Leslie Bassett: Easter

American composers 20th century Almanac a series of original

compositions by American composers commissioned and recorded by the University of Michigan

broadcasting service under a grant in aid from the National Educational Television and Radio Center

in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters.

These compositions were written to highlight the important American holidays or seasonal

observances. Today we're going to hear the first performance of

Easter triptych performed by Harold Horton are with members of the

University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Joseph blot.

But first here is Leslie Bassett the composer with a few words about his composition.

My east of cryptic font tenor voice with brass and percussion choir is a word

written to convey through music. Some of the significance and meaning of the three primary

days of Holy Week this work was deeply motivated and I only

hope that the motivation and dedication that I felt during its composition are

communicated to the listener. The first of the three movements

represent Good Friday with the increasing tensions of the crucifixion

followed by the pathetically for Lauren cry of despair uttered by Christ in

his last moments. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me.

The listener should not expect a graphic portrayal of the events of that day.

The music will present mood rather than a specific program. The

second movement a lament for a Saturday is a nearly continuous

tenor solo in which one of the followers of Christ expresses the

dejection and despair felt by the disciples following the death of the Savior

and the apparent defeat of his cause. The text has been drawn

from the 30s the fifty third chapter of the prophetical book of Isaiah in

which the writer seems to be describing the disillusionment of Holy Saturday.

The third movement is of course for Easter Sunday and opens with a clarion

statement by percussion and brass. The text for this movement comes from

the Gospel of Matthew and consists of a few words spoken by Christ

before his ascension. So as you can see Christ speaks in the

first and third movement and a disciple sings the middle lament.

There are several external also City factors that have been deliberately employed in

order to enhance meaning. The three movements and the title should

immediately call up memories of altar pieces or smaller trip tickets for

the home such as we all have seen the tenor voice. Traditional as the

voice of Christ or of a narrator telling of Christ's life and many of the

best known oratory ills of the past. It is here used in much the same way

the instrumental ensemble consisting of Bright and Dark brasses may

prompt us to remember some of the glorious works written for brass or mixed

ensembles during the late 16th or 17th centuries by such

men as the Gabriele age shoots and so on. The Sinfonia

cry of that period frequently required soloists or chorus with instrumental

ensemble and presented usually a lamb and patient text.

Trombones have a long and glorious history of service in the requiems serious

opera and church music. Beethoven's quali simple

corrals for forth from bones that were played at his funeral are one of the many

examples of the Association of these noble instruments with the deepest and most

profound aspects of life. This is Association has been

recognized by Stravinsky and employed in his in memoriam Dylan

Thomas and in the counterclaim sacrum.

I have been asked to discuss my creative methods particularly

those employed in the writing of the triptych First of all I think

I should say that any discussion of creative method is difficult simply

because in the process of creation involves countless decisions and

one cannot remember countless decisions. I shall simply have to state

some of the more general concepts that were in my mind throughout the writing of this work

and let the minute detail slip by. My approach to

the composition of this piece has been highly intuitive rather than intellectual

although I certainly would not wish to say that the intellect has played no part.

I soon realized in the writing of this piece that I was frequently using chords

consisting of two juxtaposed major thirds such as

one built on E-flat and the other a major seventh above this on D.

This particular chord served as the initial sonority of the Caroll theme that

appeared early in the first movement. And became the basis for many of the

melodic and harmonic choices made during the writing of the first movement.

The relationship of thirds can be felt in a tone large in a zation of the movement.

And for that matter in the tonal organization of the entire composition

the ending of the first movement States the third relationship in another

juxtaposition this time with a minor third on even the bass

E is the tonality of the first movement above which one has already

heard a major third on G flat. In the

second movement the minor third from the previous standing becomes the basic

interval. The last movement again opens one of the juxtaposed major

thirds. Here are the two thirds move in contrary motion

forming a foreign old motives that might best be described as a J.S. Bach's

Famed the Casey hate. However the multiverse is intended to

relate to the cross rather than to block. Foreign or

cross motives have taken many forms in the music of the past but can best

be described as fragments and which are a line drawn from the first note

to the fourth intersects one drawn from the second to the third.

We find this melodic shape in the opening of the DSE right in the late

quartets of Beethoven and Bach a sort of fugue and so forth. In each

case the motive seems to be intended to convey a sense of deep meaning.

I'm afraid that further discussion of method will prove of little value here

not too much can be said about the beauty of the King James Bible text in the Beck's

best way of suffering such passages. I must admit that I

cannot remember any systematic approach to this matter but simply found the

sounds in the rhythms that I liked and use them. The same may be said for the

orchestration. One realizes that there are many orchestra limitations in the

war for brass and percussion. Yet there are many times when limitations can

be an assett. One simply must not allow any work scored for

brass and percussion to become either too long or overblown and pompous.

I hope that I have avoided these dangers.

That was Leslie Bassett.

Now Harold Hall a tenor and members of the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra

under the direction of Dr. Joseph block there before him for the first time. Each

triptych by Leslie Bassett.

The

air.

You. Know

every week.

The air.

The air.

Ducts.

The air. The

Ellen. Show

em.

Luck. The

air.

Real.

Oh.

Well.

Day.

Was well over good runs the right

was.

He was going to lose all over

your new equipment.

I was

just we're losing.

Our home.

Just so.

Oh God.

Oh my God

God.

God

God God

now.

To

load.

No

I.

Oh I'm sorry.

I

I oh oh oh

oh oh

oh you know.

You have heard the first performance of Easter triptych by Leslie Bassett.

This has been one of the series of the original compositions by American composers

American composers 20th century Almanac has been commissioned and recorded by the University of Michigan

Broadcasting Service and the Retin-A from the National Educational Television and Radio

Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters

consulted for this series has been Ross leaf any composer in residence at the University of

Michigan. This is the N.A. E.B. Radio Network.