I've been playing accordion for almost 28 years and have heard much about Leif Kayser and played several of his compositions and arrangements, including: 1 Symphony, Priere, Fantasy, and The Nutcracker for accordeonorkester and rates from Arabesque and Confetti for soloaccordeon. I think it is great and interesting music, and I have therefore chosen to write about Leif Kayser and his Arabesque.
In my job I will give a brief biography of Leif Kayser, where I will place special emphasis on his connection to accord tion and enter the background story for Arabesque. I have interviewed Peter Anders Nielsen, an honorary member of the Danish Accordeonlærer Union (DAU) and former chairman, to explain the story of Kayser related to the accordion and his Arabesque. After the biography, I will analyze 1st and 7 rate in order to explain the characteristic style elements of Leif Kayser compositions. Finally, I locate Leif Kayser as a composer in his time.
Leif Kayser was born in 1919 in Copenhagen. Here he grew up and came as 17-year-old into the Royal Danish Conservatory, where he studied subjects piano, organ, music theory and instrumentation. He passed his exam and was organist piano debut in 1941. Among his teachers included Paul Schierbeck (Composer), Tor Mann (conductor) and H. Rosenberg (composer). His musical abilities were exceptional, and he was reportedly able to play four-part organ rates in four different keys for leaf. In his study he wrote in 1938 his first major work, 1 Symphony, which was built by Tor Mann during a festive concert in Gothenburg. It was a huge success, and he was predicted to come up among the really great composers. But after having completed his studies in 1942 he traveled to Rome where he studied theology and philosophy. In 1949 he married Catholic priest in Rome, after which he went home, and simultaneously served as both pastor and organist at St.. Ansgar's Church in Copenhagen from 1949-1964. In 1964 he became associate professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where he taught in instrumentation and directors. At his first management team had big names like Thomas Koppel, Elvi Henriksen and Tom Angle. Over the next several years teaching and composing Kayser. He was in 1989 asked to compose choral work for Roskilde Cathedral when the pope visited Denmark in 1989. It was around this time, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, side effects from treatment prevented his composing. The disease progressed and 15 June 2001 died Leif Kayser.
Leif Kayser get acquainted with the accordion
Among the big names that Kayser had on its first executive team in 1964, was the man Peter Anders Nielsen. He had only recently completed his studies at the State Conservatoire in accordion Trossingen in Germany and was then conductor of the only Danish accordeonorkester at the time.
"I had looked into as a conductor at the conservatory, but had not anticipated coming in, so I was somewhat surprised when I discovered that I had been busy. During our first board hours we sat on a large round table where Kayser asked us what instruments we played. I was very nervous because it was my turn, because the accordion at the time was counted as a working-class instrument. I whispered, almost, when I was asked, but was relieved when Kayser replied: "How exciting" - for Kayser, it was not what was played, but how to play. I was young and enthusiastic, and asked him for hours, though he would not write anything for accordeonorkester. Kayser turned up for one of our orchestra samples a few months later to listen to our band. After the sample Kayser promised to arrange a piece of music for accordeonorkester. Two weeks later he made a transcription of Priere by Cesar Frank. The unit was a great success in accordeonkredse because it was so well arranged. All music on accordeonorkestre had until then been structured so that 1 and 2nd his voice had the melody and the rest of the orchestra had chords, and it was just that, Kayser bread by giving all the votes allowed to play the melody, so everyone felt they had to bear the orchestra. "(from interview with Peter Anders Nielsen)
Arabesque - for Free Bass Accordion
In 1970 the instrument was introduced as a fields of study at the Royal Danish Academy, m a missing students who had the skills to study. Moreover, lacked easy music, which could tighten accordeonspillernes skills already at music schools. Therefore, s amlingen "Arabesque" is on order from Danish Accordeonlærer Union (DAU) in 1974.
"Kayser was very motivated and was immediately started. He now sent the first pieces for accordion Mogens Ellegaard. Some days later rang Leif Kayser as Mogens Ellegaard, who say that it was nice accordeonmusik, though the pieces were somewhat harder than DAU had imagined. Kayser said: "It was not so good, because I have just written 3 pieces to. Mogens seems determined that Kayser had to continue to compose accordeonstykker, and in the following months Kayser wrote more and more pieces, in close collaboration with Mogens . How was the 10 to arabesques. "(from interview with Peter Anders Nielsen)
Arabesque was premiered by the academy in Copenhagen in spring 1975, Kayser and released them on his own imprint.
"There was a part accordeonstykker which was left over in the sense that they have missed the meeting Arabesque. 15 of these pieces was many years later published in the "Confetti". " (from interview with Peter Anders Nielsen)
Analysis of Leif Kayser Arabeske No. 1
Arabeske No. 1 starts with an exposure in the form of two waves of three each stroke, both moving up to a peak and fade away. Waves followed by an interlude where it is difficult to belong to forge a tonikafornemmelse - this gives a diffuse character. Next comes a reprise, which like the exposure consists of two waves, which grow up and come to rest. Finally playing an epilogue where the music is quiet and wears out. We can provide an overview of the piece as follows:
Exposure (step 1 - 6)
Interludes (line 6 to 17)
Reprise (line 18 to 23)
Epilogue (line 24 to 25)
Scale pattern has many names: Composers call it "Messiaen's 2nd mode "; jazz musicians call it" 8-tone scale "or" dim-point scale, where it uses when improvising over a 7b9 chord or a dim-chord. Fig. 1 shows a scale like. can be used for improvisation over E7b9 or G # dim (because G # is an E7b9 without basic tone).
