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Credits

Song written and arranged by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. Copyright © 2016 by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. All Rights Reserved.

Carlos G. Plaza Vegas – keyboards, bass, drums.

So, here it is: “Triptych – Dawn”

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Credits

Song written and arranged by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. Copyright © 2016 by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. All Rights Reserved.

Carlos G. Plaza Vegas – keyboards, bass, drums, percussion.

It is Magma intoxicated with the language of Carlos Plaza and the impeccable performances of Carlos Franco on drums and Jaime Pascual on bass.

Here it is:

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Credits

Song written and arranged by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. Copyright © 2016 by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. All Rights Reserved.

Carlos G. Plaza Vegas – keyboards
Carlos Franco Vivas – drums
Jaime Pascual Summers – bass

– Sun Pentacle
– Mercury Pentacle
– Venus Pentacle
– Mars Pentacle

Sun Pentacle

There are several pentacles associated with the Sun. I chose this one as inspiration for the piece:

This pentacle procures realization in the form of power, glory and success in life. These characteristics are represented in the upbeat mood of the piece.

The Intro presents a rhythmic melody:

That is developed towards the end of the piece:

After the Intro, the Pentacle Suite’s main theme is presented:

As we will see later, this theme is present in Sun, Venus and Mars Pentacles.

After the development of the main theme, we reach a second part inspired by another Sun Pentacle:

This pentacle is used in ceremonies in order to facilitate levitation. It also invokes the spirits who can transport you from one place to another, in a short time.

This time the song becomes ethereal, suggesting this altered immaterial state.

The third part of the piece features a polyrhythmic section where the quest for glory seems to emerge from the previous state of spiritual exaltation and carries on into the development of the initial theme.

The different ideas and motifs of the piece all come together in the final section of the piece:

Mercury Pentacle

The mercury pentacles are associated with the attainment of psychic powers. My interpretation, is that through these pentacles, the magicians try to establish a balance between the spiritual and physical aspects of the being. Ultimately, finding a state of equilibrium and inner peace. This song is based on an ancient Sanskrit text from the Vedas, called Shanti Path. It is a mantra about reaching peace and harmony. Here’s the original text and its English translation:

Shanti Path

Asato ma sadgamaya
Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
Mrityorma amritam gamaya
Saravesham svasti bhavatu
Saravesham shantir bhavatu
Saravesham purnam bhavatu
Saravesham mangalam bhavatu

Song of Peace (Shanti Path)

from the unreal lead me to the real
from the darkness lead me to light
from death lead me to immortality

may all beings dwell in happiness
may all beings dwell in peace
may all beings attain oneness
may all beings attain auspiciousness

may all happiness be unto the whole world

we worship the three eyed one (Shiva)
who is fragrant and who nourishes all beings
may he liberate us from death (ignorance, belief in
our transient nature) for the sake of immortality
(knowledge of our immortal nature)
even as the cucumber is severed from the vine
(that its seeds may be kept)

Ohmm the sound, the essential vibration of the
universe; shanti peace

This song carefully and slowly builds a climax, aiming to emulate the idea of transcendence through a state of inner peace.

One of the main themes, is taken from the initial melody presented in the Prologue:

First, the theme is presented by the flute:

And then, by the voice in the climax of the piece:

And a modified version of this theme:

Venus Pentacle

This pentacle is used to procure someone’s love. The arrangement of this song is quite peculiar: Piano, Flute, Cello and Mellotron. It features an extensive development of the Suite’s main theme and also the secondary theme presented in the Prologue and developed in Mercury Pentacle. Here are some interesting sections:

The Pentacle’s main theme is really a variation of the suite’s secondary theme:

This theme is developed until it is again presented this time un fugato mode between flute and cello:

That leads to the appearance of the mellotron and a second development section:

This long development section builds up slowly and, in the climax, the pentacle’s main theme is presented by the cello:

The piece concludes with yet a third development of the theme, with complex interplay between the piano, flute and cello, leading to Mars Pentacle.

Mars Pentacle

As is commonly known, Mars is the bringer of war. There are several Mars pentacles. They aim to protect against evil and help achieve victory in any kind of struggle. It is in this context – victory over struggles – that I chose the pentacle. Not its association with war.

