An Investigation Into the Performance Interpretations of Erik Satie's Piano Music Through Historical and Contemporary Recorde
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An Investigation into the Performance Interpretations of Erik Satie’s Piano Music through Historical and Contemporary Recorded Performances that Span from 1955 to 2015 Grace Wai Kwan GATES Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Kingston University for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy School of Art December 2019 Contents Abstract i Declaration ii Acknowledgements iv List of Musical Examples vii List of Figures x List of Tables xi Notes on the text xii Part I Historical and Cultural Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Aims and objectives 1 Overview of the thesis 9 Key findings 16 Chapter 2: Literature Review 18 Introduction 18 Audio recordings of Satie’s piano music 21 Different editions of Satie’s piano music 22 Literature on Satie 24 Performance practice literature 31 Unpublished PhD theses 38 Chapter 3: Methodology––Recorded Performance Analysis 40 Introduction 40 Part One: Research aim and tools 41 The choices of case studies 41 First-, second- and later-generation pianists 43 Selection of piano recordings 48 The analytical tool 50 Part Two: Research procedures 63 New interpretive criteria and analytical method for the Rose-Croix piano pieces 63 Post-performance evaluation interviews with pianists 64 Part Three: Prediction of research outcomes 68 Chapter 4: Contextualisation of Satie’s Unconventionality 70 Introduction 70 Unconventionality in Satie’s piano music 71 Satie’s persona as an influence on performance interpretations 79 Part II Performance Analysis Chapter 5: Medieval Themes and Symbolism in Satie’s Rose-Croix Piano Pieces 82 Introduction 82 Medieval revival and Le Chat Noir 83 Symbolism and Numerology in Ogives 86 Performance issues of Ogives 93 Symbolism in Danses gothiques 95 Visual stimulant as an extra symbolic gesture in Danses gothiques 100 Performance issues in Danses gothiques 103 Overall conclusions 105 Chapter 6: Quasi-impromptu Pianism in Rose-Croix Piano Music 108 Introduction 108 Rose-Croix piano music first case study––Ogives 109 Musical analysis 109 Performance analysis and email interview 118 The outcomes 120 Conclusion on the quasi-impromptu pianism in Ogives 133 Rose-Croix piano pieces second case study–– Prélude de La Porte héroïque du ciel (Drame ésotérique de Jules Bois) 135 Musical analysis 135 Performance analysis and email interview 142 The outcomes 145 Conclusion on the quasi-impromptu pianism in Prélude de La Porte héroïque du ciel 163 Chapter 7: Quasi-impromptu Pianism in response to In-score Textual and Visual Stimuli in Danse gothiques (1893) 167 Introduction 167 Rose-Croix piano music third case study–– Danses gothiques 169 Notational presentation analysis 169 Performance analysis and email interviews 174 The outcomes 175 Additional performance-related issue 196 Conclusion on the quasi-impromptu pianism in Danses gothiques 199 Chapter 8: Quasi-impromptu Pianism in the Texted Piano Piece Croquis et agaceries d’un gros bonhomme en bois (1913) 205 Introduction 205 In-score texts as humoristic gesture or interpretive criteria 207 In-score texts of Croquis et agaceries d’un gros bonhomme en bois 211 Similarities between in-score text in i ‘Danse maigre’ and Debussy’s performance indications 216 Gates’ interpretations of the texts 221 Characteristic of cakewalk in ‘Danse maigre’ 225 Performance analysis and email interviews 227 The outcomes 230 Conclusion on the quasi-impromptu pianism in ‘Danse maigre’ 253 Chapter 9: Quasi-impromptu Pianism in the Texted Piano Piece Sonatine bureaucratique (1917) 258 Introduction 258 Musicologists’ viewpoints on Sonatine bureaucratique 260 Relationship between in-score texts and music in Sonatine bureaucratique 263 Performance analysis and email interviews 277 The outcomes 280 Conclusion on the quasi-impromptu pianism in Sonatine bureaucratique 305 Part III Conclusions and Appendix Chapter 10: Final Conclusions 309 Findings 309 International perspective 309 Individual perspective 310 Period instrument appeal 313 Limitation and changes 315 Future implication 317 Appendix 322 Appendix I. Prélude de La Porte héroïque du ciel, 1929 Editions Salabert 322 Appendix II. Danses gothiques Title 2 to 9, Satie’s manuscripts 324 Appendix III. Danses gothiques Full score, 1929 Editions Salabert 331 Appendix IV. Danses gothiques Full score, 2016 Editions Salabert 338 Appendix V. ‘Danse maigre’ of Croquis et agaceries d’un gros bonhomme en bois, 2016 Editions Salabert 345 Appendix VI. Sonatine bureaucratique, 2016 Editions Salabert 348 Appendix VII. Email interviews. 