Black Angels (Crumb)

"Black Angels" (Edition Peters, New York, no. 66304, copyright 1971), subtitled "Thirteen Images from the Dark Land" is an avant-garde work composed by George Crumb for "electric string quartet." It was composed over the course of a year and is dated "Friday the Thirteenth, March 1970 (in tempore belli)" as written on the score. Crumb is very interested in numerology and numerically structured the piece around 13 and 7.

Background

In the 1950s and 60s, composers began a new push in experimental music, especially with regard to electronic techniques. George Crumb was commissioned by the Stanley Quartet (then in residence at his alma mater the University of Michigan) to create just such an experimental piece. Sure that he wanted to avoid writing a typical piece for string quartet, Crumb looked to experimental piano music from the early 60s for inspiration, and decided to explore the contemporary world's religious strife in his composition. "Black Angels" reflects these haunting and mystical undertones; Crumb meant for the violin to embody the devil's music, and cast the cello as "the voice of God."

The image of "Black Angels" is an archetypical convention used by artists to represent an angel banished from Heaven. The "Dark Land" refers to Hell, with consistent references to Diablo, via Diabolus in Musica, the "Trillo del diavolo" ("Devil's Trill", from Giuseppe Tartini), and the Dies Irae (quoted in section 5 "Dans Macabre"). Crumb also makes references to other tonal works that incorporate death, such as Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" (quoted in section 6 "Pavana Lachrymae" and section 13 "Threnody III").

"Black Angels" was not originally intended to refer to wartime, and Crumb only associated his work with Vietnam towards the end of its composition. "I came to recognize that there was something of the feeling of that strange time. That's when I called it music "in tempore belli", in time of war," he said in an interview with Philadelphia City Paper. After making the connection between his piece and war, Crumb also connected it to another contemporary wartime piece, Penderecki's " [Threnody for Victims of Hiroshima] ." Both pieces open with high pitched extended technique on violin, and "Black Angels" features three important threnodies which divide it.

Construction and numerology

The first part, "Departure", begins by establishing the dark mood of "Black Angels" and introducing the primary death theme. In the second part, "Absence", the fallen angel's themes are heard. Finally in part three, "Return", God prevails over evil, as presented in section 10 "God-music".

Each of these parts is built around the primes 7 and 13 in some way. This might be reflected in the length of the section, its phrases, its note values, patterns of motifs, or pitch (in accordance with set theory). Crumb himself forgets how the numbers play in to every section, and warns not to read too much into their significance, as he "got carried away with the Friday the 13th thing." He views the numerology as more of a "technical, structural" experiment, although he has played down the numbers' significance increasingly in the years since 1970.

Instrumentation

"Black Angels" is primarily written (in unusual and very detailed notation) for (in Crumb's words) "electric string quartet." Though generally played by amplified acoustic instruments, the work is occasionally performed on specially constructed electronic string instruments. The music uses the extremes of the instruments' registers as well as extended techniques such as bowing on the fingerboard above the fingers and tapping the strings with thimbles. At certain points in the music, the players are even required to make sounds with their mouths and to speak.

Each of the string players is also assigned a set of instruments to play throughout the piece. Some of the equipment requires specific preparation, such as the crystal glasses, which are tuned with different amounts of water.

Violin 1
* maraca
* 7 crystal glasses
* 6" glass rod
* 2 metal thimbles
* metal pick (paper clip)

Violin 2
* 15" suspended tam-tam and mallet
* contrabass bow (for use on tam-tam)
* 7 crystal glasses
* 6" glass rod
* 2 metal thimbles
* metal pick (paper clip)

Viola
* 6 crystal glasses
* 6" glass rod
* 2 metal thimbles
* metal pick

Cello
* maraca
* 24" suspended tam-tam, soft and hard mallets
* contrabass bow

tage Positioning

Crumb's score includes a diagram that places the four musicians in a box-like formation. Electric Violin II and Electric Cello are located near upstage right and upstage left, respectively, with their tam-tams between them. Electric Violin I and Electric Viola are near downstage right and downstage left, respectively, but are slightly farther apart than the other two musicians in order to allow full sight of the quartet. Violin I, Violin II and Viola have a set of crystal glasses downstage of them, while Violin I and Cello have maracas upstage of them. Each of the four musicians has a speaker next to him or her.

Cultural Influences

Kronos Quartet, which specializes in new music, was originally formed when violinist David Harrington heard "Black Angels" over the radio. [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec98/kronos_12-3.html] He thought Crumb's piece was "something wild, something scary" and "absolutely the right music to play." [http://www.kronosquartet.org/25th/01.html] It was the first composition Kronos performed. [http://www.kronosquartet.org/25th/01.html]

"Threnody I: Night of the Electric Insects" is featured on the soundtrack of The Exorcist. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1278986]

External links

* [http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2004-03-18/cover3.shtml] Interview in Philadelphia City Paper
* [http://www.georgecrumb.net/comp/black-p.html] Official website