Analysis of Leif Kayser Arabeske No. 7
Arabeske No. 7 is also called julearabesken. That's because Leif Kayser wrote this arabesque of "in dulci jubilo" - an ancient Gregorian Christmas hymn. Hymn, translated into Danish, called "A sweet and pleasing sound" and is in the Danish koralbog (see Annex 1). Salmen is in F major. Kayser contrast, uses F Lydian scale as basic as there are b to H. The rate is at 61 bars and fall through Christmas tune. Salmen is 16 bars long, and it is also in the first 16 bars of Arabeske No. 7, the Christmas song heard in the left hand. Following the 16 stroke rounded Christmas melody from the line 17-19 with a stroke break and then comes a repetition rate of 15-16. Then comes an interlude from the line 20-31, where especially the first line of Christmas melody played in different keys in the left hand, while the right hand ornamentation follow around in the maze of different keys. In step 31 falls reprise. Here repeated Christmas melody and ends as the 47th From line 48 to line 61 ends with rate variations over some designs, which will be highlighted later in the analysis.
One can therefore already provide an overview of Arabeske No. 7:
Theme (line 1-18)
Transition 1 (line 19-21)
Interludes (line 22-30)
Reprise (line 30-47)
Transition 2 (line 48-50)
Epilogue (line 51-62)
Christmas tune has Leif Kayser ornamented on the right hand. Decoration can be described as waves, moving rapidly up and down more than two octaves (quite accurately from a small A in step 2 to a trestreget F in step 31). In just half as the wave moves often nearly two octaves, which gives the undulating sensation, taking the game up to the highlights.
Style Elements Leif Kayser compositions based on analysis of Arabeske 1 and 7
Leif Kayser is known that one can hear each note in all his compositions (according to Peter Anders Nielsen). Listening to Arabesque No. 1 and 7 you can clearly hear each tone is incredibly clear (despite the old and poor recording). This is partly due to the fact that Kayser did not use "cool" chords, which we did not encounter in Arabeske No. 1 and 7
The music can be described as waves, then the music starts low and builds up to high points in order to finally settle down again. The numerous ornaments entries are in the music, may remind you of arabesques, and it is therefore not surprising that the plant got its name. Leif Kayser Arabesque is not the first work that provides such. Debussy wrote in 1888 a work by the same name (see Annex 2). It is obvious when looking at notes that there are many similarities between them, in the form of phrases tests with many legatobuer and a wave / arabesque-like structure. When you hear the music, it sounds far from identical, since Debussy and Kayser are working with two different tonaliteter. Debussy was the Impressionist and to break with the major / minor tonaliteten. Kayser wrote 100 years later and this time everything was broken by including tonality through twelve-tone music. Kayser works with an extended tonality, as one encounters in his Arabesque, where he for example. using a scale as dim-point scale.
It is characteristic of the ten levels of Arabesque that Kayser start each duty with introducing motifs, which he then plays with by transposing and vary them. The arabesques are not talking about a major or minor tonality, but rather an extended tonality. However, it is typical for Kayser to have a keynote and a basic scale. As mentioned in the analysis, the arabesque No 1 E as the basic tone and is built up over dim-scales. Arabeske No. 7 has R as the basic tone and is built up over a Lydian scale. Both rates have a similar structure: Exposure / theme, between games, reprise and epilogue, where the game has a different character than the rest because Kayser extends tonaliteten and feel of the basic tone disappears. When reprise occurs tonikafornemmelsen found. In layout terms, there is also a style element with Kayser. His music is very beautiful and very easy to read, making them comfortable to play for. There is no fixed plan in any of the arabesques. I think Kayser has chosen to record it so that the player should not forget the permanent records of the large amount of loose records, which occurs due the lack of major / minor tonality.
The old Gregorian Christmas tune "In dulci jubilo", as one hears in Arabeske No. 7, is far from the only Gregorian melody Kayser has included in his compositions. In Gads music lexicon is as follows:
"A main artery in his [Kayser] production is the church and organ music and choral works, which he often connects tradition deep source (Gregorian ol.) With moderate fluid flows in today's music, which is characteristic of his well-groomed style, Variations on" In Dulci Jubilo "Meditations of Requiem, 'Gregorian Paraphrase of motives" ... " (Gads Music Encyclopedia, 1988)
I can of the above extract that Kayser was very inspired by ancient classical music. He has composed numerous works, blending the old classical music with a new, expanded tonality.
Kayser and his contemporaries
Apart from the style elements that have been highlighted, it seems appropriate to place Leif Kayser, representing neoklassicismen.
As representatives of neoklassicismen include Stravinsky and Hindemith
"Neoklassicisme is in the music towards a style that arose in reaction against senromantikkens strong følelsesladethed the beginning of the 1900s. Neoklassicisme trying to combine a modern idiom of the Baroque and even earlier musical forms ... Neoklassicisme is beside the twelve-tone music the main styles of this century's first half and also has many representatives among today's musicians "(Gyldendals Tibinds Encyclopedia, 1977)
Among other Danish composers who use the same idiom as Kayser include Niels Viggo Bentzon and Ib Nørholm, both have written music for accordion.
Conclusion
Leif Kayser was a musician and composer. He has written much music for organ, choir, symphony orchestra and accordion. His most famous work for accordion is Arabesque - for Free Bass Accordion, which is 10 levels of modern music for accordion, which was written for music students. The unit was unfortunately all too difficult, and therefore played today by konservatorieelever. In Arabesque heard many intricate patterns that move up and down the pitch and making use of extended tonality without that there is atonal music, because there is tonic-feeling. Writing style of Arabesque can be described as neoclassical and I will therefore put Kayser as neoklassicist.