356 1. Eve Egoyan 356 2. Branka Parlić 362 3. Peter Lawson 366 4. Bruno Fontaine 370 5. Philippe Entremont 373 6. Jeroen van Veen 375 ii 7. Josu Okiñena (DVD–recorded interview) 378 Appendix VIII. Published chapter ‘Satie’s Rose-Croix Piano Works’ 382 Appendix IX. Published paper ‘Satie in performance, With historical recordings’ 400 Bibliography 407 iii Abstract This study examines the performance interpretations and performance practice of Satie’s piano music through historical to recent recordings that span over the last six decades to expose how his works inspire quasi-impromptu pianism, a key term that I coined to refer to performance decisions that are not strictly informed by performance indications or conventional musical cues, but rather by pianists’ own imagination provoked by the suggestive power risen from different compositional aspects of Satie’s music in addition to the composer’s persona. The presence of quasi-impromptu pianism in some pianists’ interpretations exposes the need to identify probable causes for the unique interpretative freedom offered by his oeuvres for piano, to which this study responds. To what extent has the reduction of performance directions in Satie’s piano music free pianists to diverse interpretations? How did Satie’s notational presentation and the inclusion of in-score texts lead pianists to new performance gestures? The absence of recorded performances by Satie of his piano music or documented discussion of the interpretations of his piano works requires questioning: did the lack of Satie’s authorial voice free pianists to take on an experimental approach in the performances of his piano music? Does Satie’s defiant persona encourage pianists to be spontaneous with their interpretations of his piano music? By conducting performance analysis of recordings between 1955 and 2015, I examine closely the contrasting interpretations by these pianists in response to Satie’s musical language and the way the music is presented on notation. Satie’s original manuscripts and edited piano scores are also scrutinized critically to show how visual presentation of Satie’s piano pieces play a crucial part in stimulating imaginative performance interpretations. I also iv interviewed contemporary pianists to gain the rationales for their performance decisions, illuminating the factors that lead to quasi-impromptu pianism in Satie’s piano music. These findings recontextualise the existing knowledge of piano performance practice at the turn of the 20th century and re-address the influence of notational presentation on performance interpretation. v Declaration In regards to the interviews conducted with pianists between 2016 and 2019, consent and approval have been obtained from pianists for the usage of the content in this thesis. I declare that ethics approval for the interviews was obtained according to procedure in place at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the time. vi Acknowledgements I would like to express my thanks to my two main supervisors. Dr. Caroline Potter, who assisted me from 2008 to 2017, offered me the opportunity to contribute one chapter to her edited book, which has subsequently become part of the main body of the dissertation. I am also indebted to Dr. Helen Julia Minors who took over from Caroline and supported my research project since 2017. Helen helped me overcome many challenges such as raising the level of my academic English, which is my second language. I am especially grateful for her conducting meetings at times and places most convenient to my needs to accommodate my inflexible daily routine as a mother of two young boys. Helen’s gesture is beyond her duty and is greatly appreciated. My thanks also go to Professor Robert Orledge, who was introduced to me through Caroline to be my oracle and has been supportive in many ways––from engaging in inspiring Satie music conversation to offering guidances for practical research issues. Orledge also helped me connect with Ornella Volta, who expressed much interest in my published chapter ‘Satie’s Rose-Croix piano music’ and further fuelled my research topic with confidence and enthusiasm. I am greatly indebted to all the selected pianists’ contributions to my interviews, who devoted their valuable time to respond to my performance questions which often direct acutely to their performance choices that they made years before the interview took place. These pianists are: Eve Egoyan, Philippe Entremont, Bruno Fontaine, Peter Lawson, Josu Okiñena, Branka Parlić and Jeroen van Veen. Their responses have been detailed, open and unambiguous, which contribute greatly to my thesis by making my research outcomes robust and authentic. My thanks also go vii to Dr. James Hume, who did a wonderful job in bringing my musical examples to their best representation, allowing my arguments to be understood as simple and straightforwardly as possible. I also thank Spotify for the online service, which has made it possible for me to introduce recording clips that are easily accessible in correspondence