Thoughts On:
The Road Not Taken
by
Randall Thompson
Introduction: The Road Not Taken is the first movement of Randall Thompson’s massive choral work Frostiana, published in 1959. Like the other movements, the lyrics for The Road Not Taken are derived directly from the poem of the same name by Robert Frost. The goal of this writing is to provide the reader with two major insights. First, to examine various compositional devices that Thompson uses in order to best project his interpretation of the poem’s overall meaning and mood. Second, to provide applicable techniques on how to best learn and memorize this classic piece of choral literature.
Lyrics: Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both,
And be one traveler long I stood,
And looked down one as far as I could,
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that, the passing there
Had really worn them about the same.
And both that morning equally lay,
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing way leads onto way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh.
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Compositional Devices
- Unison vs. Counterpoint – Thompson employs unison verses during the first two stanzas of the poem. Counterpoint is later used for the remaining verses. I believe that this is done to separate the expository material in the beginning of the poem from the more dramatic sections found later on in the poem. It is also interesting to note that the opening melodic figure of the piece is first sung by all verse (first 2 stanzas) and then employed throughout the rest of the piece, shifting from verse to verse. That makes this piece a ‘broken strophic song’ if you will.
- Ambiguity of Key Center – Rather than stay in one key center (D, F, etc.) Thompson decides to travel back and forth between D Minor and F Pentatonic. This is achieved by mixing a unique blend of melodic shape, non-conventional voice leading, as well as the discreet use of accidentals. This ambiguity of key center projects a feeling of pondering to the audience, which is equally reflected in the lyrics of the poem. It is not until the utterance of the final word that we reach a harrowing conclusion to the struggle of key center.
- The Last Phrase – The subjective ‘climax’ of the piece is when the last line of the poem is sung by the choir in a blend of homophonic and polyphonic lines. However, instead of resolving to either D Minor or F Pentatonic, the line resolves to D Major! This sudden shift to major projects feelings of stability, triumph, and long-awaited-for peace of mind to the listener. However, this feeling ends on a half cadence before the audience hears the last line of the stanza heard again…this time in D Minor. This returns us back to the ambiguous, ponderous atmosphere that has been employed by Thompson throughout the earlier parts of the piece. However, with the piece ending strongly in D Minor, there is a greater feeling of sadness, tragedy, and even defeat.
Practical Applications
- Awareness of Poem Structure – One of the most essential parts of memorizing anything (in this case, music) effectively is the awareness of one’s working memory. Memorizing and ingraining small, manageable sections of a larger work into one’s long-term memory is much more effective than attempting to memorize too much. In this specific context, being aware of the poem’s structure is the important first step. The lyrics are divided into 4 stanzas, 5 lines each. The 5 lines of each stanza are in ABAAB form. The second step of the process is to memorize the last word of each line in each respective stanza. In this context, awareness of how each stanza ends is the gateway for memorizing the rest of the piece.
- Analysis of Melodic Lines – As stated in the first section, Thompson interweaves between D Minor and F Pentatonic. It is very important to realize when these shifts happen in the vocal lines. In certain cases, the notes of the F Pentatonic scale are plainly stated in the sung material. However, there are ‘pivot notes’ or transitional passages that lead us into either D Minor or a different key for a little while. These spots are important to note because they are essential spots to remember for cognitive memorization and musical expression.
- Counterpoint – Thompson’s use of counterpoint and other polyphonic devices are miraculously original, especially with over 300 years of counterpoint material written before this piece! Understanding how this counterpoint is used, the balance of voice independence (complete polyphony, planing, etc.), and the relationship between vocal lines are, to me, the most rewarding parts of the journey of learning this masterpiece of choral literature.
- One Last ‘Tip’ – Learn the piece a capella before adding the piano accompaniment.
Performance