Experimenting with music example 1: Student work

Experimentation Report

Creating
Area of Inquiry 1 – Music for sociocultural and political expression
Survivor of Warsaw – Arnold Schoenberg (global)
Performing
Area of Inquiry 3 – Music for dramatic impact, movement and entertainment
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Harold Arlen & E. Y. Harburg (local)

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Experimentation Report – Creating

As part of our Music course we studied Survivor from Warsaw by Schoenberg,

which is from Germany. Coming from Australia, this type of music was not only
geographically new to me but also stylistically, so is a global context for me. As
a political piece it fits into Area of Inquiry 1. It is a fictional representation of the
Warsaw ghetto. While a very confronting piece of music the use of the row
tone really interested me.1
As a researcher I looked at what a tone row was and what particular row Schoenberg
used. I learnt that composers used all the 12 chromatic intervals within the octave in
any order they liked and that the first original version was called their prime row.
Schoenberg’s prime row for Survivor from Warsaw was: 23

Prime Row “Survivor from Warsaw” 4

Experiment 1 – Inversion of a Tone Row

My first experiment was to take this prime row and try to work out the inversion. The
inversion being the original row but with all the intervals going in the opposite direction,
you could call it a mirror image. 5
At first, I tried to just invert the interval, for instance B-E (1-2) is a perfect 4th up so go
down a perfect 5th but I kept making mistakes. I changed to counting semitones
including the first note. Even then sometimes I forgot to include the first note, so it
took me many tries. I found it interesting that Schoenberg used one flat (A flat) then
the rest of the black notes were sharps. I would have thought that composers would
be consistent, either go with all sharps or all flats.

1 A Survivor from Warsaw

2 Argentino, Joe R (2013) MTO – Tripartite Structures in Schoenberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw
3 Hutchinson, Robert (2017) Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom “34.1 Twelve Tone

Technique”
4 Argentino, Joe R (2013) MTO – Tripartite Structures in Schoenberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw
5 Hutchinson, Robert (2017) Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom “34.1 Twelve Tone

Technique”

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Excerpt 1 – Schoenberg’s Prime Row and Inversion 00:00-00:31

Experiment 2 – Writing my own tone row
After looking at Schoenberg’s tone row construction I thought I would try to write my
own, work out the inversion but also try to work out all the other transpositions of the
rows. Through research I started to understand that not only did they create a prime
row and its inversion, but they also transposed the row and used it backwards. There
are actually four versions of the tone row:
Prime – original row
Inversion – mirror image of the prime row
Retrograde – backwards of prime row
Retrograde inversion – backwards of inversion
Then these rows can be transposed throughout the 12 chromatic notes within the
octave. 6
Before I began trying to develop my own tone row, I looked at the intervals within
Schoenberg’s tone row.

6
Hutchinson, Robert (2017) Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom “34.1 Twelve Tone
Technique”

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I could not really see any pattern other than the 4ths were used just once. I tried to
incorporate similar intervals in my tone row.
I chose to be consistent using all flats Excerpt 2 My Tone Row 00:33-00:51

I incorporated many of the same intervals Schoenberg did.

Working out the inversion of the Prime row was still hard even after having done
Schoenberg’s. I then worked out the transpositions – e.g. my prime row (PO) begins
on C so the first transposition goes up one semitone to Db and becomes (P1). 8

7
Schoenberg, A (1947) Survivor from Warsaw Opus 46, Philharmonica, New York, pg1
8
Hutchinson, Robert (2017) Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom “34.1 Twelve Tone
Technique”

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Experiment 3 – Trying my own Expressionist composition

To further my research into Schoenberg’s work I also looked at some of the rhythmic
ideas he used and incorporated them into my experiment.

