Black Angels (Crumb)

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Black Angels, subtitled "Thirteen Images from the Dark Land" is an avant-garde work composed by George Crumb for electronic string quartet. It was composed over the course of a year and supposedly finished on "Friday the Thirteenth, March 1970 (in tempore belli)" as written on the score. "In tempore belli", or "in time of war", refers to the then-current wartime situation in Vietnam. Crumb was very interested in numerology and numerically structured the piece around 13 and 7.

[edit] Background

The 1950's and 60's were beginning a new push in experimental music, especially in the way of electronic techniques. George Crumb saw this contemporary world as one under religious strife, and Black Angels reflects these haunting and mystical undertones.

The image of Black Angels is an archetypical convention used by artists to represent an angel banished from Heaven. The "Dark Land" is essentially referring to Hell, with consistent references to Diablo, via Diabolus in Musica, the Trillo del diavolo ("Devil's Trill", from Giuseppe Tartini), and the Dies Irae (quoted in section 5 Dans Macabre). Crumb also makes references to other tonal works that incorporate death, such as Schubert's Death and the Maiden (quoted in section 6 Pavana Lachrymae and section 13 Threnody III).

[edit] Construction and Numerology

The piece is constructed in a way establishing a great opposition of God vs. the Devil. The first part, Departure, begins by establishing the dark mood of Black Angels and introducing the primary death theme. In the second part, Absence, the fallen angel's themes are heard. Finally in part three, Return, God prevails over evil, as presented in section 10 God-music.

Each of these parts is built around the primes 7 and 13 in some way. This might be reflected in the length of the section, its phrases, its note values, patterns of motifs, or pitch (in accordance with Set Theory).

Program

Part	Title	Numerology
I. Departure	1. THRENODY I: Night of the Electric Insects	13 times 7 and 7 times 13
	2. Sounds of Bones and Flutes	7 in 13
	3. Lost Bells	13 over 7
	4. Devil-music	7 and 13
	5. Danse Macabre	13 times 7
II. Absence	6. Pavana Lachrymae	13 under 13
	7. THRENODY II: BLACK ANGELS!	7 times 7 and 13 times 13
	8. Sarabanda de la Muerte Oscura	13 over 13
	9. Lost Bells (Echo)	7 times 13
III. Return	10. God-music	13 and 7
	11. Ancient Voices	7 over 13
	12. Ancient Voices (echo)	13 in 7
	13. THRENODY III: Night of the Electric Insects	7 times 13 and 13 times 7

[edit] Instrumentation

The instrumentation of Black Angels was in its day and still is a very innovative combination producing eerie and fantastic sounds. The piece is primarily written (in unusual and very detailed notation) for an electric string quartet, where each player's sound is amplified and modified for effect. The music uses the extremes of the instruments' registers as well as extended techniques such as bowing on the underside of the strings and wearing thimbles on the "fretting" fingers. At certain points in the music, the players are even required to make sounds with their mouths and to speak.

Each of the string players is also assigned a set of instruments to play throughout the piece. Some of the equipment requires specific preparation, such as the crystal glasses, which are tuned with different amounts of water.

Violin 1

• maraca
• 7 crystal glasses
• 6" glass rod
• 2 metal thimbles
• metal pick

Violin 2

• 15" suspended tam-tam and mallet
• contrabass bow (for use on tam-tam)
• 7 crystal glasses
• 6" glass rod
• 2 metal thimbles
• metal pick

Viola

• 6 crystal glasses
• 6" glass rod
• 2 metal thimbles
• metal pick

Cello

• maraca
• 24" suspended tam-tam, soft and hard mallets
• contrabass bow