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Voice of the Forgotten American: the Oratorios of Horatio Parker

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Voice of the Forgotten American: the Oratorios of Horatio Parker VOICE OF THE FORGOTTEN AMERICAN: THE ORATORIOS OF HORATIO PARKER BY HOWARD SWYERS Submitted to the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, Doctor of Music Indiana University December, 2013 Accepted by the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, Doctor of Music. ___________________________________ Carmen-Helena Tellez, Research Director __________________________________ Patricia Stiles, Chairperson __________________________________ Mary Ann Hart __________________________________ Timothy Noble ii Copyright © 2013 Howard Swyers iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to Patricia Stiles for being a mentor and a great voice instructor for these many long years. Thanks to Carmen Tellez for her unwavering support, optimism, and the many opportunities she has provided me. Thanks to Patricia Wise and Tim Noble for serving on my committee and for their support. Thanks to my family for putting up with me during the course of my schooling Thanks to all the many people at Indiana University who have helped and supported me through the years in both employment and study. Thanks to Terence Kelly for helping me get started down this long path. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements iv List of Figures vi List of Musical Examples vii List of Tables ix Chapter 1 - The Cultural Context of Horatio Parker’s Life and His Music 1 Chapter 2 – Hora Novissima 27 Chapter 3 – The Legend of Saint Christopher 70 Chapter 4 – Morven and the Grail 116 Chapter 5 - Conclusion 168 Bibliography 171 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 – Chart of Hora Novissima Structure 29 Figure 2 – First page of libretto. The italicized stanzas are not set to music and do 118 not otherwise appear in the score. Figure 3 – Libretto as printed from the start of Part 3 through the entrance of the 155 Grail Quartet vi LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Example 1 – First statement of theme. Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 29 m. 9-19. 37 Example 2 – Restatement with raised 7th. Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 30 m. 1- 37 8. Example 3 – Passage from Parker’s “Spe modo vivitur.” Hora Novissima. Vocal 40 score, p. 31, m. 1-15. Example 4 – Excerpt taken from Charles Ives, The Celestial Country (Tenebris vitae 41 in lucem coeli) cantata for two solo quartets and chorus, string quartet or string orchestra, trumpet, euphonium, timpani, and organ, (New York: Peer International Corporation, 1973), Vocal Score, p. 28. Example 5 - Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 44 m. 6 - p. 45 m. 14. 45 Example 6 - Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 37, m. 9-10. 46 Example 7 - Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 50, m. 5-12. 47 Example 8 - Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 75, m. 6-14. 53 Example 9- Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 77, m 1-9. 54 Example 10 - Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 95. 56 Example 11 - Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 122. 62 Example 12 - Hora Novissima. Vocal score, p. 124, m. 6-10. 63 Example 13 – Principal theme from Movement I orchestral opening. Hora 65 Novissima. Vocal Score, p. 1 m 11-15. Example 14 – Principal theme from Movement XI. Hora Novissima. Vocal Score, p. 65 28 m 13-16. Example 15 – King Oriens’ theme as it appears in its first occurrence. The Legend of 74 Saint Christopher. Act 1, Scene 1, m. 23-26. Example 16 – King Oriens’ theme introduced 3 bars before his entrance. The 79 Legend of St Christopher, Vocal score, p. 27, m. 4-10. Example 17 – The Queen’s theme. The Legend of St Christopher, Vocal score, p. 79 28, m. 14-17. Example 18 – Initial appearance of Satan’s theme. The Legend of St. Chistopher, 81 Vocal Score. p. 37, m. 10-12 Example 19 – The Legend of St. Christopher. Vocal Score, p. 58, m. 9-20. 85 vii Example 20 – The Legend of St. Christopher. Vocal Score, p. 70. m. 9-22. 88 Example 21 – The Legend of St. Christopher. Vocal Score, p. 80, m. 1-4. 91 Example 22 – Satan’s motive modified into Waltz rhythm. The Legend of St. 92 Christopher. Vocal Score. p. 87, m. 26-31. Example 23 – Transition between first and second section of the “Gloria.” The 101 Legend of St. Christopher. Vocal Score, p. 129. Example 24 – The Legend of St. Christopher. Vocal Score, p. 164, m. 1-2. 107 Example 25 – The Legend of St. Christopher. Vocal Score, p. 168, m. 1-4. 108 Example 26 – First occurrence of Grail Quartet refrain. Morven and the Grail. 120 Vocal Score, p. 12. Example 27 – Morven and the Grail. Vocal Score, p. 22, m. 12-15. 122 Example 28 – Morven and the Grail. Vocal Score, p. 51. 