David Lang's The So-Called Laws of Nature: An Analysis with

an Emphasis On Compositional Processes

Item type text; Electronic Dissertation

Authors Shinbara, Scott

Publisher The University of Arizona.

Rights Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this

material is made possible by the University Libraries,
University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction
or presentation (such as public display or performance) of
protected items is prohibited except with permission of the
author.

Downloaded 25-Apr-2017 01:04:51

Link to item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/301687

 1

DAVID LANGS THE SO-CALLED LAWS OF NATURE: AN ANALYSIS WITH AN
EMPHASIS ON COMPOSITIONAL PROCESSES


by


Scott Shinbara


__________________________
Copyright Scott Shinbara 2013





A Document Submitted to the Faculty of the


SCHOOL OF MUSIC


In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of


DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS


In the Graduate College


THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA




2013

 2

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

GRADUATE COLLEGE

As members of the Document Committee, we certify that we have read the
document prepared by Scott Shinbara, title David Langs The So-Called Laws of
Nature: An Analysis with Emphasis on Compositional Processes and recommend that
it be accepted as fulfilling the document requirement for the Degree of Doctor of
Musical Arts.


_______________________________________________________________________ Date: June 25, 2013
Norman Weinberg

_______________________________________________________________________ Date: June 25, 2013
Jerry Kirkbride

_______________________________________________________________________ Date: June 25, 2013
Kelland Thomas



Final approval and acceptance of this document is contingent upon the candidates
submission of the final copies of the document to the Graduate College.

I hereby certify that I have read this document prepared under my direction and
recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the document requirement.


________________________________________________________________________ Date: June 25, 2013
Document Director: Norman Weinberg





 3

STATEMENT BY AUTHOR

This document has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the
University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library.

Brief quotations from this document are allowable without special
permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made.
Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this
manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder.




SIGNED: Scott Shinbara


 4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This document, my education, and my musical experiences would not be possible if
not for all of my teachers, friends, and family. Special thanks goes out to my
professors Gary Cook, Jerry Kirkbride, Tomm Roland, Janet Sturman, Kelland
Thomas, and Norman Weinberg.

The dedication goes to my parents, David and Patty Shinbara, for their support
both emotional and financialthrough all of my musical endeavors, and to my wife,
Mackenzie Pickard, who is my toughest critic.
 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES .............................................................................................................. 8

LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................................... 9

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................. 10

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 11

David Lang ............................................................................................................................................. 14

Compositional Style for Percussion ............................................................................................ 16

The So-Called Laws of Nature ....................................................................................................... 19

CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF PART ONE ................................................................................... 22

Section A ................................................................................................................................................. 22

Melody One ............................................................................................................................................ 23

Melody Two ........................................................................................................................................... 24

Rest Processes ...................................................................................................................................... 25

Rest Process One ................................................................................................................................. 25

Rest Process Two ................................................................................................................................ 27

Section B ................................................................................................................................................. 28

Melody Processes ............................................................................................................................... 28

Accompaniment Process ................................................................................................................. 29

Bass Process .......................................................................................................................................... 30

Overlapping Processes ..................................................................................................................... 31

Section A ................................................................................................................................................ 31
 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued

CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF PART TWO .............................................................................. 33

Tuned Metals One (TM1) ................................................................................................................. 34

Attack Duration Two ......................................................................................................................... 38

Attack Duration Three A .................................................................................................................. 38

Attack Duration Four ........................................................................................................................ 39

Attack Duration Three B .................................................................................................................. 40

Tuned Metals Two .............................................................................................................................. 42

Tom Tom ................................................................................................................................................ 43

Tom Tom Process One ...................................................................................................................... 44

Tom Tom Process Two ..................................................................................................................... 46

Nasty Metal ............................................................................................................................................ 48

Bass Drum .............................................................................................................................................. 48

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF PART THREE ............................................................................. 49

Flowerpots .50

Teacups ................................................................................................................................................... 51
Teacup Process One ........................................................................................................................... 51

Teacup Process Two .......................................................................................................................... 52

Tuned Bells ............................................................................................................................................ 56

Small Guiro ............................................................................................................................................ 59

Tiny Woodblock .................................................................................................................................. 59

 7

TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................................... 62

Macro Level Observations ............................................................................................................... 63

Micro Level Observations ................................................................................................................ 66

Future Research .................................................................................................................................. 68

Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 69

APPENDIX A: LETTER OF PERMISSION FOR MUSICAL EXAMPLES .................................. 71

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................. 74

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Musical Example 1: Part One mm. 1-15 ........................................................................................ 24

Musical Example 2: Part One Rest Process One mm. 103-108 ........................................... 26

Musial Example 3: Part One Melody Processes mm. 451-456 ............................................ 29

Musical Example 4: Part One Excerpt of Section A' mm. 847-858 .................................... 32

Musical Example 5: Part Two m. 1 .................................................................................................. 35

Musical Example 6: Part Two mm. 2-3 .......................................................................................... 36

Musical Example 7: Part Two mm. 1-8 .......................................................................................... 37

Musical Example 8: Part Two Attack Duration Three A mm. 2-21 ................................... 39

Musical Example 9: Part Two Attack Duration Four mm. 3-48 .......................................... 40

Musical Example 10: Part Two Tom Tom Process Two mm. 335-338 ............................ 46

Musical Example 11: Part Two Nasty Metal Pattern ............................................................... 48

Musical Example 12: Part Three Teacups Original Form m. 2 ............................................ 52

Musical Example 13: Teacups Process Two mm. 2-32 ........................................................... 54

Musical Example 14: Part Three Tiny Woodblock Process mm. 108-120 ..................... 60

Musical Example 15: Part Three Additive and Subtractive Movement mm. 6-8 ........ 65

Musical Example 16: Part Two Four Note Simultaneous Figure m. 499 ........................ 67

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Rest Process Two Occurrences ....................................................................................... 27

Table 2: Part Two Attack Duration Entrances ........................................................................... 41

Table 3: Part Two Duration Patterns Tuned Metals Two mm. 121-309 ........................ 43

Table 4: Part Two Tom Tom Process One mm. 311-370 ....................................................... 45

Table 5: Part Two Tom Tom Process Two mm. 335-342 ...................................................... 47

Table 6: Teacup Process Two Composite Movement mm. 2-32 ......................................... 55

Table 7: Tuned Bell Process mm. 34-41 ....................................................................................... 56

Table 8: Tuned Bell "E" mm. 35-97 ................................................................................................. 58

Table 9: Tiny Woodblock Process mm. 108-208. ..................................................................... 61

 10

ABSTRACT

Compared to the solo percussion works, little academic work has been done

in the research and analysis of percussion ensemble compositions. David Lang, a

Pulitzer Prize winning composer, has written many prominent works for percussion

in both the solo and chamber setting. His work, The So-Called Laws of Nature for

percussion quartet, written in 2001, has quickly become standard repertoire. Lang

composed the piece with many overlapping processes, patterns that are affected in a

pre-defined manner, in line with his totalist style. Using traditional analytical

methods would not accurately represent the complexity the work has to offer to the

performer. This paper will attempt to find musical significance by breaking down

the individual processes.

The conclusions from this research are mostly open-ended and, to some

extent, subjective. The most effective performers will take the objective analytical

information and use it to create an informed, well-intentioned, subjective

experience. In this study of The So-Called Laws of Nature the analysis attempts to

connect the objectivethe dataand the subjectivethe analysis of that datato

work together to aid the performer to create the best possible musical and

ultimately artistic interpretation.

 11

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Compared to works for solo percussion, little academic work has been done

in the area of percussion ensemble compositions. These compositions have only

existed, in the Western music tradition, for approximately the last one hundred

years. Many of the early works for percussion ensemble were, at least in part,

process-based, meaning patterns which are affected in a pre-defined manner. Early

influence came from Luigi Russolo and his manifesto L'Artedei Rumori (The Art of

Noises), written in 1913. Russolos writings were followed by musical works like

Arthur Honeggers Pacific 231 (1923) and George Antheils Ballet Mecanique (1924).

These compositions led to the first major percussion ensemble piece, Edgard

Vareses Ionisation (1931).

The next generation of percussion ensemble composers rose to prominence

during the 1930s and 1940s. This collection of composers was mentored by Henry

Cowell and included prominent composers such as Lou Harrison and John Cage.

Both composers utilized a process-based approach. One example is Third

Construction (1941), in which Cage uses a square root formula as a tool for

composition. Later, this music, which had aligned itself with dance and theatre,

became known as the West Coast School. The composers of the West Coast School

embraced non-Western music along with Russolos teaching on the value of noise as
 12

a compositional element. This fusion resulted in pieces that made limited or no use

of fixed-pitch instruments.

In the next decades, composers continued this legacy of percussion ensemble

repertoire that featured mathematical processes. One of these composers was

Iannis Zenakis, whose works included Persaphassa (1969), Plades (1979), and

Okho (1989). Steve Reichs Drumming (1970) broke away from the modernist

tradition and helped pioneer the movement of minimalism. The So-Called Laws of

Nature (2001) by David Lang represents a new composition that continues the

legacy of process-based approach for percussion ensemble.

