MOTIVIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE PSALM OF TAIOS

CALEB ETCHISON, NORTH CAROLINA ZETA

INTRODUCTION

In the summer of 2021, I was given the wonderful opportunity to compose for the orchestra at my university. The composition I wrote was a ten-minute long piece entitled The Psalm of Taios, a programmatic work depicting a hero saving the world from an overwhelming darkness. The majority of my summer and fall were spent meticulously crafting this work, with my efforts culminating in a successful premiere on November 22, 2021.

One of the most important tools that I utilized in creating this piece was motivic development, the process of taking a “very short musical pattern that is characteristic and memorable” and transforming it over the course of a piece.[1] Motivic development has been an important aspect of many compositions over the past few centuries; some composers have even gone so far as to craft entire works from a single melodic idea. Ludwig van Beethoven is a great example of this, whose motives often “form the nucleus from which the subject matter of an entire work is shaped.”[2] In his Symphony in C Minor, the four-note motive found in the iconic opening provides the content from which the rest of the work derives, providing “almost incomprehensible uniformity” throughout the composition.[3]

While I’m no Beethoven, creating this uniformity using musical ideas from the main theme was my principal goal in The Psalm of Taios. This theme is first heard in measures 8-12, played by the English horn. Within the main theme, three distinct motives can be extracted (fig. 1). The repeated use of these motives creates a sense of unity within the composition that prevails even as the piece takes on a variety of characters. These motives can be transformed in many ways that keep the ideas from becoming stale and help to reinforce the continuity of the composition. This paper examines the use of these three motives throughout the work, shedding some light on the compositional process.

Figure1: Motives 1, 2, and 3 in the Main Theme (Measures 8-12) [1] [1] Caleb Etchison, The Psalm of Taios, 2021, 1.

MOTIVE 1

Motive 1 consists of four notes, the first three notes of a scale leaping to the fifth. While it is used many different times throughout the piece, a couple of instances stand out from the rest due to the different techniques used in transforming them. In measures 15-19, Motive 1 is found in the key of C# minor played by the piccolo (fig. 2). The switch from major to minor evokes a darker and more dramatic feeling than what was heard only a few measures before, heightening the tension of the piece while also maintaining a sense of familiarity and connection to the main theme.

Figure 2: Motive 1 in Measures 14-18 [5]

A second example of Motive 1 can be found in measures 107-111 (fig. 3). Here the motive is found in the string section. Though it is presented in a major key again, a few changes help it to stand out clearly from the original statement of the main theme. The change of instrumentation in this section coupled with nontraditional harmony work together to evoke a somewhat ethereal feeling. An alteration of the original rhythm also helps it to stand apart while maintaining familiarity with the original.

Figure 3: Motive 1 in Measures 107-111 [6]

MOTIVE 2

Consisting of only two notes, Motive 2 is by far the simplest in the entire composition (fig 1) The motive itself is just the interval of a seventh Its intended use in this composition is to surprise the listener, taking the music in a different direction than expected As shown in Figure 4, Motive 2 is found in the violin section Like the original, the melody jumps down a seventh; however, rather than being purely melodic, the seventh is utilized to stage a modulation from C# minor to the parallel major key.

Figure 4: Motive 2 in Measures 18-22 [7]

Unlike Motive 1, which is always found in its original orientation, Motive 2 is used throughout the piece in inversion (upside-down). An instance of its inverted use can be found in the violin in measure 123 (fig. 5). Here, comparing the two blocks of melodic material demonstrates how the inverted motive is used to subvert expectations. The melody in both blocks is nearly identical; the only difference is the use of inverted Motive 2, which dramatically shifts the direction of the melody.

Figure 5: Motive 2 in Measures 118-12 [8]

MOTIVE 3

Motive 3 consists of the first three notes of a scale, followed by a leap downward to the pitch one step below the starting pitch (fig 1) While the motive at first sounds very similar to Motive 1, the way it is used throughout the composition transfigures it into its own unique entity In measures 80-87 (fig 6), Motive 3 has a bouncy and upbeat feel that evokes a different emotion than the melancholy one in the original theme. This example exhibits the way Motive 3 is most frequently used: repeated over and over again in a chain This motive lends itself to repetition much more effectively than the other two Because its ending pitch is a step beneath its starting one, interlocking this motive creates a gradual descent that feels relaxed and natural

Figure 6: The Interlocking Use of Motive 3 in Measures 80-87 [9]

Another notable mention of Motive 3 can be found in measures 142-149 (fig 7) Much like the previous example, the motive is repeated in succession to maintain forward momentum. However, this time the motive is presented in inversion, creating an ascending interlocking pattern rather than descending This makes for a much more dramatic section with a rise in tension, even though it is essentially the same idea as the previous example

Figure 7: The Ascending, Interlocking Use of Motive 3 in Measures 142-149 [10]

In addition to the interlocking use of Motive 3 in both regular and inverted orientations, it also lends itself nicely to be combined with other motives. One example of this can be found in measures 257-260 (fig. 8), where Motive 2 and Motive 3 are used together. Here, Motive 3 is used in inversion to heighten tensions, but it is the sudden and surprising switch to inverted Motive 2 that delivers the release of this tension, culminating in the climax of the entire piece that occurs in measure 260.

Figure 8: Motives 2 and 3 in Measures 257-260 [11]

CONCLUDING REMARKS

This is only a fraction of the motivic development used in this piece, but these excerpts are good examples of the care that was put into this composition. While this paper is not an exhaustive list of all the compositional techniques used in this piece, it pulls back the curtain on the process, giving some insight into the work of a composer.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Belkin, Alan. Musical Composition: Craft and Art. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2018.

Etchison, Caleb. Psalm of Taios. 2021.

Persichetti, Vincent. Twentieth Century Harmony. New York, NY: Norton, 1978.

Solomon, Maynard. Beethoven. New York, NY: Schirmer Books, 1977.

About the Author & Composer:

Caleb was indoctrinated into music from the womb by musical parents, but it wasn’t until tenth grade that he began classical training in piano. He attributes most of his compositional education to his time at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina where he’ll graduate this May. Regarding his composition process, Caleb says, “Sometimes the process takes place at the piano, and sometimes it takes place in a burger joint or while washing dishes. It’s a long but incredibly fun process.”

[1] Alan Belkin, Musical Composition: Craft and Art (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2018)

[2] Vincent Persichetti, Twentieth CenturyHarmony (New York, NY: Norton, 1978): 275.

[3]Maynard Solomon, Beethoven (New York, NY: Schirmer Books, 1977), 196.

[4]Caleb Etchison, The Psalm of Taios, 2021, 1.

[5]Ibid.

[6]Ibid., 8-9.

[7]Ibid., 1.

[8]Ibid, 10-11.

[9]Ibid., 6-7.

[10]Ibid., 12.

[11]Ibid., 19.