The Instruments Were Highly Resonant
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i ABSTRACT Lou Harrison’s “Old Granddad”: A Composer’s Guide by Brady J. Spitz American composer Lou Harrison was known for his activity in blending the music of the world’s cultures and, later in life, building unique instruments. An example of this is the creation of his “American Gamelan” in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He and William Colvig created a set of tuned pipes and aluminum slabs that were fixed to a single key; and, because the instruments were highly resonant metallophones, they became known as the “American Gamelan” (even though Harrison’s own compositional practice with them bore little resemblance to the music of Indonesia at this point). The music of these instruments (which came to be known as “Old Granddad”) is a truly significant achievement in the history of Western music. The first three chapters of this document include a history of the Old Granddad instruments, technical diagrams and descriptions, and a discussion of their tuning. Their purpose is to help future musicians build a replica. The following three chapters analyze Harrison’s three major works for Old Granddad: the opera Young Caesar (1971); the oratorio La Koro Sutro (1972); and the Suite for Violin and American Gamelan (1974). Their purpose is to provide a model for composers who wish to write more works for the instrument. A synthesis of this historical, technical, and theoretical information offers practical details that may be of use to future ii composers. The document concludes with Laurel—a commissioned piece by Shane Monds that tests the conclusions of my research. iii Acknowledgments I would first like to thank my advisor Dr. Peter Loewen for graciously shepherding me through not just the creation of this document, but also the end of my studies at Rice. His thoughts constantly challenged me to find new depth and meaning in my own work. He remains an inspiration for my future academic life. I would also like to thank the faculty and staff at Rice University. I have been fortunate these past years to be a member of such a close-knit community of artists. I received friendship, encouragement, and artistic inspiration from almost every employee of the Shepherd School of Music. I would especially like to thank Professors Richard Brown and Matthew Strauss for helping cultivate both a deeper musicianship and stronger humanity in me. Throughout the creation of this document, several people have proved immeasurably valuable. Gratitude must go to Eva Soltes, director of the Harrison House, for providing rich first-person accounts of the life of Lou Harrison. Thanks also to Richard Cooke, who was gracious enough to invite me to his home in Durango, CO and provide me with original documentation for the repair and replication of Old Granddad. My immense appreciation goes to Jody Diamond, without whose guidance and patience in the musical world I would surely be lost. Your life’s work is an example to aspire to and I treasure our friendship. Thank you to Dr. Shane Monds for your wonderful piece Laurel. This piece is evidence of a monumental intellect. I have so valued our past personal friendship iv and professional collaboration. I am excited to see what you will contribute to our profession. To all my Rice Percussion colleagues, thank you for the support and inspiration these past years. It is a gift to go to work every day in a place that gives you great artistic satisfaction and professional excitement. To my DMA classmates, thank you for providing me with constant support and encouragement. In our vast network of academic peers, in my eyes you have no equal. Thanks to Jessica Quah for acting as a sounding board and helping me edit time and again. For my other friends inside and outside the Shepherd School, thank you for your consummate artistry, professionalism, and warm affections, you cannot know how much they have meant to me. Finally, I would like to thank my family, most especially my wife, Graciela Ruiz. Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout my degree and the creation of this document. Thank you for supporting me through late nights, early mornings, and days seemingly without end. Thank you for your constant cheerleading. Without your love, none of this would be possible. v Contents Acknowledgments ..……………………………………………………………………………………… iii Contents ..………………………………………………………………………………………………………. v List of Figures ...………………………………………………………………………………………….. viii List of Tables ...………………………………………………………………………………………………. x Introduction ..………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Chapter 1: A History of Lou Harrison’s “Old Granddad” .………………………………. 8 1.1. Childhood and World Music Influence …………………………………………………... 8 1.2. Cage, Cowell, and Dance: The Beginning of Dance Music in America ………. 11 1.3. Harrison’s Introduction to Just Intonation ……………………………………………. 