Minimalism, and its offshoots post-minimalism and totalism, have become

popular styles for recent percussion ensemble literature. The focus of percussion

music written in this style has timbre and rhythm often overshadowing traditional

pitch materials. The shift of focus from timbre and rhythm to pitch limits the models

for the researcher. New approaches to analysis are needed to properly address this

music.

A prime example is David Langs percussion quartet The So-Called Laws of

Nature. Lang composed the piece with many overlapping processes in line with his

totalist style. Using traditional analytical methods would not accurately represent

the stunning complexity the work has to offer. For this reason, this paper will

attempt to find musical significance by identifying the basic processes that form the

composition. The study will focus on an analytic concept first applied to Langs

work by Sungmoon Chung in his dissertation, David Langs Memory Pieces for Solo
 13

Piano: A Study in Linear Transformation.1 Chung analyzed the piece by focusing on

the basic processes that made up the work. Although he didnt identify all of the

patterns, he did make broad observations based on the major processes that he

found. In this analysis, the study will be in more depth, attempting to identify all of

the processes that make up The So-Called Laws of Nature.

Minimalist, post-minimalist, and totalist works often are composed using

simple pre-determined patterns which overlap simultaneously to create resultant,

multilayered music. The complexity of multiple instrument groups and many

processes occurring at the same time creates a texture that can be hard to hear for

both the performer and audience member. Analyzing this style of music by breaking

down its processes, rather than using more traditional analysis, may be helpful to

understand the compositional nature of many post-minimalist and totalist works.

By focusing on David Langs percussion quartet The So-Called Laws of Nature I will

show that a study with an emphasis on process-based analyses explains the

construction of this work and may be a viable methodology for similar

compositions. Similar research would allow for a more informed performance of

this work while possibly illuminating other works similar to Langs compositional

nature written for both percussionists and other instrumentalists as well.

1Chung, Sungmoon, David Langs Memory Pieces for Solo Piano: A Study in Linear

Transformation. (D.M.A. diss., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2005),

32.
 14

David Lang

David Lang was born in Los Angeles in 1957. Currently, he works as co-

musical director of the Bang on a Can music festival as well as serving on the

composition faculty of Yale University. His life as a musician started when he was

nine years old in an unlikely fashion. In school one day when it was raining, recess

was held inside where Lang and his classmates got to watch a video of Leonard

Bernstein conducting a piece by Shostakovich. Bernstein described the composers

first symphony at only 19 years old.2 That video impacted Lang with not only the

idea that he might compose music himself, but also that he should be a successful

composer before the age of 20.

Langs formal education came at Stanford University, The University of Iowa,

and Yale University,3 where he worked with Lou Harrison, Jacob Druckman, Martin

Bresnick, and Hans Werner Henze.4 While at the University of Iowa, Lang met

percussionist Steven Schick, also a student at that time. Their friendship was highly

influential on Langs decision to use percussion as a frequent medium in his

compositions. Works like The Anvil Chorus; String of Pearls; and Lying, Cheating, and

Stealing were written specifically for Schick.5

2 McCutchan, Ann. The Muse That Sings: Composers Speak about the Creative Process.

New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, 220.

3 Ibid. 219.
4 Gann, Kyle. American Music in the Twentieth Century. New York, Shirmer Books,

1997, 378.
5 For a more detailed account of David Lang and Steve Schicks time at Iowa, please

see Andy Bliss paper David Lang: Deconstructing a Constructivist Composer.

 15

David Lang is perhaps best known as one of the co-founders of the Bang on a

Can musical organization. Along with co-founders Michael Gordon and Julie Wolf,

Bang on A Can started as a twelve-hour new music festival at Exit Art Gallery in the

SoHo area of New York City in 1987. Michael Gordon, describing why they started

the festival in the East Village, said, This area was the hot arts center for the

Pyramid Club and punk bands and CBGB. Philip Glass lives two blocks down, and we

used to see Allen Ginsberg walking around the neighborhood.6 In 2012, the festival

celebrated its 25th anniversary. What started as a twelve-hour concert has grown

into a full organization that supports both the annual festival and a touring company

called The Bang on a Can All-Stars.

Individually, David Langs greatest critical achievement came in 2008 as he

was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his piece The Little Match Girl Passion written for

chamber choir with four voice soloists each playing simple percussion parts.

Tim Page, a Pulitzer Juror said, With all due respect to the hundreds of

distinguished pieces I've listened to, I don't think I've ever been so moved by a new,

and largely unheralded, composition as I was by David Lang's Little Match Girl

Passion, which is unlike any music I know."7

6 Smith, Steve. Looking Beyond a Milestone, for Some More Cans to

Bangwww.nytimes.com, April 2012. Accessed 10-3-12.

7 Huizenga, Tom David Lang Wins Music Pulitzer, National Public Radio,

http://www.npr.org (accessed May 20, 2013).

 16

Compositional Style for Percussion

Classifying David Langs compositional style, like many of his

contemporaries, can be quite difficult. His use of repetition and short melodic

phrases aligns him with traditional minimalism, yet his mathematical and process-

based approach puts him with a modernist camp. He says of his own musical

intention:

To me, I think it's very important to have the experience that's unexpected. I
think I'm more affected by things in which I have to uncover the serious
intent, than when the serious intent is presented for me on a platter. Music in
our lives is incredibly manipulative. Most of the music that we hear is music
that is supposed to make us feel something specific, and we know exactly
how we're supposed to feel. Buy this kind of cereal or car, or feel this
emotion in this movie or TV show. We know what those emotions are; there's
no room for subtlety. Classical music has a nobility now. It is the only musical
experience where you can have the unexpected emotionwhere you're free
to decide for yourself. I think for me, that realization has made me make my
music more abstract.8

Langs sensibilities toward the more abstract, combined with the influence of his

musical education, perhaps moved him into becoming a more post-minimalist or

totalist composer.

Totalist music, like the post-minimalist movement, is heavily influenced by

the minimalist genre. It has a strong identification with the East Coast, mainly

centered in New York City. These composers represent the next generation of the

minimalist tradition being born predominantly in the 1950s as a part of the baby

boomer generation. The term totalist refers to the use of many musical influences

8 Alburger, Mark. Bang on an Ear: An Interview with David Lang. 21st Century

Music. Vol. 7. (2000), pp. 2-14.

 17

beyond the European tradition. Kyle Gann, who has written extensively about post-

minimalism and totalism, says:

The generation born in the 1950s is the first to benefit from greatly increased
exposure to non-Western musics in college. In the past, such an advantage
came primarily as an accident of geography: West Coast composers like
Cowell and Partch grew up with musics other than European as their major
musical environment.

He goes on to say:

Whether a composer takes advantage of this exposure or not, he or she is far

more likely to learn at a formative age that European music of the common-
practice period is just one music among many, with no privileged position. In
fact, with greatly decreased classical concert attendance, the prestige of
European music assumed by earlier generations has been fading rapidly.9

These composers have combined the original aesthetics of minimalism and

post-minimalism with their own, more total music experience. The music often

focuses on process-oriented compositional strategies in a more complex way than

came before (running multiple processes at once, for example). Some examples of

the totalist movement include composers Mikel Rouse, Arthur Jarvenin, Julie Wolf,

and Michael Gordon.

Clear examples of this total style of composition can be seen in David Lang's

writing for percussion. In these works he fully exploits the wide variance of timbral

possibilities using short melodic ideas coupled with multiple processes, often

happening simultaneously. Examples include The Anvil Chorus (1991), Scrapping

9 Kyle Gann, American Music in the Twentieth Century (New York: Schirmer Books,

1997), 353-354.

 18

Song (1997), Unchained Melody (2004), String of Pearls (2006), and the chamber

work Cheating, Lying, and Stealing (1993/95), amongst others.10

Perhaps the clearest description of Lang's compositional style comes from

his own words. In an interview with Ann McCutchan, Lang describes his process

saying:

I also played in rock bands and jazz bands as a kid. I was interested in both
classical music and pop music. For some reason, I chose to go the classical
route, and I ended up getting my doctorate at Yale, so I have this messy
combination of influences. I think thats one of the reasons why Im so
interested in trying to figure out new ways to organize pieces.

He goes on to say:

I like to think about ways ideas are organized in the world, and I think about
political issues and social issues, and how social systems work-how people
get along with each other, how people change their functions in groups.

Later, he says:

I make up all these rules about how instruments relate, or how registers
work, or how tunes work. I take scraps of music I come up with intuitively
and subject them to really strange rhythmic processes that pull them apart. If
outside ideas come in, if I sing a melody to myself, its probably something
that Im not allowed to do by my structure.11

Langs description aides in the understanding of his compositional style by

explaining the fundamental way that he composes. In general, he combines short

melodic ideas (using both standard pitched instruments and/or non-pitched

10 This list is not an exhaustive list of his works with percussion but a set of works

that figure prominently into the standard percussion repertoire.

11 McCutchan, Ann. The Muse that Sings: Composers Speak about the Creative Process.

New York, Oxford University Press, 1999, 220-225.

