Exhalation / Expiration, a composition for a wind ensemble of thirty-four players, continues a series of musical homages by the composer honouring her father, Alexander Fol. The composition unites different musical devices to accomplish a metaphorical mapping of the infection of a healthy body with a mortal sickness, followed by the organism's gradual demise. The work's duration is twenty-one-and-a-half minutes.The design of these materials, which incorporates the form, harmony, rhythm and orchestration, applies an approach to musical semiotics informed by the philosophical doctrine of Thracian Oral Orphism, as well as by medical research on terminally ill cancer patients. The author defines two types of musical signs, the event-type and the process-type, and decides upon a musical realization thereof at the formal and structural levels. In the composition, the signs are organized as musical symbols that portray the gradual transition between the types of music symbolizing health – 'A' – and sickness – 'B' – represented by types of harmonic, rhythmic and orchestrational treatment.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Instrumentation
- Legend
- Performance notes
- Duration
- Volume 1: Score
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The composition "Exhalation / Expiration" for wind ensemble is a doctoral thesis submitted to McGill University by Alexandra Fol. This work explores the concepts of breath, life, and death through musical and sonic means. It is intended for a large ensemble of 34 musicians, highlighting a wide range of instrumental colors and dynamics.
- Exploration of breath as a metaphor for life and death
- Musical depiction of the physical process of respiration
- Use of instrumental timbres and dynamics to convey emotional states
- Emphasis on the interplay between individual instruments and the ensemble as a whole
- Integration of traditional and experimental musical techniques
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter, "Instrumentation," outlines the specific instruments and their roles in the ensemble. It provides detailed information on each instrument's part in the composition. The second chapter, "Legend," establishes a set of musical symbols and notations specific to the work, which guide the performers through the piece. The third chapter, "Performance notes," offers guidance to musicians regarding specific performance techniques and nuances. The final chapter, "Duration," simply states the total length of the work.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The composition focuses on the themes of breath, life, death, wind ensemble, instrumentation, performance techniques, and musical notation.
- Quote paper
- Alexandra Fol (Author), 2011, Exhalation / Expiration for Wind Ensemble, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/182417
