Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen

3 Epigrammer

Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen 3 EPIGRAMS '3 Epigrams' (1963) came into existence following my piece for chamber orchestra 'Chronos' (1962). My purpose with these pieces (and others of the same period) was to explore the sound experiences of serialism in space and time but without using the original and fundamental substance of serialism - the tone row. The chromatic space was constituted by four identical and complementary tone columns (established by transposition). The time was divided into 25 different sizes, plasticly conceived and graphically notated. These distances were then divided in 25 new distances in the same proportions etc... into smaller and smaller durations completely hierarchally carried through. This time division, 'rhythm', de-termines the gradual or sudden shifts from one tone column to another. The 3 Epigrams became a little play of my own with this material and the work is, therefore, quite clear to read and easy to play - a kind of bagatelle, really. I am now afraid that a classic situation is emerging: If this programme note is any longer it will take more time to read this than it will take to play the three pieces. Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen