Program Notes: Mario Pelusi

When Chaplain Groh asked me, in late April, to contribute original music, to be performed outdoors (weather permitting), to a special event that was being planned to "express the University’s sentiments" regarding the September 11 tragedy, I was both humbled by his request and somewhat uncertain as to how I would proceed. After giving the project much thought, I eventually began to develop some preliminary and more specific notions regarding musical ideas, instrumentation, etc. Eventually, I decided that with this composition, I would attempt to achieve essentially two goals: create a composition that would depict, with musical gestures, some of the aspects of the September 11 tragedy (i.e., create a "programmatic" work); this would involve "reflections" on the event; and second, to base the music on this infamous date; this and other aspects of the music would constitute the "symbolic" aspects. With regard to the latter, nearly all of the melodies and harmonies in this composition are based on three patterns of integers: 9, 1, 1, 2, 0, 0, 1; 9, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 (which is a more "consonant" version of the previous more "dissonant" pattern); and 9, 11, 2, 0 (0), 1. If one begins with the pitch C-natural and treats the first pattern of integers as "melodic intervals" (i.e., distances in half-steps from pitch to pitch), then one of the patterns of pitches that can be created is: C, A, A-flat, G, F, F, F, and E. This pattern became the "9.11 Tragedy Theme." Similarly, the second pattern of integers would produce this pattern of pitches: C, A, G, F, E, E, E, and D. If one treats the third pattern of integers as representatives of pitches (and if one assumes that C-natural is "0"), then 9, 11, 2, 0 (0), 1 would equal the following pattern: A, B, D, C, and C-sharp. This last pattern of pitches also occurs in the work but not as frequently as do the others. Finally, these are only a few examples of the innumerable structural properties of this composition that have both symbolic and programmatic functions—some are audible, some are not.

The people of New York and most of the mid-Atlantic region awakened on September 11, 2001 to a gorgeous day—a sunny cloudless morning with mild temperatures. My composition begins with a depiction of this morning; e.g., a calm and peaceful beginning to the day, a rising sun, and the beginning of a new day of work. This is followed by some faster "motoric" music that is intended to depict the commuters as they traveled to work. Next, the "commuter music" is interrupted briefly by musical depictions of the twin towers, both in terms of sound and in terms of actual graphic symbols in the score. Incidentally, the harmony that represents the second tower (a "twin" of the first tower) is actually an inversion (or a mirror reflection) of the harmony that represents the first tower. After "hearing" the towers, the "commuter music" resumes only to be interrupted once again by the "tower music," which has become louder as the commuters get closer to the towers. The "commuter music" resumes once again; however, this time, the usual customary sights, sounds, and activities of an early weekday morning in New York City are intruded upon by the growing and ominous sound of jet engines (first heard in the second, third, and fourth trombones underneath the "commuter music").

The next section consists of music that represents four explosions created by the crashing of jet aircraft into each of the twin towers, the Pentagon, and into the Pennsylvania countryside. Also heard are the sounds of the diving aircraft. Then, one hears the destruction of each of the towers, which is also represented symbolically in the score. This section of the music ends with loud dissonant harmonies that depict cries of anguish, disbelief, and shock at what has occurred.

The next section begins with dirge-like rhythms (in the bass drum and cymbal) and with the first clearly stated example of the "9.11 Tragedy Theme" (in the first French horn part). The presentation of this theme is then joined by imitative statements in the first trombone and first trumpet parts, after which these three instruments present additional statements, in different forms, of the "9.11 Tragedy Theme." Next, the "9.11 Tragedy Theme" is presented as a four-part hymn scored for trumpet, French horn, and two trombones. From this hymn, martial-like music soon emerges (first in the snare drum). This "military music" represents the beginning of our country’s armed response to this tragedy (i.e., the military campaign that began in Afghanistan). Eventually, the "military music" fades and is followed by music similar to the music at the beginning of the composition (i.e., the "early morning music"). This time, however, the music is more dissonant, since the mornings that we have experienced after September 11, 2001 are no longer like what they used to be. Also included in this final music are another statement of the "9.11 Tragedy Theme" as well as references to the earlier hymn-like music and to the military music, all of which are intended to express the fact that as of September 11, 2002, we are still in mourning, still engaged in a "war on terrorism," and still quite uncertain as to what the future may bring.

