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Cassandra's Dream Song - an in-depth analysis using a modified Schenkerian

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DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.36142.56649

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Cassandra’s Dream Song

An in-depth analysis using a modified Schenkerian approach

Benjamin Sledge

Brian Ferneyhough is a colossus of late 20th century literature. He is a fixture of

the controversial New Complexity movement whose music is still performed worldwide

to audiences of both enthusiasts and detractors.1 Even though his popularity has not

waned in the ears of new music buffs there is still very little written in the analytical

realm that parses deeply into the genetic makeup of these elaborately constructed works.2

The typical objection to a work by Ferneyhough from the unsuspecting concertgoer is its

obsessive density, its innate ability to bombard the senses, and its unique use of a

circuitous pitch language usually constructed by the composer.3 But given the time and

acumen a deep deconstruction can be performed that gives an open-faced view into the

genuine and meticulous details placed into every component of the given work.

Cassandra’s Dream Song is famous among flutists all over the world for its

combination of painstaking detail, carefree gestures, amazing virtuosity, and a narrative

of betrayal and mistrust that pushes the musician to the emotional and physical brink

during each performance. This piece is currently one of two pieces for solo flute by Brian

Ferneyhough and is, in my opinion, the most approachable from a performance and an

analytical standpoint. The pieces begins with several pages of scrupulously refined keys

1 Richard Toop, "Ferneyhough's Dungeons of Invention," The Musical Times 128, no.

1737 (November 1987): 624.

2 Larson Powell, "The Experience of Complexity: The Critical Discussion Concerning

Brian Ferneyhough," Search Journal for New Music and Culture, no. 7 (2010): 1,
http://www.searchnewmusic.org/powell_review.pdf.
3 Richard Toop, "Ferneyhough's Dungeons of Invention," The Musical Times 128, no.

1737 (November 1987): 624.

detailing notation, expression, and the inevitable feeling that the performer will develop

of overwhelming trepidation at tackling this titan of composition. At the onset it looks

like any other legend to any typical piece of modernism that utilizes alternative notation

that differs from common convention. Ferneyhough lays out detailed notes to fabricated

and devised notational arrangements that require concentrated exploration to implement,

but there is also an element that is not found in most scores. Ferneyhough leaves a

thoughtful letter to the instrumentalist. In this is a sincere and genuine message to the

performer acknowledging the difficulty with the music at hand. It is remarkable because

Ferneyhough outlines that through the dense textures and dialogues of the two pages

there are sections that ask too much of the performer bridging on the cusp of impossible.

These passages are intentional, Ferneyhough writes, to create differentiation through

performances and to showcase the tenacity of the musician. Ferneyhough goes on to draw

the conclusion that through the struggle of trying to reproduce something that is

impossible the individual creates their own meaning and communicates that to the

audience. This is the real music, Ferneyhough says.4

This is a brilliant showcase of craftsmanship on the part of Ferneyhough given the

subject matter he is addressing implied in the title. Cassandra’s Dream Song conjures up

old Greek tales of Cassandra and Apollo whose love was rattled with jealousy,

dishonesty, and treason.5 Apollo, who was in love with Cassandra from afar, promised

her the power of prophecy in exchange for carnal indulgences. After making the promise

and receiving the gift Cassandra turned her back on Apollo. In his rage, Apollo avenged

4 Brian Ferneyhough, Cassandra’s Dream Song (London, Edition Peters, 1975).
5 The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, "Cassandra," Encyclopædia Britannica,

April 25, 2017, , accessed October 26, 2017,

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cassandra-Greek-mythology.

himself by ordaining that Cassandra’s prophecies never be believed. Even though she

correctly prophesied the fall of Troy and the murder of Agamemnon her admonitions

were disregarded as noise. During the attack and devastation of Troy Cassandra was

dragged from her alter and raped by Ajax. She was later gifted to Agamemnon and there

would die with him.6 All of these circumstances and consequences are wrapped into the

narrative of Ferneyhough’s masterpiece. He has skillfully imbedded these storylines into

the DNA of the work and has crafted a piece that will last the test of time and will

continue to evolve through in-depth and fervent explorations of its content and

underlying structures.7

During the first page on line 1 Ferneyhough presents us with the opening

sequence of compounded gestures upon which he will expand in the entire piece. In

the first few utterances we hear a slow accumulating chain of rhythmically

accelerating phrases. Each one adds a technique that will become integral in the

communication of the extra-musical narrative. We are exposed to the primary set

from which the rest of the first pages’ theoretical outline will germinate using a

technique of centricity to differentiate from the opposing personality presented in

the second page.8

The initial set is [0,2,3,6,7] and is centered on A. The first permutation results

in the sounding tones Eb, F, F#, A, and Bb. This is made clear through the first half of

