Music Finland Core

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James Broughton’s poetry collection fell into my hands fifteen years ago and I knew as soon as I read it that I would set True & False Unicorn to music in one form or another, sooner or later, when the right moment came. The moment didn’t come until 1970, when a Danish organisation commissioned me to write a piece for chamber choir, instruments and electronic music. The text was to be in an international language.Soon after the world premier given by the Finnish Broadcasting Company, the radio suggested that a radio adaptation of the work be produced for the Prix Italia. This only proved possible after considerable changes, and in the end I had to write a completely new score taking the technical and dramaturgical potential of radio work into account; the tape-music interludes in the work were also compiled from quite new elements. I believe that sound radio is the medium that best does justice to my work. The mythological fairy creature the Unicorn should in fact never appear on a stage other than that where its ultimate outlines take shape in the listener’s own imagination — that is, on the radio.James Broughton’s characteristic use of myth, linguistic brilliance and associations — which almost resembles musical technique — the song-like and dance-like quality are at their most magnificent in the extensive series True & False Unicorn. Its glowing tapestry picture is timeless and deeply humane. It stretches from the earth to the constellations.The Unicorn’s tape music only appears as interludes, which lead into each section of the extensive series of poems, like Virgil into purgatory. They are mostly ‘concrete music’ and their tone is naive. (Just as all concrete things are naive when seen alongside fantasy, surrealistic dreams.)In addition to the emphatically ‘melodic’ choral numbers, there are spoken pieces. The soloists also recite. Irony, parody and the paradoxical are often to the fore. But also, I should think, a certain tenderness toward man, the world and the life force, — and the respect for the mysterious Great One in Broughton’s symbolic artistic figure, the Unicorn.

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Movements

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Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin