105
Larsen explores this question in her work, Bid Call, (2003) originally for
violoncello and saxophone, but arranged by the composer for viola and saxophone.32 In
the work, she takes a highly specialized form of American language, the sound of an
auctioneer’s call, and transcribes or translates it into music. The focus on rhythm instead
of melody is evident from the very opening, shown in Example 3.1. This example also
bears resemblance to the accelerated rhythm motive that Larsen used Cajun Set and
Alauda (see Example 1.12 and 1.13).
Example 3.1: Bid Call, mm. 1-10
Jp- ff
To fully understand and be able to recreate the voice of an American auctioneer,
Larsen attended, recorded, and transcribed the voice of auctioneers Fred Ratty and his
son. She incorporated these transcriptions into her work, alternating them with excursions
that “look into the rhythmic patterns and their developments of the bid call patterns.”33
Larsen notes that auctioneer’s harmonic language is very simple: “it’s a I 6/4 chord with
a varying third [that is] sort of flattish, sort of equal. Depending on how the bidding is
going, the third varies.” This is an effective and interesting study of a specific speech
Violist Tim Deighton asked Larsen to arrange this piece for his duo, “The Irrelevants.”
Although playable on the viola, some of the most exposed and important parts of the
piece do not lie naturally on the instrument.
33 Larsen, interview, 7/2009.
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