Music Listening, Music Therapy, Phenomenology and Neuroscience

Appendix

 2.04

 Experimental

 listening
 Webern

3

Experimental listening 24 Aug 2011 LCB and EC
Webern: Bagatelle for String Quartet op. 9 no. 1: Mässig (1913) 0’30
Emerson String Quartet DGG CD 445 828-2

Observations and descriptions by LCB. Occasional comments by EC

1st 2nd 3rd and 4th listening: Open listenings open

Neat, clear, elegant. One tone unfolds in three
Everything is in fragments. Many different effects and attacks. Fierce variations. Giga crescendo.
Shriek at the top, deep tone at the bottom, pizzicato in the middle
Single sounds, not very much form yet. No harmony.
Tiptoe gently, ballet-like

5th listening: Question: What unfolds? open/foc

Tiptoe rhythm, humming, short and long tones, crescendo.
One sound scratches like the beginning of a flageolet, but changes its character
Onsets closer to each other. Tones broaden, longer strokes. Gathering in one tone at the end.

EC: Because of your ballet comment, I heard this piece as a ballet scene, visualized dancers
moving around in ballet skirts

6th listening: Instruction: Hear the music as bodily gestures herm

Different instruments are different persons. A scene with gentle and strong bodies
Tiptoe walk, elf-like, floating. First deep tone: a man
A big monster-sound, something evil.
One person stands up, her hands on her hips, proclaims
Another person yields, gentle in his expression

EC: I imagine arm gestures and strong jumps

7th listening: Instruction: Hear the music as voices herm

Wow, how rapidly they are talking!

Beginning: A little too vague, a feeble voice. Comment: a deep tone, sighing.
The vague voice continues.
A group of children takes over, they say something unanimously. The parents leave the scene.

Then everything happens at the same time. The vague voice returns, gathering

Appendix 2.03 Experimental listening Webern Appendix

 2.04

 Experimental

 listening
 Webern

4

8th listening: same instruction herm

The deep tone, ”the father”, is not sighing, but more insisting

9th 10th 11th 12th listening: Instruction: divide into sections foc

1st and 2nd phrase are similar.

3rd section: The big crescendo leads to a strong exclamation by a lady who has plenty of grit

4th phrase: short, similar to 1st and 2nd phrase.

LCB’s timing of sections coincides with EC’s 8th listening, see above:

S1: 0’00-0’07 gentle phrase

S2: 0’08-0’12 gentle phrase

S3: 0’13-0’23 intense activity

S4: 0’23-0’30 gentle phrase

13th listening: Open listening open

EC: Now I recognize the shout of the strong lady: one particular full-bodied tone

near the end of S3

14th listening: Question: What can you hear as voices, what do you hear

as something else? herm

LCB : All the sounds can be heard as voices

EC: What about the tic-toc?

LCB: Can be tsk, tsk

15th listening: Listen for emotional expression herm

S1: LCB: All the voices are kind, they do not state anything particular. The voice of an insipid,

flimsy waiter

EC: A feminine, caressing voice

LCB: The first deep tone: Not insisting, but supporting: ”I hear what you are saying”

S2: The flimsy person and the deep remark again

S3: Everybody disagree, rising their voices wildly, high up and deep down

S4: A polite phrase and a dry remark: ”well...”