There is also a Mars pentacle that is used as a generic pentacle that can be used for any purpose if the specific pentacles are not available:

This piece is written entirely in 7/8, in order to represent the idea of struggle.

You can easily count the 7/8 measure by following the opening line in the bass:

After this bass introduction, the pentacle’s main theme is presented and immediately developed:

On the second section of the song, the upbeat of the first part gives way to a more relaxed atmosphere, always in 7/8. The piano presents a recursive pattern that flows effortlessly throughout the section, as the flute presents different melodies, inspired in the character of the motifs presented throughout the suite:

The final section presents for the last time the pentacle’s main theme before moving on to the Epilogue:

Epilogue

The final song of the Pentacle Suite is based on a poem from Nathalye Engelke:

Epílogo

Cuerpos de sal, arena simulada
en el vacío de tu mirada vuelve a caer
la misma angustia de no saber.

Dormido en una noche de alientos perdidos
de colores breves como tu historia
me dejo rendir
sobre las perlas de mi propia sed

Y son tus manos de verde infinito
paseantes de sueños
buscar una brisa de olivo
para sembrar el temblor en mi huella
frágil apoyo de un volcán vencido

Epilogue

Salt bodies, simulated sand
in the emptiness of your look,
the same not-knowing anguish
falls again.

Slept in a night of lost breaths
of brief colours, like your story,
I let myself go
over the pearls of my own thirst.

And your hands of infinite green
Are dream strollers
looking for a breeze of olive
to sow the tremor in my trace,
fragile support of a defeated volcano.

The piece has an altered song format:

Intro-A-A’-B-A’’-C-Outro (that is Intro-Verse-Verse’-Bridge-Verse’’-Verse/Bridge-Outro)

Intro is an instrumental passage where a modified version of the verse, is presented by the flute:

The verse is based on the first paragraph of the poem. The last phrase of the vocals, is used as the first phrase of the flute melody, that starts A’ – a modified and expanded version of A.

Here’s A and A’:

This is section B (Bridge), based on the second paragraph of the poem:

A’’ is an instrumental guitar solo, based on theme A (verse):

Part C, is really a combination of verse and chorus. The first 3 lines of the last paragraph are based on the verse, the last 2 lines, on the bridge:

The Outro is also a condensed version of verse and bridge, but instrumental and backwards. First, the guitar takes the bridge theme and hands the solo over to the flute, that takes the verse melody, to finish the song:

To finish this article, here’s a rare previously unreleased video of the Pentacle Suite. It was recorded in the 2007 edition of the Gouveia Art Rock Festival, when Carolina Prieto was still a member of Kotebel. It features an audio mix that has been prepared especially for this edition of Phaedrus.

Credits

Formulario de Alta Magia (Formulaire de Haute Magie) by P.V. Piobb.
© 1980 Editorial EDAF, S.A.
Jorge Juan, 30. 28001. Madrid
http://www.edaf.net
edaf@edaf.net
All pentacle illustrations where taken from this book.

Pentacle Suite © 2006 by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. Distribution of the Pentacle Suite video is prohibited. It is intended for exclusive use of Phaedrus subscribers.

We start this section with a peculiar album. It serves as a statement that good Art Rock doesn’t necessarily have to come out of progressive rock bands. We will include some similar albums occasionally. This album comes from Joe Jackson, a well-known Pop artist. For some reason, he felt compelled to write something outside the bounds of the mainstream commercial perimeter where he usually lives. The result is an album full of vitality, clever arrangements, intriguing melodies. An aesthetic landscape different to what we’re used to in progressive rock, yet it has all the elements of excellent prog. It is a concept album, based on the seven capital sins: Gluttony, Lust, Avarice, Sloth, Anger, Envy and Pride.

This is a video of a live performance of one of the best tracks in the album – Fugue 1/More is More (Gluttony)

About this album, Joe Jackson said:

This link will take you to Jackson’s album page, where you can listen to some tracks and buy the album.

