Filling the Gaps: Playing the Semiotic Network in the Extemporization of Scores for Improvisational Theater
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Wayne State University Wayne State University Theses 1-1-2013 Filling The aG ps: Playing The eS miotic Network In The Extemporization Of Scores For Improvisational Theater John Edwartowski Wayne State University, Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Edwartowski, John, "Filling The aG ps: Playing The eS miotic Network In The Extemporization Of Scores For Improvisational Theater" (2013). Wayne State University Theses. Paper 262. This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@WayneState. It has been accepted for inclusion in Wayne State University Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@WayneState. FILLING THE GAPS: PLAYING THE SEMIOTIC NETWORK IN THE EXTEMPORIZATION OF SCORES FOR IMPROVISATIONAL THEATER by JOHN EDWARTOWSKI THESIS Submitted to the Graduate School of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF MUSIC 2013 MAJOR: MUSIC (Composition/Theory) Approved By: _____________________________________ Advisor Date COPYRIGHT © BY JOHN EDWARTOWSKI 2013 All Rights Reserved DEDICATION For Margaret ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Though many people have helped and offered support during my research and graduate studies, I would be remiss if I did not personally acknowledge those who contributed to my growth and work. Professor Pierre Toucheque, my first piano teacher, is undoubtedly the reason I've pursued my chosen path. He always ended our twice-yearly recitals with an improvisation of his own and, during lessons, narrated sonatas, preludes, fugues, and improvisations as if they contained actual stories; which they did! His ability to conjure something from nothing, and perform musical alchemy, was nothing short of magic to my young mind. It is from him that I developed my beliefs of what musicianship is. Dr. Mary Wischusen set the gold-standard for scholarship and classroom instruction in Research and History, and I hope it shows in my writing. Her preparedness and encyclopedic knowledge of whatever topic she presented was an inspiration and a goal toward which to strive. Dr. Karl Braunschweig has been a mentor and friend throughout my research process; ready with excitement, enthusiasm, and encouragement for whatever idea I happened to bring. I am particularly grateful for his guidance into the world of semiotics and language-games, and for the joy he brought to the Theory classroom. Most of all, though, I am thankful for his open door and open ears. If anyone deserves a medal for listening to someone who talks as much as I do, it's him. My wife, Margaret Edwartowski, has been a rock and a pillow when I've asked her to be either. She has played games such as “Where/When are We?”, while I noodled iii out tunes at the piano or played them on the stereo, and even got into the spirit of saying, “semiotics,” (much to her own chagrin) when she heard something significant on TV or in a movie. She is truly the best partner and friend that I could have. iv PREFACE After several unsuccessful attempts to weld my results together into such a whole, I realized that I would never succeed. The best that I could write would never be more than philosophical remarks; my thoughts were soon crippled if I tried to force them on in any single direction against their natural inclination.–– –– And this was, of course, connected with the very nature of the investigation.1 –– Ludwig Wittgenstein 1 Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, trans. G.E.M. Anscombe, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1968), vii. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements..................................................................................................... iii Preface......................................................................................................................... v List of Figures............................................................................................................. ix Introduction................................................................................................................. 1 What Can Music “Tell” Us............................................................................... 2 Background....................................................................................................... 6 Ludwig Wittgenstein and 'Language-Games'.................................................... 7 Aim and Organization....................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER ONE: MUSICAL SEMIOTICS.............................................................. 13 Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce and The Signifier and The Signified..................................................................................................... 13 The Semiology of Art: An Initial Application of Peircian Semiology............. 16 Jean-Jacques Nattiez and Jean Molino: Disciplining the Discourse of Semiology.......................................................................................................... 18 Leonard B. Meyer: The Semiotician Who Wasn't............................................ 23 Episode.............................................................................................................. 26 Thomas Turino: A Second Glance at Peircian Semiology............................... 27 CHAPTER TWO: MUSIC AND MULTIMEDIA..................................................... 40 Embodied Text: Physicalization of Mood (Character)..................................... 43 More Media: Combining Multiple Texts......................................................... 48 Annabel J. Cohen: Musical Associationism..................................................... 50 vi CHAPTER TWO: MUSIC AND MULTIMEDIA (CONTINUED) Associationism and the Ballet-Pantomime....................................................... 52 From Pantomime to Melodrama....................................................................... 54 From Melodrama to The Movies...................................................................... 55 CHAPTER THREE: MUSIC AND MOVIES........................................................... 61 Framing the Picture........................................................................................... 61 The Cinematic Program: Fits and Starts.......................................................... 63 The Maturity of the (Silent) Cinematic Program: Feature Films and Continuous Music............................................................................................. 65 Making Decisions from Moment to Moment: Did You do Your Homework? 68 Off-Topic: Topics............................................................................................. 74 Philip Tagg: Multicultural Multimedia............................................................ 78 CHAPTER FOUR: THEATRICAL IMPROVISATION........................................... 84 History and Elements........................................................................................ 85 It's the Chicago Way.......................................................................................... 88 The Games........................................................................................................ 94 “Yes, and...”...................................................................................................... 95 Finding the “Game of the Scene”..................................................................... 99 Contemporary Improvisation............................................................................ 100 Five Hundred Years and Running..................................................................... 101 CHAPTER FIVE: FILLING THE GAPS.................................................................. 102 Finding the Place Where Theatrical and Musical Improvisation Meet............. 106 In Their Own Words: Improvising Musical Directors on Improvisation......... 108 vii CHAPTER FIVE: FILLING THE GAPS (CONTINUED) Fred Kaz............................................................................................................ 109 Josh Funk.......................................................................................................... 110 Marc Evan Jackson........................................................................................... 110 Jerome Kurtenbach........................................................................................... 111 Scott Passarella................................................................................................. 111 Laura Hall......................................................................................................... 112 Mark Levenson................................................................................................. 112 Conclusion........................................................................................................ 113 Prospects for the Future.................................................................................... 113 Appendix..................................................................................................................... 115 Fred Kaz Interview (June 16, 2012)................................................................. 115 Roundtable Interview: Josh Funk, Marc Evan Jackson,