Ferneyhough: Unity Capsule for solo flute, w/ score - Part 1/2 [Mvmnts 1,2]

Ferneyhough's wonderful solo flute piece "Unity Capsule" from 1975-76 with the score, which includes just about every extended technique imaginable as well as some very interesting instructions for the performer.

Ferneyhough has said of this piece (and his solo flute works more generally:

"It would appear that numerous composers have one or more instruments of predilection by means of which they are able to present their most intimate and significant thoughts. The continuous and extensive utilization of such restricted means of expression appears to allow certain artists (and I am one of them) to enter into the world of possibilities inherent to these means -- their 'personalities' -- which recourse to more diversified means of sound production does not necessarily offer. For me, it is the flute which fulfills this role: over and beyond the supplementary degree of concentration promised by focusing on such a limited canvas, the flute has the advantage (in my view) of being a *monodic* instrument, something which obliges me to develop my nascent concept of texture and structure, the twin vehicles of expressive form, in a particularly clear and convincing fashion.

"Since 1945 we have been submerged by an almost uninterrupted torrent of literature for the instrument, the most likely cause for which being its relatively agile nature and its high level of practical availability in terms of performers and cost. A major part of this literature reflects a view of the flute which I reject, incorporating, as it does, all forms of superficial patter and overly decorative treatment of trivial ideas. Although my own music for flute may be extremely difficult as regards the exigencies imposed on the performer, this sort of virtuosity lies far from my thoughts. In both Unity Capsule and Cassandra's Dream Song, the accent is on the instrument's ability to offer a high density of information on a certain number of levels *simultaneously*, while filtering through the highest degree of *unity* imaginable -- that of a single, monodic instrument. The position from which any understanding of this music must set out, in whatever direction, is the confrontation of these two fields in a severely restricted frame.

"As the title [Unity Capsule] suggests, the form, material, and absolute articulative qualities specific to the flute itself were, according to my original vision, indivisibly unified. This indivisibility itself had to be captured, forcibly confined to a sphere whose boundaries (in the final analysis) were permeable to interpretation at all points. A finite but unbounded expressive world."

There are now several interpretations of this work on youtube; this one is by Kolbeinn Bjarnson. If you enjoyed this, I highly recommend checking out his stunning recording of Ferneyhough's flute music: http://www.amazon.com/Music-Flute-Brian-Ferneyhough/dp/B00006JJ56

[This is Part 1 of 2, with the first two movements; see Part 2 for the third and final movement.]

Category:

Music

Tags:

• brian
• ferneyhough
• flute
• british
• new
• complexity
• modern
• classical
• music
• virtuosity
• extended
• techniques

[princhornrhs]

what the fuck is a unity capsule?

[DarkwingScooter]

@Quandrify It's not that I don't understand or enjoy listening to music like this or can't play it myself.

It is just a simple matter of the length of time it takes to learn something like this against the value of the outcome. You can't sight-read this stuff, it takes a long time to learn.

It is just a little too self-indulgent from a composer's point of view for my taste.

[JohnRSamples]

@princhornrhs. It's a portable baby car seat. The ultimate concern for any parent is their baby's health and safety and this definitely passes the bar for car/travel safety. I found putting our newborn daughter in the capsule, she didn't even need any blankets/wraps as she was very warm in it. Easy to use with 2 clicks to remove the capsule from the base (plus loosening one strap) - our baby never complains as we move the capsule in and out of the car!

Either that or it's a pretentious title.

[egapnala65]

@coreyfulify Well given that this stuff been floating around since the 70's that's hardly surprising really. I think there is a difference between challenging yourself and allowing yourself to be throttled with a noose.

Personally, I get more out of Segerstam and the Nordgren Symphonies than any of this overwritten hogwash. Probably not on your radar though as a) they are Finnish and b) they are from the past 10 years rather than 50 years ago.

[coreyfulify]

@egapnala65

More and more people are performing Ferneyhough, Finnisy and the like. Bone Alphabet is now part of standard percussion repertoire; hundreds of people have played it. Performers are much more adventurous and eager to challenge themselves than you seem to believe.

I'm glad you think it's bullshit, though - keeps the egos in check.

The person concerned about interpreting Beethoven "in an acceptable way" needs to stop worrying about what a dead guy thinks of his bowing style.

[coreyfulify]

@DarkwingScooter

Some ferneyhough music could be reproduced digitally (Bone Alphabet), but works like Unity Capsule demand a human performer. By pushing the boundaries of virtuosity and human ability, it is perhaps more "human" in performance than music that is expressly meant to be perfect (Bach, Mozart, etc).

The missed note in a Bach Sonata is a glaring fault of the interpreter. The missed note in Unity Capsule could be the limit of the flautist's physical and cognitive abilities.

[coreyfulify]

@DarkwingScooter

I disagree that classical music is "first and foremost notated music which is interpreted," but if that is your definition then New Complexity is more so the savior of classical music, since this music demands such a long-term commitment and thorough study from the interpreter.

I've had much more profound "interperative" experiences from intense and demanding music than from works that I could understand and sight read immediately.

[coreyfulify]

@DarkwingScooter

composing music is self-indulgence. Ferneyhough embraces that.

And the Arditti quartet was sight-reading Ferneyhough on their third or fourth commission. There are definitely patterns to his gestures and techniques.

[DarkwingScooter]

@Quandrify But currency (whether of the monetary or notational), has the strange property that if you have all of it you have none of it.

At some point when notation gets too complex it loses value as written MUSIC to be interpreted as opposed to written sounds to be reproduced. Remember that we do have a theoretically perfect notation system to exactly reproduce sounds, it is called a CD player.

How can you interpret anything in that score without making a mistake?

[DarkwingScooter]

@Quandrify I have actually performed the Berio Sequenza I more than once, so I understand the "space" idea of music. In fact the concept is remarkably similar to my idea of what all music IS (including metrical music), but that is a much larger discussion than there is space for here.

My concern is more that classical music specifically, by my definition is a WRITTEN music, notation is the currency of the transaction of knowledge between composer and performer...

[Quandrify]

@DarkwingScooter This quote might help you understand from an essay by Bryn Harrison: "With music that is largely non-directional in nature, and

therefore without reliance on musical stresses or downbeats, it is possible to adopt an

approach to spatial organisation in which the bar line no longer serves its more traditional time keeping function. Instead, one might view a measure not as a unit of emphasis but as a designated space of a particular size in which to 'contain' musical material."

[Quandrify]

@DarkwingScooter Well, while I don't want to say that the sight-readability of the piece shouldn't be a determining factor of whether or not this is a waste of our time, since I'm sure that's not all your arguement is deduced to, but the reason I think it's quite the opposite of self-indulgence is the fact that Ferneyhough uses Cylical structures, which takes from the "stream of sound" and in reality avoids any musical goals.