Kathrin Denner: cadere-fallen

The verb cadere comes from Latin and can be translated as to fall, sink, fall down, perish, flow down, pour out, spill, fall, die, slaughter, sacrifice, succumb, hit, fall away, befall, and end.

 

The term cadence is derived from the Latin cadere. In addition to the falling away of the voice in linguistics and the metrical form of a verse ending, a cadence also refers to a chord sequence as the conclusion or structure of a piece of music; for this purpose, the step or function theory is usually used, i.e., methods of description of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The reduction to the sequence of chords is thus problematic, since the development of the cadence goes back to counterpoint–the art of contrapuntal voice leading, about 400 years earlier. In addition, a cadenza is also an improvised or written-out soloistic embellishment of a theme at the end (of individual movements) of a concerto, which gives the musician the opportunity to show off his or her virtuoso skills.

 

In my piece cadere–fallen, I refer to the theme of cadenza most likely from a contrapuntal perspective. Small, clause-like ornaments play around central notes, which fall steadily. In the truest sense of the word, it becomes deeper and deeper. Cadence in my free interpretation, falling and falling and falling has a hidden reference to baroque figure and cadence theory. Of course, the »solo cadenza«, improvised according to instructions, must not be missing shortly before the end. This is performed not by one, but by four musicians.
Kathrin A. Denner