Tonality is all about hierarchy of notes. In Western culture, we use a scale called “diatonic”, with five tones and 2 semitones (12 halftones in total). Eastern music is based on a scale of five notes (pentatonic). In India, quarter tones are used (in the western hemisphere these notes are perceived as “out of tune”). All around the world we can find music based on the use of specific scales called “modes” (in the western culture the preponderant modes are “major” and “minor”). But, in all cases, not all notes have the same importance. Once a tonal center is established, some notes become more relevant than others. Dodecaphony or “Twelve Note Technique”, created by Arnold Schoenberg in 1921 and expanded by the Second School of Vienna, is based on the “democracy of notes”. This School gave a vigorous impulse to the atonal music trend that began to be explored in the early 20th century by composers like Scriabin, Stravinsky or Bartók.

One of the basic principles of the dodecaphonic model, is that all 12 halftones must have the same importance. Therefore, the concept of tonality becomes useless and that is why dodecaphonic music and “atonality” go hand in hand. However, both terms are not identical because dodecaphonic music is constructed upon structures, or series. There are other types of atonal music where there is no underlying pattern.

99% of progressive music is tonal, so we are all familiar with tonality. For those of you who have never heard atonal music, here are some examples:

Anton Webern – Six Bagatelles for String Quartet

Pierre Henry, « Variations pour une porte et un soupir »

Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade op.24

For several decades, the question of “Tonality” vs. “Atonality” has been the subject of analysis and debates by musicologists, musicians and philosophers. The fact that atonal music (dodecaphonic, serial, concrete, etc.) has not been able to impose itself over tonal music after a century, has led many to believe that atonal music is “unnatural”. Many believe that the way we perceive the hierarchy between notes, is related to how harmonics are produced. In other words, that tonality is a natural outcome of a physical manifestation: a sound is produced by a fundamental tone, and the sum of its harmonics. In the simple case of a string, the first harmonic is an octave higher than the fundamental tone, the second one is on an interval of a fifth. If we play a C, its second harmonic is a G. In a piece of music based on the C tone, the most relevant note, after C itself, is G.

Others claim that tonal chords produce a natural resonance on physical objects; for example, an orchestra that plays a “tutti” (all instruments playing at once) over a tonal chord, will resonate much more than the same instruments playing a “cluster” (a group of contiguous notes – like banging a piano with your fist).

These assertions may or may not be correct, but there is a fact that cannot be denied: an enormous amount of atonal music has been written since the beginning of the last century and yet, just an insignificant amount of listeners favor it over tonal music. With the exception of music ensembles that specialize in “contemporary music” (I don’t agree with the term – more on future articles), most orchestras and chamber groups base their repertoire on tonal music.

History shows that artists expand the known esthetics bounds, compelled by the need to communicate something that cannot be adequately portrayed with the tools at their disposal. Usually, it takes time for society to assimilate this new language and many artists die before their work is fully understood and appreciated. But the lag between the artist’s innovative language and human assimilation is usually measured in years or, at the most, decades. Never centuries, as would be the case with atonal music.

We can safely say that there is “something” about atonal music that just doesn’t click. I believe it is not about equating tonality with something natural and atonality with some sort of “Contra Naturam”. In fact, in a certain way as you will see later in the article, atonal music could be considered as very natural. Then, if this “something” about atonal music has nothing to do with tonality being more “natural”, what is it?

Let’s explore this concept about what is “natural” a bit further. Of course, as an adjective, the common definition is “Existing in or derived from nature; not made or caused by humankind” (Oxford Dictionary). However, for the purposes of this discussion, this definition is more appropriate: “Conforming to the usual or ordinary course of nature” (Free Dictionary). What is the ordinary course of nature? I would say a course that does not oppose the laws of physics and thermodynamics. A course that “flows naturally” with these laws. If you find this to be a sensible argument, then one may conclude that life is very unnatural. Let me explain what I mean.

It takes a lot of effort to stay alive. If you decided to lay in your couch and do nothing, in a few days your body would begin a very natural process: our highly organized molecular structure would decay into its simpler constituents. In order to keep your highly organized structure, you must eat and breathe. And, if you follow your instinct to preserve the species, in addition you must fight and mate. If you add to it the need to preserve your body from extreme heat or cold, you end up with a pretty full list of “To-Do’s” in order to stay alive. No wonder it is usually called “Struggle for Life”.

So, here we are, struggling to keep nature from doing its natural job: to decay into lower forms of potential energy.

