I became interested in twelve-tone hexachordal combinatoriality after studying the works of Arnold Schoenberg. Wedges is my latest composition utilizing this approach. I’ve found it to be the most efficient way to cycle through the row and generate a consistent and convincing accompaniment part. It works particularly well in counterpoint.
I decided to share the score and recording on my blog because I thought perhaps music theorists would find it interesting to analyze. Besides hexachordal combinatoriality, there are a number of compositional tools packed into this piece. So, feel free to download and print the score. Here are some things to look for:
- Hexachordal Combinatoriality
- Wedges – You’ll find musical gestures converging on a single note from opposite directs in counterpoint.
- Motivic Parallelism
- Augmentation and Diminution
- Octave Displacement
- Rhythmic Motives in Retrograde
- Polymelodies
- And More… ; )
Have fun analyzing!
The Matrix
The Wedge
The Score
The Recording
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