Nigel Morgan

Music for Sculptures

B a c k g r o u n d

In Music for Sculptures I selected foursculptures by Barbara Hepworth thathad musical titles or associations.Three were featured in the CentenaryExhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the fourth is the sculpture Hepworthwas working on when Priaulx Rainierwrote the Rhythm of the Stones, andit's the one that has probably the mostprovocative musical title!

The piece is not a musicalcommentary on Hepworth's sculpturebut attempts to connect with what Ihave been able to discover about hermusical interests and experiences -which have resonances with my own.The music was created in somethingof the same spirit as her sculptures -where a clear conception of the workhad to be in place before 'the making'could begin. Whereas Hepworth mademany preliminary sketches and plans,my own preparation for Music forSculptures was achieved throughdeveloping the pre-compositionalmaterial and rough prototypes withina computer environment forcomposing.

For performers and listeners I havesought a further layer of 'comment'and illustration through thecommissioning of 4 poems (from thepoet Margaret Morgan). For theperformer these poems are there toprovide impetus towards developingu n i q u e a n d i m a g i n a t i v einterpretations of the music; for thelistener the texts may help counter-balance the weight of abstraction andlack of conventional reference that themusic, like the sculptures, contain.

What these new pieces may present ata first hearing is all about the 'play' offorms, and by forms I mean all theelements that make music what it is -obviously melody, rhythm and thesounding together of pitches to createharmony - but also the listener willexperience a really exciting 'play' oftimbre, a musical element that has aspecial multi-dimensional qualityabout it.

Music for Sculptures is a through-composed 25-minute composition. Itis conceived in such a way that it canbe performed by differentinstrumentations - but as long asthese instrumentations celebratedifference! In other words this isn't apiece for a string quartet to tackle.Working with computer technologymakes this kind of variable scoring apractical reality . . . it also gives thework a much wider concert and studiorecording life than many pieces canhave. It has also been composed witha serious eye on its presentation as aweb installation and DVD production .. . another reason for adding a poeticcommentary and, of course, images ofthe sculptures themselves.

A s c e n d i n g F o r m

This is one of Barbara Hepworth'ssculptures from the mid 1950s, thetime when she first came into contactwith composer Priaulx Rainier. Thesculpture carries the subtitle 'Gloria'and has resonances of an angelicform. The music is loosely based ontwo earlier works by Nigel Morganthat explores a description of melodyby composer and writer Sam Richards,that of 'rising, falling and hovering'(also the title of a celebrated paintingby Paul Klee). Such descriptive wordsare commonly found in texts aboutangels.

The version presented here is fortenor saxophone, but may be realizedon any solo instrument. In therecording and broadcast by JohnCooper of BBCNOW a synthesizeddrone was added to support theperformance.

‘Gloria’ is an angel paean.To hear it cup your earsand strain up and up.

A form built on a springturned in on itself and tautas beginning bracken.

Between bent metal fenceslie clefts of privacy ancientas green oak bark.

A shape of inner moment;a bronze, containing wimplethat frames no face.

Gloria! Gloria in excelsis!In ecstasy two stretched armshave drawn into their haven

a needy treasure and an apertureto open onto heavenand the strains of angels

and with a slew and a spinit will launch itself, an augurtesting eternity’s geology.

- Margaret Morgan, 2003

C o n t r a p u n t a l F o r m s

When Barbara Hepworth was working onher sculpture Contrapuntal Forms shehad recently embarked on a friendshipwith the composer Priaulx Rainier.Through Rainier, Hepworth developed adelight in the domestic contrapuntalmusic of the English Renaissance such asthe fantasias of Orlando Gibbons.

Hepworth's sculpture is a kind of visualfantasia for two figures. This idea isdeveloped in the first of my own'contrapuntal forms' called Guico DelleCoppe (Game of Pairs) - the title Bartokgave to the second movement of hisConcerto for Orchestra - where only twoinstruments out of the four ever playtogether at the same time. It could besaid to be music 'of the sculpture'.