 19

instruments), repetition, non-traditional timbres12, and rhythmic processes, all

occurring in overlapping and often multiple structures. Langs style is that of the

totalist composer, as he pulls heavily from modernist, minimalist, and pop music

characteristics to shape

The So-Called Laws of Nature

The So-Called Laws of Nature is written in three parts lasting approximately

thirty-four minutes. It was written in 2001 for the So Percussion, an influential

American quartet. Langs program notes state:

his works.

I went to college to study science. I was expected to become a doctor, or at
the very least a medical researcher, and I spent much of my undergraduate
years studying math and chemistry and physics, hanging out with future
scientists, going to their parties, sharing their apartments, eavesdropping on
their conversations. I remember a particularly heated discussion about a
quote from Wittgenstein: At the basis of the whole modern view of the
world lies the illusion that the so-called laws of nature are the explanation of
natural phenomena. This quote rankled all us future scientists, as it implied
that science cant explain the universe but can only offer mere descriptions of
things observed. Over the years it occurred to me that this could be
rephrased as a musical problem.13

12 In Langs percussion pieces in particular, he asks for many non-standard

instruments such as pieces of metal, teacups, etc.

13 Lang, program notes for The So-Called Laws of Nature.
 20

The So-Called Laws of Nature combines many of the musical elements of

Langs previous percussion compositions. He writes for non-traditional instruments

(flower pots, tea cups, wooden planks, and pitched metal pipes), limits pitch

material, and utilizes pattern-based developmental compositional elements all of

which are consistent with the post-minimalist and totalist movement.

All three parts share compositional elements but vary in their instrument

choice, dynamics, and density. Part One is the most homogenous, calling for each

player to create his/her own set of seven pieces of wood. Much of the movement is

played in rhythmic unison (with the non-unison parts easily distinguishable). Part

Two, which calls for each performer to have seven specifically tuned metal pipes,

three tom-tom drums, bass drum, and a nasty piece of metal, is the loudest and

most aurally complex movement. Part Three is the quietist and most delicate, with

each of the four players performing on their own sets of clay pots, tea cups, bells,

guiro, and small woodblock. The softness and delicate nature of the instruments is

chilling after hearing Part Two. All four of the players are in rhythmic unison in Part

Three, which gives the listener the best opportunity to discern the multiple

processes in real time. Theater and staging also play a role in the effectiveness of

this piece. Each of the movements has a suggested set-up that allows the audience to

visually see the processes that are carried out from player to player.

In the following chapters, each part will be analyzed in order to gain a

greater understanding and analytical knowledge that will help guide the performer
 21

to make informed musical decisions in his/her own preparation and performance of

the work.

 22

CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF PART ONE

Part One utilizes only one instrument group consisting of seven woodblocks

per player. Lang asks that the top three pitches be as close between player to player

as possible, with pitch differences getting larger as the pitches lower. He indicates

that commercial woodblocks could be used but is looking for a thinner, more brittle

sound to the instruments.

Compared to Parts Two and Three, identifying each of the processes of Part

One is the hardest to ascertain and therefore leaves the analysis of this part

incomplete to some degree. Additional investigation may be required to further

analyze Part One to the same level of analysis found later in this document of Parts

Two and Three. This analysis will focus on the processes that could be successfully

analyzed. Part One can be broken into three large SectionsA: mm. 1-450, B: mm.

451-846, and A: mm. 847-900.

Section A

Section A consists of two different types of processes, those that deal with the

melodic material, and those that are contained in the rests. Each of these areas can

be further broken down into two separate processes, as discussed below.

 23

Melody One

Part One starts with extended unison writing for all four players in mm. 1-

224. This material is repeated, moving from player to player, in mm. 227-450 and is

partially stated from m. 848 until the end of the movement in m. 900. This repeated

material pitch and rhythmic material will be referred to as Melody One.

The most audible process of Melody One is the rhythmic and dynamic

pattern set up in the first four measures and then subsequently repeated through

the rest of the melody. Measure one is subdivided into sixteenth notes and starts at

forte with a decrescendo. Measure two is divided into eighth note triplets with a

continuation of the decrescendo from measure one. Measure three is divided into

eighth notes starting at the dynamic of piano with a crescendo. Measure four

completes the cycle divided into eighth note triplets with the continuation of the

crescendo. This pattern of 4-3-2-3 is shown below.

 24

Musical Example 1: Part One mm. 1-15

This type of process is used extensively in The So-Called Laws of Nature. It is an

example of an additive and subtractive process14. In this example, the rhythm goes
through a subtractive process and then adds back to the original.15

Melody Two

Melody Two begins in m. 227, performed first by Player Four. It comes at the

beginning of the repeat of Melody One. Every four measures the next player joins in

unison until all four players have entered. Four measures later, Player Four goes

back to Melody A and the process repeats itself.

14 These processes can also occur inverse, as a subtractive and additive process.
15 Additive and subtractive processes in this piece apply to various different

elements such as rhythm, texture, sustain, melody, and others. More specific
discussion can be found in the conclusion chapter.
 25

Rest Processes

Rests are an integral part of the Part One processes. In the Melody One

section, two processes of rest are present. For this analysis they will be broken into

Rest Process One and Rest Process Two. Further, Rest Process One can be broken

into two separate but related processes labeled Rest Process One A and B. It should

be noted that both rest processes bring about an interruption on the aural level

only. In other words, they cause silence but do not cause an interruption in the

melodic process. The researcher, for the purpose of analysis, must fill in the blanks

in order to understand the full melodic process.

Rest Process One

Rest Process One A (RP1A) occurs on either the beat division level or

subdivision level established in each measure.16 RP1A starts in m. 5 and continues

through Melody One. In measure 5, a rest is placed on the first sixteenth. Every four

bars the pattern continues, the rest moves one rhythmic unit forward (to the right)

as seen in the figure below. Once the rest pattern has gotten through each division of

the 4-3-2-3 process, it then moves backwards (to the left) one rhythmic unit every

four bars. The example below shows how the rest in m. 104 moves an eighth note

triplet earlier (or to the left) in m. 106.

16 For instance, when the measure is divided into eighth notes, the rest will be an

eighth rest. This can be a little confusing as the rhythmic divisions change in each
bar. When divided into sixteenth notes, the rest will be a sixteenth rest.
 26

Musical Example 2: Part One Rest Process One mm. 103-108

Rest Process One B (RP1B) is similar to RP1A in its function within Melody

Two. The process starts with a rest on the last subdivision of the sixteenth in m. 230

in Player Fours part. The next occurrence is in m. 234 with the rest moving to the

seventh sixteenth in the measure. This pattern continues through Melody Two.

The exception to this process occurs in m. 9. Here, instead of the rest moving

from the first sixteenth (in m. 5) to the second sixteenth it moves to the third

sixteenth. Such purposeful deviations from the process are common in Langs

works. Andrew Bliss calls these deviations compositional glitches.17 According to

Bliss, these glitches are adjustments that Lang uses simply because he finds them

interesting.18

17 Bliss, Andrew, David Lang: Deconstructing a Constructivist Composer. DMA

doc., University of Kentucky 2008.

18 In the case of The So-Called Laws of Nature none of the glitches that have been

found relate to making multiple processes that are overlapping work any better.
Instead, Lang plans these overlapping elements ahead of time making sure that they
dont impede on one another. When they do, he decides which process gets
precedence over the other.

 27

Rest Process Two

Rest Process Two, in a similar fashion to Rest Process One, only occurs

during the Melody A section. It consists of two consecutive bars of rests. Below, the

figure shows each instance of Rest Process Two.

Table 1: Rest Process Two Occurrences

MM. 54-55
119-120
186-187
225-226
(repeat of melody one)
236-237
280-281
302-303
346-347
368-369
412-413
434-435

At the beginning of Melody A, Rest Process Two deviates from the strict pattern that

follows and appears to be an example of the Lang process glitch. However, it is not

true. When looking at the score, a different pattern emerges. In the first occurrence

of Melody A, all four players are in unison. Instead of the Rest Process Two relating

to an occurrence of an exact duration of time, the process happens at the last

 28

measure of each page and the first measure of the next, facilitating easier page turns

for the players.

When Melody B enters, this approach for turning pages would not work and

instead Lang turns to a more quantifiable process as seen in mm. 236-435. Here the

pattern occurs alternating between 44 measures apart and 22 measures apart,

forming an easily discernable pattern that is shown in the table above.

Section B

Section B can be broken down into three processes relating to the seven

pitches. The first process relates to the top three pitches that serve as the melody for

this section. The second process involves the next three pitches, in descending

order, that functions as the accompaniment. The last process uses only the lowest

note and functions as the bass process.

Melody Processes

For the purpose of analysis, the highest written three pitches, making up the

Melody Process, will be labeled as if they were treble clef pitches of D, F, A.19 Instead

of the three pitches forming a melody in a conventional sense, Lang has them

operate independently, augmenting and diminishing in the texture of the four

players. The first pitch to enter is the A pitch in m. 452 in Player Two. The next

occurrence, on the fourth sixteenth note of the bar, is in both Players Two and

19 In Part One, Lang doesnt use a melodic clef, as specific pitches are not notated.

For the purpose of this analysis, the pitches are labeled as if they were written in the
treble clef.
 29

Three. The next occurrence adds Player Four, followed by Player One. Then, the

process subtracts from all four players to three, two, and then one. The figure below

shows this process.