Life seems to emerge from the manifestation of potential energy. Contrast incites movement, which in turn propels life. There is endless literature where this contrast is beautifully expressed. It’s all about contrast: day/night, light/dark, male/female, Ying/Yang…. As electric circuits cannot work without voltage, life cannot exist without contrast.

Which takes me to a beautiful concept about God and the Purpose of Life. Even if you are an atheist or agnostic, please bear with me. You may find these concepts interesting and intellectually challenging. Let’s assume that there is an underlying energy that brings coherence to the Universe. And, let’s also suppose that there is such a thing as an infinite Creator. An entity that “Is” and that cannot be called an entity because there is no beginning or end to It. Pure infinity in terms of space and time. Following our previous argument, such a “concept” (for lack of a better word) would have zero potential. No voltage. White noise.

What’s the use of being the best pianist in the world if you can never play because you don’t have a piano? Well, this “infinity” situation posed a bit of a problem for God: I cannot manifest what I Am, until I’m not all that I Am. I need contrast and that necessarily means a subset of what I Am.

So, God creates universes (yes, there may be more than one), each a subset of what He is, thus creating contrast, which in turn creates life. The ultimate purpose of this is to allow God to manifest Himself. And manifest what? Everything that can potentially be manifested, from Beethoven, to Emerson, to a cockroach. I’m here writing this because I’m nothing else than God manifested through me. And you. And Emerson. And a cockroach. Of course, this idea is not at all original, but it is interesting to see that, for most westerners, God is some sort of anthropomorphic entity that decides what is good or bad, that judges and has us immersed in some sort of role play, with a script that only He knows. And that what God is, is somehow dependent on what religions say that He is. As if a tree would change because I insist in saying that it is a chair.

In future articles I will expand on this idea because it has very interesting implications on Good and Evil, God as pure love, or the urge of living beings to live and perpetuate their species (something that scientists explain using the notion of “instinct” or “genetically programmed behaviors”), etc. But for now, let’s stick to the purpose of this article. If we accept that our purpose in life is to allow God to manifest Itself, and that in order for something to manifest itself we need contrast, then you may finally understand how can I relate this concept with Tonality.

In my humble opinion, art is communication. In fact, art provides the most holistic communication mode that humans have. Because only with art can you communicate complex messages that embed rational ideas, emotions and even abstract notions that could not be expressed only by rational means. Art that says nothing, is not art. As radical as that. This is why I like so much the term “Art Music”. There you can include all forms of music as an art manifestation: from classical music, to progressive rock, to jazz or traditional folklore. Other forms of music also communicate, but in the same way as instructions to build a table or the ingredients of a medicine also communicate. You would not equate a CVS recipe to a Shakespeare novel, even though both communicate. The same applies to Art vs. Non-Art Music.

So, let go back to our discussion on what is it about atonality that doesn’t “click”. In my opinion, the problem with atonal music is that it strips the listener from a frame of reference. There is no voltage. All notes are the same. Tonal music, for whatever historic or physical reason, has through the centuries been able to create a frame of reference. That frame allows us to perceive contrast and, as a result, there is a flow of communication between the composer and the listener. Thanks to this frame of reference, we perceive tension and repose, we assimilate, understand and feel, how a climax is constructed.

Atonal music has not been able to establish an alternate frame of reference. Its attempts have always been too rational: a piece based on a mathematical series is a good example. Music that can be subject to lengthy and complex musicological analysis, but incapable of establishing an effective communication flow with the listener.

As an interesting example of how tonal music has been able to create a universal frame of reference, I invite you to watch this video:

Postscript – A clarification

There is a vast catalogue of great atonal works written by talented and inspired composers. The major mystery of Art is that, in spite of our efforts to analyze and scrutinize masterpieces, we still cannot rationally apprehend their essence. We can dissect a Mozart sonata down to the last note and yet, no one (by natural or artificial means) has been able to create a Mozart-like piece that can stand side by side against Mozart’s greater works.

These modern composers have been able to convey their messages despite the fact that their language provides little references to hold on to. Sometimes the coherence is provided by rhythmic patterns, others by playing with micro tonality – you feel a tonal center but just for a brief period of time, or by ingenious combinations of timbres. Or, by letting their intuition and inspiration be their guide and achieve this communication by means that the composer is not even aware of.