6 The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, "Cassandra," Encyclopedia Britannica,

April 25, 2017, , accessed October 26, 2017,

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cassandra-Greek-mythology.
7 Larson Powell, "The Experience of Complexity: The Critical Discussion Concerning

Brian Ferneyhough," Search Journal for New Music and Culture, no. 7 (2010): 1,
http://www.searchnewmusic.org/powell_review.pdf.
8 Joseph Nathan Straus, Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory (Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson Education, Inc., 2005), 131.

the first line where the only pitch notated is A and saturates most of the harmonic

material of the first page. This pattern continues by hammering away at this single A

until almost halfway through the line a B half-flat and an A half-flat appear. From

there the set slowly expands until the end, with a rapid succession of the set in grace

notes landing on a Eb/Bb overblown harmonic, which acts as a sort of dominant

chord in the gestural, atonal structure.

The second line opens with a long, sustained and muted A, which culminates

in a half-flat trill. This repeats several times, each iteration rotating around the

central pitch. The entire set is not disclosed in this line but is hinted at in the

formation of the pitches in the same permutation.

In the third line, Ferneyhough starts the slow expansion of the set by

dropping the second tone in the set by a semitone. The resulting set in line 3 is

[0,1,3,6,7] which is derived from the main set. It is also centered on the fundamental

pitch and using the same permutation as the preceding lines. This resulting pitch

material is Eb, E, F#, A, and Bb. This is reminiscent of harmonic and rhythmic

material from the preceding lines and is aurally connected. The rhythmic material

also echoes the technique of the cumulative process present in the opening line. The

quick interjections of rhythmic material, above the sustained central pitch, slowly

compounds throughout.

Line four is of particular interest. The seemingly same, static harmonic

material is expected to show itself again, but instead Ferneyhough takes a different

approach by expanding upon the rhythmic materials through development and

simplification throughout the line. Also the harmonic content takes an altered

approach by invoking every pitch except for G. This is interesting because the pitch

material is related through oblique transformation of the harmonic material. This

draws on line three where the second pitch of the class set was dropped by a

semitone but instead in line 4 the reciting tone is lowered two semitones and every

pitch is invoked except the new reciting tone. This also foreshadows the last line.

In line five Ferneyhough explores this idea of additive processes both

rhythmically and harmonically. First harmonically: this line is made of two sets

separated though notation. The first set, that of the normal size notes, has the

primary set nested within. This set is [0,1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9] centered on A. This

persistent permutation allows us to connect the aural relationships subconsciously.

The second set also finds its roots in the original set and has it mostly nested within

itself. This set, [0,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10], is more closely related to the germinating set, but

aurally the relationship is harder to establish due to the speed at which the notes

pass.

The last line is of tremendous interest. The first half of the line rhythmically

deconstructs all the previous expansions back mostly to their smallest forms,

interpreting them in a rather straightforward manner. Most of the interest lies in the

harmonic language, as established by the opening presentation of the single A tone,

and the subsequent lines where A is established as the reciting tone of the page. In

the first half of line 6 Ferneyhough presents all eleven pitches except for A. This

takes our ear away from the “tonic” reciting tone and makes the impact of the

second half even more powerful. In the second half, only the original set is

presented, in its full form. The rhythmic material is that of the opening line but

instead of dry and separated it is connected and fluid across all three octaves. The

penultimate arrival is on an overly accented Eb doubly emphasized by vocalizations.

This is the same type of Eb heard at the end of the opening line acting as an

emotional and gestural dominant chord to the reciting tone. The last note then has a

particularly strong impact as our reciting tone, A, rises from almost nothing to a

triumphant fortissimo.

For the second page a more nonconventional technique in the realm of new music

analysis will be employed in hopes to secure a deeper understanding of the compositional

structure and overall large-scale form.9 The reason for this approach is upon multi-year

inspections of the second page and numerous attempts to separate and codify an

analytical method; all conventional resources and methods evaded the analytical

understanding this piece deserves. The use of rampant, and proliferating atonality used in

this section is the biggest reason for the constant evasion from understanding in the

theoretical world.10 After almost a year of trial and error on many fronts of analytical

methodology I decided to experiment with a Schenkerian approach. My reasoning for the

application of this method is upon deep inspection and years of performing this piece; I

was inclined to hear the longer line and overall function of the gestures of this page.11

This lead to a rationalization that maybe there are no specific harmonic practices

exhibited in this page per-say, but instead Ferneyhough is using a series of gestures to

9 Fred Lerdahl, "Spatial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Atonal Prolongation," Current

Musicology 63 (Fall 1997): 9.

