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Variations on a Korean Folksong

John Barnes Chance
VARIATIONS ON A KOREAN FOLKSONG 2/3/10

pub.

1967

Analysis
Broad Description: This piece has become a standard of the Band Repertoire, utilizing a wide variety of styles and large instrumentation. * Note, this music is See the Music intended solely as a Type/Genre: means to educate and ! Theme and Variations allow for practice. The Background Information: ! The Theme
original parts are to always stay in the classroom.

Annyong! When reading through the Analysis, it is wise to have your own music handy. Take notes with your pencil and mark up that music! After all, what good is knowledge if you cant use it?

Listen

This piece, or theme more specifically, composed in 1965 for Wind Symphony, was discovered by the composer while at war. (see right caption)
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The year following the composition, 1966, the piece won the American Bandmasters Associations Ostwald Award. Chance remains very true to the original melody and portrays the Arrirang style with great attention to detail.

J.B.C. on the Arrirang: I became acquainted with

the folk song Arrirang (pronounced "AH-dee-dong") while serving in Seoul, Korea in the Eighth U.S. Army Band in 1958-59. The tune is not as simple as it sounds, and my fascination with it during the intervening years led to its eventual use as the theme for this set of variations. John Barnes Chance

The Arrirang The United States Forces in Korea arranged an Arrirang to be a march for the 7th Army Division after obtaining permission form Dr. Syngman Rhee, the first" president (1948-1960) of the Republic of Korea, in appreciation of the division's heroic exploits in the Korean War (1950-53). The Arrirang is a sentimental love song that contains both joy and sorrow and that every Korean knows. Most traditionally a soloist will sing the theme and then everyone may join in for the chorus. Though versions can vary, the overall feel remains intact from one Arrirang to another. Though the history is clouded, the first version of the Arrirang is said to have come Choson Dynasty of Korea when the penultimate King of the Dynasty, King Kojong, was rebuilding the Palace Kyoungbok which was razed to the ground nearly 400 years early during a Japanese invasion. The villagers whom, the King conscripted to see to the restoration, would console themselves with the Arrirang. Elements of Music: # Form Theme and Variations; pentatonics; pentachords; contrapuntal; pedal tones; about at the end of the Penta - Grk. n. - Five Contrpuntal - Similar to a round, music with counterpoint will often have overlapping melodies. Pedal tone - A long-tone usually in the bass. (A Drone).

Rhythm A defining factor of this piece. Along with the pentatonic scale, which we will discuss in melody and harmony, the strong rhythmic motives bind the piece together. Each of these examples are

Theme (Con Moto): Triple-meter rhythmic motives; simple; pedal tones on beat 2.

harmony, the strong rhythmic motives bind the piece together. Each of these examples are motives found in the music. A motive (a.k.a. motif) is a short, self-existing musical idea. In this case, these rhythmic motives can be found very often in each variation.

Theme (Con Moto): Triple-meter rhythmic motives; simple; pedal tones on beat 2.

Variation I (Vivace): Very rhythmic; strong counterpoint; 16th note focus. !

Variation II (Larghetto): Rhythmic recapitulation; introduce triplets. ! !

Variation III (Allegro con brio): Duple meter; composite of Var. I & II.

Now that you have seen these rhythmic motives and your own parts. How might you articulate this motif? (short, long, accented, sharp, mellow, etc)? Variation IV (Sostenuto): Meter change; percussion ostinato; unison tuplets & trills. What about the one to its ! left? Listen to the music sample above for clues. Notice the consistency

Variation V (Con Islancio): Meter change; similar to Var. 2; rhythmic offset. !

Melody Pentatonic; parallel motion; counterpoint; atypical phrasing.

Theme (Con moto): Exposition of Theme; pentatonic melody.

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Variation I (Vivace): Expanded pentatonic [includes Db & Gb]; counterpoint.

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Notice how this melody is comprised of FIVE TONES. What kind of scale is this an example of?

Variation II (Larghetto): Theme inversion; famous oboe line.

How does this Variation relate to the Theme? Remember, a Variation can

Variation II (Larghetto): Theme inversion; famous oboe line.

Theme? Remember, a Variation can borrow rhythm and/or melody from the Theme.

Variation III (Allegro con brio): Duple melody; march.

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Variation IV (Sostenuto): Experimentation with range; augmentation of theme; chorale.