These works are interspersed within a vast collection of atonal works, most of which are, in the best of cases, rational exercises and, in the worst, just fakes aimed at snobs.

Here are some examples of atonal music that I love:

Ligeti Etude 13: “The Devil’s Staircase”

Olivier Messiaen – Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time)

Alberto Ginastera. Piano concerto No.1 Op. 28 (1961) Toccata concertata. (Yes, Keith Emerson also loved this one…)

Juan Bautista Plaza – Sonata for Two Pianos (good example of micro tonality. The tonal center is there, but moving constantly)

Audio Program

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And yes, exploration is a key word. Imagine that you went to visit the pyramids some years ago. You were astonished by what you saw, took some pictures and purchased a tourist booklet with general information. Every now and then, you revisit your photos and read the booklet. Now a friend invites you to visit them again but this time, you form part of an expedition guided by an expert. You see the same pyramids, but now the guide unveils details that had gone unnoticed in your previous visit. The guide zooms in on special details and provides complementary information at every step of the way. At the end of the trip, you feel as if this was your first visit to the pyramids. Because you now see them under an entirely different light.

This is the purpose of this section. I will assume that you are already acquainted with each classic, and have enjoyed repeated listenings throughout the years. My aim is to provide you with a new insight, a better understanding of each work and, to benefit from my investigation on relevant information in the Internet. The “Resources” section provides links that will give you a more comprehensive view of the classic. Going back to the pyramids example, it is as if at the end of the visit, the guide gave you a paper full of references on articles, books, videos, and links that he believes are the best source to get you fully documented.

So now that you have a good understanding of what this section is about, before moving on let me tell you briefly what this section is not:

• This section is not about reviews. You can find tons of good reviews of these classics in the Internet.
• This section does not pretend to present a rigorous musical analysis. Although I will talk a lot about the underlying structures of each piece.
• You do not have to be a music expert in order to enjoy these articles. Whenever some music notion is required to make a point, it will be preceded by a simple explanation.
• Finally, I want to insist in my role as a guide. I will not make an attempt to discover or break new ground. Although I may work on some of these classics from scratch, whenever possible I will rely on work already done. I will of course give full credit to the original sources.

Let me tell why I’m starting this section with a complex piece like Close to the Edge. Those who are familiar with my artistic work, will know that I have always approached progressive rock from a classic-academic perspective. So far, the pinnacle of that effort is the Concerto for Piano and Electric Ensemble, where I wrote a concerto following rigorous academic guidelines in terms of structure and treatment of the instrument, but embedded in a rock quartet, full of rock elements.

Nowadays, more musicologists and scholars insist that there is enough evidence in some progressive music works, to consider them Art Music. In other words, they are valuable artistic expressions (as opposed to commercial ones) that will resist the passage of time and are worthy of appreciation and further study.

In the late 60’s and early 70’s the drive in progressive rock to create Art Music and to embrace elements from the classical world are evident. In some cases, the approach to this integration was to revisit classic works. The perfect example is ELP’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”. In other cases, by incorporating the orchestra within a rock esthetic like Moody Blues “Days of Future Passed”. But to me, the most interesting approach is when this integration is achieved at the very core of the composition. In its underlying structure. And this is where “Close to the Edge” shines and creates a true reference for subsequent works in the genre.

This guided tour will be based on analyzing CTTE from three perspectives:

1. Musical Structure – based on the excellent article written by John Covach in 1997
2. Lyrics – based on the extensive analysis by Pastor Ahyh
3. Its relation to the novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

This program will be devoted to the Structural Analysis strictly from a musical point of view. On a future program I will come back to the Lyrics and Siddharta.

So let’s get to it….

Structural Analysis

Before starting with CTTE, we need to go through some basics related to Form in music. In essence, form is an archetype that regulates how music is constructed. There are quite a few of these in classical music, and these forms have evolved through the centuries. A well-known form is the Fugue, which is based on counterpoint imitation of a main theme in two or more voices, following a predefined set of rules. Another good example, closely related to progressive rock, is the Sonata form. The structure of this form is based on three major sections called “Exposition”, “Development” and “Recapitulation”.