10 Richard Toop, "Brian Ferneyhough's Lemma-Icon-Epigram," Perspectives on New

Music 28, no. 2 (Summer 1990): 53.

11 Nicola Dibben, "The Perception of Structural Stability in Atonal Music: The Influence

of Salience, Stability, Horizontal Motion, Pitch Commonality, and Dissonance." Music

Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal 16, no. 3 (Spring 1999): 269.

produce and support longer formed voice leading.12 The implementation of this method

has been effective in the deconstruction of the major voice leading of the page in question

and has proven to yield a deeper understanding of the compositional construction, even

more than was hoped, and I believe this is a viable approach to one of the most complex

composers of the twentieth century who delights in breaking expectations in all aspects of

musicality: composition, performance, and analysis.13

In line A we can begin to see emphasis on specific pitches from the onset by the

use of rapid repetition and extreme octave displacement. Ferneyhough gives prominence

to the first two pitches, F and C respectively, by placing them in favorable registers of the

instrument and giving them explosive dynamic contrasts and expression markings. These

two pitches become the frame for the gentle two-voice counterpoint that will arise in the

following Schenker graph. Next are several timbral inflections around the pitch A that

will become a foil, leading us through the pitches Bb, B, and ultimately to C in the

bottom voice of the graph. In the top voice during this same time there is a descending

half step motion from our initial pitch, F, to E. This creates harmonic motion from a

perfect fifth to a perfect fourth. The subsequent gestures spend time oscillating the two

voices between fourths and fifths, using periphery pitches relating to the initial two. The

top voice moves from the E and skips to G then walking down chromatically landing on

F. This gives further emphases to the use of neighbor pitches to outline the larger form.

Once more that will hold through until ultimately resolving up to G. During this time in

the bottom voice we see contrary motion, first using whole steps, but subsequently

12 Larson Powell, "The Experience of Complexity: The Critical Discussion Concerning

Brian Ferneyhough," Search Journal for New Music and Culture, no. 7 (2010): 2,
http://www.searchnewmusic.org/powell_review.pdf.
13 Fred Lerdahl, "Spatial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Atonal Prolongation." Current

Musicology 63 (Fall 1997): 11.

resolving down chromatically. At this point the graph splits into two parts. The reason for

this comes from the observation of the line and breaking it into a question and answer

form. The question seems to be concerned with one voice, the lower, rising to meet the

upper, which is otherwise stationary. The answer, however, flips this reality and brings

resolution in the top voice falling to meet the lower. The “question” portion concludes

after the gestures on the fourth octave B labeled “brutto!” and is a culmination of all

previous tensions being released. Ferneyhough, in much his fashion, splits the answer

into two voices, labels the two in separate dynamics, and hides the overall voice leading

through extreme octave displacement. Using Schenkerian methods we are able to

compress, reduce, and see the true form of the line. Much like the opening of the line we

see the initial pitches, F and C, that were also stated at the beginning of the graph.

Through the passage we see a converging of the two line, the top: F, Eb, D, C#, and

concluding on Bb. Observing the bottom line we see a parallel decent from C to B and

joining with the top on Bb. The following two layers of graphs show extensive use of

reductive tactics to even more highlight and emphasize the underlying voice leading

embedded in Ferneyhough’s writing. In layer three we have the most condensed version

of this passage. The question segment has been reduced to a gentle, expanding set of

dyads. This slow expansion from major fourth the major fifth is all but hidden by

Ferneyhough through the ever developing and explosive gestures that compile his

compositional lexicon.

Figure 1 - Graph of Line A

Looking at line B an amazing voice leading substructure can be uncovered much

like the previous graph from the last line. In this instance, instead of slowly expanding

then converging into one, the two voices that become evident move slowly upward in

parallel motion staggered by several gestures. The movements in this line are of

particular interest because of their relation to the two-voice structure in the foreground.

The relation comes as ascending and descending cells that are recycled at different pitch

levels. As observed in the first layer of the following graph, there is an immediate

ascending motion towards what will emerge as our primary pitch in the upper voice, D#.

