Joan Tower Petroushskates Analysis

Robert McGowan

Joan Tower’s 1980 composition Petroushskates takes influence from Igor Stravinsky’s

ballet Petrushka, and combines this with Tower’s fascination of Olympic figure skating. This can

first be seen in many ways; most obviously with the title which is an amalgam of Petrushka and

Skates. The union of these two disparate ideas come together to create a narrative journey of a

beginning ice-skater from their dreams of greatness, to competition, and finally self-actualization

by the piece’s end.

Tower specifically took inspiration from the opening “Shrovetide Fair” scene from

Stravinsky’s ballet. This can be seen most clearly through Tower’s choice of instrumentation and

musical characteristics. Written for a small chamber ensemble comprising of flute, clarinet,

violin, cello and piano, Tower’s grouping hearkens back to the opening commotion invoked in

Stravinsky’s original work which uses similar instrumentation save from the piano. In a clever

use of the limited instrumentation, the piano is used as the main catalyst for the sixteenth note

ostinato which consists of alternating intervals of a perfect fifth and minor third. All other

instruments support this though trilling in the woodwinds or double-stops in the strings. This

quickly reverses in measure three as the soundscape diminishes in dynamics.

This opening invokes the celebratory themes present in the Stravinsky composition. The

openness of the sonority hovers somewhere between C and F major with the exclusion of the

note B or Bb. A lack of a complete triad leaves the listener anticipating some sort of major

stability; as though in the midst of a busy crowd, or in the middle of a daydream. This

commission is represented by the ostinato motive present in the piano. The top voices die away
and by measure 5, half of the piano voicing is excluded; quieting the commotion of the crowd.

This is paralleled by the dolce expression in the top instrumentation. These sweet sounding,

flowing lines introduce the imagery of an ice skater starting their performance.

Measure 15 brings back the busier alternating intervallic ostinato in the piano which adds

a denser sense of anticipation for the rhythmic buildup in the other instruments. Measure 16

kicks off the non-legato articulation which raises the registers of the woodwinds and matching

the staccato rhythm of the piano. The next measure instantiates the F major key center by

introducing a Bb to the tone collection. This sets the harmony in a relatively stable place and at

measure 19, violin and cello take turns arpeggiating the piano’s harmony.

A four-bar passage is repeated from measure 21-24, highlighting the intimate union of

flute to oboe, and violin to cello. This is evidenced by the two groups of instruments following

mutual rhythmic pathways. This triadic grouping of woodwinds, strings and piano gives the

impression of two entities on the ice with the piano continuing its spectator narrative. The

articulation of ‘joyously’ is ascribed to all instruments, and is paralleled by the high register of

the instruments. From a dramatic perspective, this gives the impression of improvisatory fun on

the ice. This sentiment is broken by a trilling in the woodwind on measures 26&27. A

characteristic of this trill is that of both instruments being an octave apart and alternation from G

to A in different directions. Acoustically, this sounds very much like a skater twirling in the air

before a rest brings the music on a downward trajectory.

A sudden shift in register among all instruments is seen in measure 29. Here, the busy

piano ostinato is subsided and transferred to flute, oboe and violin. The music as a whole slows

at measure 33 when all instruments are articulated as ‘dulce’ and an F major 9 chord softens the

landing in the piano. A ritardando effect is created by slowing the rhythmic duration and adding
Rit on measure 39. This acts as a sport of coda to the previous section, along with new harmonic

material being introduced in the form of G#’s added to chromatic closing.