During the Exposition, a theme A is presented, followed by a contrasting theme B in a related key. During the Development, these themes are expanded, sometimes mixed, sometimes new material is presented. Finally, in the Recapitulation, both themes A and B are presented again but this time theme B is presented in the same key as theme A. Sometimes the Sonata form includes a Coda, where new material and/or a short development is presented at the end of the piece.

The reason why I say that the Sonata form is closely related to progressive rock is that most pieces in our dear genre are built by presenting several themes and then go through extensive developments. The form is much freer because the themes don’t have to be presented in related keys, and the recapitulation may or may not exist. Sometimes pieces are built based on a succession of themes and developments, with no apparent connection.

In popular music, most songs (including rock and pop) are built upon a very simple form

AABA

Where theme A is usually referred to as the “verse”. “B” is a contrasting theme known as “Bridge”. The verse is usually followed by a Chorus. So, a typical song will have a format usually known as a 32 bar form:

Intro – (Verse-Chorus) (Verse-Chorus)- Bridge – (Chorus)-(Chorus) – Outro

For a more detailed discussion, read this.

So, armed with the notion of form, we can now proceed to the structural analysis of CTTE.

The structure, as presented in the album, is based on 4 parts:

1. The Solid Time of Change
2. Total Mass Retain
3. I Get Up, I Get Down
4. Seasons of Man

As we will see later, parts 1, 2 and 4 share the same thematic material and 3 presents a contrasting theme. Therefore, from a structural point of view, we could make a first layout:

A – The Solid Time of Change

A’ – Total Mass Retain

B – I Get Up, I get Down

A’’ – Seasons of Man

So, from an overall structure point of view, the piece follows the AABA structure of a typical rock song. But, as we will see in a moment, each section A and, to a certain extent section B, also follow a song structure. So we can see that the piece is built upon a song format, and as we zoom in, we find each section also following a song pattern. Song structures, within a song structure.

However, this structure is incomplete because there is a very important Introduction, before section A. So, a more comprehensive structure would be:

Intro-A-A’-B-A’’

For the time being, I will use this structure. But in a future program, and in coincidence with John Covach’s appreciation, I will show how a 2-part structure better represents the connection with the Lyrics and with Siddharta:

Where Part A: comprises the Introduction + A + A’

And Part B: includes B + A’’

A great composition teacher I had in the early 90’s, the late Roman Alís, would always tell me: “Give me 2 notes and I will write you a Symphony”. This is the case with “Close to the Edge”.

This empire is built around 2 notes, separated by a half-tone:

Notice how this 2-note pattern appears in different moments throughout the piece:

Now where these 2-note motif is fully developed is in the cathedral organ solo, where the melody is based on groups of 2 notes, always separated by a half-tone:

Now let’s analyse the structure of the A sections. As stated before, they follow the typical song format of verse, chorus and bridge, very closely.

• Instrumental Intro to the Verse
• Verse (2 times)
• Chorus (2 times)
• Instrumental transition to the Bridge
• Bridge (2 times)
• Chorus
• Outro : which presents the theme for part B. This is a great departure from the Song Structure and a hint to the overarching classical form of the piece!!!

Let’s listen to the whole section A and notice again that the verse is based on the 2-note figure.

Part B also follows a song structure pattern, but this time it has a very interesting departure. Instead of a verse and a contrasting bridge, what we have here is 2 themes, a principal theme and a secondary theme, and a chorus. The secondary theme appears first, followed by the chorus. Then the principal theme sung by Anderson is presented followed by the chorus. The third time around, the principal and secondary themes are overlapped, creating a polyphonic texture. The secondary theme is expanded as Anderson continues with the principal theme. This happens twice before ending with a modified version of the Chorus that leads into the instrumental keyboard interlude (which, as shown before, is based on the 2-note pattern). Let’s listen to the entire section:

• Instrumental Intro
• Secondary theme
• Chorus
• Principal Theme (alone)
• Principal Theme (with secondary theme overlapped)
• Chorus (with secondary theme overlapped)
• Principal Theme (with secondary theme overlapped) (2 times)
• Chorus modified (with secondary theme extended) leading to instrumental interlude

It is interesting to note that the Chorus of part B appears within the instrumental interlude.

