Appendix
2.04
Experimental
listening
Webern
7
25th listening: Sound production: Question: What surfaces meet to produce foc
the sound, and how do they meet?
Many light bow strokes bordering on nothing, soft movement, the sound of the bow is heard
Flageolets: the string is touched lightly, without pressure
The first deep tone: full stroke, lovely vibrato
Snarling sound without tone, continues as a tone
S3: impressive pizzicati, intensive tremolo, marcato deep sound, change to gentle sounds, good
contrast
General factors in sound production:
pressure, speed, touch of the finger, touch of the bow, size and thickness of string
EC’s afterthought: The way surfaces meet to produce the sound of string instruments is often
prescribed and described in the score and taught as instrumental technique
LCB defines the three last listenings
26th listening: Focus on particular surfaces that meet: LCB wants to listen for foc
a certain scratching sound: whzzzz!, like a wasp, in order to find out how it continues
LCB: No precise answer
EC: Identified the sound that LCB pointed out, and unexpectedly heard the music in a new way,
from a new viewpoint, focusing on the sound in question. ”Three dark voices and something
around them” **
27th listening: S4: How does the music come to an end? foc
The last sound but one is a particularly lovely concord. This is also the case in S3
Additional observation: double pizzicati in S3, may be played by one or two instruments
28th listening: Open listening of all six bagatelles open
LCB: Lots of fun!
Appendix 2.03 Experimental listening Webern Appendix 2.05 Experimental listening Hawkins^1
Experimental listening 12 Oct 2011. EC’s preparation
Coleman Hawkins, Saxophone: Body and Soul
Recorded 11 Oct 1939
Abbreviations: open: open listening. foc: music-focused listening.
herm: hermeneutical listening.
EC’s preliminary observations and reactions, new questions, new tasks, and problems:
1st and 2nd listening : Open listening (intro + two choruses) open/herm
The sax tone displays an intimate, caressing, persuasive or imploring nature
New question: If this is speech, what does he say?
New task: Listen only for background
3rd listening: Listen for form (intro + two choruses) foc
Intro AABA AABA, 8-bar periods
New tasks: Describe as movement (gliding, jumping....)
Describe as voice (exclamations, whispering...)
Subsequent listenings: Only intro + the first chorus
4th listening: Listen only for background foc
New task: listen for piano, bass, drums separately
5th listening: Listen for the piano. Are there other instruments in the background? foc
One chord per beat. Difficult to hear details due to mediocre recording quality
New question: Is there a climax?
New task: Describe as bodily gestures
6th-7th listening: Listen for the bass foc
The bass plays on the 1st and 3rd beat. Tone quality: A soft thud