Schoenberg’s composition is political in nature so I decided that I would give mine a

programmatic aspect – Covid 19.
I tried to incorporate the repetition of lockdown with the motif used at the beginning
using the combined rhythmic ideas from bar 1 and 7 but extending the held note in the
left hand
Excerpt 3 “Lock Dow Covid 19” 00”55-01:14

99
Schoenberg, A (1947) Survivor from Warsaw Opus 46, Philharmonica, New York, pp 1-2, bars 1, 5
&7

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I used a lone diminished 5th to represent the death and loneliness this pandemic has
caused in the B section. i.e. Dim 5th, not perfect.
Excerpt 3 “Lock Down Covid 19” 1:33-1:46

After this I tried using the second rhythm from bar 5 in the harp, beginning bar 21 in
my experiment. Excerpt 3 “Lock Down Covid 19” 1:48-1:56

It is interesting that even though I was trying to compose in a 12-tone style, the use
of the 5ths has given my piece some tonal sense, which is really not the same as
Schoenberg’s. I wrote it with an A B A structure which I have seen in many of the
Webern’s pieces and in a way, I suppose it is also very short like his pieces. 1011
Overall, this has made me more aware of the compositional style and it will be
something that I will pursue in the further compositions.
Full score in the appendix
Word Count 752

10
Moldenhauer, Hans. “Anton Webern” Encyclopedia Britiannica, 29 Nov. 2020
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anton-Webern. Accessed 13 February 2021.
11 Webern, Anton (1937) Variationen Fur Klavier Op.27, Universal Edition, USA.

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Experimentation Report – Performing

I have been going to concerts at my local café lately and they have had a singer there
who performs the same songs repeatedly but in different styles. One song in particular
is Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The song really caught my attention as I remember
it from watching The Wizard of Oz when I was younger.
As it is a piece written for a film it fits into Area of Inquiry 3. And while I have no
personal interaction with this song, I know it from the café and the film, so I would
place it in the local context. This was written in 1939 by Harold Arlen with the lyrics
by Yip Harburg. 12 I loved the song so I thought I would see if it suited my voice and if
so, what version would be best to try.
Judy Garland sang this as her character Dorothy Gale reflected on whether there was
a place she could find where there was not trouble. It became her signature song. 13
I wanted to explore the different interpretations to see what I could include if I was to
perform this.
Experiment 1 (Use of vibrato and portamento)
In the original recording Garland uses a controlled vibrato and portamento like slides.
I wanted to try to mimic this use in my own singing hoping that I could improve my
technique but also see if I liked it stylistically.
Portamentos – try to incorporate slides between the words “somewhere”, “once in”,
“over”, “rainbow skies”, “to dream” and “come true”.
I found this challenging as deciding on how fast or slow these were and whether I liked
them in my interpretation.
I then tried to incorporate some of her vibrato. I tried on words “high”, “lullaby” and
“true”. I also continued to try to use the portamentos, so this is a combination of the
two things.
Excerpt 1 Portamentos & Vibrato 3:14-4:15
It was clear after experimenting with these elements that I don’t like the over-use of
the vibrato, and probably more to the point I have trouble controlling it like she did in
the original recording. More naturally occurring vibrato is my preference.
I had always thought that slides were a sign of bad signing technique but Judy Garland
controls them so well and provides excellent breathing support for them to be
successful.

12
Over the Rainbow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Rainbow
13 Over the Rainbow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Rainbow

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Experiment 2 (Use of Rubato)

Judy Garland’s last performance of the song was in a Denmark concert on March 25,
1969. 14 There is a great deal of rubato and the vibrato is even more pronounced.
Maybe the vibrato is more pronounced due to her age more so than interpretation. As
with many parts of our body the loss of muscle strength can mean less control for a
singer. 15
I wanted to experiment with the use of rubato but also try it in a different key – E flat
major.
Excerpt 2 Rubato & E flat major 4:18-6:35
While I don’t mind the rubato, I am positive this key is not for me as I struggle in that
range and it changes the timbre of my voice dramatically.
Experiment 3 (Changing melodic ideas placing after the beat & breathy tone)
Eva Cassidy’s version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow I find the most exciting and
the key of A flat major suits my voice better.
She has taken this iconic song and changed iconic melodic sections, like the opening
without the signature octave leap and then throughout almost like she is improvising.

No iconic 8ve
leap

16

While I love her version, I thought I would try to incorporate the idea from Judy Garland
with more off beat placement, Eva does some of this in the original, but I am going to
try and be more pronounced.