In addition to the themes presented as verse, bridge and choruses in parts A and B, the song has a Main theme that appears throughout the piece:

This theme appears throughout the piece with different modifications, including a “fugato” form and a full instrumental development section. Let’s listen to them:

This time the theme is presented in “fugato” mode:

The last time the theme is developed in an instrumental section that leads to the climax of the song:

There is also an interesting relationship between this main theme and the 2 note motif. Note that the melody starts with 2 notes separated by a halftone.

This would not be significant because many melodies start with such a figure, but listen to what happens in the instrumental interlude that precedes section B. Within a static soundscape in a rich sea of reverb, the guitar, keyboards and bass suggest the initial notes of the main theme, but instead of playing the whole theme, they put the accent on the first two notes and then play a few more before fading out. This clearly shows that starting the main theme with the 2 note motif was intentional:

Now, as stated at the beginning, the overall structure of the song is A-A’-B-A’’. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between the A sections. But, in order to do that, we need to digress for a moment in order to introduce the concept of time signature and measure.

Most progressive rock fans are acquainted with this concept because we usually have a lot of fun trying to count “odd-tempos” and finding out when these changes occur in the song. Progressive rock composers (including me) have some sort of obsession with odd-rhythms and poly-rhythmic structures.

A time signature in music defines its rhythmic structure or pattern. This pattern is repeated consistently and usually coincides with a measure, which is the basic unit when writing music. The most basic patterns are the binary (a strong beat followed by a weak beat) and the ternary (one strong beat followed by two weak beats). Compound time signatures are made by combining binary and ternary. Some theorists include the quaternary (strong-weak-semi strong-weak) as a basic pattern, but it can be considered as 2 binary ones.

Rhythms are usually classified as binary (groups of 2) or ternary (groups of 3). The most popular ones are 4/4 and 3/4

Tempos are usually represented as a fraction. The number in the denominator defines the duration of the beat. 4 stands for quarter note, which means that the duration of the beat is a fourth of the duration of a whole note. Half the duration would be a 2. An eight of the duration would be an 8, and so forth. The number in the numerator indicates the number of beats. So, on a 2/4 there would be 2 beats, each lasting a fourth of a whole note.

In 4/4 each measure has 4 beats:

In 3/4 each measure has 3 beats. Viennese waltzes are a good example.

Things get a little tricky when you start subdividing the beat. These are several subdivisions in 4/4:

Now in 3/4:

Another common metric is 6/8. Although arithmetically it is the same as 3/4, it is not the same because we have an accent every 2 beats.

Things get a lot trickier when we start to use compound measures and introduce “odd” or “strange” rhythms where the beat is a prime number; for example: 5/8 and 7/8 (widely used in progressive rock) or other less frequent like 11/8 or 13/8.

One other important concept that I need to explain in order to continue with the analysis of CTTE, is the relationship between metrics and phrases. A phrase in music is very similar to a phrase in English. Think of it as a succession of notes that, together, portray a coherent idea. Poorly written music does not take phrases into account and you see pieces written in measures of 3 beats when they should have been written in measures of 6 beats, coinciding with the phrases. The best way to explain this is to hear it.

This is a straightforward example in 4/4:

In order to understand the importance of aligning the metric with the phrase, let me give you this example that is not so straightforward:

You probably counted this as a 4/4, after all, that’s what the bass and the drum are playing. But you better think twice: look at the phrase and you will see that the phrase is in groups of 8, not 4:

So in this case a metric of 8/4 is more accurate than a 4/4.

Now let’s see some examples in 5/4 and 7/8. First, 5/4:

7/8:

Now here’s a really hard one for you. See if you can figure out what the metric is, and put your answer in the comments section.

Ok, now we can proceed with CTTE. The reason why understanding metrics is so important is because this is a key feature that differentiates the A sections. In addition, a poly-rhythmic pattern is used and I want to make you aware of it.

Let’s begin with the first verse in section A. Listen to the melody being sung by Anderson and try not to pay attention to the bass and drums:

If you counted correctly, you will have heard that there are 12 beats in each measure. Because of the number of notes, it is easier to count in units of eights, therefore the measure is 12/8. Let’s listen to it again:

Usually a 12/8 is considered a compound binary rhythm. It is usually subdivided in 4 groups of 3 beats instead of the other way around. That is why you heard me putting an accent in each group of 3 beats.

