Browsing by Author "Bradshaw, Mark Edward"

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    Angel Music. (Original composition);
    (1989) Bradshaw, Mark Edward; Cooper, Paul
    Angel Music is comprised of two contrasting movements for full orchestra and was written on the spirit of dance and celebration. Performance time is approximately thirteen minutes. The first movement is a conversational elaboration of three ideas: scalar, melodic/rhythmic, and harmonic. Formally, the composition suggests an A-B-C-B$\sp\prime$-A$\sp\prime$-Coda design. The proportions of the lettered sections are 1:2:4:2:1. The tempo throughout is sk10 = 132, except for the coda which retards to sk10 = 60. The second movement is a bipartite structure, the second half being a dramatic variation of the first. This A-B-A$\sp\prime$-B$\sp\prime$ plan utilizes the tempo scheme of sk10 = 60, sk10 = 120 then 132, sk10 = 72, sk10 = 144. Principles of symmetry govern the phrasal construction, particularly in the A and A$\sp\prime$ sections. The essence of symmetry, and of the movement itself, is embodied in the two melodic ideas which engage in symbolic dialogue. Disparate elements coalesce to form an intricate background for the action of the two melodic characters. A chorale is undermined by the chaotic forces of aleatoric percussion towards the end; the piece disintegrates into nothingness. Angel Music was finished in the summer of 1988. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)