14
Judy Garland – Over the Rainbow (last performance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJGRL4Gqz1Q
15 Phillips, Pamelia S How Singing Voices change with Age
16 Arlen & Harburg Somewhere Over the Rainbow, arranged by Eva Cassidy, Warner Brothers, USA,

pg50, bars 5-7

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I also tried to vary my vocal timbre, trying to get a breathy quality that might add variety
to my performances.
Excerpt 3 Off the beat & breathy vocal tone 6:40-9:37
I was not happy with this experiment and think that the breathy vocal timbre needs to
be used in a mike to be truly effective and limited. At times my off beat just does not
work and I think if I was to incorporate it into a performance I would need to plan more
carefully where I did this. Doing some improvising might help me with this in the future
and is something I could experiment with. It would make things like off beat placement
much more natural in my technique.
Much work to be done if I am to perform this piece but it has been very helpful
experimenting with these ideas.
Word Count 737

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Track List
Experimentation Report – Creating

Excerpt 1 – Schoenberg’s Prime Row and Inversion 00:00-00:31

Excerpt 2 My Tone Row 00:33-00:51
Excerpt 3 “Lock Dow Covid 19” 00”54-3:08

Experimentation Report – Performance

Excerpt 1 Portamentos & Vibrato 3:14-4:15

Excerpt 2 Rubato & E flat major 4:18-6:35
Excerpt 3 Off the beat & breathy vocal tone 6:40-9:37

10

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Bibliography

A Survivor from Warsaw

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Survivor_from_Warsaw
Accessed 13th Feb 2021
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Expressionism". Encyclopedia Britannica,
5 Nov. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/art/Expressionism. Accessed 13 February
2021
Argentino, Joe R (2013) MTO – Tripartite Strcutures in Schoenberg’s A Survivor
from Warsaw
https://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.13.19.1/mto.13.19.1.argentino.html
Accessed 13th Feb 2021
The Music and the Holocaust
https://holocaustmusic.ort.org/memory/memorials/a-survivor-from-wars/
Accessed 13th Feb 2021
Hutchinson, Robert (2017) Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom “34.1
Twelve Tone Technique”
https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/TwelveToneTechnique.html
Accessed 28th Feb 2021
Moldenhauer, Hans. “Anton Webern” Encyclopedia Britiannica, 29 Nov. 2020
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anton-Webern. Accessed 13 February 2021.

Over the Rainbow

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Rainbow
Accessed 20th Feb 2021
Over the Rainbow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Rainbow Accessed 20th Feb 2021
Columbia News
Shapiro, Gary (2017) ‘Over the Rainbow’: The Story Behind the Song of the Century
https://news.columbia.edu/news/over-rainbow-story-behind-song-century
Accessed 21st Feb 2021
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland, 1939
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW2QZ7KuaxA
Judy Garland – Over the Rainbow (last performance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJGRL4Gqz1Q
Phillips, Pamelia S How Singing Voices change with Age
https://www.dummies.com/art-center/music/singing/how-singing-voices-change-with-
age/ Accessed 21st Feb

Eva Cassidy – Somewhere Over the Rainbow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rd8VktT8xY
Accessed 21st Feb

11

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Scores
Arlen & Harburg Somewhere Over the Rainbow, arranged by Eva Cassidy, Warner
Brothers, USA

Arlen & Harburg Somewhere Over the Rainbow, arranged by Dan Coates, Alfred
Publishing, USA

Arlen & Harburg Somewhere Over the Rainbow, arranged by Vocal Chords Sheet
Music, Alfred Publishing, USA

Schoenberg, A (1947) Survivor from Warsaw Opus 46, Philharmonica, New York

Webern, Anton (1937) Variationen Fur Klavier Op.27, Universal Edition, USA

Audio Recordings
Pollini, Maurizio (2011), 20th Century, Deutsche Grammophon,Germany (CD 1,
Tracks 7, 8 & 9)
Sir Simon Rattle (2010) Simon Rattle Edition: The Second Viennes School, EMI
Records, London, Track 5

The Wizard of Oz (1939) (Original Motion Picture), Archive Collection, Water Tower
Music, Track 4

Eva Cassidy (1992) Songbird, Blick Street Records, USA, Track 10

12

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