15 1.4. The Arrival of William Colvig ……………………………………………………………….. 20 1.5. Old Granddad #1 and Young Caesar ……………………………………………..……… 22 1.6. Old Granddads #2 and #3 ………………………………………………………………….... 28 1.7. Refurbishing Old Granddad #1 ……………………………………………………………. 33 1.8. Old Granddad #4 ………………………………………………………………………………… 34 Chapter 2: The Instruments ………………………………………………………………………… 38 2.1. Soprano Bells – Steel …………………………………………………………………………... 40 2.2. Soprano Bells – Aluminum ………………………………………………………………….. 43 2.3. Tenor Bells – Steel ……………………………………………………………………………… 45 2.4. Tenor Bells – Aluminum ……………………………………………………………………… 48 2.5. Baritone Keys ……………………………………………………………………………………… 51 2.6. Bass Keys ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 54 2.7. Other Instruments ………………………………………………………………………………. 58 2.8. A Note About “Change Out” Pitches ……………………………………………………… 61 Chapter 3: Tuning and Timbre …………………………………………………………………….. 64 3.1. Timbre and Sound Quality …………………………………………………………………… 71 3.1.1. General ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 71 3.1.2. Bells ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 73 3.1.3. Keys ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 81 Chapter 4: Young Caesar ……………………………………………………………………………… 88 4.1. Background and Influences ………………………………………………………………..... 88 4.1.1. 1971 Premiere Performance ……………………………………………………..……… 91 4.1.2. 1988 Revision ………………………………………………………………………………….. 94 vi 4.1.3. 1998 and 2007 Revisions …………………………………………………………………. 96 4.1.4. 2017 Los Angeles Philharmonic Reproduction …………………………………... 97 4.2. Musical Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………... 102 4.2.1. General Concepts ……………………………………………………………………………. 103 4.2.2. Beginning ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 106 4.2.3. Overture to Act One ………………………………………………………………………… 107 4.2.4. Scene One ………………………………………………………………………………………. 109 4.2.5. Scenes Two Through Four ………………………………………………………………. 110 4.2.6. Scene Five ……………………………………………………………………………………… 111 4.2.7. Scene Six ………………………………………………………………………………………… 113 4.2.8. Scene Seven ………………………………………………………………………………….... 114 4.2.9. Overture to Act Two ……………………………………………………………………….. 115 4.2.10. Scene Eight …………………………………………………………………………………….. 117 4.2.11. Scene Nine ……………………………………………………………………………………… 118 4.2.12. Scene Ten ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 118 4.2.13. Scene Eleven …………………………………………………………………………………... 121 4.2.14. Scene Twelve …………………………………………………………………………………. 121 4.2.15. Scene Thirteen ……………………………………………………………………………….. 122 4.2.16. Scene Fourteen ………………………………………………………………………………. 124 4.2.17. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………... 127 Chapter 5: La Koro Sutro ……………………………………………………………………………. 128 5.1. Background ………………………………………………………………………………………. 128 5.2. Musical Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………... 132 5.2.1. General Concepts …………………………………………………………………………..... 132 5.2.2. Kunsunoro kaj Gloro ……………………………………………………………………… 138 5.2.3. 1a Paragrafo ……………………………………………………………………………..……. 139 5.2.4. 2a Paragrafo ………………………………………………………………………………..…. 141 5.2.5. 3a Paragrafo ………………………………………………………………………………….. 142 5.2.6. 4a Paragrafo ………………………………………………………………………………..…. 144 5.2.7. 5a Paragrafo ………………………………………………………………………………….... 147 5.2.8. 6a Paragrafo ………………………………………………………………………………..…. 147 5.2.9. 7a Paragrafo …………………………………………………………………………………... 149 5.2.10. Mantro kaj Kunsonoro ………………………………………………………………….… 149 5.3. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 152 Chapter 6: Suite for Violin and American Gamelan ……………………………………... 153 6.1. Background ………………………………………………………………………………………. 153 6.2. Musical Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………….. 157 6.2.1. General Considerations …………………………………………………………………… 157 6.2.2. Threnody ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 158 6.2.3. Estampie ………………………………………………………………………………………… 159 vii 6.2.4. Air …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 162 6.2.5. Jahlas One Through Three ………………………………………………………………. 162 6.2.6. Chaconne ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 164 6.2.7. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………… 166 Chapter 7: Miscellaneous Repertoire and New Projects ………………………..…… 167 7.1. Solo to Anthony Cirone ……………………………………………………………………… 168 7.2. Film Music ………………………………………………………………………………………… 169 7.3. Old Granddad #3 ……………………………………………………………………………….. 171 7.4. MIT Old Granddad Project …………………………………………………………………. 172 7.5. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………… 174 Chapter 8: General Performance Considerations ………………………………………. 176 8.1. Implements ………………………………………………………………………………………. 177 8.2. Personnel …………………………………………………………………………………………. 179 8.3. Colotomy and Rhythmic Notation ……………………………………………………… 181 8.4. Technique and Execution …………………………………………………………………... 182 8.5. Future Concerns ………………………………………………………………………………... 185 Chapter 9: Test Case - Work Title by Dr. Shane Monds……………………………..….