Musial Example 3: Part One Melody Processes mm. 451-456

This process continues and works in a similar fashion for pitches F and D. Pitch F

comes in at m. 456. Unlike the A pitch, F starts on a Lang style glitch. In m. 466 the

process becomes clear and glitch free. Pitch D starts much later in m. 620.

Accompaniment Process

The next three pitches, E, G, and B, make up the Accompaniment Process.

These pitches cycle in a pattern switching between pitches B and G, and later G and

E. It can be seen in the previous figure of mm. 452-456. Measure 452 uses the B
 30

pitch, 453 uses the G pitch, and then mm. 454-455 uses the B pitch. The pattern of

the number of measures in between accompaniment notes is shown below.

1-5-1-7-2-3-12-3-10-10-6-6

Once again this pattern gets a Lang glitch, sometimes skipping one of the switches

but maintaining the overall pattern.20 In mm. 452-641, the pattern switches from B

to G. In mm. 642-830, the pattern switches from G to E. The Accompaniment Process

changes in m. 830; the pitches are replaced with rests where the attacks would be

for the duration of Section B.

Bass Process

The last process in Section B contains the lowest pitch written as C. Its

function is to switch from punctuating the beat level (in this case the eighth note) to

the division level (sixteenth note). Again, the figure above in mm. 452-454 is on the

beat and at mm. 455-456 is off the beat. The measure pattern for this process is

shown below.

4-3-1-1-2-121

Similar to the Accompaniment Process, the Bass Process is omitted in m. 763 and is

replaced by rests (where applicable) until the end of Section B.

20 For Example, he does the pattern 1-5-1-7-2-3-12-10-10-6-6, omitting one of the

three measure changes.

21 Once again, the first instance of this pattern is slightly different, being 3-3-1-1-2-1.
 31

Overlapping Processes

In the figure above, Player Twos measure 452 has an overlap of the Melody

Process and the Bass Process. This conflict happens many times within this section

and is always resolved by letting the Melody Process take precedence over the Bass

Process. The same issue happens between the Melody Process and the

Accompaniment Process. In this case, the Melody Process replaces the

Accompaniment one.

Section A

The last section of Part I, labeled Section A, is a shortened, varied version of

the original. It spans mm. 848-900 (end of the movement). It relates most to Section

A at measure 227 where Melody Process Two starts. In Section A Melody Process

One and Rest Process One occur in the exact same way and function as they did at m.

227. The difference occurs in Melody Process Two and Rest Process Two. First, Rest

Process Two is omitted, probably because of the relatively short amount of

measures in A. Second, Melody Process Two takes out the bottom four notes (C, E,

G, B) and replaces their attacks with rests. This replacement is done most likely to

match the Accompaniment and Bass Processes doing the same thing in the later part

of Section B. This space seems to deconstruct the density of the beginning of the

movement, providing a sense of finality to Part One. The figure below shows the

changes that occur in A.

 32

Musical Example 4: Part One Excerpt of Section A' mm. 847-858

 33

CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF PART TWO

When hearing Part II for the first time, the listener will no doubt be drawn to

the canonic writing between each of the players. The process that creates this

cannon shapes the entire movement and is the genesis of its complex linear

structure.

Part II calls for four sets of seven tuned, resonant pieces of metal; three

graduated toms; one brake drum or other nasty piece of metal22; and one bass

drum with foot operated pedal. Each of these four sets should all sound as identical

as possible to the other sets, with particular care in getting the pieces of metal as in

tune as possible.

For this movement the instruments can be broken down into the following

categories:

Tuned Metals One - TM123 (pitches F4, Ab4, C5, Db5)

Tuned Metals Two - TM2 (pitches F5, G5, Ab5)
Tom Tom Drums - TT
Nasty Metal - NM
Bass Drum with pedal - BD

Part Two is written in the 2/4 time signature and is subdivided to the level of

sixteenth notes. This subdivision provides the key for the rhythmic processes at

22 David Lang. The So-Called Laws of Nature. Program notes.
23 The abbreviations for all of the different instrument categories will be used in the

analysis from this point on.

 34

work. The best labeling system, therefore, will be done at the level of sixteenth notes

by using a system of SN1-SN8 (sixteenth note 1 through sixteenth note 8).24

Tuned Metals One (TM1)

As indicated above, TM1 encapsulates the four lowest pitches of the tuned

metals called for by the composer. As in Part One, these four pitches are used in a

similar yet separate manner from their higher pitch counter-parts. The four pitches

create a Db dominant seventh chord in first inversion. The use of this chord doesnt

appear to be used by Lang in any harmonically functional manner. Instead it is used

for its fragmentary melodic properties similar to methods used by other minimalist

composers. TM1 starts the movement on the lowest pitch F4. As the process

continues on, it adds notes in the order of lowest (F4) to highest (Db5). Similar to

Parts One and Three, TM1 as a whole repeats a total of four times in this movement,

in mm. 1-120, 121-240, 311-430, and 431-550.

The first seven measures of Part II set up the basic process that occurs

repeatedly in each of the TM1 pitches. In measure one, Player One plays an eighth

note pitch F4 on SN1. Player Two plays an eighth note pitch F4 on SN3. Player Three

plays the same on SN5, and Player Four plays on SN7. See the figure below:

24 For example, SN4 (sixteenth note 4) would be referred to as the e of 1 and SN7

as the and of 2 in the traditional Western counting system.


So Called Part
35
2 Temp

Musical Example 5: Part Two m. 1

Player 1
& 42 j ! ! ! !

2 j
&4 ! ! ! !
Player 2

Player 3
& 42 j
! ! ! !

Player 4
& 42 j ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! !
9

&
In m. 2, Player One plays the same pitch (F4); this time the attack comes on

SN2 and, more importantly, the duration of the note is a dotted-eighth note. Just as

! ! ! ! !
9

&
in measure one, the other players imitated each attacks coming at the exact end of

the duration of the player before. These two bars are easier seen in the musical

! ! ! ! !
9
notation below. Unlike the first measure, this elongated attack spans two measures

(mm. 2-3).
&

! ! ! ! !
9

&
 So Called Part 2 Template 36

Musical Example 6: Part Two mm. 2-3

Player 1
& 42 j ! j. " " " " "

2 j j!
&4 . " " " " "
Player 2

Player 3
& 42 j
. r j " " " "

Player 4
& 42 j " j. .

" " " "

" " " " " " "

9

&
SN5 of measure three has Player One attacking on pitch F4 for the duration of

a quarter note. SN1 of m. 4 has Player Two attacking for a quarter note, and on SN5,

" " " " " " "

Player
9 Three has a quarter note attack. SN1 of measure five finishes this attack
&
sequence with quarter note duration for Player Four.

These three attack points of each player represent an elongation of duration

" " " " " " "
9

&
increasing by one sixteenth note each time. This pattern of 2-3-4 now shifts in mm.

5-7 to sixteenth note reductions in duration from 4-3-2. The figure below shows the

" " " " " " "

9

&
first complete instance of this pattern, mm. 1-7.

 37

Musical Example 7: Part Two mm. 1-8

In the case of TM1, following the process involves identifying where each of

the attacks line up, determined by the duration of the attack. As stated in the last

paragraph, the pattern of sixteenth note attack durations follows 2-3-4-3 and then

repeats. Each of these durations undergoes its own separate process that

transforms the straightforward theme into a very complex one. Labeling these

attack durations is also problematic. For this process, the labeling will be Attack

Duration 2, 3a25, 4, and 3b or AD3a, for example. Each of the AD processes described

25 AD3 occurs twice in the pattern and each function as its own process. AD3 must

be broken up into two parts, labeled AD3a and AD3b.

 38

will be explained through Player One. Each of the other parts, as shown in the figure

above, have attack points that go through identical processes, delayed rhythmically.

Attack Duration Two

Attack Duration 2 begins on the first note of Part II, on SN1. The second

occurrence for AD2 happens in m. 6, this time on SN5, beginning the reoccurring

pattern that alternates between SN1 and SN5 for the duration of the process (in this

case, until m. 80). Another way to look at this process is to say that each attack is 5

4/
8 measures apart from each other.
26 The simple nature of this process makes it a

guide point for keeping track of the other processes, as well as a gauge for the

complexity of the other processes.

Attack Duration Three A

Attack Duration 3a starts on SN2 of m. 2. This process is set 47 sixteenth

notes apart, or 5 7/8 measures apart, creating interesting attack point in each of the

bars. Below you can see the attack point going from SN2 (m. 2), to SN4 (m. 8), SN6

(m. 14), to SN8 (m. 20). The next attack falls on SN2 (m. 27) and repeats until its last

event in this process at m. 73.

