(Doubling Bass Clarinet) and String Quartet
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UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title A Guide to Understanding, Interpreting, and Performing David Bruce’s Gumboots for Clarinet (doubling Bass Clarinet) and String Quartet Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/00b2p1wf Author Hamilton, Dawn Marie Publication Date 2017 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles A Guide to Understanding, Interpreting, and Performing David Bruce’s Gumboots (2008) for Clarinet (doubling bass clarinet) and String Quartet A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts by Dawn Marie Hamilton 2017 © Copyright by Dawn Marie Hamilton 2017 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION A Guide to Understanding, Interpreting, and Performing David Bruce’s Gumboots for Clarinet (doubling Bass Clarinet) and String Quartet by Dawn Marie Hamilton Doctor of Musical Arts University of California, Los Angeles, 2017 Professor Mark L. Kligman Co-Chair Professor Gary G. Gray, Co-Chair David Bruce’s 2008 work, Gumboots, is a worthy and exciting addition to a small and select group of compositions. Along with the well-loved quintets of Brahms and Mozart, Weber, and a few more recent works such as Osvaldo Golijov’s Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, Gumboots offers a well-composed work with both musical, emotional, and social substance. The work is challenging and requires a very versatile and adept clarinetist who can ideally double on the bass clarinet (although it is not required). Music plays a significant role in mankind’s ability to convey emotional and profound ideas. Gumboots is a work that capitalizes on this capability. It is deserving of significant attention, being a joy to both listen to and play. Through communications with the composer and other performers familiar with the piece and by drawing on the author’s personal experiences in performing the work, this dissertation presents a thorough and detailed investigation of Gumboots to assist the future performer, or listener, in better understanding the work. It provides biographical background about the composer and the commission and composition of the piece; a detailed musical analysis focusing on how the ii compositional elements of the work support its emotional life; a chapter exploring a number of varied non-Western influences in the piece, including klezmer, early music, jazz, blues, and African dance; a discussion of all publicly available recordings of Gumboots (as of August 2017); and a chapter dedicated to performance practice issues and solutions for the clarinetist, string players, and the ensemble. David Bruce is an eclectic contemporary composer who will undoubtedly continue to make significant contributions to the world of classical music, and hopefully many more to the clarinet repertoire. iii The dissertation of Dawn Marie Hamilton is approved. Mark C. Carlson John A. Steinmetz Neal H. Stulberg Gary G. Gray, Committee Co-Chair Mark L. Kligman, Committee Co-Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2017 iv To my husband, Levi, for your infinite and enduring love and support. v Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: Composer David Bruce and the Origins of Gumboots 1 CHAPTER 2: Compositional Analysis 10 Introduction 10 Part 1 13 Part 2 18 Dance 1 19 Dance 2 22 Dance 3 25 Dance 4 29 Dance 5 31 CHAPTER 3: Roots and Influences—A Stylistic Melting Pot 37 Klezmer 37 Early Music 41 Blues 42 Jazz 43 African Dance 46 Concerning the Issue of Cultural Appropriation 49 CHAPTER 4: Recordings—Variation in Interpretation and Performance 52 Todd Palmer and the St. Lawrence String Quartet (World Premiere, 2008) 54 Sarah Beaty and Ensemble ACJW (2010) 57 Todd Palmer and the St. Lawrence String Quartet (2010) 59 John Klinghammer with the Art of Elan (2010) 60 James T. Shields with the Albuquerque Chamber Soloists (2015) 61 Lisa Kachouee and the Westheimer String Quartet (2017) 62 Julian Bliss and the Carducci String Quartet (World Premiere Recording, 2016) 63 CHAPTER 5: A Performance Guide—Considerations, Concerns, and Clarifications For the Clarinetist 66 Reeds 66 vi Part 1 The Bass Clarinet in the Altissimo Register 67 Bass Clarinet Altissimo Fingerings 67 Bass Clarinet Intonation 69 On the B♭ Clarinet, from Rehearsal K Onwards 71 Part 