However, the bass and drums are doing something very different. Let’s listen to the passage again. Forget the melody and concentrate in bass and particularly the drums:

You will see that they are playing just 6 beats per measure. They are playing in 6/4:

Now, we usually determine the beat by listening to the rhythm section, so we could have concluded that the piece is in 6/4 or 6/8 instead of its real beat which is 12/8. For this reason, the melody and the pattern of the sitar seem to be very syncopated in the context of a 6/4 measure.

On A’, this metric separation is further developed and we end up with a poly-rhythmic section. The melody and the sitar are still playing in 12/8 but now the bass and drums are playing in 4/4. This change creates rhythmic tension because the patterns do not align to the same measures anymore. On section A, the subdivision was different but their measures coincided. But now, the repeating lengths or “cycles” of these two metrics no longer align and parts move in and out of synchronization according to a predictable pattern; that is, after 2 bars of 12/8 and 3 bars of 4/4, the parts once again begin together.

Let’s listen to it. First we confirm that both the melody and sitar are still playing in 12/8:

Now let’s count the bass and drums, in 4/4:

If you can listen to what the sitar is doing, while counting at 4/4, you will appreciate the difficulty of this passage.

After section B, we find A’’ with yet additional developments. The first one is the fact that the verse does not begin with Anderson singing the melody of the verse. Instead, it’s an organ solo what starts the section. Notice that the sitar is now replaced by the electric guitar and once again it is playing in 12/8. The bass and drums return to the initial 6/4 pattern and Mr. Wakeman takes his metrical cue from the bass and drums. But Mr. Howe continues in 12/8 all along this passage. Try to follow the guitar throughout, it is not easy to hear because it is playing in the background:

But the development doesn’t stop here. Now the piano doubles the sitar and together with the vocal and sitar is playing at 12/8. As if to reconcile this metrical dispute, Mr. Squire trims the bass figure used in A’ to make it a 3/4 instead of a 4/4. This change aligns the figure with the beginning of each 12/8 bar and now, for the first time, the 12/8 beat seems to dominate. Let’s listen to it:

This realignment is very important when we consider the lyrics and the relationship to Siddhartha. So we will come back to this in the second part of this program.

With this, we conclude Part I of the Close to the Edge Analysis. I have not forgotten what I said about the piece being really 2 parts instead of 4, but in order to explain this we need to consider the lyrics and the relationship with Siddharta. So, Part 2 will also include a little bit of music analysis that will include the Introduction segment and its relationship to part B.

Resources

The musical analysis was based in this article by John Covach

In this article, Jon Anderson talks about the 4 movements of Close to the Edge

If you need the lyrics of Close to the Edge, here they are.

I recommend a couple of interesting books:

• “Understanding Rock” by John Covach and Graeme M. Boone. Oxford University Press. 1997.
• “Music of Yes” by Bill Martin. Open court Publishing Company. 1996/1997

I thoroughly recommend the symphonic version of Close to the Edge. The DVD is called “Yes Symphonic Live”.

Finally, I recommend the alternate mix done in 2013 by Steve Wilson. It unveils some interesting details and includes a rough cut of the initial studio version. You can purchase it here.

Here’s the entire Close to the Edge album remixed version, on a public link in YouTube.

Credits

Background Music

Camel – Sahara. From the album “Rajaz”
Genesis – Squonk. From the album “A Trick of the Tail”
Townscream – Így szólt a madár. From the album “Nagyvárosi Ikonok”
After Crying – A Gadarai Megszállott (The Fanatic of Gadarai). From the album “Megalázottac És Megszomorítottak”
The Cellar and Point – Arc. From the album “Ambit”

Music Examples

4/4 tempo. The Beatles – Helter Skelter. From the album “White Album”
8/4 tempo. Genesis – Squonk. From the album “A Trick of the Tail”
5/4 tempo. Jethro Tull – Living in the Past. From the album “Through the Years”
7/8 tempo. Genesis – The Cinema Show. From the album “Selling England by the Pound”
Tempo quiz: Univers Zero – Rouages: Second Rotation. From the album “Rhythmix”