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Dissonant Counterpoint, Henry Cowell, and the Network of Ultra-Modern Composers John D Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2010 "Substituting a New Order": Dissonant Counterpoint, Henry Cowell, and the Network of Ultra-Modern Composers John D. Spilker Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC “SUBSTITUTING A NEW ORDER”: DISSONANT COUNTERPOINT, HENRY COWELL, AND THE NETWORK OF ULTRA-MODERN COMPOSERS By JOHN D. SPILKER A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2010 Copyright ! 2010 John D. Spilker All Rights Reserved The members of the committee approve the dissertation of John D. Spilker defended on March 3, 2010. ______________________________ Denise Von Glahn Professor Directing Dissertation ______________________________ Neil Jumonville University Representative ______________________________ Douglass Seaton Committee Member ______________________________ Michael Buchler Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members. ii For Amy Marie, my loving wife of nine years, who has encouraged me to pursue my dreams and supported me unconditionally through many moments of uncertainty and trial. Her sacrifice, dedication, and love have made this adventure possible, meaningful, and fun. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my advisor, Denise Von Glahn, I offer my cordial appreciation for her tireless efforts to facilitate my growth as a scholar and person. Her humanity, encouragement, creativity, fecund imagination, careful critiques, and catchy slogans have been an inspiration throughout this process. I am also indebted to the other members of my dissertation committee, Douglass Seaton, Michael Buchler, and Neil Jumonville, who have played an active role in this project, sharing insights that have shaped my thinking. Many thanks are owed to the entire musicology and music theory faculty at The Florida State University for providing rigorous training and demonstrating varied models of successful scholarship. Additionally, I am grateful to Christian Asplund, who mentioned dissonant counterpoint in a sixteenth-century counterpoint course that I took from him during my undergraduate studies. This seemingly random aside spurred me to further inquiry on the topic for a paper written under the direction of Charles Brewer during the second semester of my master’s degree coursework; his helpful evaluations and recommendations promoted my continued research on dissonant counterpoint. Grants from the Curtis Mayes Fund at The Florida State University have provided financial support for research trips to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and Library of Congress. I am thankful for the kind, attentive staff in the music divisions at both libraries, and especially to George Boziwick, Jonathan Hiam, Robin Rausch, and Caitlin Miller for their assistance in negotiating the voluminous collections at both institutions; these archival adventures led to numerous exciting discoveries that formed the crux of my dissertation. I would like to recognize Richard Teitelbaum and Hiroko Sakurazawa of the David and Sylvia Teitelbaum Fund, Inc., Gene Becker, and Heinrich Holland, who have graciously allowed me to reproduce materials related to Henry Cowell, John J. Becker, and Jeanette B. Holland, respectively. Additionally, Associated Music Publishers Inc., C. F. Peters Corporation, and Theodore Presser Company have granted me permission to quote passages from Cowell’s scores in my dissertation. The warm, collegial atmosphere at annual meetings of the Society for American Music and the Southern Chapter of the American Musicological Society has fostered relationships with many scholars who share similar research interests. I am grateful to Amy Beal, Sally Bick, Kyle iv Gann, Jan Herlinger, Michael Hicks, Steven Johnson, Leta Miller, Carol Oja, David Patterson, Vivian Perlis, Nancy Yunhwa Rao, Joel Sachs, and Jennifer Thomas, all of whom have generously contributed their time and insights regarding my research. I am particularly beholden to Melissa de Graaf, David Nicholls, and Judith Tick for sharing from their work valuable resources that intersect with my inquiries into dissonant counterpoint. It has been a pleasure to associate with many thoughtful scholars among our company in the Society for Musicology at The Florida State University. Thank you to all who work hard to cultivate such a supportive community of musicologists. Among my friendships at Florida State, I hold in highest regard those with Toni Casamassina, Amy Dunning, Trevor Harvey, Sara Nodine, Stephanie Stallings, and Jennifer Talley; each has been a friend and mentor throughout our time together at FSU, and will continue to be such as we move forward. The Harvey family, our next-door neighbors for five years, has been an exceptional support to my family as we have continually adjusted to the challenging and ever-changing lifestyle of graduate school. Sara Nodine, who is currently researching musical activities at Black Mountain College, has been a dear family friend and supportive colleague; her sage advice has saved me from many a heart attack. Stephanie Stallings, who recently completed a dissertation on the Pan American Association of Composers, has provided guidance and encouragement via numerous phone calls and countless lunches, where I have been able to blow off steam. Jenn Talley has provided a listening ear and many occasions for me to let down my hair; she has also reinforced the value of individuality and the importance of “don’t dream it; be it” and “money, success, fame, glamour.” Through the years I have been sustained and uplifted by a network of extended family members, who love and accept me for who I am. The daily unconditional love and support of my wife Amy, and our sweet daughter, Lily, keeps me centered and whole. Brian Barabash has been “a pal and a confidant,” and always reminds me to share the laughter and love. Jason and Starr Turner have made trips to the New York Public Library into exciting pilgrimages filled with meaningful conversations and silly times. Shannon Corey and Justin Bills have been my beloved best friends through thick and thin. The Blake, Lefler, Munson, Peterson, and Watts families have provided many years of unconditional love and support. Finally, I am grateful to my parents, Mike and Josephine, for cultivating a strong commitment to education. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Musical Examples ............................................................................................................... x List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xv Abstract........................................................................................................................................ xvi CHAPTER 1. “THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP”: INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT FOR DISSONANT COUNTERPOINT ......................................................................................... 1 New Ways of Thinking about Music.................................................................................. 3 Dissonant Counterpoint ...................................................................................................... 9 A Product of the “Ultra-Modern” Network ...................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 2. THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF DISSONANT COUNTERPOINT: COWELL AND SEEGER AT BERKELEY, 1914-1917............................................................. 18 Cowell’s Studies at Berkeley............................................................................................ 21 Cowell’s Dissonant Counterpoint Notebook .................................................................... 23 Guidelines for Dissonant Counterpoint ................................................................ 25 Biographical Implications..................................................................................... 27 Two-Voice Exercises ............................................................................................ 36 Three-Voice Exercises .......................................................................................... 42 Cowell’s Works ................................................................................................................ 47 Polyphonicas Nos. 1 and 2 (1916)........................................................................ 47 “Exercizes [sic] for Seeger” (n.d.) ........................................................................ 50 String Quartet No. 1 (1916).................................................................................. 55 Quartet Romantic (1917) ...................................................................................... 59 Wafting (1917) ...................................................................................................... 64 Summary............................................................................................................... 65 CHAPTER 3. “ARRESTED” DEVELOPMENT AND CONTRAPUNTAL PRACTICE: COWELL AND DISSONANT COUNTERPOINT, 1917-1929.................................................. 67 Cowell’s Works ................................................................................................................ 68 Vestiges (1920).....................................................................................................
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