This small cell encapsulates both whole and half steps, which will become the essential

material for the bulk of these small cells. The rapid ascension can be parsed from the

grace note gesture to be C, C#, and D culminating with the elongation of what will be our

primary pitch of the upper voice, D#. But even this first pitch is modified to show the

overall theme of this line: neighbor tone gestures, by having a half step trill imposed on

the elongated pitch. After this initial pitch in the upper voice a chromatic, ascending

gesture beginning on Ab and rising up to our next significant pitch, D, can be uncovered.

The following grace note figure labeled as “legg. poss!” and “sempre pp” by

Ferneyhough, introduces us to the first pitch of our lower voice: G. The gesture is

reduced in layer one of the graph as F, D, E, and Eb and again emphesising the

neighboring pitches. The first note, F, gives us a bridge to the G and the subsequent

pitches relate to the upper voice, which is at this point is centering on D. After this

Ferneyhough uses another compositional tactic of extreme octave displacement to create

a dialogue between the aforementioned chromatic cells. These small cells are relentlessly

reiterated on different pitch levels with staggering entrances that create hidden tension

and release. The first layer graph shows several voice crossing liner relationships that are

further contracted and made clearer in the following graphs. After this Ferneyhough uses

several gestures to achieve a cross-relational and prolonged counterpoint that can be

observed through the graph. This voice leading functions in the pitch space between the

two dominant voices in the foreground and creates an aural bridge between the upper and

lower voices for the listener. The last sizeable gesture in this line is riddled with

oscillating pitch content embedded with small chromatic cells that link together to create

the large-scale ascension illustrated in the graph. The figure begins with a D being trilled

up a half step and under a fermata that dictates six seconds. This is reminiscent of the

opening gesture and continued return to the half step undulation that has permeated this

section. The figure then takes on the function of a slowly unraveling line with sporadic

leaps to neighboring pitches that will create the skeleton of our voice-leading map. First

to B then A# and C# and so on in an overall chromatic ascent each time returning to the

10


oscillating D to Eb trill. The beauty of using the graph to illustrate and then strip away the

ancillary material is that through the following layers one can begin to see the deep craft

entrenched in this figure; several voices are at play in this single line, and in later layers

of the graph they become increasingly more apparent. The ending of this line is relatively

tame and simple with Ferneyhough hammering home on the theme of oscillating half

steps and neighboring pitches. The penultimate gesture is to be held for five seconds and

is an oscillation between an A half-flat and a B half-flat: the two pitches that are as close

to the ending pitch of the bottom voice that Ferneyhough can manage. The ending pitch

for the bottom voice is B while the ending pitch for the upper voice is E. This effect gives

us the same feeling from the pervious line of ending on a major fourth in the skeletal

structure. In the final layers of the graph the ultimate and overarching voice leading

become apparent. Layer four shows a more detailed skeleton of the embedded structure

with the upper voice beginning on D#, descending a half step to D and then rising a

whole step to E giving a satisfying resolution. This is significant because in the skeletal

structure of the upper voice is embedded both relations, half step and whole step, that are

used to create the small cells that make up the surrounding gestures that accentuate the

main melodic line. This illustrates that Ferneyhough’s compositional process is not only

overt in it’s messaging of specific themes but also covert in the way that the overall

compositional structure is not only embedded, but also the germination for all of the

surrounding gestures and melodic cells. The relation between half and whole step has

permeated to the deepest level of micromanagement and is implanted in the DNA of each

melodic figure. In the lower voice of the graph we see a postponed entrance at a perfect

fifth below the respective upper voice and then a slow chromatic ascension to a B,

11


creating the harmony of a perfect fourth with the upper voice. The further parsing of layer

five clarifies the gentle counterpoint concealed in this colossal structure.

Figure 2 - Graph of Line B

For line C a somewhat more traditional approach was taken at the onset of

analysis. The reason is this line has already been parsed into four small segments by the

composer and is able to be easily understood through more traditional methodology

12


previous to implementing Schenkerian practices.14 Starting with phrase one we are given

the set [0,1,2,3,4,6,7,9], which will become a base for expansion in the following

sections. Harkening back to the first page analysis we can see the home set from there,

[0,2,3,6,7], implanted into this first set. This is only moderately significant because when

dealing with such large sets there is bound to be some overlap throughout, but still worth

mentioning. In the second phrase we find the set [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. This all-chromatic set

is related to the pervious set through the additive property, inserting 5, and the

substitution of 9 for 8. In phrase three we have the set [0,1,2,3,4,6,8,9]. This set is an

amalgamation of the first two sets in that combines the use of pitch class 8 and 9 within

the set. Lastly in phrase four we see the set [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10], which is a combination

of all pervious sets and a use of the additive property to now include pitch class 10. All in

all, this method of analysis is unique to this page because here there seems to be more

organizational tactics placed on pitch content, which is not necessarily the case of the

other lines that are more concerned with gesture and the accentuation of the primary

pitches in the foreground. This is also the first stop in drawing a relationship between the

two pages.15 Where all other lines are used to create the opposite aural illusion from the

first page, this line not only embraces the same organizational technique, but inserts

directly the primary pitch collection from the first page.

