| dc.description.abstract | Stefans Grové’s compositional ideas often come to him in dreams. This article explores the
processes inherent in the creation, re-creation by the performer, and appreciation of Grové’s
unique soundscapes, where the silences between the notes and the overtones are often as important
as the dissonances – which he describes as “colourful harmonies” – themselves.
Grové’s music is often regarded as relatively inaccessible and elusive. This article explores
how it can be better understood if the listener can develop the ability to appreciate its programmatic
nature, to draw on strong visual imagination when “translating” sound into images, and to
approach his music with openness to non-traditional structures and harmonies. Only by these
means can access be gained to the richness of the mystical soundscapes and musical imagery.
Primarily an autodidact, the 90-year-old Grové underwent a gradual stylistic transformation
during his career; his oeuvre ranged from music rooted in the neo-classical, impressionist and
expressionist styles of the Western tradition, to the predominantly African inspiration of the post-
1984 period. The transitions between these periods are not sharply demarcated but rather constitute
a gradual development. Neither is his African-inspired style exclusive of the other styles, as is
evident in such recent works as 8 Lieder nach Texten von Conrad Meyer for soprano, flute and piano (2007) and Haunting Music (2010). The latter, a work for solo piano, has strong similarities
to Gaspard de la nuit by Maurice Ravel. Both works belong to the impressionist style, both are
programmatic works and both contain strong mystical elements. Fascinated by the supernatural,
Grové chose a fantastical programme for this work, which consists of three separate pieces,
namely Strange valley of the mists, Wandering through an enchanted forest and Hobgoblin at
midnight. The work by Maurice Ravel, in turn, is based on three phantasmagoric poems by
Aloysius Bertrand, namely Ondine, Le Gibet and Scarbo, which deal respectively with a water
nymph, a man on the gallows, and an evil dwarf. Grové briefly alluded to drawing inspiration
from Ravel but later denied this – an argument is made for musical borrowing at the subconscious
level. Similarities between the works are not to be found in the melodic material per se, but in
melodic gestures, rhythm, character, style and programmatic content. Correspondences in the
first piece include falling melodic opening motifs, the evocation of water and mists through
shimmering effects and similar accompaniment patterns; in the second, notated in both cases on
three staves, rhythmically almost identical pedal points, representing the knocking of the hanged
man’s feet against the gallows and footsteps through a forest respectively; and in the second and
third pieces, the complete fading away of sound at the end. A diabolical nocturnal apparition
provides the inspiration for both the third pieces; in both, the composer uses pianistic acrobatics
encompassing a wide range on the keyboard. If properly understood, the complexities and dynamics inherent in the creation of Grové’s
music can be translated effectively by the performer into the soundscapes that originated in the
composer’s imagination. This entails a process of “re-creation” by the performer.
The author first encountered Grové as a lecturer in her class at the University of Pretoria,
and she later, as a performer and exponent of his works, received generous guidance from the
composer himself. The article is interspersed with four Vignettes depicting the circumstances at
the time. As in Grové’s own use of chain form, the Vignettes look first forward and then back in
chronological time. Essential elements in the performance of his music, as illustrated throughout
in the comparison of these works, include the exquisite control of sound and overtones, the ability
to create a rich variety of timbres, the dramatic use of silence, a secure sense of rhythm and fluency
in articulation. The processes of “creation”, “re-creation” and “appreciation” all entail application of the
mind, not least on the part of the listener. The mystical in Grové’s music can be appreciated through
a thorough understanding of the programme which inspired any given creation, keeping track of
the permutations of the original germ cells throughout a work, and imagining what can happen
but has not necessarily happened. In Strange valley of the mists, according to Grové himself, the
imagination must lead to what the listener thinks is there, and not to what he or she sees.
Grové draws inspiration from indigenous African music and cultures, and especially from
Venda legends. Many scholars and performers regard Stefans Grové as one of the most important
composers in Africa. He has an unlimited musical imagination with regard to sources from which
he chooses to draw upon for inspiration, his musical language and the creation of unconventional
sounds and structures. By transcending our traditional way of listening to music, we can gain
access to his special soundscapes and unique musical idiom | en_US |
