Tecumseh – Performance
Suggestions
Barry E. Kopetz
Tecumseh is a musical portrayal of the life of the great Native
American chief of Ohio. As such, many of the suggestions pertain
to the style of each of the sections.
The opening measures
should serve as a chant-like speech, and the conductor may feel
free to vary the tempo as the mood dictates.
It should present a sense of darkness and foreboding. The flute
solo is performed “a piacere,” and the conductor should
remain unobtrusive in conducting this passage. The image presented
here is one of a female Native American singing her song of woe
by a stream that she and her people are forced to give up due to
the westward migration of European settlers.
At measure 24, the slow pounding of the timpani sets the stage
for the next musical episode. Here, there is a sense of defiance,
that is, these natives will not leave their land quietly. They
prepare for whatever means is necessary to drive the invaders from
their homeland. There should be a bittersweet quality to the music
as these people did not wish for the path that they have chosen.
Measure 44 presents the true attitude of the people. The music
should be played with a sense of wildness and urgency. The repeated
staccato notes should remain absolutely steady throughout, and
the accents should be played in a manner that does not slow the
pace of the music. The entrance of the melody in the first trumpet
at 50 should be played boldly, in a firm, marcato style. The ensemble
must be careful to not rush the individual eighth note entrances
that punctuate this section.
There will be a tendency to allow the low brass to slow down at
67. A light staccato may be added to this passage in order to disallow
this from occurring. As before, the punctuated eighth notes should
be rehearsed in a manner that brings dramatic flavor to the music,
not so that these notes impede the flow of the melodic line. Measure
82 should be lyric and flowing in the alto saxophone while the
rest of the ensemble maintains an underlying layer of rhythmic
intensity. Naturally, the molto ritard. at 96 should be gradual,
allowing for a musical transition into the following section.
The Andante Cantabile is both a love song as well as a song of
sorrow. The love portion is the emotional tie that Tecumseh and
his people feel for the land; the sorrow is that which they feel
for being forced to leave it. Tempo should be flexible, and good
dynamic balance should be maintained in the accompanying voices.
The return of the Fieramente
occurs at 121, and the music should be more wild and fierce than
in the earlier appearance. It is easy
for the music to become too violent and uncontrolled, and the conductor
must take appropriate steps to keep the music moving forward in
the brisk tempo. A slightly slower tempo may allow the conductor
better control, and if so, this option may be selected. Be certain
that the two suspended cymbals give a true “high – low” quality
in this section. The field drum appearance in the measure after
133 should be deep and guttural and should be as close to an old
military field drum sound as possible. The canonic nature of this
section dictates issues of musical balance, and the snare drum
should drive the rhythmic precision of the music.
Measure 149 brings a respite form the musical tension that has
been increasing, and the flow of the various lines would be improved
by conducting in cut time. The snare drum part will be the key
to maintaining tempo, though the part should not be played too
loudly. After the small ritard. before 165, a return to a four
pattern will be essential to recapture the sense of urgency implied
by the music. The music should be at its wildest and most powerful
level from 169 to the end of the piece. The two places where the
dynamic level drops (187 and 191) should be strictly observed so
that the piece does not go from loud to louder without a reprieve.
As always, common sense as it relates to musical balance is the
key to achieving the intent. The last three bars should be rehearsed
slowly at first, striving to build up the energy implied within
the final note.
