Chapter 6 Outline: “Timbre”

Timbre, also called Tone Color

            The quality of a sound that distinguishes one instrument from another

            An expressive tool for composers that can greatly affect the mood and atmosphere of a piece

            Explained by acoustic properties: every note consists of a fundamental tone and several harmonics.  Differences between intensity, order and number of harmonics determine the unique timbre.

 

Across the Arts: The Painter’s Art

            What composers and performers do with timbre is frequently compared with what painters do with different colors of paint

 

Timbre and Design of Musical Instruments

            The type of sound source and shape of the instruments influence the timbre

            Example: a violin’s sound is influenced by the shape and material of the sound box, the f-holes, the type of strings, the shape of the bridge, the design of the bow, and the size and shape of the sound post. It is also influenced by how the player plays—an incredibly complex set of factors.

 

The Sounds of the Voice

            The voice is the basis of all musical instruments

            Singers consciously change the positions of their lips, tongues, and palates in order to change the sound and timbre of their voices

 

Voices and Vocal Ranges

            Chest, middle, and head voices all have different timbres, although the difference between them can be emphasized or minimized through technique

            In addition to the four basic voice types (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) there are countertenors (men who can sing in the alto or soprano range), mezzo-sopranos (sopranos with a darker, richer tone color), and baritones (men whose range overlaps with both bass and tenor voices)

 

Vocal Timbre in Opera

            Traditionally, romantic leads have been written for sopranos and tenors

Mezzo-sopranos and altos generally have supporting parts

Baritones/basses are cast as villains, authority figures, or comic roles

Contrasting timbres and vocal ranges is one way composers highlight differences among characters; however, the way in which the parts are written can also emphasize connections between characters

 

Focus on Countertenors

            A high male voice, usually in the alto range

            Associated with early music, but the current popularity of countertenor voice is unprecedented

 

Many Voices, One Timbre: The Choir

            Differences in the size and type of choir produce radically different sounds for the same piece of music. Countertenors sound different from altos, boy treble voices sound different from female voices, and a 16-member choir sounds different from an 80-member one.

            The director also chooses particular singers and trains them to produce the timbre he or she desires

            A good choir presents a continuous blend of sound throughout the range

 

Voice and Orchestra: Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette

            Multiple choral groups representing different factions: two large choirs for the families, a small choir as a narrator, and solo voices for Romeo, Juliette, and Friar Lawrence

            Manipulates the choirs and the orchestra to balance and combine timbres

 

Dynamics

            The intensity of volume at which notes are played

            Scaled from very soft (pp) to very loud (ff), with optional extensions

            Crescendo: a gradual increase in volume, contrasted with diminuendo: a gradual decrease in volume

 

Timbres of the Orchestra

            Unlimited variety in timbre: every instrument is unique and capable of producing multiple tone colors

Strings: closest parallel to the human voice. The violin, viola, cello, and bass roughly correspond to the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges. As in much vocal music, the violin and cello are most likely to have the melodies, while the bass and viola enrich the harmony.

Winds: a great variety of potential timbres. Soprano instruments: oboe, flute, and clarinet. Tenor: clarinet. Bass: Bassoon.

Brass: Most prominent in bands rather than orchestras, especially certain instruments such as baritones and cornets. Many of these come in a variety of different ranges, indicated by “alto,” “tenor,” etc., in front of the name.

Percussion: The largest and most diverse of all instrument families

Percussion Timbres in Non-Western Music: percussion ensembles—such as the gamelan—are common in non-Western cultures, and explore some of the astounding diversity of percussive timbres

 

Chamber Ensembles

            The vast majority of chamber music has been written for one of the standard ensembles: trio sonata, string quartet or quintet, piano trio, quartet or quintet, woodwind quintet, or chamber orchestra

                        The timbral combinations these offer are both flexible and logical

            Twentieth-century composers also have employed standard ensembles, but they often upend chamber music conventions in other ways

Timbre in Performance

            For example, pianists have more than dynamics at their disposal: they change the way they strike the keys, use the different pedals, or employ other special effects to create diverse colors        

            Many instruments, including wind, brass, and strings, can be muted; at other times, different objects can be inserted into the instrument to change the timbre

            Articulation plays a significant role in performance: there is a range of different articulations in between (and beyond) staccato and legato

 

Timbre as Structural Division: Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms

            Stravinsky juxtaposes different timbres, manipulates articulation, and uses silence and mandated breaths to draw attention to changes in the formal structure

 

Timbre as Sonic Experiment: Crumb’s Black Angels

            In place of traditional Italian tempo markings, Crumb uses specific timbral, technical, and mood instructions

            The resulting timbres are evocative, occasionally chilling, and perfectly tuned to the subject matter of the work

 

In History: Crumb’s Black Angels

            Manuscript signed in tempore belli, a reference to the Vietnam War; nevertheless, the work began as an experiment rather than a protest against war

            Composers have often reacted to contemporary events: does this mean that works created in specific circumstances are limited by those times? Can music about contemporary events have wider resonance?