Additional Notes for "Mass for Heavy Rail" (2009) by Dan Senn

The sound files here used to demonstrate Mass for Heavy Rail were generated using my Too Flutter sound sculpture and then mixed with the choral "ah" sounds produced by the Sebelius Music Notation software. Sibelius does not produce the actual words of the score,of course, nor does it generate crescendos or decresendos. It also ignores notes at times, and sometimes skips a beat. But the timings are correct and the balance between the choral and backing parts are adequate for demonstration, even if the subtleties of a live performance are often lost. Furthermore, the fidelity of the backing sounds are far less brilliant than they would otherwise be.

The backing sounds for Mass for Heavy Rail represents an expansive tonal geography upon which I have constructed the choral sections of this piece. The primary sound generator within the sound sculpture are metallic washers as they cascade down the cyclical rails of threaded steel rods. These have been systematically ordered throughout the instrument and then released and recorded in a specific order according to a score - a "meta-score" of sorts. The steal rods of this sound sculpture are connected to found pieces of scrap metal acquired at thrift stores and garage sales,and each is imprinted inadvertently with an unique and irregular overtone structure. What is recorded off the sculpture (contact mikes are built into the instrument), as the "moths" spin downward over the instruments rails, is ultra-rich in irregular overtones, sub-tones, and fundamental tones of varying strengths. These timbrel materials are what comprise the tonal landscape of this piece, and the score, which is written using traditional key signatures, represents structures which rest upon this landscape. Again, the tonal centers of the choral writing are determined by the rough and tumble of the tonal landscape-traditional notation systems have been used to make a piece which is performable and one that is closely integrated into the pre-recorded sounds of the Too Flutter sound sculpture. Therefore, the tonal simplicity of the choral parts is necessary and determined by the overtone structure of the pre-recorded backing sounds. Except for the all "electronic" Prelude (actually, musique concrete), where I have made references to tonal shifts, I have not included a tonal analysis of backing sounds.

General tonalities by section-by-section

......| G major/minor | D minor ->C# major | C major ->D major | C minor | D# minor | E minor | C minor | G minor - Bb minor |

......| F# phrygian - A minor | A minor | D minor | Gb major | Eb minor | Bb minor - C major | Ab major - Bb major - C major |

More detail

01 - Prelude (1:35) (no choral sounds) G major - D minor - C# minor - G minor
02 - Introitus (5:21) vii°7->D harmonic minor [V - i - V - iv -vii°- III] [pause] shifts to C# major at end.
03 - Kyrie | Dies Irae (5:37) (sections merged)
......a Kyrie (2:05) C-major [C7 - vii9] --- shifts to D major at end.
......b Dies Irae (3:32) C-minor [i - i9 - end i7 minus 3rd]
04 - Tuba Mirum (2:39) D# pure minor - shifts to D# harmonic minor mid-way [ i - V7]
05 - Rex Tremendae (4:01) E pure minor, embellished by passing tones throughout.
06 - Recordare (2:41) C pure minor - shifts to melodic minor, changes to D harmonic minor midway.
07 - Confutatis | Lacrimosa (11:05) (sections merged)
......a Confutatis (3:58) G pure minor - shift to harmonic minor - sudden shift to Bb harmonic minor [vi - i - iv - i9]
......b Lacrimosa 97:03) F# phrygian minor - A pure minor [i - i9]
08 - Domine Jesu (1:42) A harmonic minor [i - diatonic cluster - i - diatonic cluster]
09 - Hostias (2:55) D harmonic minor [i - V7 - i7 - V7 - iv - ii°7 - i]
10 - Sanctus | Benedictus (5:44) (sections merged)
......a Sanctus (2:37) Gb major [I7 - ends i w/unresolved lowered 5th]
......b Benedictus (3:07) Eb pure minor - shifts to harmonic minor - sudden shift to E pure minor [i - VII7 - i]
11 - Agnus Dei (6:23) Bb pure minor [i - i7 ] - sudden shift to C major [I]
12 - Lux Aeterna (6:02) Ab major - shifts to Bb major - sudden shift to C major - shift to C minor [i - diatonic cluster ] - C major.