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Galileo's Eyeglass: an Orchestral Work Celebrating the Discovery of The GALILEO’S EYEGLASS: AN ORCHESTRAL WORK CELEBRATING THE DISCOVERY OF THE MOONS OF JUPITER AND THE RINGS OF SATURN Jay Alan Walls, B.M.E., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2011 APPROVED: Joseph P. Klein, Major Professor and Chair of the Division of Composition Stephen F. Austin, Committee Member Cindy McTee, Committee Member Lynn Eustis, Director of Graduate Programs in the College of Music James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Walls, Jay Alan. Galileo's Eyeglass: An Orchestral Work Celebrating the Discovery of the Moons of Jupiter and the Rings of Saturn. Doctor of Philosophy (Composition), August 2011, 149 pp., 2 figures, 2 tables, 47 examples, 3 appendices, bibliography, 43 titles. Galileo's Eyeglass is a celebratory work for full orchestra with standard instrumentation commemorating Galileo Galilei's discoveries of the four largest moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn in 1610. The composition is approximately 14 minutes in duration, and although divided thematically into four parts, the music is continuous. The work exhibits primarily a blend of contemporary styles and compositional elements, yet it is rooted in traditional tonality; furthermore, the piece is interspersed with references to Galileo's life and times, including quotations of a toccata composed by the scientist's brother, Michelangelo Galilei, transcribed from lute tablature. Chapter 1 of Part 1 investigates relevant historical threads extracted from the backdrop of Galileo's life, from reflections on the events that shape the musical program, to the selection and preparation of the period music composed by Galileo's brother. Chapter 2 discusses specific musical components of Galileo's Eyeglass, including form, musical quotations, motivic and thematic material, harmonic language, orchestration, and notation. Chapter 3 examines the principal philosophical themes behind the composition, including expressions of victory of a life well lived in spite of many obstacles. Part 2 contains the orchestral score. Copyright 2011 by Jay Alan Walls ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I sincerely thank all of the professors with whom I have studied. Each challenged me in my growth as a composer. In particular, the artistry, wisdom, professionalism, and camaraderie of Joseph Klein and Cindy McTee was invaluable as they mentored me in all aspects of the art of composition. Stephen Austin, Bernardo Illari, Graham Phipps, and Jeffrey Snider, other teachers of mine who have served on my doctoral committees, have also been instrumental in my development. I am grateful to Lyle Nordstrom and David Tercero for their aid as I transcribed Michelangelo Galilei's lute toccata from its original notation. Paul Beier's input on proper tuning of Galilei's lute was invaluable. Donna Arnold of the University of North Texas Music Library and James Floyd of the Fine Arts Library at Baylor University provided generous assistance in finding resources. I also thank Lisa Bost‐Sandberg, Jaymee Haefner, and Jonathan Jackson for their consultation on instrumental parts in Galileo's Eyeglass, and I am indebted to David Itkin for the use of the UNT Symphony Orchestra, and to Ludwig Carrasco‐Curintzita for conducting the orchestral reading session. Finally, I recognize the sacrifices of my family. My parents, parents‐in‐law, children, and especially my wife, Alicia, have been most patient and supportive throughout my studies. Alicia often gave me her advice as an orchestra director during the composition and editing processes. This capstone project is truly the result of the help and encouragement of family, mentors, and friends. I am indebted to all. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF EXAMPLES .......................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES .......................................................................................................... x PART I: GALILEO'S EYEGLASS: REFLECTIONS AND EXPLORATIONS ................................................. 1 Précis ................................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 1: Zephyrs from the Past ....................................................................................... 4 Program ................................................................................................................... 4 Part 1 ........................................................................................................... 4 Part 2 ........................................................................................................... 5 Part 3 ........................................................................................................... 7 Part 4 ........................................................................................................... 8 Beyond the Program ............................................................................................... 9 Music and the Galilei Family ................................................................................. 10 Galilean Music ....................................................................................................... 12 The Toccata ........................................................................................................... 14 From Lute to Orchestra ......................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2: Musical Pilasters Examined ............................................................................. 21 Formal Structure ................................................................................................... 21 Quotations ............................................................................................................ 28 Motivic and Thematic Material ............................................................................. 40 Harmony ............................................................................................................... 54 iv New Wine in Old Wine Skins .................................................................... 54 Harmonic Signposts .................................................................................. 56 Orchestration and Notation .................................................................................. 78 Chapter 3: A Place in the Universe ................................................................................... 93 Appendix A: Program Notes.............................................................................................. 97 Appendix B: Michelangelo Galilei, Toccata VI from Il primo libro d'intavolatura di liuto ............................................................................................................................. 100 Appendix C: M. Galilei, Toccata VI from Il primo libro d'intavolatura di liuto, transcribed to modern notation ............................................................................................ 101 Bibliography .................................................................................................................... 103 PART II: GALILEO'S EYEGLASS ...................................................................................................... 107 Instrumentation List ........................................................................................................ 108 Recommended Percussion Setup ................................................................................... 109 Score ............................................................................................................................... 110 v LIST OF EXAMPLES Ex. 1. Ascending voices: M. Galilei, Toccata VI from Il primo libro d'intavolatura di liuto, transcription in F minor, mm. 41b‐53a. ............................................................................ 17 Ex. 2. Expansion: M. Galilei, Toccata VI from Il primo libro d'intavolatura di liuto, transcription in F minor, mm. 55b‐59a. .................................................................................................. 17 Ex. 3. First toccata quotation: Galileo's Eyeglass, harp, mm. 12‐24. ........................................... 30 Ex. 4. Stacked chord members: M. Galilei, Toccata VI from Il primo libro d'intavolatura di liuto, m. 1. .................................................................................................................................. 30 Ex. 5. Chorale‐like source of the second quotation: M. Galilei, Toccata VI from Il primo libro d'intavolatura di liuto, transcription in A minor, mm. 20‐27. .......................................... 30 Ex. 6. Second quotation: Galileo's Eyeglass, mm. 64‐72. ............................................................ 31 Ex. 7. Fourth quotation: Galileo's Eyeglass, mm. 210‐214. ......................................................... 32 Ex. 8. Source of the third quotation: M. Galilei, Toccata VI from Il primo libro d'intavolatura di liuto, transcription in A minor, mm. 45‐59; quotations in orchestral score indicated. .... 33 Ex. 9. Link and third quotation: Galileo's Eyeglass, mm. 105‐131; whole‐tone pentachords and direct quotations indicated. .............................................................................................
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