26 The fraction of 4/ is used instead of 1/ because of this analysis focus on the
8 2
subdivision on the sixteenth note level.
 39

Score [Title]
[C
Musical Example 8: Part Two Attack Duration Three A mm. 2-21

& 4 ! j.
2 ! ! . . r j
r j j " "
2 8 14 20

& " " " " " " " "

Attack Duration Four

Attack Duration 4 is easily distinguishable in its prime form in m. 3, SN5, as

" " " " " " " "

18

&
the longest duration of TM1 lasting a quarter note. Like AD3a, AD4 is 47 sixteenth

notes apart, or 5 7/8 measures. The duration of the note played is four sixteenth

notes compared to three of AD3a, meaning that the pattern created by these rests

" " " " "

27

&
differs. In this case, the attack points for AD4 are as follows: SN5 (m. 3), SN 8 (m. 9),

SN 3 (m. 16), SN6 (m. 22), SN1 (m. 29), SN4 (m. 35), SN7 (m. 41) and SN2 (m. 48). As

shown below, the point of attack moves three sixteenth notes through the pattern.

This pattern continues until m. 80.

 40

Musical Example 9: Part Two Attack Duration Four mm. 3-48

Attack Duration Three B

Attack Duration 3b can be easily mistaken for its duration twin AD3a. The

difference between the two is found in the time between attacks. For AD3b, this time

is 46 sixteenth notes apart, or 5 6/8 measures. Starting at m. 5 on SN4, the pattern

ends up moving one SN position to the right in each of its subsequent attacks. Its

pattern is: SN4 (m. 5), SN5 (m. 11), SN6 (m.17), SN7 (m. 23), SN8 (m.29), SN 1 (m.

36), SN2 (m.42) and SN3 (m. 48). This pattern then repeats until m. 78.

The above descriptions have been specifically applied to the pitch F4. Each of

the attack durations for this pitch can be placed in mm. 1-80. From mm. 121-200,

mm. 311-390, and mm. 431-510, the F4 pattern is repeated exactly.

The other pitches in Tuned Metal One have the exact same attack duration

patterns as described above. Like pitch F4, each of the other pitches has a total of

four repeats through the movement. Lang staggers each of their entrances in the

same manner. Below is a table cataloging all of the TM1 repeats.

 41

Table 2: Part Two Attack Duration Entrances

F4 Ab4 C5 Db5

mm. 1-80 24-103 39-118 62-141

121-200 144-223 159-238 182-239

311-390 334-413 349-428 372-451

431-510 454-533 469-548 492-549

The figure above shows that all of these patterns last for 80 measures, with the

exception of the Db5 patterns in mm. 182-239 and 492-549. These patterns only last

57 measures. This compositional decision cuts off the patterns mid-sequence to

allow the TM2 pattern (discussed next in this chapter) to be completely exposed.

The table also shows the time between each of these patterns. These measured

spaces of 1, 24, 39, and 62 (from each of the pitches first occurrences) keep the

same proportion through the movement.27 This spacing overlaps each other (much

like each of the Attack Durations) and creates interesting variety for the listener.

The instruments of TM1 represent the bulk of the notes in Part II. Using

attack durations that shift in different manners transforms a simple, relatively easy

pattern for the listener to hear into a complex, musically dense soundscape. For the

27 After examining these numbers no mathematical system was found. A reasonable

assumption is that it is another example compositional element not decided by a

process method.
 42

performer learning the music, this specific knowledge of how TM1 works through

its process will aid in his or her ability to hear and interact with the other players.

Tuned Metals Two

The instrument group Tuned Metal Two is made up of the highest three

pitches F5, G5, and Ab5. These instruments, although sounding homogenous to

Tuned Metals One, have different functions and processes and are analyzed

separately. Similar to the analysis of TM1, only Player Ones specific attacks are

given. Identical to TM1, each of the other players attack points come in a canon in

relation to the players note duration before.

The note durations of TM2 are sustained only in six sixteenth note- or four

sixteenth note-long periods. Unlike TM1, these notes never overlap with one

another.28 The pitch changes follow no discernable pattern.29 Instead they are

written as a melody that follows the durational process. The duration pattern (in

sixteenth note intervals) is as follows: |6,6,6,6|4|6,6,6,6|4| 6,6,6,6 |4,4,4,4|. Below,

the figure shows each of the TM2 attacks of the first half of Part II mm. 121-309,

bolded text show the end of the pattern which always occurs on the Ab.

28 Audibly, the reverberation will most likely overlap, as the actual pipes will ring for

longer than the notated duration.

29 The pitch order is always from the lowest to the highest (F-G-Ab).
 43

Table 3: Part Two Duration Patterns Tuned Metals Two mm. 121-309

This process repeats in the second half of Part II starting at m. 431.

Tom Tom

The instrument group of the Tom Tom (TT) drums calls for each player to

have three tom toms apiece. The drums are to be tuned as identically as possible,

from low to high, with the other players. The entrances of TT are staggered, starting

with Player One and ending with Player Four. Two separate processes occur which

can be split into TTP1 and TTP2. Eventually, TTP1 modulates into TTP2, and at that

time all the parts are performed in unison.

 44

Tom Tom Process One

Tom Tom Process One involves Players One and Three. TTP1 starts for

Player One at m. 311, occurring at the halfway point of the piece, which is the repeat

of the Tuned Metal Instrument Group. Player Three enters at m. 350. Both processes

are identical, starting at different times in the cycle. The process works over 55

measures, creating a perfect palindrome. The figure below shows the entire process.

Please note that the SN represents on which sixteenth note the attack is placed.30

The x in the figure represents the drum attacks. Each pattern has three attacks

always starting from the lowest drum to the highest being played. Player Three has

an identical figure, starting at m. 350. This staggered entrance ensures that Players

One and Three never play in unison.

30 Normally in this movement, numbering only goes to SN1-SN8 since there are 8

sixteenth notes in each measure. TTP1 takes place over two measures and therefore
must go up to SN13. The number in parentheses is the SN number of that measure,
not the process.
 45

Table 4: Part Two Tom Tom Process One mm. 311-370

MM. SN1 SN2 SN3 SN4 Sn5 SN6 Sn7 SN8 SN9(1) SN10(2) SN11(3) SN12(4) SN13(5)
311- x x x
313-314 x x x
312
315-316 x x x
317-318 x x x
319-320 x x x
321-322 x x x
323-324 x x x
325-326 x x x
327-328 x x x
329-330 x x x
331-332 x x x
333-334 x x x
335-336 x x x
337-338 x x x
339-340 x x x
341-342 x x x
343- x x x
345-346 x x x
344
347-348 x x x
349-350 x x x
351-352 x x x
353-354 x x x
355-356 x x x
357-358 x x x
359-360 x x x
361-362 x x x
363-364 x x x
365-366 x x x
367-368 x x x
369- x x x

370
 46

Tom Tom Process Two

Tom Tom Process Two is much simpler than TTP1. It forms a repeated

rhythmic pattern of sixteen attack points. This pattern, spread over three pitches

(always going in the sequence low-medium-high), displaces the starting drum of

each pattern by one pitch.31 Below is the figure from the score of the entire rhythmic

pattern from when it enters into Player Twos part in m. 335.

Musical Example 10: Part Two Tom Tom Process Two mm. 335-338

Another way to look at this rhythmic pattern is show below. The numbers

represent the attack duration of the notes. Note these duration changes follow 4-3-

2-3, a major theme of the work.

31 In other words, the first pattern starts on the lowest drum, the second pattern on

the middle drum, and so on.

 47

Table 5: Part Two Tom Tom Process Two mm. 335-342

MM. SN1 SN2 SN3 SN4 SN5 SN6 SN7 SN8

335 4 4

336 4 4

337 3 3 3

338 3

339 2 2 2 2

340

341 3 3 3

342 3

Player Four enters with TTP2 at m. 372. The entrance is set on an even

number, so Players Two and Fours rhythmic patterns will not synchronize.

At m. 443, Player Fours part is modified so that TTP2 is now played in

unison with Player Two. The same synchronization occurs at m. 454 when Player

Three modulates from TTP1 to unison TTP2 with Player Two and Four. Player One

makes the process modulation in m. 463 creating a unison line for the Tom Tom

instrument group through the rest of Part II.

 48

Nasty Metal

The Nasty Metal (NM) instrument group enters in m. 537 with all players. It

is the only instrument group in Part II to be played in unison through its entirety.

The pattern of attacks for NM stays exactly the same every time it is played. The

attack pattern is shown below.

Musical Example 11: Part Two Nasty Metal Pattern

The process is found in the number of measures of rest that occur between

each of NMs attack patterns. The measures of rests are 2,3,2,3,3,5,3,3,2,3,2,3,3,5

(end of Part II).

Bass Drum

The Bass Drum instrument group enters along with the Nasty Metal in m.

537. Its process is identical to the process of each of the pitches of Tuned Metals

One. One way to consider it is as an extension of TMP1 starting at m. 537 and ending

with the conclusion of the movement. For detailed analysis of how this process

works, please see the previous section Tuned Metals One in this chapter.
 49

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF PART THREE

Part III is perhaps the clearest example of the process-driven compositional

style for the entire work. Here, the musical process presents itself in a fairly

straightforward way. All four of the players are in unison rhythmically and almost

entirely in unison melodically (with the exception of the flowerpots) for the entire

duration of Part III. The score itself incorporates all of the parts as one composite

whole into one treble clef (with pitched and un-pitched sounds) with the exception

of the four guiro scrapes (given its own staff). This differs from Part I and Part II

that have each player scored separately.