129 Example 29 – Morven and the Grail. Vocal Score, p. 55. 131 Example 30 – Morven and the Grail. Vocal Score, p. 67. 133 Example 31 – Reappearance of “Let me go hence.” Morven and the Grail. Vocal 140 Score, p. 90, m. 4-7. Example 32 – Morven and the Grail. Vocal Score, p. 110. 144 Example 33 – Morven and the Grail. Vocal Score. p. 113-114. 146 Example 34 – Morven and the Grail. Vocal Score, p. 149, m. 5-16. 154 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 - Vocal Ranges for Hora Novissima 69 Table 2 - Vocal Ranges for The Legend of St. Christopher 113 Table 3 - Vocal Ranges for Morven and the Grail 166 ix I. The Cultural Context of Horatio Parker’s Life and His Music Horatio Parker is an enigma. To modern musicians and audiences, he is largely unknown and relegated to obscurity, even in his native country. Given that he was the first American composer to achieve some modicum of international fame, culminating with him becoming the first American to ever receive an honorary doctorate from Cambridge, this is highly puzzling. That he was highly prominent during his time period, there is a little doubt. His student, Charles Ives, while eventually distancing himself from his instructor, initially used the relationship to further his career. Ives’ cantata, “The Celestial Country,” was modeled on Parker’s oratorio, Hora Novissima, and he made it a point to identify himself prominently as Parker’s student at the premiere.1 With the success of Hora Novissima both in the United States and England, and the later achievements of winning both the Metropolitan Opera’s composition contest with his opera Mona and the National Federation of Music Clubs’ opera composition contest with his Fairyland, there is little doubt that he reached a level of distinction unmatched at the time by his American contemporaries. Parker’s work was largely noted as conservative. As time went by, the taste in American classical music shifted to a much more modern, experimental approach, such as that championed by his former student. In a parallel fashion, other American composers became renowned for their work with popular music elements. Over time, American music became recognized for both this spirit of innovation and the cultural impact imparted by genres in the popular stream. Given that Parker did not cultivate either approach, his work was largely forgotten. Ironically, Parker’s own position on the nature of classical music in America may have in fact contributed to his own music’s demise. As he took over the music program at Yale, he worked to build up the social perception of musicians in America. Parker did not want himself or other musicians to be 1 J. P. Burkholder, “Ives and Yale: The enduring influence of a college experience.” College Music Symposium 39 (1999): 35. 1 classified as bohemians, so he himself had a very dignified, aloof manner that he also worked to impart to his students. Parker’s approach became a symbol of elitism, creating a clear separation between “classical” and popular styles.”2 In fact, he wrote: There are humbler levels of popular taste which are surely significant. It is indeed stirring to hear a great mass of people, including a seven foot policemen singing… The policeman’s eyes and attitude show sincerity and devotion… He is moved by his vocal efforts and enjoys his emotion and singing. So do I, but I wish the music were such as I could swallow without gagging.3 By largely ignoring the vernacular music of his day, Parker failed to appeal to a larger audience and to use the strength of the more native music of his country to separate himself and achieve a more lasting prominence. Youth and Student Years Given Parker’s humble beginnings, it is somewhat surprising that he so readily shunned music in the popular realm. On the other hand, perhaps it is that history that drove Parker so hard to seek a higher place in society. Parker was born on September 15, 1863 in Auburndale, Massachusetts, which was a largely rural environment at the time. His father, Charles, was a distinguished architect.4 His mother was noted as being well educated with a good command of classical and modern languages, and she had a strong poetic sense. Despite this, his formal education appears haphazard, with the only record of his studies appearing at Williams Grade School in Auburndale.5 However, given the strong education of both his parents, it is plausible that he was well tutored at home. Throughout his younger years, Parker showed no interest in musical study. His father was a naturalist and frequently took the children on walks through the fields and woods. As a youth, Parker inherited the love for the outdoors. He spent a good deal of time outside and was also 2 Alan Howard Levy, “The Search for Identity in American Music.” American Music 2, no.
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