Henze’s “Royal Winter Music, First Sonata on Shakespearean Characters for Guitar”

Hey guys,

Thomas asked me to study this work which wasn’t on the listening list as he thought it would help my preparation of a piece for flute and guitar. So, here goes…

I decided to study the final movement of this sonata, “Oberon.” One thing that I particularly liked about this work – and a notion which I think I should utilise in my writing for guitar – is the cyclical contrast between large chords, individual pitches, and consecutive vertical intervals. The opening motif encapsulate this idea in a very neat fashion. Firstly, C major triad with an added ninth is sounded. This ninth is then resolved upward to an E natural, which is immediately preceded by the interval of a major third. This motif is repeated in entirety; followed by another major third, and a minor third. The following phrase provides contrast rhythmically, with far smaller note values utilised. This approach to composition has two advantages: the natural sound of the instrument is emphasised through the sustained notes, whilst the more complicated rhythms draw attention and impart a sense of sustained, yet restrained, intensity.

The lack of barlines in this movement does not create a sense that this piece lacks rhythmic propulsion; rather, the beat merely becomes ambiguous. The use of a time signature and a metronomic marking does indicate the speed at which the guitarist must play, yet the overall impression one gets is that they are listening to a natural form of improvisation, rather than a composition hampered by a systematic approach.

This results in a piece which sounds natural when performed on guitar. Having listened to and experienced this piece makes me realise that there is a whole approach to writing for guitar which I have not discovered. In fact, I sound more as if I am writing for piano!

Timothy