This chapter will employ a numbering system to label each eighth note

division in the measure. The labeling system will be eighth note 1-8 (EN1-8).

 50

Part Three has the most variety of instrument groups in the piece. The

breakdown of these instruments is as follows:

Flowerpots (FP) (pitches C5, D5, G5, and A5)

Tea Cups (TC) (pitches low to high written but not sounded A3, C4,

and E4)32

Tuned Bells (TB) (pitches B5, C6, and E6)

Small Guiro (SG) (given its own staff

Tiny Woodblock (TW) (written but not sounded G6)

Flower Pots

The flowerpots are the lone instrument group that is not performed in

unison by all of the players. Players One and Three perform the top two pitches (G5

and A5), while Players Two and Four play the lower pitches (C5 and D5). The

rhythm on the flowerpots (sextuplets) is always the same, only stopping for major

breaks in the piece such as mm. 106-107 and 140-141. The pitches change every

four bars (with the exception of the first entrance, where Players One and Three

change after only two bars). This offsets the two parts so that there are pitch

changes every two bars. The notes on the flowerpots are continuous except when

32 In percussion notation, it is very common for a composer to write using a

standard clef (usually treble) for an instrument that doesnt actually sound in the
given pitch. The phrase written but not sounded refers to this compositional
instance.
 51

another instrument is being played, although the listener probably doesnt perceive

a break in sound. The flowerpots function as the rhythmic foundation for Part

Three. All the other instrument groups, and their processes, fall somewhere within

the flowerpot sextuplet subdivisions.

Teacups

Three teacups of unspecified pitch make up the next instrument group.

Although no specific pitch is requested, Lang asks that they be from low to high and

that they have a fragile and delicate sound.33 These notes are played in unison by

all four players through the piece and can be divided into two separate processes.

Teacup Process One

The first process, Teacups Process One (TCP1), is simple and acts as a pick-

up into the second process. It consists of two notes written at staff positions C4 and

E4 or at A3 and C434. These notes always occur on EN7 and EN8 of every other bar

(starting from the beginning of Part Three). The only exception is the first measure

of the piece, where the figure occurs on EN2 and EN3; it is a compositional

elongation of this figure and acts as a quasi introduction to Part Three. The first

version (C4 and E4) happens four times in a row. The second version (A3 and C4)

happens only once on the fifth repetition of the cycle, for example in mm. 17 and 25.

This process starts in mm. 1-73 and then repeats itself in the second half of Part III

in mm. 110-181.

33 David Lang, program notes from The So-Called Laws of Nature.
34 For this document, C4 is equivalent to middle C.
 52

Teacup Process Two

The next process, Teacups Process Two (TCP2), is much more complex. This

the so-called laws of nature

process starts in measure two and consists of a melodic figure on the three teacups
,~.
parta
going from the lowest to highest pitch shown below in its original form.

each percussionist has david lang

3"teacups, 2 flowerpots, 3 bells, small guiro, tiny woodblcck
Musical Example 12: Part Three Teacups Original Form m. 2
tuned flowerpots - perc 1, 3 play top notes; 2, 4 play bottom notes
J= 100 very fragile

1,2,3,4 ~~i~~~~:~cu~p~;~~J~I~'~~ .

p
P :::::=-crescendi for teacups only - flowerpots p throughout ....:;::::::.

The goal of TCP2 is to methodically move the core melody further from the

downbeat entrance. The first part of the melody to move is the highest pitch
p = --= p =
(written but not sounded as E4 in the score), which first enters on EN3. For the next

four repeats of this figure, the E teacup moves over one eighth note to the right.

After four repetitions, the process lands on EN7 as seen in m. 10. Next, the middle
-==== p -==
note (written but not sounded as C4 in the score) does a similar process as the

highest pitch (E) by moving over one eighth note each time the figure repeats. This

part of the process ends when the middle pitch (C) reaches EN6 in measure 18.
11 p

The middle and highest pitches now move systematically in a less obvious

way. In measure 20, both of the pitches move back an eighth note to the left within

the same melodic figure. Ipn the next two figures (mm. 22 and 24), the middle pitch 11 -=:
-=:::::

moves back one eighth note while the top pitch doesnt move. In measure 26, both

pitches move again, this time the middle going to the right one eighth note while the

. .
 53

top pitch goes to the left one eighth note. In measure 28, the middle pitch moves

back one eighth to the left ending on EN3, while in measure 30 the top pitch moves

back one eighth to end on EN4. Measure 32 is where the notes re-align in their

original melodic theme with the lowest pitch moving one note to the left. The

complete composite process is shown in the figure below in musical notation.

 54

Musical Example 13: Teacups Process Two mm. 2-32

Below is a figure graphing the same movement in a grid-like analysis. The

prime of TCP2 is shown in bold. Note that T1= Teacup One is the lowest pitch

written A3, T2= Teacup Two is the middle pitch written C4, and T3= Teacup Three is

the highest pitch written E4.

 55

Table 6: Teacup Process Two Composite Movement mm. 2-32

En1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1

En2 T2 T2 T2 T2 T2 T1

En3 T3 T2 T2 T2 T2 T2

EN4 T3 T2 T2 T2 T3 T3

EN5 T3 T2 T2 T3 T3

EN6 T3 T2 T3 T3 T3

EN7 T3 T3 T3 T3 T3

EN8

MM. 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

This process repeats itself in mm. 32-52, 52-64, and 64-70. The new starting

place of the motive is now one eighth note to the right as seen in measure 32 above

(shifting from EN1 to EN2). Each time the process repeats itself, the result is a

shorter development with fewer repetitions of the melodic motive needed to

complete each process. At measure 70, the process will no longer work correctly, so

Lang takes this melodic figure out until m. 105. Measures 108 through the end of

Part Three is a repeat of TCP2.

 56

Tuned Bells

Three tuned bells make up the next instrument group. Lang asks that they be

resonant and suggests using glockenspiel bars, crotales, or something with similar

timbre. Like the flowerpots, Lang asks these bells to be tuned to the specific pitches

B5, C6, and E6. This instrument group does not start until m. 34.

The tuned bells go through a fairly simple process, maintaining the order of

the pitch material. It consists of one bell per measure that repeats every eight bars.

The order is as follows: C E B E B E C E. The first eight measures (34-41)

are displayed in the figure below.

Table 7: Tuned Bell Process mm. 34-41

EN1 C B B C
EN2 E
EN3 E
EN4 E
EN5 E
EN6
EN7
EN8
MM. 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

 57

Measures 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the TB pattern have notes struck on EN1 (the first

note of the measure). These notes will remain constant during each of the eight

repeats of this figure. The even measures of the pattern, all of which contain the

pitch E, do change. The complete pattern is shown in the figure below. It shows

that all of the E pitch occurrences move an eighth note from EN5 to EN2 each

measure, eventually expanding the pattern from EN6 to EN1.

 58

Table 8: Tuned Bell "E" mm. 35-97

MM. EN1 EN2 EN3 EN4 EN5 EN6

35 X
37 X
39 X
41 X
43 X
45 X
47 X
49 X
51 X
53 X
55 X
57 X
59 X
61 X
63 X
65 X
67 X
69 X
71 X
73 X
75 X
77 X
79 X
81 X
83 X
85 X
87 X
89 X
91 X
93 X
95 X
97 X

 59

Small Guiro

The next instrument group consists of four guiro scrapes only sounded

during the second half of Part III. Unlike the other instrument groups, the Small

Guiro (SG) does not appear to be a process. The first event acts as an introduction to

the second half (which is almost a note-for-note repeat of the flowerpots in m. 1).

The part is only changed from the beginning of the movement by the overlapping

notes in the guiro and woodblock (discussed below). The scrape begins on EN7, the

same place that TCP1 would normally occur. The next occurrence of SG is on EN8 of

m. 139. This occurrence and the next one (on EN7 of m. 141), operate as transitional

material before the tuned bells enter at m. 142. The last SG notes come on EN7 of m.

213 and continue into EN1 of 214. This entrance functions as another pseudo-

transitional moment that ends Part III and ultimately the entire composition. All

four of the guiro occurrences act as transitional material.

Tiny Woodblock

The last instrument group contains only one instrument requested by the

composer to be a high pitched woodblock. Similar to Small Guiro, Tiny Woodblock

(TW) is only found in the repeated second half of Part Three. It sets itself apart from

all of the other instrument groups because the notes do not occur on the eighth note

divisions but on the second subdivision of the sixteenth note triplet. An alphabetized

addition will be used to label the sextuplet subdivision, for example: Eighth Note

One B (EN1b).
 60

Measure 108 marks the first occurrence of TW on EN1b. The next occurrence

is two measures later at m. 110 on EN2b, and so continues a strict process that

sequences through the second half of the movement. Continuing at m. 112, TW is

played on EN3b. At m. 114, it moves to EN4b. At this point, the pattern goes back to

EN3b, two measures later EN2b, and then back to EN1b at m. 120. The figure below

shows the exact movements.

