Chapterⅰ: Introduction

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:__June 2005_________ I, __I-Hsuan Hsieh___________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Doctor of Musical Arts in: Violoncello It is entitled: Twentieth-century Arrangement for Cello and Piano: Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne This work and its defense approved by: Chair: Lee Fiser______________________ Yehuda Hanani_________________ Sandra Rivers_________________ Twentieth-century Arrangement for Cello and Piano: Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne A document submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctoral of Musical Arts June, 2005 by I-Hsuan Hsieh B.M., National Taiwan Normal University, 1998 M.M., University of Cincinnati, 2001 Committee Chair: Lee Fiser Abstract Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne for cello and piano is a frequently performed masterpiece of twentieth-century cello repertoire. It is not only famous for the beautiful and colorful writing, but also for its unique sound effects and technical difficulties. If we trace the compositional background of Suite Italienne, however, we will realize that this piece is a reworking based on the composer’s ballet suite Pulcinella completed in 1920. Suite Italienne is an excellent example of a skillful arrangement rather than a mere duplicate of the original composition. The purpose of this document is to provide, through the discussion of purposes and importance of the twentieth- century arrangements for cello and piano, a study of Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne in terms of its arranging style and unique writings for cello. Acknowledgements I would like to give my sincere thanks to all my committes: Professor Fiser, Professor Hanani, and ProfessorRivers. Their generous encouragement and precious time have made this document come alive. A special thank you goes to Professor Fiser, my dearest cello teacher during my six-years at CCM, for his enthusiastic attitude toward every step on the way to my master and doctoral degrees. A thank you also goes to Arturo, for his careful editing and consulting through the entire writing process. Without his help and friendship I might have never completed this, my first document of my professional life. Chung-Ha and Marcel, thank you for believing in this topic and providing all the useful information. This document is dedicated to my parents who, through their efforts, have enabled me to get to where I am today. CONTENTS Chapter Ⅰ: Introduction………………………………………………………………….3 Chapter Ⅱ: History of arrangements for cello and piano A. General arranging purposes…………………………………………….....7 B. The inception and purpose of arrangements for cello and piano…………11 1. early arrangements 2. twentieth-century arrangements C. Two arranging categories in twentieth-century cello repertoire………….19 1. arranging by abstracting the characters and musical styles 2. straightforward interpretation by transposing note for note Chapter Ⅲ: The compositional background of Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne A. The original version of Suite Italienne: Suite from ballet “Pulcinella”….23 B. Five arrangements………………………………………………………...27 1. Two arrangements for violin and piano written by the composer 2. Arrangement for cello and piano written by the composer 3. Two arrangements for violin and cello Chapter Ⅳ: Creative arranging style in Suite Italienne A. Ideas derived from Pulcinella…………………………………………….31 1 B. Idiomatic writing………………………………………………………….34 1. Diverse pizzicato techniques 2. Harmonics 3. Glissandi 4. Suggesting fingering indications C. Virtuoso display and extraordinary techniques………………………….................…45 1. Bowing techniques 2. String crossing 3. Left-hand techniques: huge leaps and multiple stops Chapter Ⅴ: Conclusion………………………………………………………………….50 Musical Examples………………………………………………………………………..52 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………...69 2 ChapterⅠ: Introduction Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne for cello and piano is a frequently performed masterpiece of twentieth-century cello repertoire. It is not only famous for the beautiful and colorful writing, but also for its unique effects and technical difficulties. If we trace the compositional background of Suite Italienne, however, we will realize that this piece is a reworking based on the composer’s ballet suite Pulcinella completed in 1920. Suite Italienne is an excellent example of a skillful arrangement rather than a similar composition derived from the original version. In this document, I will first present a discussion on the purposes of arrangements for cello and piano, the most popular instrumentation in the twentieth-century cello recital setting, later relate the arranging devices and special writings to those in Suite Italienne. Arrangement, a compositional device begun as early as the fourteenth century, has been frequently used by composers, performers, and amateur musicians. As a word arrangement means, “the adaption of a composition for a medium different from that for which it was originally composed, usually with the intention of preserving the essentials of the musical substance.”1 Utilizing ideas from original compositions, arrangements are derived from pre- existing works and endowed with diversities in terms of new character and technical challenges. Along with the development of compositional techniques over centuries, arranging style became a common compositional device to recognize the composers’ uniqueness. After the nineteenth century, the popularity of the public concerts encouraged both performers and composers seeking new repertoire to promote their artistic merit, especially for composer-performers. Arrangements’ revival rapidly expanded the repertoire for every instrument, and also created some benefits for 1 Don Michael Randel, ed. The New Harvard Dictionary of Music (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, Belknap Press, 2001), 53. 3 performers through the media change. First, performing orchestral works in a recital setting became possible. Second, arrangements created an optional choice for performers to play their favorite works in the instrumentation with which they are familiar, in so doing, avoid repeating the limited repertoire of pre-existing works. Also, performers obtained the opportunity to highlight techniques which bring out the most effective sound from their own instruments. Composers, on the other hand, were able to show their compositional skills by arranging earlier works with their extraordinary writing styles, and turned old works into new compositions. Some famous composers, who were also talented arrangers, like Liszt and Busoni, wrote a huge amount of arrangements in their output. Moreover, another arranging device resulted from the growing interest of public concerts and orchestral music started from the nineteenth century. Composers’ reorchestrating master works for full size orchestra was a contemporary arranging technique, for showing composers’ writing skills and respect to former composers. No matter what other arranging devices composers used, this compositional technique already stood for its importance in music history. Ever since the cello appeared in the violin family in the sixteenth-century, the number of compositions involving cello has expanded rapidly. Cello has been widely used in chamber music and orchestral works, and also performed as a solo instrument. In the twentieth century, the increasing number of solo cello recitals has inspired professional cellists to investigate more and more works written for cello and piano. Many composers in the twentieth-century did indeed write concert pieces and sonatas for cello and piano. However, many of the twentieth-century works for cello and piano were not as well-received as composers expected. Partially because of the conventional writing style used in the twentieth-century, repertoire for cello and piano contains extended techniques like playing strings behind the bridge, extremely wide vibrato, the 4 highest possible notes, snapping pizzicato on the cello, which are still not well-accepted by the general public, or even for a few cellists themselves. The most frequently performed works specifically written for cello and piano are those composed before the early twentieth-century, in late-Romantic style.2 Therefore both cellists and composers started finding ways to create new cello classics. To arrange works from other instrumentation seems to be the most efficient way to create new repertoire as well as satisfy the majority of the audience. Since the nineteenth-century, professional cellists have arranged lots of works for cello and piano. Later in the twentieth-century, cellists inherited this and created even more arrangements than those in the previous century. Cellist-arrangers took advantage of the natural tone qualities of the cello, choosing popular works from diverse instrumentations, then reworking new compositions for cello and piano. They choose works that don’t require too much of compositional skills from their original version, usually from the repertoire of vocal or other stringed instruments, with slight modification such as adding some ornaments or making small changes. Cello writing has been adapted from many sources mostly because of its wide range; the common range of the cello is more than four octaves. Simply arranging the same pitches in a different register on the cello can strongly change the tone qualities of the same melodies from the powerful and expressive

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