THE STYLE CHARACTERISTICS AND DIOMATIC TECHNIQUES OF ESTUDIOS SENCILLOS BY LEO BROUWER Classical Guides Fog 1487 MICHAEL DECKER AMONG the best of the 20th century studies for guitar sents are the 20 Estudios Sencillos of Cuban com- peer Leo Brouwer (b, 1939). These studies are based pon an idiomatic approach to guitar composition sailar to that employed in the Douze Etudes of Heitor ilu-Lobos (1887-1959); however, the studies of Villa Labos are concert works demanding virtuoso resources borperformance in contrast to the considerably simpler ‘nd more practical student pieces of Brouwer. Brouwer’s early guitar compositions are traditional aad nationalistic: they are frequently based upon tradi- tenal Cuban forms and a relatively tonal language. His ehythmic practice shows the infl al of his national Afro-Cuban heritage but also that of Srasinsky and Bartok. His later guitar works become ingeasingly experimental, and sever rex.itaditional notation. The first series of Estudios Sencillos 198, although not published outside Cuba until 19 Consisting of five short pieces, itis suitable for firs-y fudents. The range is limited and there are no-no ejond the fifth fret, Rather than emphasising reading ails, Brouwer repeats motives. phrases, and entire tecions to allow the student 10 drill technique while tes 1 interpretational approach through musical contrasts, ‘Also published in 1972, the second series of five studies was written in 1961. During this time, Brouwer sote much music for solo gk ‘ding the well- {own Danza Caracterisica (1957), Tres Apuntes (1959) tad Elogio de fa Danza (1964). Series IL is more difficult than its predecessor: the music is more difficult to read. ihe range extends to the 12th fret. and more technical facility is required. The third and fourth series are considerably late! socks, composed during this decade and published in 1883. They are substantially longer and technically more demanding than the eather se The w set and Villa-Lobos lic in the nationalistic style charac- y. the omnipresent ion, The conception of nos of these studies is based largely. if not entirely gon idiomatic patterns such ay left- and right-hand fingering sequences, slurring techniques, and harmonic syastures stich as fhe quartile harmony found in the tuning. in of the open strings. The following. discussion will survey these style characteristics and iomatic constructions in detail and provide illustration through examples taken from the Fuudios Sencillos The single most significant organising structure for the Exiudios involves left-hand sequential patterns. These patterns may be divided into four groups on the basis of the types of movement employed: pivot fingers, parallel fingering. glide fingers. and slurs Brouwer exploits pivot fingers for common tones: tetween movement forms in nearly all of the studies, Although this is consistently employed, pivots are seldom specifically identified; Example | is an exception in that the common tone fingering is labelled pos Jija apt iva Example | Study IV. mm. 12-14 In Example 2, Brouwer establishes a movement form combining open strings with notes stopped by fingers two and three, These fingers act as pivots while fingers one and four, moving as a pair, are depressed and released to alter the movement form; this alternation between two related movement forms acts as the compositional basis for the entire piece, and such techniques are found throughout most of the Estudios. cars Example 2 Suudy XIX, m. 3 The most obvious of Brouwer's parallel fingerings involve fingering patterns on a single string which move reross the fingerboard. (ela Example 3 Study VI, mm. 17-18 Sometimes the basic pattern extends across more than one string, apy Example 4 Study X, min. 3-4 The frequent patterns which move up and down the fingerboard usually employ glide fingers. In the next example the melody notes F#-E-D are all played on the 1¢ string, although only the first two notes share a slide finger Example 5 Study XI, m. 4The glide fingers may appear us double stops, even if sounded as broken intervals. The parallel fifths in Exampie 6 arc stopped by leftchand fingers one and three: both fingers must glide simultancously when the hhand shifts positions, Example 6 Swdy mime 12-13 Another device. similar 10 that used by Villa-Lobos in both his etudes and preludes, is the employment of a repeated right-hand arpeggio’ sequence while the left Mops sarious chords, many times moving all the fingers simultancous glides. RAT PLAN, Example 7 Study VI, mm. 6-7 Brouwer usually uses left-hand slurs for one of four situations: descending slurs (pull offs) to open strings. ascending slurs (hammers) from open strings, slurs to oF from a fingered chord. or slurs to execute ornaments The next example shows a descending linear sequence using slurs from stopped notes to open strings. Example 8 Study XX. m_ 18 Descending slurs are also found in pairs: im the second measure of the following example two of the three fingers stopping notes in the C6/4 block chord pull off to ‘open strings. Example 9 Study XI, m, 22-23 Of course the left-hand fingering of the C chord was: derived through the ascending slurs {rom open strings. ‘occurring in the first measure Slurs are also used to execute the ornaments found in the first three pieces of Series TV. Each ornament is written out and fingered. Although the finger stopping, the lowest note in an ornament acts as a pivot. when higher pitches are repeated alternate fingers are used to, stop the repeated notes. ernie Example 10 Study XVI, m, 17 It is impossible to consider the right-hand structures without concurrently examining Brouwer's rhythmic practice. A common technical structure isthe alternation of a melody stroked by the thumb with chordal interspes sions or an arpeggio sequence. ‘The rhythms within