Unless
Overview: “Unless” is based on the children’s book “The Lorax” by Dr.
Seuss. “The Lorax” deals with themes of natural beauty and the
destruction thereof at the hands of consumerism and capitalism.
“Unless” is my translation of the book - at some points literal and
exact, at others loose and impressionistic - into a musical medium. The
message put forth in “The Lorax” was particularly poignant to me during
the composition of “Unless” because I wrote the piece in 2009/2010 (without access to a piano) while living on
the Pacific island of Pohnpei; Pohnpei is a place of immeasurable
natural beauty which is currently facing the deleterious social and
environmental effects of an imported, money-driven culture. Below is a
cursory walk-through of the seven movements in the suite. I do hope you make it all the way to the bottom, it is worth it (because some movements are wild and others conventional).
The Street of the Lifted – mirrors the eerie opening of the book in
which the narrator finds himself walking through an inexplicably
desolate world. This movement establishes the key of the Onceler as B
minor.
Playing, Singing, Humming pt. 1 – represents the untouched natural world of the trees, bears, swans, and fish, each of which has its theme introduced here. With the exception of the tree theme, the natural themes are in two flats – a key which opposes that of the Onceler. The twinge of melancholy at the beginning of the movement derives from the fact that it is the Onceler who is regretfully whispering the story.
Brownish, Mossy, Sharpish, and Bossy (suggested listening given time constraints) – contrasts the other movements in that rather than representing a specific point in the book, it represents one particular character’s journey from when he is introduced until he leaves at the end of the book. That character is the Lorax himself. The Lorax’s key signature is clear – no flats or sharps. As he is the sole mediator between nature and the Onceler, his key signature is exactly between the two. The downward run at the beginning of the movement is the first tree being chopped and crashing to the ground. The chords that follow show the Lorax springing forth from the stump. Towards the middle of the piece the listener hears many trees of the forest falling one after another. The final section prominently features a C-sharp and is hinted at earlier in the movement. It represents the Lorax flying away in the end of the book. In the final movement this episode is respelled, again using the C-sharp to show the Lorax flying away.
Without a Face – is a musical snapshot of the frenetic whirlwind which follows the Onceler’s business activities. In the book, the more the Onceler establishes his factories, the more the once peaceful landscape becomes a torrent of traffic and machinery. The many shifts within this movement help to evoke a feeling of instability. The movement begins in the key of the Onceler, but modulates a tritone away before returning. The rhythmic feel and textural style are also subject to unsettling fluctuation.
Playing, Singing, Humming pt. 2 – presents the tragedy that has befallen the once idyllic natural world. In the book the creatures are forced, one by one, to leave their old habitat; In this movement the once cheerful themes of the creatures are one by one turned to minor tonalities. In some cases the accompaniment has been changed to a more modern, almost bluesy feel so that it can be said that modernization itself has distorted the themes. Throughout the movement the tree theme is heard, but only the first three notes. Over and over again the three eighth notes at octaves are heard, but never once the entire theme. Only stumps remain, and they are scattered everywhere. Listen for the influence of Santigold!
Playing, Singing, Humming pt. 1 – represents the untouched natural world of the trees, bears, swans, and fish, each of which has its theme introduced here. With the exception of the tree theme, the natural themes are in two flats – a key which opposes that of the Onceler. The twinge of melancholy at the beginning of the movement derives from the fact that it is the Onceler who is regretfully whispering the story.
Brownish, Mossy, Sharpish, and Bossy (suggested listening given time constraints) – contrasts the other movements in that rather than representing a specific point in the book, it represents one particular character’s journey from when he is introduced until he leaves at the end of the book. That character is the Lorax himself. The Lorax’s key signature is clear – no flats or sharps. As he is the sole mediator between nature and the Onceler, his key signature is exactly between the two. The downward run at the beginning of the movement is the first tree being chopped and crashing to the ground. The chords that follow show the Lorax springing forth from the stump. Towards the middle of the piece the listener hears many trees of the forest falling one after another. The final section prominently features a C-sharp and is hinted at earlier in the movement. It represents the Lorax flying away in the end of the book. In the final movement this episode is respelled, again using the C-sharp to show the Lorax flying away.
Without a Face – is a musical snapshot of the frenetic whirlwind which follows the Onceler’s business activities. In the book, the more the Onceler establishes his factories, the more the once peaceful landscape becomes a torrent of traffic and machinery. The many shifts within this movement help to evoke a feeling of instability. The movement begins in the key of the Onceler, but modulates a tritone away before returning. The rhythmic feel and textural style are also subject to unsettling fluctuation.
Playing, Singing, Humming pt. 2 – presents the tragedy that has befallen the once idyllic natural world. In the book the creatures are forced, one by one, to leave their old habitat; In this movement the once cheerful themes of the creatures are one by one turned to minor tonalities. In some cases the accompaniment has been changed to a more modern, almost bluesy feel so that it can be said that modernization itself has distorted the themes. Throughout the movement the tree theme is heard, but only the first three notes. Over and over again the three eighth notes at octaves are heard, but never once the entire theme. Only stumps remain, and they are scattered everywhere. Listen for the influence of Santigold!
Speak Truth to Power – describes the futile conversation between the Lorax and the Onceler. The key signature is one sharp which is right between those of the two characters. The piece is jarring, mechanical, and unyielding. In measures 13-25 the main themes from the third and forth movements are woven into the right hand creating an intercourse between the music of the Lorax and that of the Onceler. At the end of the movement the falling of the last tree is heard. Listen for the influence of Nine Inch Nails!
Unless – is a short, serene picture of the end of the book, fraught with tinges of melancholy. The form of the movement can be broken down into a simple ABAB'. The B section (m. 13-15) represents the Lorax flying away and thus contains the C-sharp from the end of the third movement. The B' section (m. 30-36) represents the seed at the end of the book which the Onceler gives to the narrator, and the hope for which that seed stands.
And that's where it stands, hope you enjoyed...
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