Pageant of the Universe (that ancient song)

I'm afraid my self-proclaimed masterpiece (read: amateur project assembled with immense efforts that will be entirely disproportional to the inadequate final quality) is still in the making. Since this blogging period is done before my piece is, I'll just rant about it for now and add the final product onto the post later. So for now I'll begin with my out-of-context ramblings and assume you understand my madness. Please, if you have any advice or suggestions of any kind, I would appreciate the help.

Building off of my last post, Mrs. Dalloway is set up wonderfully for this musical adaptation. As Mr. Mitchell brought up in class one day, Virginia Woolf is sort of like the conductor of an orchestra. Since lists better allow for tangents, here is a mini-list of  my validations why Mrs. Dalloway is really a musical artwork.

1. Woolf jumps around minds like the melody would travel between different instruments. The reader's (or listener's) attention is drawn to one or two people at a time as certain ideas are featured.
2. She orchestrates scenes to bring everyone together. Like the streetcar montage. Or the skywriter speculations. Or even Clarissa's party. George Gershwin used the image of traffic to bring instruments together in "An American in Paris," having saxophones imitate car horns while various other instruments present their own variations on the melody. See also Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," with the siren-like clarinet intro.
3. She keeps time with Big Ben. There's a little percussion section in the back reinforcing the time while adding an aspect of rhythm and flow to the day. Like in an orchestra, it reminds you of the duration of the story.

At the bottom you'll find my selection featured instruments and the characters they've been assigned to. Again, feel free to comment with your suggestions. I originally also had Elizabeth on French Horn, but she was mentioned so little, I figured I could insert her part later if it really felt missing without her. I cut Mrs. Kilman altogether. I couldn't think of an instrument for her and figured she'd disrupt more than anything. Maybe, like Elizabeth, I'll add her in later, though. I'm also debating cutting Hugh or Sally. We'll see.

It's hard for me to pinpoint why I chose characters for the instruments I did, but I don't know. It just felt right? Clarissa seems saxophone-ish to me. Maybe it's because I'm a sax player, but I don't feel like I identify with Clarissa that much so I'm not really sure what my saxophone stereotype is. Maybe it's her free-spirited solo-ready type. Even though it seems like she's actually not that independent. But she's buying the flowers herself, and to make her a saxophone, that statement is enough for me.

Peter's on tenor sax because of his long-standing connection with Clarissa. It seemed fitting to have them on the same instrument. Plus, tenor sax has more of that rough, deep timbre. It has quite the alluring tone, if I say so myself. And Peter's pretty darn alluring. He's passionate but sweet, which I declare to be very tenor sax-esque qualities.

Richard Dalloway, on the other hand, gets the flute. He's lofty and sensitive, not to mention cute. However, Richard isn't bold like the saxophone. He isn't gossipy like the clarinet or abrasive like the trombone. He floats above the rest of the instruments and relies on repitition. His solos aren't lengthy and diverse, but he stays focused on his lovely riff, restating his point "in so many words" until his task is accomplished.

Then there's admirable Hugh. Pompous, admirable Hugh. He's uppity and sticks to his beats on one and three. Hugh knows his routine and doesn't improvise much away from that. I can't think of a better way to describe a tuba's sound than pompous. It's a beautiful instrument, don't get me wrong, but its filled-out tone is perfect for a character who's full of himself.

Sally Seton carries a different sort of confidence than Hugh. It's still pride that carries her, but it's more of an I-know-what-I'm-talking-about educated pride than an I-have-money-and-therefore-I'm-better-than-you pride. The trumpet fits her because it gets to almost carry the band with its solos. It's a strong instrument full of certainty, and its primary tone quality is loud. The first trumpet is rarely asked to play more quietly in any setting, from orchestra to jazz. Its sound is relied upon and often it sets the mood. Like Sally, the trumpet is influential.

I know I said in a previous post that Septimus would be on oboe, but english horn just seemed so much more fitting for him than for Rezia. The english horn is often mistaken for an oboe, being lower and only slightly off in sound. But it is off, nonetheless. It's an overlooked instrument that possesses a warm, haunting timbre that I often envy, personally. Septimus's solos will be long, rambly, and make frequent use of the melodic minor scale, leaving the impression of being outside a key signature. His english horn poetry will be rich with emotion, culminating in his final cadenza (literally a musical fall). I'm excited for Septimus's part.

Lucrezia, on the similar-sounding oboe (because she's on Septimus's side, so he's only sort of alone instead of entirely), tries to communicate with Septimus. She'll break into his thoughts while he either interrupts her irritatedly or continues with his musings. Often Septimus and Rezia's parts are in harmony.

Meanwhile, Dr. Holmes and Dr. Bradshaw come in with their trombones, which were formerly established as abrasive. I'm quite against the trombone as an instrument, so perhaps my bias plays in a bit on this placing. But the trombones rudely slide into Septimus's fearful tirades, massacring all the remnants of beauty. Then Septimus's thoughts become wails and the doctors' become laughs as the communication wall rises.

Finally, we have the narrator on gossipy clarinet. On one hand, the clarinet's tone feels objective, not attached especially to any of the instruments. Yet, it often bridges the gaps as the instruments exchange melodies, introducing each change with a little run. Aside from this natural task, the clarinet will play over Septimus's hauntings, explaining his story in less-dissonant terms. The narrator works in harmony with Septimus, calm to the outside world's ideas of him.

Okay, rant done for now. I'll post the piece when it's done.

Instrumentalists:

Big Ben: Timpani
Clarissa Dalloway: Alto Saxophone
Peter Walsh: Tenor Saxophone
Richard Dalloway: Flute
Hugh Whitbread: Tuba
Sally Seton: Trumpet
Septimus Warren-Smith: English Horn
Lucrezia Warren-Smith: Oboe
Dr. Holmes: Trombone 1
Dr. Bradshaw: Trombone 2
Narrator: Clarinet