2 Dance 1 72 Dance 2 75 Dance 3 76 Dance 4 76 Dance 5 79 For the Strings 80 For the Quintet Seating 84 Rehearsal 85 Tempos 86 Rhythmic Cohesion 89 Notation 93 Part 2 Attaccas 95 Page Turns 95 Programming 96 Conclusion 98 Appendixes A. Full text of Gumboots Program Note by David Bruce 100 B. Correspondence with David Bruce 101 C. Correspondence with Gumboots Clarinetists 105 D. Correspondence with Gumboots String Players 130 E. Bass Clarinet Fingering Chart for mm. 151–195, by Performer 135 F. Bass Clarinet Gumboots Altissimo Fingering Chart by Pitch 142 G. Gumboots Performance History by Clarinetist 145 Bibliography 149 vii List of Figures Figure Page Description 2.1 13 Structural Diagram of Part 1. 2.2 14 Opening Phrase of Part 1—Example of Heterophony. 2.3 14 Triplet Ostinatos in the Strings in Part 1 (mm. 37–43). 2.4 15 Example of Rhythmic Obscurity in Part 1 (mm. 44–9). 2.5 16 Crossfade between the Bass Clarinet and First Violin at Rehearsal D. 2.6 17 Viola Ostinato Beginning at Rehearsal K. 2.7 18 Example of Varied Rhythmic Pulses in Second Half of Part 1 (mm. 282–5). 2.8 19 Structural Diagram of Dance 1. 2.9 19 Dance 1 “a” Melodic Material in the Clarinet (mm. 326–8). 2.10 20 Dance 1 “b” Melodic Material in the Clarinet (mm. 342–5). 2.11 20 Clarinet subito aggressivo during “b” Motif in Dance 1 (m. 346). 2.12 21 Dance 1 “c” Melodic Material (mm. 351–7). 2.13 22 Cello Glissando at the End of Dance 1. 2.14 22 Structural Diagram of Dance 2. 2.15 23 Example of Polyrhythms in Dance 2 (mm. 407–11). 2.16 23 Violin II Septuplets in Dance 2 (mm. 446–49). 2.17 24 Clarinet Melody at Rehearsal K in Dance 2. 2.18 24 Violin II Melody at Rehearsal K in Dance 2. 2.19 25 Frenzied Clarinet Line at m. 500 in Dance 2. 2.20 25 Structural Diagram of Dance 3. 2.21 26 Dance 3 “a” Material in the Clarinet (mm. 540–51). 2.22 26 Dance 3 “b” Material in the Clarinet (mm. 557–68). 2.23 27 Example of Compound Meter and Varied Accent Patterns in Dance 3 at m. 557. 2.24 28 Comical Viola Excerpt in Dance 3 (mm. 591–2). 2.25 28 Humorous Tutti Decrescendo at the End of Dance 3. 2.26 29 Structural Diagram of Dance 4. 2.27 29 Dance 4 “a” Material in the Clarinet (mm. 650–61). 2.28 30 Dance 4 “b” Material in the Clarinet (mm. 687–92). 2.29 30 Dance 4 “c” Material in the Clarinet (at Rehearsal U). 2.30 30 Dance 4 Transition from “c” to “d” Material in the Clarinet (mm. 720–9). 2.31 31 Opening of Dance 4 (mm. 650–6). 2.32 31 Violin II “like a clucking chicken” in Dance 4 (mm. 773–74). viii 2.33 31 Structural Diagram of Dance 5. 2.34 32 Violin I in Dance 5 (mm. 842–45). 2.35 32 Violin II and Viola Rhythmic Pattern in Dance 5 (mm. 853–57). 2.36 33 Dance 5 “a” Motif in the Clarinet at Rehearsal Y. 2.37 33 Dance 5 “b” Motif in the Clarinet at Rehearsal AA. 2.38 33 Dance 5 “b” Motif in Violin I at Rehearsal BB (mm. 878–82). 2.39 34 Rhythmic Interlocking through the Ensemble in Dance 5 (mm. 853–7). 2.40 34 Clarinet Trills in Dance 5 (mm. 829–33). 2.41 35 Clarinet Quasi-tremolo in Dance 5 (m. 852). 2.42 35 Final Measures of Gumboots. 3.1 39 Viola Mordents in Part 1 (m. 110). 3.2 39 Bass Clarinet Part at Beginning of Part 1 (mm. 4–8). 3.3 40 Clarinet Part at the Beginning of Dance 3 (mm. 549–53). 3.4 40 Clarinet Grace Notes at the End of Dance 3 (mm. 637–40). 3.5 40 Clarinet Mordent-like Figures in Dance 5 (mm. 902–4). 3.6 40 Clarinet Trills at the End of Dance 5. 3.7 41 Viola Part at Rehearsal E. 3.8 43 Violin I Grace Note Glissandos in Part 1 (mm. 55–8). 3.9 44 Clarinet Glissando at Top of Dance 3. 3.10 44 Cello Upwards Glissandos in Dance 1 (mm. 328–9). 3.11 45 Clarinet Part “b” Material in Dance 1 (mm 347–8). 3.12 45 Clarinet “Growl-like” Flutter-Tongue in m. 377 of Dance 1. 3.13 46 Cello Jazz Slap Bass in Dance 5 (mm. 852–3). 3.14 49 Example of Baka Pygmy Influence in Dance 5 at Rehearsal Y. 4.1 54 Table of Tempos of Gumboots Recordings. 4.2 55 Revised Version of Clarinet Part at Rehearsal H in Dance 2. 4.3 56 Added Clarinet Sixteenths in Dance 4 (mm. 674–78). 5.1 70 Alternative Fingering for Long B Using Side “Register” Key. 5.2 71 Clarinet Septuplets (mm. 271–73). 5.3 71 Clarinet Articulation of Final Note of Part 1. 5.4 72 Dance 1 “b” Material in the Clarinet Part at Rehearsal B. 5.5 73 Clarinet Tremolos in m. 356 of Dance 1. 5.6 74 Articulated Sextuplets in the Clarinet Part at m. 371. 5.7 74 Articulated Thirty-Second Notes in the Clarinet Part at m.