Wilem Pijper (1894–1947)

Titel: Six Adagios 1940. Componist Willem Pijper in leven lid Loge “De Drie Kolommen” nr 13 O.: Rotterdam
CD nummer: 26406
By Harrison Ryker

Six Adagios 1940
In March of 1938, Pijper made an application to the Brotherhood of Freemasons; he was initiated in June. While the computations and arcana of the symphonic drama Merlijn , begun shortly afterwards, were to stretch over many years, and the work would remain less than half complete, Masonnic symbolism had a more immediate, fuitful effect on Pijper.He was distressed at the quality of the music used in his own initiation and other ceremonies; Dutch Freemasons in turn were happy to have an illustious composer in their ranks.The result was this set of six pieces for use in the First Degree initiation (Pijper is said to have planned further music for higher – degree rituals, but did not live to carry out his wish). The Adagios are carefully “choreographed” so as to fit the respective events of the ritual, based on the dimensions of Pijper’s Lodge in Rotterdam; the composer has left a detailed description of the tempi as well as numerological and chord symbols implicit in the music.
A test reading was planned for the spring of 1940 but with the German invasion in May all Masonnic activity in the Netherlands was suspended.
No public performance in fact was to take place in the composer’s livetime. In later years, apart from their intended function, the Six Adagios have become widely appreciated as concert music.
Unlike most of Pijper’s work, they are performable by amateurs. The ruling tonality is C. Symbolic numbers – chiefly 3,5,7,9 and 12 – are involved in phrase construction and the voicing of chords. In the first piece, the Candidate enters the Temple from the “profane” world without his knock on the Temple door is well known from Mozart’s Magic Flute. The next three pieces form a group, the Candidate’s Three Journeys of Self – Dicovery. They are linked together by a cantus (it changes slightly in each piece), first played by the solo cello.
At first the Candidate meditates, striving to free himself of excessive selfreliance. In the Second Journey the solo viola takes over the cantus, as the Candidate makes a symbolic self – sacrifice while walking a path towards Enlightenment . In the Third Journey the Candidate’s perception of the light he joins in the “common song” of the Brotherhood reflected in an exultant setting of the cantus for the full string section with piano.
The fifth piece, the “Chain” of Brotherhood symbolises the Brotherhood as a social body (unity in diversity) “secular” Pijperian harmonies (octotonic) appear.
At the mid-point three ceremonial handshakes occur (accompanied by three trumpets – this is the only time the third trumped plays), signifying unity amoung the Brothers. The final piece is exit music, very similar to the first in construction, but suggesting a spiritual change in the new Brother, growing out of the experience of the initiation.

Rotterdam,10 februari 2005… (altro)