Gries Dissertation with Revisions
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EXPRESSIVE INTONATION AS RHETORIC IN THE PERFORMANCE PRACTICE OF INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE MUSIC IN LONDON (1650 -1720) by MARGRET C. GRIES A DISSERTATION Presented to the School of Music and Dance and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy March 2012 DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE Student: Margret C. Gries Title: Expressive Intonation as Rhetoric in the Performance Practice of Instrumental Ensemble Music in London (1650-1720) This dissertation has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the School of Music and Dance by: Dr. Marc Vanscheeuwijck Chairperson Dr. Lori Kruckenberg Member Dr. Steve Vacchi Member Dr. Scott Pratt Outside Member and Kimberly Andrews Espy Vice President for Research & Innovation/Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded March 2012 ii © 2012 Margret C. Gries iii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Margret C. Gries Doctor of Philosophy School of Music and Dance March 2012 Title: Expressive Intonation as Rhetoric in the Performance Practice of Instrumental Ensemble Music in London (1650-1720) Descartes’ Compendium musicae and Lamy’s La Rhétorique ou l’art de parler, both published in English translation in London in the late seventeenth century, suggest approaches to period performance practice that support expressive intonation as a rhetorical device. Descartes’ unique perspective on musical pitch and intervals provides a methodology for understanding inflected intonation in performance. Closely aligned with Descartes’ epistemological perspective, Lamy’s treatise provides an understanding of expressive intention as essential to effective rhetorical delivery. These approaches are applied to musical examples from trio sonatas of Arcangelo Corelli, John Ravenscroft and Henry Purcell, demonstrating that expressive intonation using subtle pitch inflection can be explained as a rhetorical practice. These subtle pitch inflections, related as they are to both rhetorical delivery and intonation systems, are not reflected in notation but realized only as music is heard in time. It is in performance contexts that pitch inflection can be realized as an expressive device. A supplemental audio file contains five short examples demonstrating pitch deviation applied to selected intervals. iv CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Margret C. Gries GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH University of Washington, Seattle, WA Yale University, New Haven, CT Yale College, New Haven, CT Southern Connecticut State College, New Haven, CT Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA DEGREES AWARDED: Doctor of Philosophy, Music History, 2012, University of Oregon Master of Music, Organ, 1985, Central Washington University Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, 1968, Pacific Lutheran University AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Historical Performance Practice Philosophy of Music PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Music Director, Oregon Bach Collegium, Eugene, OR, 2007-present Music Director, Musica Antiqua, Ellensburg, WA, 2003-present Music Director, Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, Ashland, OR, 2000-present Instructor, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, 1988-2008 Organist and Director of Music, Grace Church, Ellensburg, WA, 1980-2003 Instructor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 1981-1982 v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1 Cultural Context: Intonation at the Intersection of Science and Music................. 1 Descartes and Lamy Provide Resources for Performance Practice....................... 11 Current Literature on Intonation for Period Performance Ensembles ................... 14 Organization of the Study ...................................................................................... 23 II. SEEKING GOOD INTONATION ......................................................................... 29 Desiderio’s Complaint ........................................................................................... 29 Tuning Systems in Conflict ................................................................................... 31 Intervallic Size Matters.......................................................................................... 33 Intervallic Size in Practice ..................................................................................... 37 Descartes’ Perspective ........................................................................................... 46 III. DESCARTES’ DESCRIPTION OF INTONTATION AS A PERFORMANCE PRACTICE ............................................................................................................ 56 The Comma as an Elastic Interval ......................................................................... 56 The Compendium musicae in Context: Beeckman’s Challenge............................ 58 Descartes’ Topics................................................................................................... 62 Descartes’ Circle Images ....................................................................................... 70 The Power of Imagination ..................................................................................... 80 IV. LAMY’S MODEL OF EFFECTIVE PERSUASION........................................... 84 Intonation as an Expressive Device ....................................................................... 85 The Harmonic Orator............................................................................................. 89 vi Chapter Page Music and Perceptual Cognition............................................................................ 92 The Passions Engaged............................................................................................ 97 Lamy’s L’Art de Parler ......................................................................................... 99 Music as a Model for Rhetoric............................................................................... 108 Rhetoric as a Model for Music............................................................................... 112 Expressive Intonation............................................................................................. 118 V. EXPRESSIVE INTONATION AS A RHETORICAL TOOL IN PERFORMANCE PRACTICE ........................................................................ 126 Motions of the Mind #1: Syntax ............................................................................ 126 Motions of the Mind #2: Dissonance..................................................................... 136 Motions of the Mind #3: Dance as Rhetoric of the Body...................................... 144 Using Rhetorical Skills .......................................................................................... 153 VI. INTONATION IN PERFORMANCE PRACTICE .............................................. 155 Sounds in Relation: Science and Music................................................................. 156 Sounds in Relation: Teaching Inflected Intonation ............................................... 161 Sounds in Relation: The Expressive Value of Intonation...................................... 163 The Linguo-centric Predicament............................................................................ 169 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 170 REFERENCES CITED................................................................................................ 174 SUPPLEMENTAL AUDIO FILES 1.1. Sound for Example 2.1 1.2. Sound for Example 3.2 vii 1.3. Sound for Example 3.3 1.4. Sound for Example 3.4 1.5. Sound for Example 4.5 viii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Example Page 2.1. Pitch deviation by cents for intervals of a major third.................................... 37 2.2. Four-part cadence to E Major ......................................................................... 38 2.3. Reference pitch for octave As of second chord .............................................. 49 2.4. Reference pitch for melodic C natural of second chord ................................. 50 2.5. Reference pitches for Bs of second chord....................................................... 50 3.1. Consonant relationship between interval of a fifth to interval of a sixth........ 77 3.2. Consonant relationship between interval of a fifth to interval of a minor third with both voices following circulus consonances................................. 78 3.3. Consonant relationship between interval of a fifth to interval of a minor third with only one voice following circulus consonances............................ 79 3.4. Comparison of final minor third from examples 3.2 and 3.3.......................... 79 4.1. Lambert, “Non n’ aprehendez point,” mm. 1-3 ............................................. 117 4.2. Lambert, Non n’ aprehendez point,” mm. 1-3 with indication of dissonance between E flat and D, and reference pitch for C............................................. 117 4.3. Example of suspension from Compendium musicae ...................................... 119 4.4. Descartes’ suspension example with reference relationships indicated ......... 121 4.5. Descartes’