During an interview with Stefans Grové in 2012, I discussed the possibility of writing a composition for him and I also asked him to suggest a framework for the composition. Upon my request he gave me a seven-note motif (see below) which represent his name: S = D#, T = B, E = E, F = F, A = A, N = A, S = D#. I expanded this motif to a six-bar theme which uses all twelve pitch classes. The intention of this composition was not to compose music in the style of Stefans Grové, but rather to use material and ideas that make a direct perceptual link to the music of Grové and to fit this material and ideas into my own compositional framework. This composition was written for the celebration of his 90th birthday.

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The seven-note motif which represents Stefans Grové’s first name. This example is in Grové’s own handwriting

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Prelude

The harmonic framework of the first movement (Prelude) consists of chords which are derived from the theme and which are transposed. Timbre and motifs play an important role in this composition. Motifs were extracted from the doctorate dissertation entitled Stefans Grové: Concertino vir Klavier en Kamerorkes – ‘n Analise by Tinus Botha. Botha identified different melodic cells in Grové’s Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra; these cells are stated as the motifs in this movement.

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Chaconne

Textures and ideas of this movement were stimulated by several conversations with Gerrit Jordaan as well as by his doctorate dissertation: Die interpretasie en uitvoering van Stefans Grové se Afrika Hymnus II. This composition is also an exploration and application of my research on auditory streams, foreground and background material, motifs and figures and musical gestures. The theme of the chaconne is given in unison at the beginning of the movement. This movement is also clearly segmented, like the compositions of Grové. It is important to note that listeners will not necessarily be able to identify the theme in each segment because the theme is deliberately used in such a way that some segments become more textural, rather than thematic.