ead study are incessantly repeated and often derived fror ‘Cuban popular music The following © alternation. ‘The per melody by making the bass lin melodic phrase is initially stated repeated pianissimo, ‘The repetition of melody at co» tusting dynamic levels is found throughout most of th Estudios. imple illustrates the thumb/fings Fagin? Example I Study Lom. 1-4 Example ly cited. is a typical arpeggio everci«. the right hand seldom crosses strings, but instead ereats este ‘an ostinato fingering sequence a the left hand v harmony, sometimes only one note at frequently with open string pedal tones, Brouwer frequently uses mixed or altern: although ambiguity in the me Example 11, Although notated in 4/4 metre. the stress generated by the bass notes imply subdivision ino groups of 2 and 3. The metre in Example I dos alternate between 2/4 and ¥/4 and cach measure s notated accordingly In addition to repeating phrasey at contra amie levels, Brouwer also repeats phrases ‘mic diminution as seen in Example 12. The “appears in quarter notes and is then repeated as. with, ing dy sh thst Example 12 Swudy Hom 1-4 Brouwer is at his best in works of great rhythm vitality and syncopation such as Euudio V. This pieces based on the rhythms derived from popular Cuba ‘music: although the overall metre is regular duple the rhythmic stress of the subdivisions (sixteenth notes) flt in patterns of 3-3-2. There are two variants: mm, 14 ccan be further divided into 2 2 and in mm, $7 the last group of two is divided 2-1-2-1-1-1 Example 13 Study V, mm. 1-7 Although there is frequent dissonance in the Estudio, the overall harmonic language is generally tonal ax even the most dissonant of the studies have obvious pideor chordal centres, if not specific keys. Brouwer shows a special interest in quartile harmonies as evidenced by his persistent use of the open strings pedals in nearly half the etudes. The intervals of seconds and sevenths are quite common and sare the principal sources of dissonance Many times, diminished octaves and minor seconds are unresolved, und such harsh dissonances become incr ingly prevaient in Brouwer's later compositions. Example 14 Study 1, mm. 1-3 [As was the case with rhythmic subdivisions, there isa Certain amount of ambiguity in the treatment of disson- ance in these studies. For example, the existence of an adjacent F# and G is simultaneously perceived as a jarring dissonant minor second and a relaxingly mellow ‘yjor seventh, ory Example 1S Study H, mam. 10-11 uwer also explores instrumental resources such {the sixth string is lowered to D in xl XVI1) and chords consisting of natural harmonies (Study XIII). He effectively and frequently caploits another interesting texture originally found in catly wusic and known as campanellas. This effect js achieved by the overlapping of sustained notes on closed strings with open strings; thus what would appear in mensural notation sa linear figure becomes chordal and a kaleidoscopic array of suspended dissonances is heard Example 16 Siuddy Xd, m. 1-3 ‘The final study introduces the student to experimental technique: the development of motivie cells written in non-traditional notation, Example 17 Study XX,m. 17 Brouwer's other formal textural devices include four- oart chorale (Example 12) and two-part canon. The ean onic imitation is found in Etude VIL: the subject is a k melody. The Ftude is in ABA form. In A he melody i stated beginning on A and then imitated veginning at B, the 7th below. The B section uses the ame melody, this time beginning on a low E with a lissonant ostinato arpeggio on the notes A# and B. This ame melody is used in the third movement of Brouwer's Tres Apuntes, composed two years prior to the etude leg cterteeageri Example 18 Study VI, mm. 1-3 Another interesting aspect of the Estudios is the significance of silence, Although this is most evident in certain of his signature endings (see below), in Study VIT there are several instances of notated silence, including ‘ovo entire measures of rests. pei em Example 19 Study VIL, mm, 6-8 Of all the style characteristies found in the Estudios encillos one is most consistent: the signature endings tag or fade out, The tag ending, used in eight appends an incisive final moti at the end of the piece, usually following silence or a sustained chord Example 20 Study 1X, mm, 16-17 The fade out ending, found in seven of the studies, is common only within recent generations of composers and reflects the influence of recording studio technology Instead of the conclusive impact of the tag endin, fade-out ending is a subtle diminuendo, often sust 4 final chord characteristic of the tonality of the piece. Example 21 Study {mm 23-25 Tt would be nearly impossible to conceive such effective student pieces as the Brouwer studies without an intimate knowledge and practice of guitar technique. Certainly the guitar repertoire suffers from a dearth of student pieces integrating a high level of musical propriate level of techical access y c, students, often saturated with and bored by a consistent diet of Sor and Carcassi studies, will experience a wonderful introduction to conten porary styles ranting from the tonal and conservative to the avant garde. That these highly creative and compact pieces can be performed well with the limited technical resourees of the beginning to intermediate student makes them an even more significant contribution to the classical guitar repertoire, © 1986 Michael Decker FOOTNOTES, Eaitions Max Escig, Pars, Suauk. Dea! Pal. The Solo Guitar Works of Leo Brouner. M.A. ‘Thesin Los Angeles, CA" University of Southern California, 1981p. ‘When changing from one movement form to another a pivot finger doesnot moves a parallel finger emains atthe same fret But changes Sings, anda ide linger shanges frets hut remains on the ame sting