With the ritardando and fermatas slowing the tempo, and the G#’s added to the harmonic

texture, the music sets up an expectation of a new section. The oboe is left hanging amid the rests

and turns into a singing line. Chromatically rising, the oboe line occasionally jumps register to

the octave above the subsequent note in the scale. This line is soon accompanied by the cello

from beneath, and then flute from above. A clearer harmonic picture begins to form as this new

section develops. Tower has shifted the soundscape from the diatonic F Major to a section

composed from the octatonic scale (OCT 0,1). The uneasiness of the sonorities created here are

complimented by the constantly shifting rhythmic division in the flute. The unity of flute to

oboe, and violin to cello that was created in the opening section is now shifted as the oboe and

cello share similar rhythmic and harmonic trajectories. A trill from the oboe at measure 46 ends

its line and the subsequent material is a quotation of the initial chromatic oboe line by the winds

and strings combined.

By this point, the chromaticism and octatonic feel shifts the narrative to a form of ice-

skating that is not so graceful. The timid opening to this section gives the impression of a

beginning skater taking to the ice for the first time. At measure 48, the trilling motive that once

evoked graceful twirling is now representational of a shakier support. At the same moment,

pedaled piano interjects with a sixteenth note run upwards by fourths, creating a quartal chord

when left to ring.

The runs from the piano are expanded after the tempo change on measure 54 when the

oboe makes a full measure run up and down based off the OCT 0,1 scale. The next iteration of

this run is echoed by the flute on measure 59. Here, the scale is shifted to OCT 0,2. The run is
passed back and forth between the flute and oboe until measure 66 where both instruments find

support in one another by matching each other’s rhythms and playing a ninth apart. The

placement of these runs against an otherwise lethargic passage paints the picture of skaters

catching their footing after a slip atop uneasy ice. The section ends with a momentary return of

the commotion ostinato in the piano and a decrescendo to a dizzying D minor 9 chord over F.

The subsequent section expands and develops the octatonic section. The triadic

segregation of winds, strings and piano continues with strings (specifically the violin) taking the

foreground. Piano steadily alternates between tuples and quintuplets; keeping the pulse. Winds

match the piano’s subdivisions while strings float aimlessly above this rhythm; sticking to

changes on the strong beat. This confidence in the strings suggest the idea that the uneasiness is

subsiding. This is immediately cut short as strings and piano tremolos.

This shift in rhythmic explosion shifts the narrative to a more competitive dynamic. The

familiar commotion ostinato returns as a more homorhythmic sixteenth note momentum

envelopes the ensemble. After this motive shifts into a tuplet rhythm, the violin takes the solo

spotlight by mimicking the opening ostinato. On measure 118, a sextuplet chromatic run upward

takes the violin to a higher register. Measure 123 passes the line to the cello playing in close to

the violin’s lower register in tenor cleft. From here, we can see that a narrative of competition is

being developed between the instruments as these soloistic lines are then traded to oboe in

measure 140 then to the flute on measure 145.

Measure 152 brings together the woodwinds before piano takes up its soloistic role.

Interjections from the rest of the ensemble ring out periodically yet the piano clearly displays

itself as the most virtuosic player in this competition of skill. A crescendo in measure 167 leads

the other instruments back and the familiar ostinato returns while the vision of movement atop
ice returns to the sonic space. Piano takes the interjection role by splashing lines comprising of

adjacent thirds. A dialogue is then created between the piano and the rest of the ensemble as they

alternate foreground roles.

By measure 190, The opening section material returns as the music returns to its diatonic

roots; only this time it is in G Major. This can be seen as transformative journey from the

beginning F major. Familiar material develops until the end where the trilling, twirling motive is

sustained until the final descending line sees that the skater sticks their landing. The character

has achieved their dream.

While there is clear sectional material throughout Towers work, it is evident that the

piece was not composed with a clear form structure in mind. Like many works of the twentieth

century, this piece chooses a more through-composed approach to its structure. There are still

sectional breaks that can be seen in the form of diatonic vs. octatonic segments. Throughout the

piece, this struggle creates a narrative of personal journey, competition, and achievement. The

fact that this piece was conceive with direct inspiration from a known and beloved piece, while

incorporating original elements of the composer’s own inspiration makes this piece a hallmark of

twentieth century composition.