ARABESQUE (1988)
by RAOUL PLESKOW
Title: Arabesque (Two Arabesques)
Date of Composition: 1988
Instrumentation: Flute, 2 Clarinets, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Piano
Publisher: American Composers Alliance
Date of Publication: 1988
Duration: Approx. 8 minutes
Recordings:
Of Bondage & Freedom
Notes:
Two Arabesques
Written for the North/South Consonance Ensemble during the winter of
1988, the Two Arabesques are scored for a mixed ensemble comprising
flute, two clarinets, piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass.
Pleskow's recent music combines tonal and atonal elements and is
distinguished for its use of romantic melodies in a complex
contrapuntal setting.
The music of Arabesque I is built around a ritornello ("refrain") that
has an intricate, multi-layered texture. Similar to a 13th century
Motet, this texture consists of a cantus-firmus of long notes in the
piano, a duplum (second voice) characterized by a long-short rhythmic
pattern in the strings and a triplum (third voice) of rapidly moving
notes in the clarinets. The piece derives its title from the
arabesque-like figuration that prevails in the clarinet melodies. The
notes of the Bb minor scale are the main pitch source of the
ritornello. A chromatic version of the cantus firmus and a diatonic
tune (first heard as a flute solo) dominate the pitch content of the
alternating sections of the rondo.Arabesque ll is a short companion
piece (a sort of "Nachtanz") to Arabesque I. It is also an extended
rondo alternating chromatic and diatonic materials.
Raoul Pleskow Composition Page
Raoul Pleskow Discography Page
Raoul Pleskow Home Page
Music Page
Home Page
Email me, Bill Hammel at
bhammel@graham.main.nc.us
READ WARNING BEFORE SENDING E-MAIL
The URL for this document is:
http://graham.main.nc.us/~bhammel/MUSIC/RP/OP/arabesq88.html
Created: August 11, 1998
Last Updated: May 28, 2000