Noah Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica: the Career, Reception, and Impact
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UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: August 2, 2004 I, Eriko Aoyama , hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Master of Music in: the Division of Composition, Musicology, and Theory of the College- Conservatory of Music (Music History) It is entitled: Noah Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica: The Career, Reception, and Impact This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _Dr. Stephanie P. Schlagel__ ___ _Dr. Mary Sue Morrow_________ Dr. Edward Nowacki . ____________________________ _______________________________ NOAH GREENBERG AND THE NEW YORK PRO MUSICA: THE CAREER, RECEPTION, AND IMPACT A thesis submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF MUSIC in the Division of Composition, Musicology, and Theory of the College-Conservatory of Music 2004 by Eriko Aoyama B.A., Whitman College, 1997 Committee Chair: Dr. Stephanie P. Schlagel ABSTRACT The early music revival or the early music movement of Western classical music gained remarkable momentum in the second half of the twentieth century. The field of early music saw much progress not only in academic research, but also in the performance of the music. Through the performances, both live and on records, a wider public became interested in early music and this in turn lit a spark that brought the movement forward. In post-World-War-II United States, Noah Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica was one of the first and most prominent early music ensembles that brought early music closer to public. This thesis closely examines the work of Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica and their contributions to the field of early music performance. With its unusually extensive scope of activities, which ranged from research, education, publication, and recording, to live performance, the New York Pro Musica brought early music to life and established a firm foundation for the field of early music performance in general. An instrumental factor that catalyzed the career of Greenberg and his ensemble was the post-war development of the recording technology and industry. In fact, the New York Pro Musica was initially formed as a recording ensemble and recording continued to serve as a major medium of communication throughout the group’s activities, especially under Greenberg. This thesis first examines a wide scope of background conditions that enabled Greenberg and the Pro Musica to succeed as a professional early music ensemble. Then the impact and reception of the group is assessed through an analysis of the published reviews of their recordings. This study offers a deeper understanding of the work and achievement of Noah Greenberg through a thorough observation of his time and situation, and through a focused evaluation of the impact and reception of him and his New York Pro Musica. Copyright 2004, Eriko Aoyama ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank my committee members Dr. Mary Sue Morrow and Dr. Edward Nowacki for their helpful comments. Very very special thanks to my thesis advisor, Dr. Stephanie P. Schlagel, for her many hours of work on my thesis. This project (truly a product of international communication) would not have been possible without her expertise and endless patience. And last but not least, thanks to my husband Diethard Pabel for his love and support. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . 3 CHAPTER 1: SETTING THE STAGE FOR NOAH GREENBERG AND THE NEW YORK PRO MUSICA . 7 Early Music Activities in the United States Before 1953 9 Biography of Noah Greenberg to 1953 16 The United States and New York in the 1950s: An Economic and Cultural Background 22 Early Music Recordings and the Development of the Long-Playing Record 26 CHAPTER 2: THE NEW YORK PRO MUSICA . 36 The Forming of the New York Pro Musica 37 The Career of the New York Pro Musica 42 CHAPTER 3: THE INFLUENCE OF NOAH GREENBERG . 65 Noah Greenberg’s Character and How It Shaped the New York Pro Musica 65 The New York Pro Musica After Noah Greenberg 69 CHAPTER 4: RECORDING PROJECTS OF THE NEW YORK PRO MUSICA . 80 Significance of the Recordings 81 Recording Projects and Their Reviews: What They Reveal About the New York Pro Musica 89 Authenticity 92 Performance Practice and Musical Interpretation 97 Audience Building 117 Programming and Marketing 122 1 CHAPTER 5: THE NEW YORK PRO MUSICA IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EARLY MUSIC REVIVAL . 138 Contemporaries of the New York Pro Musica 139 Contributions of the New York Pro Musica 144 CONCLUSION . 155 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 158 APPENDIX 1: DISCOGRAPHY AND RECORD REVIEWS . 163 APPENDIX 2: PUBLICATIONS OF THE NEW YORK PRO MUSICA . 