Score [Title]
Musical Example 14: Part Three Tiny Woodblock Process mm. 108-120 [Composer]

& 44 ! R ! ! R! ! R! !R!
Woodblock 108 110 112 114

3 3 3 3

& !R! !R! !R!
116 118 120

3 3 3

This process then repeats. Like before, it starts with an attack on EN1b in m.

120. This time the overall pattern goes up to EN4b to EN5b (in m. 128). As it did

before, the note then shifts one eighth note to the left on each attack until it reaches

EN1b (m. 136). This pattern continues to repeat each time increasing one more

eight note until it reaches EN8b (m. 194). The pattern ends at m. 208. The table

below outlines the movements of the woodblock, showing how each pattern

expands.

 61

Table 9: Tiny Woodblock Process mm. 108-208

mm. 108-EN1b mm. 120-EN1b mm. 136-EN1b mm. 156-EN1b mm. 180-EN1b
mm. 110-EN2b mm. 122-EN2b mm. 138-EN2b mm. 158-EN2b mm. 182-EN2b
mm. 112-EN3b mm. 124-EN3b mm. 140-EN3b mm. 160-EN3b mm. 184-EN3b
mm. 114-EN4b mm. 126-EN4b mm. 142-EN4b mm. 162-EN4b mm. 186-EN4b
mm. 116-EN3b mm. 128-EN5b mm. 144-EN5b mm. 164-EN5b mm. 188-EN5b
mm. 118-EN2b mm. 130-EN4b mm. 146-EN6b mm. 166-EN6b mm. 190-EN6b
mm. 120-EN1b mm. 132-EN3b mm. 148-EN5b mm. 168-EN7b mm. 192-EN7b
mm. 134-EN2b mm. 150-EN4b mm. 170-EN6b mm. 194- EN8b
mm. 136-EN1b mm. 152-EN3b mm. 172-EN5b mm. 196-EN7b
mm. 154-EN2b mm. 174-EN4b mm. 198-EN6b
mm. 156-EN1b mm. 176-EN3b mm. 200-EN5b
mm. 178-EN2b mm. 202-EN4b
mm. 180-EN1b mm. 204-EN3b
mm. 206-EN2b
mm. 208-EN1b

The last two occurrences of TW are in measures 210 (on EN3b) and 212 (on

EN4b). These attack points do not fall in line to the process that has been

established. It is not entirely clear why the composer broke from the process. It

seems that with six measures left after the TW process ends, Lang felt it necessary

for the overall sound of the work to include the last two TW attack points.

Part Three offers the clearest example of process from the standpoint of the

listener. Even on the first hearing, most listeners will be able to understand that

different instrument groups mostly fall into simple patterns that overlap and

interact with one another.

 62

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS

The main objective of this document was to analyze The So-Called Laws of

Nature, distilling it down to its basic processes. After doing the analysis, it became

clear that, although there are elements that overlap, there is no master unifying

process. However, for musicians learning and ultimately performing the piece, this

type of analysis may be of great benefit. Consider the following statement David

Lang gave in an op-ed article for the New York Times.

The paradox of a musical education is that the more sophisticated you
become about how it all works, the further away you move from the things
normal listeners actually hear. Its like car mechanics talking about the
wiring under the hood good wiring is essential but cars exist because
ordinary people need to get places.35

By using a process-based analysis, the performerwho becomes the mechanic

when analyzing, learning, and performing the pieceis able to take the dense layers

of datathe wiring of this piece of musicand convey it as both practical and

artistic, something the audiencethe ordinary peoplecan appreciate.

35 Lang, David, I Did Everything but the Fun Stuff, New York Times,

http://nytimes.com (accessed on May 10 2013).

 63

Macro Level Observations

On a macro level, there are elements working through each of the three parts

that unify the piece as a whole. Many of the elements are easily noticeable when

listening to or performing the work.

One of these elements is the repetition of large sections. After the initial

section is performed, it is repeated with additional processes layered on top. For

example, in Part One Section A, Melody One is first performed in unison by all four

players. When it is repeated at section B, the players alternate between playing

Melody One and playing the contrasting line Melody Two, creating a counterpoint

against the repeated material. In Part Two and Part Three, the movements are

divided into two repeating sections; during the repeated section, additional

instruments are layered on top of the material already played. To make the music

work, Lang often does not let certain processes repeat fully. Examples of this are the

Tuned Metal One repeat in Part Two, the Tiny Woodblock process in Part Three, and

the Tom tom Process One in Part Two amongst others.

Another overarching element is the role of the highest pitches in melodic

figures. In each of the parts, the highest written (not always sounding) three pitches

have more melodic importance than their lower counterparts. In Part One, this

importance is highlighted by Langs request that the top three wood planks be as

close as possible in pitch and timbre, while the lower wood planks should have

more variation in their tone and pitch. Part Two sees the top three pitches of the
 64

Tuned Metals in a different process than the lower four pitches. Part Three isolates

the highest three pitches as a separate instrument group (Tuned Bells) and a

separate process.

Most performers, and attentive listeners, may be able to observe the large

repeated sections and the importance of the high pitched notes without extensive

analysis. However, using the analysis will give a perspective on how these processes

interact over the course of the piece, giving the performer and audience member a

theme in which to ground their experience.

The main compositional element in The So-Called Laws of Nature is

commonly used in many of Langs works: additive and subtractive processes. These

processes, which run through each of the three parts, are harder to synthesize

without a more formal analysis.

These additive and subtractive processes can be found in a variety of

examples in the music. The first process occurs in the beginning of Part One with a

rhythmic cycle going from eighth notes, to eighth note triplets, to sixteenth notes,

and then back to eighth note triplets, each set fitting into one beat. Another way to

look at it is to use the numerical pattern 2-3-4-3. This exact process can also be

found in the Tuned Metals in Part Two in which the attack durations go through the

cycle of 2-3-4-3, each numeral being the number of sixteenth notes in the attack

duration.

Another way that the additive and subtractive processes can be perceived is

through the shifting forwards or backwards of a notes placement within a pattern.

 65

the so-called laws of nature

the so-called laws of natureparta This process happens
,~ .
many times in all parts of the piece. One example is in Part
,~.
parta
Three. Each repetition of the Teacup pattern changes by moving one of the attacks
each percussionist has david lang
3"teacups,
percussionist has 2 flowerpots, 3 bells, small guiro, tiny woodblcck
forwards or backwards by one rhythmic division. T davidhis plang
rocess is found in almost
3 bells, small guiro, tiny woodblcck
tuned flowerpots - perc 1, 3 play top notes; 2, 4 play bottom notes
J = 100tuned
veryevery
fragileinstrument g roup. I t is also found in the rest patterns in both Part One and
flowerpots - perc 1, 3 play top notes; 2, 4 play bottom notes

1,2,3,4
Part Two. Below is an example of this process.
~~i~~~~:~cu~p~;~~J~I~'~~ .
;~~J~I~'~~ .
p P
:::::=-crescendi for teacups only - flowerpots p throughout ....:;::::::.
P :::::=-crescendi for teacups only - flowerpots p throughout ....:;::::::.
Musical Example 15: Part Three Additive and Subtractive Movement mm. 6-8

p = --= p =
--= p =

-==== p
-==
-==== p

-==
The last area of additive and subtractive processes is found in the

relationship between instrument choice and number of measures in each of the

11 p
three parts. In Part One, there
p
is only one instrument group of seven planks of wood.

Part Two instrument groups increase to three, with pitched metal pipes, drums, and

nasty metal. Part Three increases to five instrument groups, with wood blocks,
-=::::: p 11 -=:
-=::::: p guiro, flowerpots, teacups, and bells. Notice the ratio
11 o-=:f instrument groups is 1:3:5

between the parts.

While the instrument groups increase between parts, the number of

. .

measures decreases between parts at an approximate rate .of 5:3:1, with 900
.

-= p : -==::::::::
-= p : -==::::::::
copynght g red poppy 2002 131
 66

measures in Part One, 620 measures in Part Two, and 214 measures in Part Three36.

In addition, the process lengths get shorter as the measure amounts decrease. From

an aural perspective, this reduction makes the processes easier to hear as the piece

progresses through each of the parts.

The nature of the additive and subtractive processes allows for many other

observations to be made. A performer who understands the processes may make

observations that ultimately guide musical decisions. Other analytical elements

besides additive and subtractive processes that span all three parts could also effect

performance decisions.

Micro Level Observations

In addition to macro level observations that encompass the entire piece,

breaking down isolated processes gives the performer an understanding on a more

micro level. This micro level analysis may be most helpful with small musical

decisions concerning a part, a phrase, a measure, or even a single note. For example,

at various points in the piece, processes overlap in a way that makes playing what is

written on the page nearly impossible. One instance is in Part Two m. 497 in Player

Ones music. On the downbeat of the measure, the player is asked to hit three notes

on the tuned metals and one on the tom toms. The measure is shown below.

36 The ratio can be found as 620 is roughly 3/5 of 900 and 214 is roughly 1/3 of 620.
 67

Musical Example 16: Part Two Four Note Simultaneous Figure m. 499

It is possible for the player to hold four mallets and play what is written. However,

the player may decide instead to omit one of the notes. The advantage to taking out

the pitch is that it allows the player to hold only three mallets as opposed to four.

