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Each Movement of Of Sailors and Whales is a musical description of one of the main characters in the book Moby Dick. What I would like us to do is to learn about each character and then try to make connections between what we know about the character and what the composer, Francis McBeth, wrote in the piece. Ishmale - Movement 1 |
| Each movement has a quote from the character that McBeth writes under title. I have included that above. Below are a few links to character descriptions that I have found on the internet. Feel free to find your own, or maybe you have read the book. Add your thoughts in the comments section about how you think this movement is representative of the character Ishmale. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mobydick/characters/ https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/moby-dick/ishmael https://www.gradesaver.com/moby-dick/study-guide/character-list#ishmael Also, use the recording I have posted on the "Rehearsal Recordings" page. You can also just search YouTube for other recordings you like. Let the discussion begin! | Movement 1 starts at 0:00 Make sure you listen to the recording. I have put it here to make it easier. |
This movement is representative of the character Ishmael because all throughout the piece it has this nostalgic and spiritual feeling that relates to his feelings whenever he goes out sailing, as shipping aboard a whaler is his way of committing suicide.
Spirituality plays a big role in this piece. It will come back in other movements.
Ishmael is the narrator of Moby Dick, so it makes sense to open the piece with a movement dedicated to him. The movement in itself has a preparatory tone to it, preparing us for what comes by the end of the whole piece. Ishmael is a junior member of the crew, and I think the arrival point two measures before C is a good representation of them finally leaving port and seeing the vast open sea in front of him.
Some really good thoughts here. Any significance that the arrival point is right around measure marker "C" - (sea). This piece is littered with this kind of stuff.
In this first movement of Moby Dick the McBeth highlights the journey of Ishmael and implies what he is feeling through the manipulation of dynamics. When composing this movement McBeth really took into consideration what new feelings Ishmael was experiencing on this voyage. This is best exemplified in measure 27 where we hear overwhelming entrances and expansion of instrumentation within the ensemble.
This piece represents Ishmael’s emotions. At the beginning of the piece I feel like it represents how Ishmael feels alone in the world, since the beginning is pianissimo. But as we continue through the piece it shows Ishmael’s happiness when he arrives at sea, especially in measure 29.
I like this idea of loneliness. The pieces starts out with just clarinets and they are playing a unison melody. That could mean that Ishmael is all by himself before he sets out on this journey.
The significance of Ishmael being movement one is that it sets up and builds to the pieces after that. All in all, each movement tells the story and leading to the big finale. I agree that there is this sense of spirituality and imagination of the open waters. It reminds me of how in Sweeney Todd, they briefly mention the voyage "I have seen the world and seen its wonders" Similarly, in the piece you have the clarinets bringing out this beautiful melody and it sets up the voyage, along with the character. Even in the book, as Ishmael does narrate Moby Dick. I think there is a lot more one would expect from the voyage and seeing how Ishmael is the protagonist in the piece; correct me if I am wrong; we almost see his thoughts and feelings in a sense.
So, one of the most interesting things about this piece (and every movement) is that the whole thing is written with no key signature, for every instrument. Meaning it is all in Concert C (SEA). The composer simply wrote in any accidentals that he wanted for the various instruments.
Also, at pretty much every moment in Movement 1 (I have briefly checked) there is no point where there isn't some instrument playing a C. The first note of the Movement is a C and the last note of the first movement is a C Major cord (C - E - G, concert pitch).
Ishmael is a narrator where he is a big fan of whales and in this piece he is the significant movement. Ishmael is the one where he sets up the whole mood of the story and the movement as well. Each movement has a different story and at the end of the movement which is Movement 5 is the ending of how Ishmael survived. And throughout the whole movement we are playing in concert C which is a weird key to play but will sound a very intense music.
The opening of this movement is a very smooth and legato sound with the lows setting a relaxing foundation and small bell hits which set up the entrance for the clarinets to come in with a calming and almost optimistic sound. This shows the curiosity and optimism as ishmael goes sailing as he seems to take on less of a sailor role in the book (according to the description). He seems to observe more as he is the narrator and the opening highlights his feelings of first going out to the calming waters with a voyage ahead. As the piece goes on this becomes darker starting around C and especially from D to G which are major turning points where ishmael realizes the voyage is scarier than he thought at the beginning as they encounter the whale which is the conflict that is heard around F. At the end the song is calm and legato such as the beginning which is ishmael's relief after the voyage as he is the lone survivor of the whole trip.
The movement is representative of the character of Ishmael because in one of the articles that you provided it talks about Ishmael "primary task " is to observe the conflicts that surround him. In the beginning of the piece it's very peaceful and calm; however, it reaches a point where it's mysterious and more forceful. I think the movement can be seen as what Ishmael is looking at throughout the whole voyage.
To me, the first movement sounds like the calm before the storm. From what I gathered from the summaries, Ishmael isn't as experienced as everyone else and only wants to go on an adventure. It is this anticipation for adventure coupled with ignorance to the dangers that characterizes this movement. The soft beginning could represent Ishmael's calm life before joining the crew while the more grand and intense sections can show his excitement of the adventure, and not the dangers, to come.
This movement is representative of Ishmael’s character because it is a slow and peaceful movement that creates an outline for the piece and Ishmael plays the part of narrator in the story and does that job of narrating the story for us.
Throughout Moby Dick, the reader is introduced to such enigmatic characters. Enigmatic characters such as these would rarely be found in contemporary society, yet in Melville's "Moby Dick," they're truly all you come across. From the cannibal Queequeg to Elijah the "prophet" to Ahab the vengeance seeking sailor, the book is stuffed to the brim with unbelievable characters. However, it seems Ishmael is one of the very few characters who seems completely normal. His character is the foundation for the book. He is relatable despite being snobbish at times. Without Ishmael, the book would not function. Similar to a house, a book cannot function without its foundation. Ishmael represents this firm Foundation. A reliable narrator who longs for seeing the world. Curious and calm, Ishmael acts as a guide to the world which is Moby Dick. Throughout the piece, McBeth constantly has resolving tones and major chords that represent Ishmael's foundation and collected nature. However, in the piece, a sense of questioning is constant. This represents Ishmael's constant seeking of the world and his curiosity. It demonstrates his curiosity in meeting the enigmatic Ahab and his suspicions of the cannibalistic Queequeg. However, at least for Ishmael, his chords are always resolved. This is because, spoiler alert, Ishmael survives to tell the tale at the end. It is also because of his calm and accepting nature for which allows him to bond with people such as Queequeg and even Ahab himself.
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Each Movement of Of Sailors and Whales is a musical description of one of the main characters in the book Moby Dick. What I would like us to do is to learn about each character and then try to make connections between what we know about the character and what the composer, Francis McBeth, wrote in the piece.
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