ACOF 2004 Participant - Andrian Pertout

Andrian Pertout

Andrian Pertout's Bénédiction d'un conquérant was a composition written for ACOF 2004.

 

 

...Philosophically, the symphony aims to represent not only a personal statement in condemnation of the general act of war, but a collective reaction encompassing the artistic world at large....

Program Notes - Bénédiction d’un conquérant

Bénédiction d’un conquérant is part of a three-movement work (essentially a war symphony) representing not only a personal statement in condemnation of the general act of war, but a collective reaction encompassing the artistic world at large. Although the first movement, L’assaut sur la raison, is directly inspired by the 2003 Iraq war, it is also intended to have a connection with more general world events, and the illogical thought process behind war. Bénédiction d’un conquérant or ‘Blessing of a Conqueror’, on the other hand is clearly intended as a portrayal of the final act of war - the blessing - and composed in direct response to the mounting global protest against the illegal occupation of Iraq.

Bénédiction d’un conquérant is dedicated to world peace and in particular to the Australian organization Victoria Peace Network, which promotes the doctrine: "The regions' conflicts should be resolved in a just and peaceful manner, with the participation and support of all nations and peoples in the region, having regard for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international law and the rights of all peoples to self-determination." The artistic goal of the composition is to generate a musical inpression depicting the surreal nature of the quest for moral ground by the 'coalition of the willing'. The dance-like gestures are implicit of the contradictory nature of its dual role as liberator and conqueror, and its impersonation as 'messenger of righteousness with a blessing from God', which resounds as 'loyal advocate of one more corporate takeover for globalization'.

Composition Diary - June 2004

My return to ACOF in 2004 promises to deliver the sequel to L'assaut sur la raison (or The Assault on Reason) for Symphony Orchestra, being the aptly titled Bénédiction d'un conquérant (or Blessing of a Conqueror). Yes, there will certainly be a twist of sarcasm in the soup. With some hesitation, last year it was decided that I would compose a war symphony, or should I say 'an anti-war symphony' - a three-movement dedication to peace. Up until this moment of my musical journey it had never been my intention to politicize my compositional process, although, as stated in my first diary entry of ACOF 2003 - when I spoke of the desire to 'express my disillusionment in mankind' via the protest words 'L'assaut sur la raison' - the Iraq war was certainly an issue that I could not avoid or separate from my usually politically neutral artistry.

Philosophically, the symphony aims to represent not only a personal statement in condemnation of the general act of war, but a collective reaction encompassing the artistic world at large. L'assaut sur la raison, the first movement although directly inspired by the 2003 Iraq war, also intended of having a connection with more general world events, and the illogical thought process behind war, hence 'The assault on reason', while Bénédiction d'un conquérant on the other hand intended for the portrayal of the final act of war, the blessing. This of course meaning that at a later stage the appropriate second movement will have to be devised, which no doubt will present the greatest challenges, in view that it will be dealing with the act of war itself, the brutality of the battle, the 'during', and therefore so much more sensitive than the 'before' and 'after'.

Similarly to the first movement, Bénédiction d'un conquérant employs pitch material based on a two-octave scale constructed of dissimilar tetrachords, and is therefore a scale featuring a tonic not repeated at the first octave. This fourteen-note scale presenting the following series of primary pitches: G sharp, A, B, D, E flat, F sharp, G sharp, A, B flat, C, D, D sharp, E, F sharp. Although on this occasion highlighted is the retrograde-inversion of this scalar material, or A flat, B flat, C, C sharp, D, E, F sharp, G, A flat, B flat, C sharp, D, F, G and A flat. In striking contrast to the first movement - where an unreasonable tempo (one hundred and ninety-eight beats per minute) and constantly changing meters (duple, triple, quintuple and septuple time) were incorporated into the structure in order to represent 'The Assault on Reason' - the current work has so far been sculptured around a repeated 9/8 melodic ostinato over a constant 4/4 meter.

Composition Diary - August 2004

The musical processing of Bénédiction d'un conquérant (or Blessing of a Conqueror) for Symphony Orchestra is going well, although I must say that I find the three-quarter point always a little disenchanting, in the sense that it's a plateau of uncertainty - when there's a certain quantity of music committed to paper that one cannot discard, and therefore a time when illusions of grandeur 'will' cease to exist and one 'will' be presented with the stark reality of his or her work - a time when for better or worse, one is forced to accept the results. Anyway, enough excuses…

As we speak the current dilemma concerns a passage highlighting a solo violin, viola, violoncello and contrabass, accompanied by a rhythmic scheme involving gli altri first violins, violas and violoncellos, as well as the tutti second violins. This scheme organized around twelve indefinite pitch regions, divided evenly among the strings, i.e. the second violins utilizing four, and so on. The technique required to play these pitches being a combination of up-bow spicatto and col legno battuto harmonics. Why indefinite pitch regions? Well, with improvisation being the appropriate method in order to achieve random-like patterns, the only option being to utilize some form of indefinite pitch notation. The dilemmas presented being, how free does one make it so that it still remains essentially organized music, and not generate a 'mess'. Yes, if one was to let the players play any harmonic on any string with only four levels of pitch specification (low, mid-low, mid-high and high) the results could possibly be a little unpredictable. Not to mention the composers intentions confusing to the players. One could assign each pitch region to a string presenting yet another problem - jumps from low to high harmonics at quaver patterns at 124 beats per minute could see the players employing uncomfortable and more importantly unnecessary acrobatics. The methodology could perhaps be to divide the players in each section, assigning each section only two harmonic regions - one divisi group playing the low and mid-low harmonics, while the other, the mid-high and high ones. What would be the best way of notating this? It is an orchestra, and so clear notation is a 'very important' issue - time being the most precious commodity of an orchestral situation. After much thought it is decided that I will divide the strings thus: gli altri first violins (a total of 7 players) will be divided to play (col legno battuto) two pitch regions of the top rhythmic motive on E and A strings respectively, the whole second violins section (6 players) playing (up-bow spiccato) the central motive on G and D strings, while gli altri violas (5 players) and violoncellos (3 players) directed to each play (col legno battuto) the bottom motive on their C strings. This in essence generating the situation whereby each part is merely a high or low harmonic on a particular string, requiring that section to read and produce only two indefinite pitches, simple and hopefully very successful - one will see in December.