Program Notes 9.11.2001: Symbols and Reflections (In Memory of the Victims of 9.11.2001) Composed by Mario J. Pelusi Commissioned by the University Chaplain's Office (Dennis E. Groh, Ph.D., University Chaplain and Professor of Humanities and Archaeology) When Chaplain Groh asked me, in late April, to contribute original music, to be performed outdoors (weather permitting), to a special event that was being planned to "express the University’s sentiments" regarding the September 11 tragedy, I was both humbled by his request and somewhat uncertain as to how I would proceed. After giving the project much thought, I eventually began to develop some preliminary and more specific notions regarding musical ideas, instrumentation, etc. Eventually, I decided that with this composition, I would attempt to achieve essentially two goals: create a composition that would depict, with musical gestures, some of the aspects of the September 11 tragedy (i.e., create a "programmatic" work); this would involve "reflections" on the event; and second, to base the music on this infamous date; this and other aspects of the music would constitute the "symbolic" aspects. With regard to the latter, nearly all of the melodies and harmonies in this composition are based on three patterns of integers: 9, 1, 1, 2, 0, 0, 1; 9, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 (which is a more "consonant" version of the previous more "dissonant" pattern); and 9, 11, 2, 0 (0), 1. If one begins with the pitch C-natural and treats the first pattern of integers as "melodic intervals" (i.e., distances in half-steps from pitch to pitch), then one of the patterns of pitches that can be created is: C, A, A-flat, G, F, F, F, and E. This pattern became the "9.11 Tragedy Theme." Similarly, the second pattern of integers would produce this pattern of pitches: C, A, G, F, E, E, E, and D. If one treats the third pattern of integers as representatives of pitches (and if one assumes that C-natural is "0"), then 9, 11, 2, 0 (0), 1 would equal the following pattern: A, B, D, C, and C-sharp. This last pattern of pitches also occurs in the work but not as frequently as do the others. Finally, these are only a few examples of the innumerable structural properties of this composition that have both symbolic and programmatic functions—some are audible, some are not. The people of New York and most of the mid-Atlantic region awakened on September 11, 2001 to a gorgeous day—a sunny cloudless morning with mild temperatures. My composition begins with a depiction of this morning; e.g., a calm and peaceful beginning to the day, a rising sun, and the beginning of a new day of work. This is followed by some faster "motoric" music that is intended to depict the commuters as they traveled to work. Next, the "commuter music" is interrupted briefly by musical depictions of the twin towers, both in terms of sound and in terms of actual graphic symbols in the score. Incidentally, the harmony that represents the second tower (a "twin" of the first tower) is actually an inversion (or a mirror reflection) of the harmony that represents the first tower. After "hearing" the towers, the "commuter music" resumes only to be interrupted once again by the "tower music," which has become louder as the commuters get closer to the towers. The "commuter music" resumes once again; however, this time, the usual customary sights, sounds, and activities of an early weekday morning in New York City are intruded upon by the growing and ominous sound of jet engines (first heard in the second, third, and fourth trombones underneath the "commuter music"). The next section consists of music that represents four explosions created by the crashing of jet aircraft into each of the twin towers, the Pentagon, and into the Pennsylvania countryside. Also heard are the sounds of the diving aircraft. Then, one hears the destruction of each of the towers, which is also represented symbolically in the score. This section of the music ends with loud dissonant harmonies that depict cries of anguish, disbelief, and shock at what has occurred. The next section begins with dirge-like rhythms (in the bass drum and cymbal) and with the first clearly stated example of the "9.11 Tragedy Theme" (in the first French horn part). The presentation of this theme is then joined by imitative statements in the first trombone and first trumpet parts, after which these three instruments present additional statements, in different forms, of the "9.11 Tragedy Theme." Next, the "9.11 Tragedy Theme" is presented as a four-part hymn scored for trumpet, French horn, and two trombones. From this hymn, martial-like music soon emerges (first in the snare drum). This "military music" represents the beginning of our country’s armed response to this tragedy (i.e., the military campaign that began in Afghanistan). Eventually, the "military music" fades and is followed by music similar to the music at the beginning of the composition (i.e., the "early morning music"). This time, however, the music is more dissonant, since the mornings that we have experienced after September 11, 2001 are no longer like what they used to be. Also included in this final music are another statement of the "9.11 Tragedy Theme" as well as references to the earlier hymn-like music and to the military music, all of which are intended to express the fact that as of September 11, 2002, we are still in mourning, still engaged in a "war on terrorism," and still quite uncertain as to what the future may bring.

Program Notes

9.11.2001: Symbols and Reflections (In Memory of the Victims of 9.11.2001)