In the second 'contrapuntal form' titledJeux Diurnes (Late Afternoon Games) themusic might be regarded as what goes on'outside the sculpture'; what surroundsit, or how it might be encountered. Themusic plays games with itself spinning acontrapuntal web of patterns, woven byeach player into a whole. Like thefantasias of Orlando Gibbons there isoften intense imitation between eachinstrumental part.

Then they come face to face.Time to play secrets. “Here,by this cherry tree and in the presenceof all these windows, I whispera secret. You are part of me, but

not part of me.Or shall wepretend to be Chicken Licken,because, you must see,the sky is falling in, freezinginto a glacier between us,keeping us apart.” “So let’s playat being statues. Stay still.”

“It’s melting now. Come closer.And closer. Let’s play at experimental

childish sex.under these cherry trees.

The Resident upon his balconyDreams among his flowers while belowJuliet leans towards her Romeo.And washing swats at the intruding sunWhich still gains entrance, waves from

windowpanes,Gradually mounting stairs, yawns from

bedroomsWhile owl, cat, fox and party-goersSerenade the evening their own way.

Maybe tomorrow a faint white heartWill tell a limestone lie about falling in

love.

- Margaret Morgan 2003

Q u i e t F o r m

The sculpture that gives this trio itsname comes from the 1970s and wasincluded at the suggestion of YorkshireSculpture Park curator Clare Lilley. In thecentenary exhibition this sculpture wasspecially moved for the music's firstperformance to enable the audience andperformance to surround this beautifulwhite marble object.

Quiet Form provides a still centre to asequence of intensely rhythmic andcontrapuntal music. Whilst no precisedynamics or articulations are marked theelectric keyboard part in particular ismade up of harmonic blocks whoseresonance should ebb and flow. The altoflute part should be quietly expressive,savouring opportunities for colourfulvibrato and articulation at a dynamicbetween pianissimo and mezzo-piano. Thedouble bass part may be played arco orp izz or a mixture of the two, butpredominantly sul tasto.

Where possible, particularly in liveperformance, the performers mightexperiment with ghosting notes, evenshort phrases, so that the music appearsto suddenly disappear in randommoments between each part, althougheach player might 'appear' to besounding it.

If I were quiet,

my form timeless

as polished marble

but fecund still,

between breast

and belly folded

arms would hide

my pierced body

where life lurks

to quicken, coiled

in shine and shiver

around the hole

through which spirit

must catch aquatic

air in mid-swim.

So quiet waits

life, quilted

in polished glow

of a stone torso,

for birth qualms.

- Margaret Morgan 2003

C o n v e r s a t i o n w i t hM a g i c S t o n e s

This work was commissioned byYorkshire Sculpture Park for theexhibitions celebrating the centenaryof Dame Barbara Hepworth in 2003.As a solo work it forms part of a 25minute concert work titled Music forSculptures for four musicians. It wasfirst performed in this version byDavid Langstroth of the BBC NationalOrchestra of Wales at YSP on June 142003.

It was conceived to be played by anycontrabass instrument with or withouta small ensemble. The compass andtessitura of the solo part makes thispossible.

The work is presented initially fordouble bass, but versions for electricbass guitar, tuba, and contra-bassoonare available.

A few black and green yewsare where these forms choose,for privacy or camouflage,to stage their large self-absorption.

Among themno bend.No stoop.I turn.The blandsmile ofinnuendoglancesoff my back.Verdigrismouthsgrimace.

But oblique is the glance of theMagic stones.

No horizontals but a line of obedientwater

where yew needles ride, idle in theshallow

bronze crater in a warm bronzeplain.

One stone bends an avian eyebut the other, with lowered gaze,exposes its receptivity,its vulnerable fontanelle.

A figureconfrontsa stone.SevereVedigrismouth.Smoothface, hard.

The stone deflects all words,with every plane, line and anglepoints to escape routes.I stand where the stonesoverlap in my sightEach seems a childwith an incalculable centre.

There is no end to the secretsthey slip each other.

- Margaret Morgan 2003

Music for Sculptures

www.nigel-morgan.co.uk