In the composer's workshop


Particell


Only a few rough drafts or first outlines of Langgaard's early works have been preserved, but amongst them is a particell to Symphony No. 2. A particell is a short score which contains all the parts of a composition concentrated in a few staves. The final arrangement of the music has not been made at this point, but there are often sporadic indications of what instruments the composer has in mind. As a rule, Langgaard went directly from the particell stage to the final score, without making a first draft in the form of a pencilled score.

Below may be seen the beginning of the 2nd Movement of Symphony No. 2 in Langgaard's particell from 1913. Langgaard used three staves in connection with this simple music; in other cases the draft was written in six staves.


In connection with Symphony No. 8 and the first outlines of it, Langgaard wrote a number of movements in particell form. Below may be seen the first 10 bars of an Allegro from 1926. The indication of the instruments reveals that the movement was originally intended for a wind band. Only one bar of this movement was included in the final version of the symphony (3rd Movement). On the other had, Langgaard made use of some of this music in a work for brass band called Polarstjernen (The North Star), written in 1948.



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