The Schenker graph for line C is intriguing and unique as it begins with the now

expected two voice counterpoint becoming apparent early on, but as the line develops a

third voice arises towards the end and a three part harmony, not before seen, is

14 Joseph Nathan Straus, Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory (Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson Education, Inc., 2005), 59.

15 Richard Toop, "Brian Ferneyhough's Lemma-Icon-Epigram," Perspectives on New

Music 28, no. 2 (Summer 1990): 78.

13


established. At the onset we have the note F becoming prominent and will establish itself

as the primary pitch in our upper voice. The note C# also sticks out as an important pitch

because of its registeral placement and its repeated prominence in the four sections. This

note will become the primary pitch of our lower voice. Throughout the line the upper

voice rises in a quasi-chromatic motion from F to G then Ab and culminating on A. Also

outlined in the graph Ferneyhough makes use of the harmonic properties of this ascension

by embedding them in the seemingly chaotic figures, which are all but haphazard in their

organization. In the lower voice we start with the pitch C# and rise in a fully chromatic

fashion climaxing on an F. This gives a covert relation to the upper voice with the last

note of the lower ending on the first note of the upper. Beginning in the third segment we

start to see a third voice arise that will occupy the pitch space between the upper and

lower voice. This voice makes a modified appoggiatura figure between the upper and

lower voices beginning on D and dancing around its ultimate pitch, C. Upon the

reduction of layers one and two, layer three holds a fascinating find. As illustrated, the

upper and lower voices have a cross octave relationship that germinates and creates the

consequent middle voice. Starting with the F in the upper and combining with the Eb in

the lower, the middle voice has perfect ground to emerge and latch on the its own line

beginning on D and completing a complementing chromatic sigh in contrary motion to

the upper and lower voices. The underlying harmony that is achieved at the finale of this

line is an astounding compositional display.16 Ferneyhough has created a three-voice

texture, each voice instigating and elucidating the other, and climaxed with a tangible

harmonic progression from a VII7 in 4/2 inversion to I in the key of F major.

16 Richard Toop, "Brian Ferneyhough's Lemma-Icon-Epigram," Perspectives on New

Music 28, no. 2 (Summer 1990): 69.

14


Figure 3 – Graph of Line C

Line D is also of particular interest. Looking at the pervious line we can see

through the graph that Ferneyhough created two separate lines that converged together to

generate a third. In this line, we will see Ferneyhough creating two independent lines that

converge and separate. This convergence can be seen as a third line that is created out of

the two coming together and unraveling.17 At the onset we are given the two primary

pitches for both voices placed in prominent registers and given distinction because of

their note length. The upper voice begins with a B half-flat, which is a compliment to the

eventual resolution to Bb, and the lower voice commences with an F#. In the lower voice

we can see that Ferneyhough is still concerned with cohesiveness of the entire structure

because he interpolates a long pitch bend to an F half-sharp and back to the original pitch.

17 Fred Lerdahl, "Spatial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Atonal Prolongation." Current

Musicology 63 (Fall 1997): 11.

15


This not only gives credence to the first pitch of the line and upper voice being a half-

flatted note, but also gives a nod to previous lines that have been created on the

accentuation of closely related and neighboring pitches to draw out the true melodic line.

After several gestures ascending and descending gestures punctuated with neighboring

microtonal pitches, the lower voice climbs to a G while the upper voice relaxes down for

an A. At this point we can see the convergence of the individual lines to create an

underlying third. The junction of the two lines is just as significant as their departure.

Instead of the lower voice simply melding with the upper it departs again on its own path

resolving down to F# again. The upper voice, however, continues its upward ascent

culminating on a B. In between these rising actions are sprinkles of lines and graphs past.

The overarching melodic phrase is accentuated through the combination of many small

cells sporadically interspersed to deepen the importance of the stationary pitches

presented.

