my short examples and his masterpieces I guess it is through the instrumental forms used. I tried to demonstrate how from these basically dense settings (12-tone chords) one may achieve some lightness and transparency through careful and deliberate orchestration. Thanks for your feedback.

[@coreylapinas1000]

@@FransAbsil I think its more a coincidence (not to mention subjective) that examples 1 and 3 at the end brought to mind Stravinsky.

[@SerhiiVilka]

It's very interesting! Thanks a lot! At the beginning you mentioned book by Lutoslawski. What book did you mean?

[@FransAbsil]

Thanks for the feedback. The book is: The Music of Lutoslawski by Charles Bodman Rae (1999). Find the full reference in the bibliography list in the corresponding article on my website (see the Document Library).

[@monsterjazzlicks]

CBR was our 20 Century Composition tutor at college, in Leeds UK! He emigrated to Australia about 15 years ago to take a position in a conservatoire in Adelaide.

[@coreylapinas1000]

I want to make a piece consisting entirely of 12 tone chords

[@FransAbsil]

@coreylapinas1000 Thanks for sharing your opinion about the different types of 12-tone chords (YT did not allow me to reply to your previous comment). Between the Mother chord and these Lutoslawski structures there are similarities (contain all 12 pitch-classes, optional split into 3 tetrachord layers) and differences (the mother chord contains all interval-classes {0,..,11}). When splitting into 3 layers the outer strata yield two tritone-separated Maj7 structures, with a non-diatonic middle layer. This approach is similar to the 'minimum-tension' structures presented in this video, but the details are different. From there on it is a matter of taste which chords you prefer. Sorry for the late reply. Good luck with the 12-tone chord composition initiative!

[@coreylapinas1000]

@@FransAbsil oh I deleted that comment because I changed my mind about these chords lol.