Saariaho

• Where has Kaija Saariaho lived for many years?

  Paris
• What significant experience did Saariaho have in 1980?

  She heard music by Spectral composers
• What are some of Saariaho's interests in music?

  Computer-based sound analysis and electronic music
• What types of works has Saariaho written besides chamber works?

  Large orchestral pieces and operas
• What common aesthetic do Spectralist composers share?

  Use of computer analysis of sound
• What are harmonics in sound?

  Higher, quieter sounds above the fundamental
• How can instrumental sound be converted into a chord?

  By analyzing harmonics with computers
• What characterized the music of the late 20th and early 21st centuries?

  Eclecticism and diverse influences
• When was Petals written?

  1988
• How can Petals be performed?

  As a solo piece or with electronics
• What does Saariaho transform the cello into in Petals?

  A multi-timbral synthesiser
• What are the two types of material described by Saariaho in Petals?

  Fragile coloristic passages and energetic events
• How many sections can Petals be divided into?

  Seven sections
• What is the dynamic range required in Petals?

  From pppp to fffff
• What does Saariaho require for the sound of Petals?

  A 'clear and rich, close sound'
• What does the piece Petals explore?

  The tension between two types of material
• What is the significance of the repeated low C in Petals?

  It becomes familiar to the ear
• What textures are used in Petals?

  Monophonic, two-part, and pedal textures
• How does Saariaho view timbre and harmony?

  Timbre as vertical, harmony as horizontal
• What type of intervals does Saariaho use in her melodic ideas?

  Micro-intervals, specifically quarter-tones
• What is the first note of the piece described as having?

  A rich series of overtones
• How does Saariaho perceive timbre and harmony?

  Timbre as vertical and harmony as horizontal
• What traditional harmonic device is mentioned in the study material?

  A lengthy pedal C
• What rhythmic characteristics are present in sections with energetic events?

  Clear rhythmic and melodic character
• What micro-intervals does Saariaho use in her piece?

  Quarter-tones
• How are the melodic ideas structured in staves 4–7?

  They are densely packed into chromatic phrases
• What technique is used in the last stave of section 7?

  Glissandi
• What characterizes the idea in stave 10?

  Augmented fourth leaps and trills
• What is the core structure of the falling idea in staves 109/116?

  F♯, E♭, D, B♭, A, G♯
• What are the three closely related ideas in staves 17–27?

  • Staves 17–19: Lengthening versions of a basic shape
  • Staves 20–22: Similar idea with a held low C
  • Staves 23–27: Return to pizzicato notes with variations
• What is the tempo range for sections with a notated tempo?

  54 to 66 beats per minute
• How are the tempi varied during phrases?

  By accelerandi and ritenuti
• What is the instruction for the lento sections regarding duration?

  Each stave should last at least 20 seconds
• What is the relationship between pulse and sections in the work?

  There is tension between evident and absent pulse
• How does the electronic version contribute to the piece's quality?

  By adding reverberation for free timelessness
• What rhythmic gestures are used in metrically active sections?

  • Rapid dectuplets in staves 4–7
  • Agitated rhythms with syncopations in staves 10–13
  • Fast notes in grace note notation in staves 21–22
• How do rhythms change throughout the piece?

  They become less defined from stave 22 onwards
• Who was John Cage?

  A leading American experimental composer
• How did Cage's approach differ from Schoenberg's?

  Cage focused on new rhythmic directions
• What influenced Cage's music?

  Oriental music and gamelan sounds