Figure 4 - Graph for Line D

16


Line E, as we have seen from many instances in Ferneyhough’s writing, is an

amalgamation of several techniques that either were explicitly employed or covertly

implied. In this case, Ferneyhough is drawing on the parallel octaves from the first line

coupled with the reiterating cells of closely related pitches and neighboring microtones

made apparent in the ancillary structures of the previous graph, and combines the overall

skeletal structure with the undulating half step motions of previous lines and the

converging of the voices hinted at in line D. All of these techniques saturate this line so

deeply that the final layer of the Schenkerian graph reduces the structure to a simple half-

step sigh from C to B. At the onset we are presented with a harmonic of two pitches that

are subsidiary and highlight the significant primary pitches that arise in the two voices of

our graph. First we see only the upper voice. This voice oscillates gently between C, C

half-sharp, and C#. Through this we can see the connection being drawn to several other

graphs. Interspersed between these oscillations are small minutia of multiphonics and

repeating cells of half and whole steps. About midway through this line we see the rise of

the second voice. This technique is significant because the birth of the lower voice is

embedded in a multiphonic with B as its fundamental and C in the soprano. B becomes

the primary pitch of our lower voice and from there holds, with a small fold down to B

half-flat and back up to B, until the upper voice gives way and collapses down to it. In the

later layers of this graph we can see the convergence become even more clear as the

tension between them is the germinating factor and the eventual demise of the upper

voice. This structure is the ultimate illustration of the underlying theme of the entire

page: the relation of half and whole step. Layer five of this graph is the consolidation of

the entire page in that the skeletal structure begins on a C that continues into eternity but

is overtaken by a B that emerges from eternity and becomes the victor. Even going a step

17


further: the note C, or as in line C and D – a whole step away, has been present at the

onset of each graph. If this last line is an amalgamation of all previous lines just as the

last line of page one is a direct use of the initial set and a combination of all previous

gestures, it is not farfetched to see a complete reduction of this page, after many layers,

begin condensed down to a simple half step progression from C to B.

Figure 5 - Graph of Line E

This is even more of a relation to the first page where A was the virtual reciting

tone of the entire page, given one line, and that creates a whole step and half step relation

18


to the entire amalgamation of the second page. In a broader sense this is extremely

important to the relation to the entire piece. The form of this piece, loosely, is lines of

page one, interspersed with sections of page two, and ultimately returning to page one for

the closing. Thus if page one is centered on A and the second page can be seen as a

gargantuan gesture moving from C to B as illustrated in the condensing of line E, then the

entire piece can be understood as A moving to C then B then resolving to A which, when

put in a harmonic context inline with Schenkerian theories of implied harmonies, we can

see a tonic – dominant progression in A minor.18

Though some may see this analysis as a gross oversimplification, it is an integral,

if singular, strand of analysis that leads to a greater understanding of the construction of

this piece as a whole.19 Engaging these seemingly unconventional reductive practices

give a more full-bodied and aerial view to a piece that would be left in jumbled fragments

if only understood through pitch-class set analysis.20 Hopefully this short analysis will be

a brick in the massive path to better understanding the works of Brian Ferneyhough and

even to pieces of post-tonal and New Complexity that involve similar compositional

techniques.

18 Richard Toop, "Brian Ferneyhough's Lemma-Icon-Epigram," Perspectives on New

Music 28, no. 2 (Summer 1990): 84.

19 Fred Lerdahl, "Spatial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Atonal Prolongation." Current

Musicology 63 (Fall 1997): 25.

20 Fred Lerdahl, "Spatial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Atonal Prolongation." Current

Musicology 63 (Fall 1997): 25.

19


Biography

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W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2013.

Agawu, Kofi. "Analyzing Music under the New Musicological Regime." The Journal of
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Boros, James. "Why Complexity? (Part One) (Guest Editor's Introduction)." Perspectives
of New Music 31, no. 1 (1993): 6-9. http://www.jstor.org/stable/833030.

Boros, James. "Why Complexity? (Part Two) (Guest Editor's Introduction)." Perspectives
of New Music 32, no. 1 (1994): 90-101.

Brown, Earle. "The Notation and Performance of New Music." The Musical Quarterly
72, no. 2 (1986): 180-201.

Cadwallader, Allen Clayton., and David Gagné. Analysis of tonal music: a Schenkerian
approach. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.

Cramer, Alfred. "Schoenberg's Klangfarbenmelodie: A Principle of Early Atonal

Harmony." Music Theory Spectrum 24, no. 1 (2002): 1-34.

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