I EXPRESSIVE PROSODY in FRENCH SOLO SONG: GABRIEL FAURÉ’S MÉLODIES, and THEIR HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS
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EXPRESSIVE PROSODY IN FRENCH SOLO SONG: GABRIEL FAURÉ’S MÉLODIES, AND THEIR HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS by Mary E. Ober B.A., Franklin Pierce College, 1977 B.Mus.Ed., Cleveland State University, 1989 M.M., Kent State University, 1998 M.A., University of Pittsburgh, 2006 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2012i UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH KENNETH P. DIETRICH SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by Mary E. Ober It was defended on April 4, 2012 and approved by Deane L. Root, Professor, Department of Music Anna Nisnevich, Assistant Professor, Department of Music Robert Fallon, Professor of Music, Carnegie Mellon University Dissertation Advisor: James P. Cassaro, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Music ii Copyright © by Mary E. Ober 2012 iii EXPRESSIVE PROSODY IN FRENCH SOLO SONG: GABRIEL FAURÉ’S MÉLODIES, AND THEIR HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS Mary E. Ober, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2012 The mélodies of Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) are regularly faulted for “poor prosody,” for frequent mismatches of musical accent and the French text. This study presents evidence that calls for a significantly different approach to accentuation in this popular body of art songs. Close examination of virtually all of Fauré's mélodies reveals a unique prosodic practice grounded in the rhythmic nuances of spoken French, in a way not found in the works of his peers. Frequently, performance of a Fauréan song with correct accentuation calls for a substantially greater awareness of the French text as spoken, along with a studied disregard of the musically notated meter. Tracing the evolution of Fauré's prosodic style ultimately leads to settings that are less problematic for its interpreters. In addition, on a number of occasions the composer manipulates the notated rhythms in a way that adds greater expressive meaning; specific examples are given. The argument for reassessment of Fauré's text-setting is preceded by the author's discussion of the role played by French prosody at the point of its connection with solo song over the previous three centuries. Beginning with the application of rhetorical principles to an early seventeenth- century air de cour by Antoine Boësset and continuing through representative quotes from Lully, Rameau, Rousseau and Gluck, comparisons are ultimately made with the purposefully rustic practice of wildly popular staged works of the eighteenth-century Forains and a rising tide of opéras-comiques built on 'realistic' themes, such as those composed by André Grétry. Analysis connects linguistic, poetic and musical elements as the major actors in these socially complex art forms. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ................................................................................................................................. XVI 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 2.0 PROSODY AND RHETORICAL CONNECTIONS IN THE SEVENTEENTH- CENTURY AIRS DE COUR ...................................................................................................... 19 2.1 A LITTLE-UNDERSTOOD GENRE .............................................................. 22 2.2 STROPHIC APPLICATION OF RHETORICAL PRINCIPLES ............... 26 2.3 RHETORICAL DECONSTRUCTION OF “QUE SERVENT TES CONSEILZ” ....................................................................................................................... 30 2.4 DETAILS OF THE ANALYSIS....................................................................... 40 2.5 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ 44 3.0 FRENCH PROSODY FROM LULLY TO SAINT-SAËNS .................................. 46 3.1 LULLY’S IDIOM: CHANTER COMME ON PARLE .................................... 49 3.2 EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY TRAGÉDIES LYRIQUES: MOVING AWAY FROM RHETORIC ........................................................................................................... 60 3.3 GLUCKIAN PROSODIE IN VIENNA AND PARIS ..................................... 65 3.4 THE FOIRE THEATRES, AND ROUSSEAU ............................................... 80 3.5 GLUCK AND THE VIENNESE OPERA-COMIQUE ................................... 85 3.6 GRÉTRY, THE ROMANCE, AND PROSODIC ARGUMENTS ................. 94 v 3.7 SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 104 4.0 THE PROSODY OF GABRIEL FAURÉ .............................................................. 106 4.1 L’ÉCOLE NIEDERMEYER .......................................................................... 108 4.2 CURRENT SCHOLARSHIP AND CHAPTER OVERVIEW.................... 110 4.3 UNIFYING FACTORS ................................................................................... 113 4.4 THE QUEST FOR A SINCERE PROSODIC VOICE ................................ 116 4.5 DEFINING A UNIQUE PROSODIC PRACTICE: FAURÉ’S FIRST SONGS…. .......................................................................................................................... 125 4.6 REFINED TREATMENT OF RHYTHMS .................................................. 143 4.7 FROM THE “ITALIANATE” MÉLODIES THROUGH 1878 .................. 154 4.8 BALANCE OF THE SECOND RECUEIL: EXTENSIONS OF SPEECH 166 4.9 SUMMARY OF GABRIEL FAURÉ’S FOUNDATIONAL PROSODIC TECHNIQUES ................................................................................................................. 175 5.0 FAURÉ, BEYOND THE BASICS: COMPARISON WITH HIS PEERS, ADDED EXPRESSION THROUGH RHYTHM, AND L’ÉCRITURE CHANTÉE ........... 180 5.1 THE PROSODIC TECHNIQUES OF OTHER COMPOSERS OF MÉLODIES ....................................................................................................................... 181 5.2 TOWARD DEEPER EXPRESSION AND “SUNG SPEECH” .................. 196 5.3 CONVERGENCE OF TECHNIQUES IN LA BONNE CHANSON ........... 209 5.4 LATE SONGS AND CYCLES: L’ECRITURE CHANTEE........................ 219 5.5 CHAPTER SUMMARY ................................................................................. 233 6.0 REFLECTIONS, FUTURE RESEARCH, AND CONCLUSIONS .................... 237 6.1 FUTURE DIRECTIONS................................................................................. 239 vi 6.2 SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS ................................................................. 245 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 250 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Melodic Characteristics of Antoine Boësset's "Que servent tes conseilz" ................... 36 Table 2. Songs of the first recueil ............................................................................................... 146 Table 3. Mélodies of 1878 ......................................................................................................... 162 Table 4. Balance of second recueil (post-1878) ........................................................................ 170 Table 5. Five Contemporary French Composers of mélodies ..................................................... 182 Table 6. Prosodic Techniques Utilized by Five Contemporary Composers of Mélodies .......... 185 Table 7. Details of Prosodic Techniques of Five Composers of Mélodies ................................ 186 Table 8. Average Use of Most Common Prosodic Techniques, by Composer ......................... 187 Table 9. Tabulation of Same Prosodic Techniques as Utilized by Gabriel Fauré, 1868-1894 .. 189 Table 10. Condensed Tabulation Showing Comparison of Techniques Used by the Five Composers and Fauré .................................................................................................................. 189 Table 11. Contents of the third recueil ...................................................................................... 198 Table 12. La bonne chanson ....................................................................................................... 210 Table 13. Two Mélodies ............................................................................................................ 219 Table 14. La chanson d'Ève ....................................................................................................... 222 Table 15. Le jardin clos ............................................................................................................. 225 Table 16. Mirages ...................................................................................................................... 229 viii Table 17. L'horizon chimérique ................................................................................................. 232 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Opening phrases of Guédron's air, "C'en est fait je ne verray plus" (1613) ................. 24 Figure 2. "Que servent tes conseilz," Antoine Boësset, text by François de Boisrobert ............. 30 Figure 3. Measures 8-9 and 23-24, containing repeated pitches with different meanings .......... 41 Figure 4. Measures 6-8, showing melodic event with melismas ................................................. 41 Figure 5. Measures 10-12, showing three descending pitches outlining 'minor triad' ................. 41 Figure 6. Vocal ornament, mm. 3-5 of Boësset's "Que servent tes conseilz" ............................... 42 Figure 7. Treatment