The Second Coming

‘The Second Coming’ is the second work inspired by the W.B. Yeats’ poem of the same name.  Unlike ‘The Ceremony of Innocence’, ‘The Second Coming’ directly describes the poem in a manner akin with a tone poem.  However, the music goes significantly further than the poem in many ways as certain ideas are brought out for exploration while ignoring others and also add personal thoughts and views inspired by the poem.  The work uses similar forces to ‘Ceremony’ with the significant addition of extra percussion.  The size of orchestra (especially with the multi-divided strings) may appear adventurous and even over the top, but the main objective when composing the music was to illustrate the size and scale of the poem’s message.  The music depicts stages of darkness and light with many passages containing extremely dense and chaotic writing.  In such passages, the instruments are employed for their combine sound rather than their individual sound, (an idea developed from the scores of Stravinsky).

Much of the composition is texture based with ostinati forming the foundation for the appearance of themes that represent different aspect of the poem, and help guide the listener through.  As with ‘Ceremony,’ John Adams was an inspiration behind the textural style, especially in the penultimate section with the slow changes of tonal centre.

The piece opens with the “…turning in the widening gyre.”  A significant motif is presented (example 1. motif X) upon which most of the music in this section is based.  It was incredibly difficult finding a time signature to suite this section (beginning – [E]), as the music is multi-metric, therefore the 12/8 time signature is only a guide to keep time.  Motif X was used in constructing the Glockenspiel part as well as the violin Ic harmonics, vibraphone ostinato, tubular bell line and piccolo part (easily identifiable between b29-46).  Many of the slower moving parts such as the bass and cello harmonics (b22-34) are also derived from material found near the opening (in this case the Viola ostinato b6).  At [A] the string lines go off in different directions to illustrate the widening gyre.  This whole first section is designed to give the idea of spinning and turning with many different ostinati at varying speeds.

At [B] a new theme enters (Hrns) which represents the ‘second coming.’  This piece contains two ‘second coming’ themes, the first symbolises the threat imposed by the coming (example 2 motif Y) and the second (which appears later) is the actual ‘Second Coming’ motif (first seen at b44 trombone, also example 4 motif Z).  It should be noted that motif Y directly relates to motif X but is performed in sharps and reordered: (E, D#, G#, A#).  The motif is gradually taken up by the brass reaching the climax at section [E].   Significantly, from the first appearance of this motif to the beginning of [E], the ostinati established so far begin to mutate getting further away from each other in terms of their similarity.  This evokes the feeling of “Things fall(ing) apart; the centre cannot hold…”  From now on, the sense of “anarchy” and chaos is present in the music.  The tension is accentuated by the gradual crescendo up to [E] and the increasingly frantic improvisation by the timpanist (also built out of X).  The percussion parts give a random feel from [B] except at bars 28 and 33 when answering motif Y.  The piano clusters and rhythm (along with its augmentation) is a direct quote from ‘The Ceremony of Innocence.’

At [E] “…Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,” with the string improvised descent symbolising the world in chaos (screams if you will !!).  At b55 a new set of ostinati weaves their way in.  The thumbing violin and viola entries (b55) are built on notes from ‘X’ (Bb, Ab, E, Eb) and continue to be so when they turn into the rising arpeggios that run through to [J].  Motif X is also employed to create the dotted woodwind figure that appears throughout sections [F]-[K].  The repeated low ‘C’ by timpani, Double Bass and Cello fall into the pattern of 3+3+2 with the occasional variation to fit the bar.  This is intended to give the music a primitive feel, accentuating the idea of time passing and the “…twenty centuries of stony sleep.”   The brass ostinati that accompany the strings adds to the atmosphere and adds a dance quality to the music.  My inspiration for this section came from ‘The Augurs of Spring’ from  ‘Le Sacre du Printemps’ as did my use of the guiro.

One of the most vivid images of the first stanza is explored at [G]; “The Ceremony of innocence is drowned.”  I decided to use a hymn to represent the ceremony as the religious connotations add a similar ‘second front’ to the music that is also found in the poem’s religious imagery.  I directly quote the hymn ‘Bethlehem’ by S. Wesley, as the title relates to the last line of the poem (the hymn is quoted in full in example 3).  To portray the idea of the ceremony being drowned, the hymn is interrupted by the other ‘The Second Coming’ theme; (example 4, motif Z).  As stated above, the theme represents the actual second coming and is simple in its construction.  The theme is supposed to sound primitive like its accompaniment and therefore has a modal feel with repetition and rhythmic displacement.  ‘Bethlehem’ is interrupted three times with each of its reoccurrences becoming more disfigured by the second coming.  Upon each return, motif Z become more and more dominant and even briefly appears in ‘Bethlehem’s’ last airing.

At [K] the Second Coming takes over and the theme is pushed through varying time signatures to produce the slow and unstable “moving of its…thighs..”  At [L] the music cut to another scene, “...darkness drops again.”  This section is full of sound of the night and hints of ideas from the opening.  Significantly, the ‘Second coming’ theme (motif Z) is still present, but distant (off stage trombone).  The music here is empty, as is the world in the poem.  A string quartet enters with a depressing variation on ‘Bethlehem’ in one final attempt to win over evil.  The outcome is made obvious to the listener by the continuing appearances of the second coming’s theme (b142, 146).  Also, the theme is disguised in the slow moving bass pizzicato and vibraphone (b140). 

The microtone clusters announce the start of the march towards Bethlehem, or as the poem depicts “Slouches towards Bethlehem..”  I explore this idea quite substantially as I believe it is the most vivid and memorable image in the poem.  ‘Good’ is won over as the ‘second coming’ theme (motif Z) takes over in fugue-style entries [O].  A device used in ‘Ceremony’ is employed at this point with the relationship between entries and a significant motif.  In this case, the entries from [O] directly correspond to the notes of motif X (albeit transposed) F, C, Db, G.  Chaos gradually returns as the music builds in this penultimate section ([O]-[R]) over a gradual crescendo.  As mentioned, Adams’ idea of slow moving tonal centres was an inspiration to me as the ‘F’ based tonal centre shifts to ‘E’ at [P] and on to ‘C#/A’ at bar194, and then to ‘A’ at 204 (please note, that these key centres are only implied and not actual).  The cross rhythms played by the percussion section and the three versions of motif Z which appear after [P] add to the chaos.  Motif Z appears at three different speeds with the thumping string returning.  At b194, another quote from ‘Ceremony’ appears initially played by the flutes, bassoons and piano.  The high (even strangled) sound produced by the trombones and violas at (b194-198) also accentuate the tension.

The end arrives at [R] with a burst of motif Y that top and tails the piece.  This is the point where Yates’ poem finishes and the music explores the aftermath: destruction, death, and the end.  My inspiration for this section was from Penderecki’s ‘Threnody.’  The listener is left haunted by the final cry of motif Z as the strings slowly diminish.