guide

Fraser Trainer

Tree Line was written in 1988 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the London Sinfonietta.

Takemitsu said: "The tree line in the title is a row of acacia trees luxuriously growing near the mountain villa which is my workshop. A stroll under the long line of acacia trees lining the slopes always soothes my mind. This work was written as a homage to these graceful yet dauntless trees. The music proceeds like a tapestry, woven around D and Bb in various modes, along with its main line of tonal variation."

Tree line is a beautifully crafted 12 minute piece for 18 instruments. The music consists of delicate, short, picturesque fragments which are linked together, set beside each other or formed by pure silence. In the score, letters A - N mark the separate stages of the journey through Tree Line.

Click on the pictures to play the examples

Tree Line begins quietly and mysteriously with dark colours gradually turning light to reveal a striking and beautiful melody played by oboe and clarinet at bar 6.

Example 1: Tree Line opening

This melody with its gentle rising tones and semi-tones appears in many different settings during the piece, acting as a guide through the ever changing landscapes along the way.

Example 2: Tree Line bars 5 - 8

The flute, clarinet and trumpet are next to take up the melody line in quick succession, lifting it out of the general texture. The sense of flow soon evaporates when the music becomes chordal, static and quiet.

A new section begins with horn, percussion, celeste and harp forming part of a tender, undulating accompaniment based around D and F (Ex.3). Over this, slow decorated chromatic melodies overlap from alto flute to oboe to clarinet. Each instrument always ends its solo phrase with the theme first heard at bar 6 (Ex. 2) as if looking over one's shoulder at the landmarks recently past.

Example 3: Section B, opening

"Without Tempo" marks section D, which allows the ensemble to be split into two layers. Harp, piano, double bass, percussion, trumpet and trombone play at their own steady speed, whilst flute, horns and string quartet are conducted (Ex.4). At the sixth bar the flute is asked to improvise the sound of "birds calling" in response to the repeated angular phrases in the strings.

Example 4 Section D, opening

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An outburst of the initial theme is heard at the start of a new section, followed by sensuous rich chords which use the whole register of the ensemble.

These lead to a very slow chordal progression in wind and brass that supports the strings' ghostly murmurings which, after a brief pause to gather breath, reveal the works biggest climax. (Ex.5.)

Example 5: Section F bars 3 - 7

Solos for bass clarinet, oboe, flute and Bb clarinet, again based on the initial theme, lead into section H. Now an ominous augmented fourth interval in the double bassoon and bass brings an unsettling feeling to a repeat of the first melody, on oboe and later on trumpet.

A slightly smaller climactic peak is the main feature of section I, whilst K and L set faster moving, but more delicate chords, against harp flourishes that sound even more "eastern" by detuning two of the strings.

At letter M gentle ripples emanate from chords marked "as soft as possible", before a clear F major chord gives a more stable platform for the final return of the theme.

Example 6: Section M bars 2 - 4

This is marked "as from far beyond" and is incanted first on oboe and horn, and then lastly on oboe alone, as the closing phrase of the piece, played off-stage.

Example 7: Section N to the end

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Recommended Listening

Riverrun; Rain Coming; Tree Line; - London Sinfonietta / Knussen EMI VC7 59020-2

To the Edge of Dream; Folios; Toward the Sea III; - London Sinfonietta / Salonen Sony SK 46720

A flock descends into the Pentagonal Garden; Dream Time; Star Isle; - BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Otaka BIS CD760

November Steps; Eclipse; A String around Autumn; - Saito kinen Orchestra / Ozawa Philips 432 176-PH

From me flows what you call time; Twill by Twilight; Requiem; - Pacific Symphony Orchestra, nexus / St.Clair Sony SK 63044

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Contact us: treeline@soundintermedia.co.uk

		Tree Line begins quietly and mysteriously with dark colours gradually turning light to reveal a striking and beautiful melody played by oboe and clarinet at bar 6.
		Example 1: Tree Line opening
		This melody with its gentle rising tones and semi-tones appears in many different settings during the piece, acting as a guide through the ever changing landscapes along the way.
		Example 2: Tree Line bars 5 - 8
		The flute, clarinet and trumpet are next to take up the melody line in quick succession, lifting it out of the general texture. The sense of flow soon evaporates when the music becomes chordal, static and quiet. A new section begins with horn, percussion, celeste and harp forming part of a tender, undulating accompaniment based around D and F (Ex.3). Over this, slow decorated chromatic melodies overlap from alto flute to oboe to clarinet. Each instrument always ends its solo phrase with the theme first heard at bar 6 (Ex. 2) as if looking over one's shoulder at the landmarks recently past.
		Example 3: Section B, opening
		"Without Tempo" marks section D, which allows the ensemble to be split into two layers. Harp, piano, double bass, percussion, trumpet and trombone play at their own steady speed, whilst flute, horns and string quartet are conducted (Ex.4). At the sixth bar the flute is asked to improvise the sound of "birds calling" in response to the repeated angular phrases in the strings.
		Example 4 Section D, opening
Top of Page		An outburst of the initial theme is heard at the start of a new section, followed by sensuous rich chords which use the whole register of the ensemble. These lead to a very slow chordal progression in wind and brass that supports the strings' ghostly murmurings which, after a brief pause to gather breath, reveal the works biggest climax. (Ex.5.)
		Example 5: Section F bars 3 - 7
		Solos for bass clarinet, oboe, flute and Bb clarinet, again based on the initial theme, lead into section H. Now an ominous augmented fourth interval in the double bassoon and bass brings an unsettling feeling to a repeat of the first melody, on oboe and later on trumpet. A slightly smaller climactic peak is the main feature of section I, whilst K and L set faster moving, but more delicate chords, against harp flourishes that sound even more "eastern" by detuning two of the strings.
		At letter M gentle ripples emanate from chords marked "as soft as possible", before a clear F major chord gives a more stable platform for the final return of the theme. Example 6: Section M bars 2 - 4
		This is marked "as from far beyond" and is incanted first on oboe and horn, and then lastly on oboe alone, as the closing phrase of the piece, played off-stage.
		Example 7: Section N to the end