1.9 Overall destiny  (Page 2/2)

In musical terms, a weak round-trip returns to its starting point, but in a way that is ambivalent, insecure orincomplete.

Charles Ives also composed a setting of the hymn tune. However, unlike Copland, Ives adds a questioning after-image, which is more open-ended and suspensive. The music has undeniably returned to its starting point; however, it is not completely stable, making it a weak round-trip . Whereas Copland ended with an affirmation, Ives ends with a question. At the River

The "Sound of Music" is is a third type of destiny. At the start of the story, the widowed Colonel VonTrapp is a lonely and demanding father; subjecting his children to a strict and joyless regimen. The threat of Nazi Germanyhovers over his village. Little by little, the Colonel falls under the spell of the nanny, Maria, who brings joy back to thehousehold. Meanwhile, the Nazis move in. Finally, the Colonel and Maria are married and the Von Trapp family makes a daringescape into the Austrian Alps, never to return. This is a one-way progression , in which the outcome of the plot is far different from its starting point.

In musical terms, a one-way progression describes a piece that ends in a significantly different place than itbegan. A one-way progression may be achieved when the ending seems to "forget" or contradict the opening. For instance,consider the third movement of Webern'sfor cello and piano. Drei Kleine Stucke

Most of this brief work is concentrated in the low register, with the piano and cello alternating short gestures. At theend, the piano stops playing, leaving the cello alone to play three harmonics in a row--which it has never done before. Forthe first time, the work ascends into a high register. The ending is an unexpected apotheosis.

Gyorgy Ligeti created a particularly extreme one-way progression out of a mechanicalprocess in his. The piece is scored for 100 metronomes, all wound up identically but set to differentspeeds. Once all the metronomes are in motion, listeners are invited into the hall. Poéme Symphonique

Gradually, the metronomes wind down, the fastest ones first. The texture gets thinner and thinner until finally only onemetronome is left. The piece ends when the last metronome finally ceases beating.

Suspense about the outcome

Both narratives and musical forms often create suspense about the outcome. Even when the outcome is not in doubt, suspensemay be created by delaying the destiny's fulfillment until the last possible moment.

, an episode of the originalseries, suspensefully dramatizes the contrast between a round-trip and a one-wayprogression. Because of an accident, the future is altered, and the Starship Enterprise ceases to exist. Marooned, theEnterprise's Captain Kirk and First Officer Spock travel through time to try to return the future to its original form.Drawn to 1930's Chicago, Kirk meets and falls in love with Edith Keeler, a humanitarian leader. He and Spock ascertainthat the future hinges on Keeler's fate: If she were to die in a car accident, everything would follow its intendedcourse. However, if she were to live, she would organize a pacifist movement that will keep the United States out ofWorld War II, irrevocably changing history. The future would no longer lead to intergalactic travel and the Enterprisewould vanish. At the story's climax, Keeler is crossing a street with Kirk at her side when an on-rushing car swervestowards her. Kirk must choose whether to save her--thereby altering history--or to let her die. It is a potentlydramatic moment: Kirk is faced with the romantically devastating consequences of a strong round-trip. He watcheshelplessly as the car strikes her. At the story's end, the Enterprise is restored intact. Star Trek

Musically, composers may also withhold the ultimate arrival until the last possible moment, making it more dramatic.

After a slow introduction, the main portion of the first movement of Beethoven'sbegins: Harp Quartet

Later, the movement appears to draw to a peaceful close. However, rather than ending as expected, Beethoven builds toa passage of unparalleled intensity, featuring frenzied passage-work by the first violin. It places the work'soutcome in doubt. Finally, at the crucial moment, the work's main theme returns beneath the violin figuration,and the work completes its strong round-trip.

Local details and overall destiny

Beginning with an awareness of the overall destiny has several advantages: First, it encourages you to take in the entire "story" of the composition; second, you will begin toevaluate how local events contribute to the overall destiny. For instance, the suspensive ending of the Ives is foreshadowed earlier in the song:

At the opening of the Webern cello piece, there is a single cello harmonic woven into the texture: This helps to preparethe ending, in which the cello is left alone, playing a group of harmonics.

Conclusion

In the narrative examples, the meaning and significance of the story hinges greatly on the ultimate outcome. If the Cat-in-the-Hat were to leave the house in total disarray, Dr. Seuss' tale would have a different import. If the Van Trapp family were to be captured by the Nazis, the "Sound of Music" would take on a totally different emotional cast.

Similarly, the ultimate outcome of a composition is decisive to its meaning and interpretation. If the work returns to itsstarting point with strength and conviction, then the overall outcome speaks to the music's underlying unity, continuityand stability. If the work's return is more unsettled, then ambiguity and instability have clouded the ending. If the piece ends in a significantly different place thanit began, then impermanence and flux have had a decisive impact. When you listen to a work, try to analyze its overall destiny by comparing the similarities and differences betweenbeginning and end. This will reveal the basic "story-line" of the composition. Next, study how local details contribute to the work's overall destiny.