Holding only one mallet in the left hand (playing just the tom tom) allows the player

to have more control over tone quality and dynamics.

To decide which note to omit, the player could consider the processes. For

example, the player would probably want to keep the highest pitch (F5) and the

note on the drum. The decision would lie between taking out either the pitch F4 or

C5. The most logical note to take out is probably F4 because it is in the middle of its

processes and is occurring so frequently among the other parts that it would be

difficult for the audience to pick out. Only by understanding the process can the

player make this informed decision.

Another example using micro level analysis is to aid in the editing of possible

mistakes in the music. Inevitably in a piece of this scale, with the many processes

going on, there may be mistakes made during the engraving of the piece. Having
 68

knowledge of the processes, along with knowing the tendency of Langs glitches,

may help the performer correct printing mistakes.

As before, each of the processes may be looked at individually or in

conjunction with one another, empowering the players to make informed

observations which in turn prompt musical decisions.

Future Research

Further research is needed to get a more complete picture of The So-Called

Laws of Nature. The hope was that there would be only a few processes that govern

the entire piece. This was proven untrue, at least to the extent that there was not a

simple set of master processes. Instead, there are general overlapping elements

found between the movement and many processes that are unique to each

individual part. The next level of research on this piece could explore further

correlations between the processes on both the macro and micro level.

Another area of further research is to analyze other works by David Lang,

discovering the processes of those pieces. With more of these works analyzed,

performers would have greater insight to the compositional vocabulary of Lang. The

next step would be to analyze other composers who use a process-based method.

With more of these pieces cataloged, an analytical systemusing terminology

appropriate to this style of compositioncan be developed, one that may be

especially insightful for post-minimalist and totalist composers.

 69

Conclusion

David Lang asks in the program notes for the piece, Does the music come out

of the patterns or in spite of them?37 The answer to this question is likelyboth.

The So-Called Laws of Nature is a tour de force of challenging rhythmic processes,

unique timbres, and changing textures. It is my hope that those who perform this

work find this analysis useful as both a starting point to learning the work and as a

reference when they have the piece under their hands. Some of the musical

intentions in this work can be discerned from simply playing or hearing the piece

without knowledge of this processed-base analysis; this performance may yield

musically satisfying results for the performer and listener. However, a more

informed performance of this work requires the knowledge and identification of the

various patterns that are occurring. This kind of performance creates a conducive

environment that aligns the intentions of the composer with the most informed

interpretation of the performer. A successful analysis reveals some kind of objective

information about the composers methods, formula, or, at very least, grammatical

set of rules for his or her compositional vocabulary. The most effective performers

take this objective information and turn it into an informed, well-intentioned,

subjective experience. In this analysis of The So-Called Laws of Nature, the

processed-based approach attempts to connect the objectivethe dataand the

37 Lang, program notes for The So-Called Laws of Nature.
 70

subjectivethe analysis of that datato work together to create the best possible

musical and ultimately artistic interpretation.

 71

APPENDIX A: LETTER OF PERMISSION FOR MUSICAL EXAMPLES

July 24, 2013

Scott Shinbara
3027 S 121st St.
Omaha, NE 68144

RE: THE SO-CALLED LAWS OF NATURE, by David Lang

Dear Scott,

This letter is to confirm our agreement for the nonexclusive right to reprint measures
from the composition(s) referenced above for inclusion in your thesis/dissertation, subject
to the following conditions:

1. The following copyright credit is to appear on each copy made:

THE SO-CALLED LAWS OF NATURE

By David Lang
Copyright 2002 by G. Schirmer, Inc.
International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.
Used by Permission.

Please see Schedule A for measures

2. Copies are for your personal use only in connection with your thesis/dissertation,
and may not be sold or further duplicated without our written consent. This in no way is
meant to prevent your depositing three copies in an interlibrary system, such as the
microfilm collection of the university you attend, or with University Microfilms, Inc.

3. Permission is granted to University Microfilms, Inc. to make single copies of your

thesis/dissertation, upon demand.

4. A one-time non-refundable permission fee of seventy-five ($75.00) dollars, to be

paid by you within thirty (30) days from the date of this letter.

5. If your thesis/dissertation is accepted for commercial publication, further written

permission must be sought.

 72

Sincerely,

Kevin McGee
Print Licensing Manager

 73

SCHEDULE A

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 1: PART ONE MM. 1-15

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 2: PART ONE MM. 103-108

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 3: PART ONE MM. 451-456

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 4: PART ONE MM. 847-858

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 5: PART TWO M. 1

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 6: PART TWO MM. 2-3

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 7: PART TWO MM. 1-8

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 8: PART TWO MM. 2-21

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 9: PART TWO MM. 3-48

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 10: PART MM. 335-338

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 12: PART THREE M. 2

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 13: PART THREE MM. 2-32

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 14: PART THREE MM. 108-120

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 15: PART THREE MM. 6-8

MUSICAL EXAMPLE 16: PART TWO M. 499

 74

REFERENCES

Books, Articles, Dissertations, and Online Sources

Alburger, Mark. Bang on an Ear: An Interview with David Lang. 21st Century
Music.Vol. 7. (2000): 2-14.

Atkinson, Sean. An Analytical Model for the Study of Multimedia Compositions: A
Case Study for Minimal Music. Ph.D diss., Florida State University, 2009.

Bernard, Jonathan W.Minimalism, Postminimalism, and the Resurgence of Tonality
in Recent American Music. American Music 21 (2003):112-133.

Charlier, Celina Bordallo. The Spatiality and Temporality of Minimalism through
the study of Vermont Counterpoint for Flute and Tape by Steve Reich. Ph.D
diss., New York University, 2010.

Cohn, Richard. Transpositional Combination of Beat-Class Sets in Steve Reich's
Phase-Shifting Music. Perspectives of New Music 30 (1992): 146-177.

Cooper, Grosvenor W. and Lenard B. Meyer. The Rhythmic Structure of
Music.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1960.

Chung, Sungmoon. David Langs Memory Pieces for Solo Piano: A Study in Linear
Transformation. D.M.A. diss., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
2005.

Dehart, Justin W. Tap Routes: The Changing Role of the Contemporary Artist-
Percussionist. D.M.A. diss., University of California, San Diego, 2010.

Gann, Kyle. American Music in the Twentieth Century. New York: Schirmer Books,
1997.

------.Minimal Music, Maximal Impact. New Music Box,
http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=1515 (accessed Feb. 28,
2011).

Griffiths, Paul. Modern Music: The AvantGarde since 1945. London: J M Dent & Sons,
1981.

 75

Hanninen, Dora A. A Theory of Recontextualization in Music: Analyzing
Phenomenal Transformations of Repetition. Music Theory Spectrum 25
(2003): 59-97.

Huizenga, Tom David Lang Wins Music Pulitzer, National Public Radio,
http://www.npr.org (accessed May 20, 2013).

Johnson, Timothy A. Minimalism: Aesthetic, Style, or Technique? The Music
Quarterly 78 (2004): 742-773.

Lang, David, I Did Everything but the Fun Stuff, New York Times,
http://nytimes.com (accessed on May 10 2013).

Lee, Richard Andrew. The Interaction of Linear and Vertical Time in Minimalist and
Postminimalist Piano Music. D.M.A. diss., University of Missouri-Kansas City,
2010.

Manzanilla, Federico Ivan. Programming and Performance in Contemporary
Percussion Music: A Performers Exploration of How, Why, and When. D.M.A.
diss., Univesity of California, San Diego, 2004.

Mahoney, Shafer. David Langs International Business Machine: An Analysis. Ph.D
diss., University of Rohcester, Eastman School of Music, 1999.

McCutchan, Ann. The Muse that Sings: Composers Speak about the Creative Process.
New York: Oxford University, 1999.

Reich, Steve. Writings on Music 1965-2000. New York: Oxford University, 2002.

Ross, Alex. The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century. New York, New
York: Picador, 2007.

Schick, Steven. A Percussionists Search for Models. Contemporary Music Review,
Vol. 21. (2002): 5-12.

------.The Percussionists Art: Same Bed, Different Dreams. Rochester, New York:
University of Rochester Press, 2006.

Schwartz, Elliott and Danial Godfrey. Music Since 1945: Issues, Materials, and
Literatute. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 1993.

 76

Schwartz, Robert K. Process vs. Intuition in the Recent Works of Steve Reich and
John Adams. American Music 8 (1990):245-273.

------.Minimalists.London:Phaidon Press Limited, 1996.

Smith, Kathleen Biddick. Musical Process in Selected Works by Michael Torke.
Ph.D diss., Florida State University, 2009.

Tribby, Colin and Alex Postelnek. David Langs The Anvil Chorus A Percussionists
guide to Blacksmithing. Percussive Notes45 (2007):66-71.

Wu, Chia-Ying. The Aesthetics of Minimal Music and A Schenkerian-Oriented
Analysis of the First Movement of Opening of Philip Glass Glassworks.
M.M. diss., University of North Texas, 2009.


Scores

Lang, David. The Anvil Chorus. New York: Red Poppy, 1991.

Lang, David. The So-Called Laws of Nature. New York: Red Poppy, 2002.