Four Aspects

by Yrjö Hjelt

Neljä aspektia oboelle ja fagotille

for oboe and bassoon

Description

In me, the duo of oboe and bassoon awakens sunny moods of lively musicianship of the past decades or even centuries. More or less, Four Aspects was born under the influence of these moods, even though I heavily stepped into the grounds of dodecapfony—with a slightly unorthodox way however. The dualism (tonal–atonal) of a symmetric twelve-tone row, containing all intervals, occurs in the piece in different ways. Nonetheless, only the last movement takes distance to the sempiternal musicianship, which is created by forthright rhythmicity, melodiousness, and clear construction.

In the short, reduced and poetic Dialogue the two sixtone segments, of which the basic row is formed, are introduced. The playful Scherzo introduces revealed features of the material, whereas the Ballad shares a melancholic, almost a folksy tune. The final movement, Allegro, introduces a quite new aspect: its hectic minimalism is based on a strict systematics defining the rhythms and order of the notes within a harmonic process, which—after reaching its culmination—transforms into a luminous fulfillment.

Yrjö Hjelt

Instrumentation

ob, bsn

Category

Chamber Works

Premiere

Clara Dent, oboe, Bence Bogányi, bassoon, February 13, 2015, Municipal Hall, Tammela, Finland

Movements

I Introduction: Dialogue, II Scherzo, III Ballad, IV Allegro

Commisioned by / dedications

Commissioned by Bence Bogányi. Dedicated to Clara Dent and Bence Bogányi

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