174 2 INTRODUCTION What is known as the early music revival or early music movement in the Western classical music may have started in the nineteenth century, perhaps with the performance of J. S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion by Felix Mendelssohn in 1829.1 Since then, general interest in early music continued to be cultivated, but mostly by small-scale groups of performers and amateurs in isolated or regional environments. The movement gained more momentum in the early twentieth century with the establishment of numerous scholae cantorum and amateur groups, chant revival emanating from Solesmes, and the activities of influential individuals such as Arnold Dolmetsch. However, it was not until after the Second World War, in the 1950s and ’60s, that the early music revival became a clearly visible and audible part of the musical culture. The post-war interest in and awareness of early music is evident in the depth of musicological scholarship and research, and the growing number of publications and anthologies such as the Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae. However, a vital link between scholars and general public awareness of early music lies in the performance of these works. Beginning in the 1950s numerous professional performers emerged who enthusiastically presented the “unknown” music employing highly original and personal approaches. Additionally, the growing availability and popularity of sound recordings provided a new means for performers to communicate their discoveries. In the United States, Noah Greenberg was such a pioneer, who brought forth the repertory of early music with his ensemble, the New York Pro Musica. In this era of the post-World War II 1 Harry Haskel, The Early Music Revival: A History (London: Thames & Hudson, 1988), 10. 3 early music revival,2 the New York Pro Musica represents one of the earliest and most musically and commercially successful American groups featuring skilled, professional-level vocalists and virtuoso instrumentalists. The ensemble’s contributions are significant for the wide range of audiences it attracted, the recognition it received, and in the research on and presentations of the early music literature that it conducted. This thesis closely examines the career and achievements of Noah Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica and their contributions to the field of early music performance. With their live and recorded performances, research, and educational activities, Greenberg and the Pro Musica directly influenced those interested and involved in early music, such as scholars and amateur musicians. At the same time, by making early music available to and appreciated by a wider public, the group fostered further advancements in the field in general. The publications of two extensive studies on this topic, a master’s thesis by Sarah Jane Gaskill3 and a full-length biography of Noah Greenberg by James Gollin,4 in addition to numerous articles on Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica, attest to the significance of Greenberg and the Pro Musica’s efforts and their historical value. Although early music ensembles existed before Greenberg’s group, the New York Pro Musica was the first to be commercially successful and widely recognized in the United States. In addition, the unusually extensive scope of their activities, ranging from research, education, publication, and recording, to live performance distinguished the Pro Musica from other early music ensembles and musicians. A group with such depth of resources and commitment had 2 From the 1950s to the ’70s there were increasing activities and advancements in early music performance with artists such as Thomas Binkley with Studio der Frühen Musik; Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Concertus Musicus of Vienna; Anthony Rooley and Consort of Musicke; Gustav Leonhardt; and Frans Brüggen, to name a few. 3 Sarah Jane Gaskill, “The Artist as Manager: Noah Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica” (M. A. thesis, The American University, 1984). 4 James Gollin, Pied Piper: The Many Lives of Noah Greenberg, Lives in Music Series, no. 4 (Hillsdale, New York: Pendragon, 2001). 4 never yet existed, and its contributions were and still are considered extraordinary by musicologists and the general public alike. To investigate how this was possible and to assess the impact of their efforts, the career of Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica will be examined in five steps. Chapter one presents the historical and social conditions pertaining to the Pro Musica. A recounting of a history of early music performance up to 1952, when Greenberg founded the New York Pro Musica, a brief biography of Noah Greenberg, and a consideration of the cultural and social settings in the 1950s will reveal the conditions that made it possible for the Pro Musica to succeed as a professional early music ensemble. Furthermore, since the recording industry played a crucial role in the career of the New York Pro Musica, a closer look at the development of recording technology serves to complete the necessary background information. The second chapter examines the career and achievement of the New York Pro Musica in two sections. First, the process of forming the New York Pro Musica is recounted. Then a discussion of the Pro Musica’s career and its various projects, including the challenges and difficulties it faced as one of the first professional early music ensembles, follows.