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Variation V (Con Islancio): Offset Theme; major influence by percussion; Homophonic. ! Play on Variation II
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Pseudo-retrograde Theme ! ! PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Now that you know a thing or two about the piece, check out these ideas below to help maximize your practice: Harmony Harmonically, the piece keeps very within the bounds of the selected pentatonic patterns, used not only in melodies but also in rich pentachords (think pentatonic scale, all at once). According to the Western Tradition, parallel motion is often discouraged with Perfect Fifths and Octaves, however this piece uses both in abundance. This parallel motion can be labeled as a strong attributor to the pieces infectious themes, which is, at its core, the heart and soul of the music. By limiting the notes available (limiting perhaps not the choicest word) in the scale, composers will seek other avenues to employ the necessary musical attributes audiences would desire in a composition; in this case, the aforementioned parallel motion. Variation I, perhaps the most complex of the bunch, employs several more tools of harmony, including contrary motion, and particularly dense counterpoint. 1. Whenever you do not have the melody, listen down for tuning. (Clarinet listen for the bassoon, viola listen to the cello, cello to the bass, etc... Since everyone may be playing the same notes at the same time (AHH!) tuning is extremely important, and one person out of tune will be very noticeable. 2. Find your Musical Partner. More often than not, lines are doubled in this piece and at least one other instrument is playing the same thing you are! Know who and when, and write it in your part (ex. mm. 52 trumpets and horns listen for mallets). This will help with intonation, articulation, and blend. Timbre The timbre is very bright and tinny due largely to the extensive use of mallet and metal percussion, particularly cymbals and gongs. The choice of timbre, no doubt, is a representation of the original setting of the Korean Folk Song, which is reflected through the piece in practically every way, ranging from the instrumentation, pentatonic scales, and rhythmic patterns. 3. Listen to the recording (at the top) and describe how the performers match timbre throughout the ensemble. How can you use your instrument to create this blend and balance? Texture The piece is primarily homophonic with many voice doublings which create a true and/or artificial monophony. The texture is, at times, very dense, particularly in Variations I, IV, and V 4. ***CRITICAL THINKING: Textures can be some of the hardest points of music to define, let alone understand. Homophonic implies that the music has a single melodic line with some sort of harmonic

3. Listen to the recording (at the top) and describe how the performers match timbre throughout the ensemble. How can you use your instrument to create this blend and balance? Texture The piece is primarily homophonic with many voice doublings which create a true and/or artificial monophony. The texture is, at times, very dense, particularly in Variations I, IV, and V 4. ***CRITICAL THINKING: Textures can be some of the hardest points of music to define, let alone understand. Homophonic implies that the music has a single melodic line with some sort of harmonic accompaniment. Monophony is a term used to describe melody that is not accompanied. What does the statement true and/or artificial monophony mean? Expression Probably the greatest challenge of the piece lies in this domain. Not to undermine the difficulties provided by the complex rhythms (and the exposed intonation of parallel lines), but for the music to truly shine, the phrasing, articulations, and soaring dynamics must be observed with educated intent. The distinction between 8th and 16th rests should be observed with care, as the composer clearly has intentions for both. 5. You have heard your teachers tell you how rests are as important as notes, and here you find this to be particularly true. Observe when you have 8th rests and 16th rests, and make a conscious effort to make a distinction between each. Bach once said (most sarcastically) that music is simple, all you need to do is play the right notes at the right time. Now, as you are growing in your musical abilities and the knowledge of your instrument grows greater and greater, what kinds of conscious efforts can you make to enhance your own music and the music of the ensemble? Additional Considerations: With the exception of Variation I, which ends with a General Pause, every other Variation is attacca (meaning go directly to the next movement). The end result is a very continuous and uninterrupted flow that requires consistent tempi and keen observations for conductor cues throughout the transitions, To keep the piece together, each section must listen through the ensemble, as it is likely their musical line is being imitated elsewhere (as we discussed above). Articulations should remain congruent throughout the piece: section to section and movement to movement (as discussed above in timbre). 6. Find these crucial transitions in your music and mark each with a cue, so that you know to watch the conductor.

At the Heart of the Piece: The charm of this piece lies in the infectious theme(s). From the exposition (beginning), the listener is intrigued by the somewhat alienating pentatonic melody and unusual use of percussion. Before long it rolls and expands into a great cacophony and then back into the cocoon, very subdued and simple, only to repeat the process until the final variation ends with a monstrous flourish exaggerated by a wonderfully placed subito piano four bars from the end. To capture the heart of the piece, articulation is paramount. After the performers can master the ups and downs of the scales and keep everything together as an ensemble through the various transitions, everything will come back to the ability to play all the little nuances as a single entity. 7. To no great surprise, The Heart of the Piece is what we are always searching for. Like the statement from Bach above, you simply cannot captivate an audience by sheer accuracy alone, it takes a something more. This piece is full of dangers where errors will be exposed like an F# in a C Major triad. KNOW YOUR PART well enough to be able to use rehearsal time to put these nuances together. Reasons to Perform This Composition: It is a showstopper, monumentally educational, and your audience will love it (not to mention the students). The conductor should master rehearsal time by prepping his/her students very well before playing a single note: go over the history of the Arrirang, the themes, the counterpoint, the meter changes, who has the melody and when, and all other Roadmap articles that should be discussed prior to sight-reading. The conductor should work slowly, with great attention to articulation and dynamics from the first rehearsal. If too much energy is spent getting notes to match rhythms, it could be very difficult to bring the students back to work out the little nuances that make the music so wonderful. HAPPY PRACTICING DATES OF PERFORMANCES Mock Performance - Early March TBA ABODA Area Concert Festival - Monday March 8th 2010, Gilbert HS Mr. D.

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