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RICE UNIVERSITY Extramusical Elements in Selected Viola Music of Libby Larsen: Representation, Suggestion, and Abstraction by Katherine Jean Lewis A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE Doctor of Musical Arts APPROVED, THESIS COMMITTEE KarimAl-Zand, ° Associate Professor of Composition and Theory Walter Bailey, i Associate Professor of Musicology and Chair of Musicology James/Dunham, Professor of Viola Gregory Kaplafii, '-' Anna Smith Fine Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies HOUSTON, TX MARCH 2010 UMI Number: 3421431 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Dissertation Publishing UMI 3421431 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Copyright Katherine Jean Lewis 2010 ABSTRACT Extramusical Elements in Selected Viola Music by Libby Larsen: Representation, Suggestion, and Abstraction by Katherine J. Lewis Throughout her career, American composer Libby Larsen has drawn on a wide variety of extramusical influences in both her texted and non-texted compositions. This thesis focuses on the manner in which Larsen has incorporated these extramusical influences into selected chamber works with viola. It traces the progression from representational and programmatic works written at the beginning of Larsen's career through a middle period of "suggestive" compositions (roughly coinciding with an important residency with the Minnesota Orchestra in the mid 1980's), to abstract compositions written in recent years. Additionally, it illustrates that while the way in which Larsen has incorporated outside sources in her works has changed, her compositional interests continue to be heavily drawn from American musics, the rhythm and pitch contour of American English, and American landscapes. To demonstrate this progression, four works from Larsen's catalog, Black Roller (1981), Cajun Set (1980), Black Birds, Red Hills (1987/1996), and the Viola Sonata (2001) have been identified and analyzed with reference to her use of extramusical elements. General features of Larsen's style are highlighted and compositional iii connections are drawn between these works and other chamber pieces by Larsen. Additionally Larsen's compositional philosophy and influences are outlined along with relevant biographical information, as each work is presented within the framework of Larsen's career. Appendixes containing errors in the published scores and selected viola fingerings used by James Dunham in the premiere of the Viola Sonata are also included as a resource for musicians interested in performing these works. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people I wish to thank for their assistance in the preparation of this document. First, I am extremely appreciative for the time Libby Larsen took out of her busy schedule on two occasions to meet with me. Her enthusiasm for my project and thoughtful responses to my questions has played a critical role in my development of the ideas in this thesis. I wish to thank all of my teachers at The Shepherd School, especially Dr. Karim Al-Zand, my thesis director, for all of his helpful comments and encouragement. As I worked on this project in Illinois I was extremely grateful for his speedy feedback, and realize how fortunate I am to have an advisor who has been so involved and interested in my progress. Thank you to James Dunham for welcoming me into his studio, for taking time during my visits both to Houston and Aspen to give me lessons on the Viola Sonata and Sifting through the Ruins, for helping me in the preparation of the errata list and selected fingerings found in Appendixes C and D, and for serving on my committee. Thank you also to Dr. Walter Bailey and Dr. Gregory Kaplan for agreeing to serve on my committee. I wish to thank Karen Ritscher, my viola professor from 2004-2006, both for her insightful teaching and for her continued support of my professional career. Additionally, special thanks to Dr. Richard Lavenda for helping me negotiate the challenges of completing the degree while teaching in Illinois. On the administrative end, Maya Nuesell and Suzanne Taylor assisted with the technical aspects of this process. I would also like to thank all of my colleagues at Illinois State University for their support and encouragement, in particular Dr. Paul Borg, Dr. Adriana Ransom, Dr. Sarah V Gentry, Dr. David Gresham, Dr. Angelo Favis, and Dr. Paul Nolen for learning and performing the Libby Larsen repertoire with me. Thank you also to Christine Kubiak in the Illinois State University library for her assistance with my research and for giving me "special" library privileges. I would like to thank pianist Charles Tauber for his willingness and interest in collaborating and learning new works with me (including two in this study) during my time at Rice. Thank you also to my former teacher at The Cleveland Institute of Music, Jeffrey Irvine for being such an influential and inspiring pedagogue, and for believing in and supporting my career. There are several people who helped me in the preparation stages of this document. First and foremost, thank you to my dear friend and colleague Dr. Daphne Gerling for her help with the Cajun folk song translations. Her support, encouragement, and ability to relate to this process have been invaluable, and her willingness to read sections of this paper in its early stages provided me with the confidence to continue. Thank you also to Jeffrey Van for answering my questions about Larsen's guitar music via email and to Robert Levine for discussing Black Roller with me via telephone. I appreciate all of the assistance and attention to detail from Shannon Schultze who transcribed my interviews and prepared the musical examples. As I completed the final stages of this degree while working in Illinois, I have been extremely grateful to my wonderful friends in Houston including Meredith Harris, Chrissy Kim, Raines Taylor, Lizzy Charles, Marissa Winship and Craig Hauschildt for welcoming me back, ensuring I had a place to stay (even after the hurricane!) and being such great hosts. Thank you also to my best friend in Illinois, Rachel Epley for giving me vi permission to thank my dog Charley in these acknowledgments, and for her friendship and emotional support during the past year. Finally, I wish to thank my family for instilling in me the importance of education and helping to foster a love of learning and respect and gratitude for my teachers. I am grateful to my sister-in-law Dr. Nora A. Lewis for her interest in my project, for answering all of my technical questions relating to the preparation of this document, and for being such a wonderful role model, friend, and colleague. Thank you to my brother Gordon for his love and encouragement during the times when I struggled to balance the challenges of being a full time professor and student. Thank you to my father for his calm advice throughout this entire process, and for not reminding me too often that it took him only 2 Vi years to complete his PhD! Lastly, and most importantly, I wish to thank my mother both for her meticulous proofreading and for being my "on call" personal reference librarian and support system. I look forward to going to Ghost Ranch with you soon! Kate Lewis Normal, IL February 18, 2010 CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv TABLE OF CONTENTS vii TABLES AND MUSICAL EXAMPLES x PREFACE xvi INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1: NARRATIVE, REPRESENTATIONAL, 4 AND PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS IN THE EARLY CHAMBER MUSIC OF LIBBY LARSEN Early Career 4 Black Roller 9 Background 9 Analysis 12 Conclusion 22 Cajun Set 29 Origins 29 Analysis 31 First Movement: Gringalet 32 Second Movement: French Blues 37 Third Movement: Joe Ferail 41 Conclusion 47 Early Career Reflections 51 CHAPTER 2: SUBJECTS AND SUGGESTIONS: 53 Vlll THE INCORPORATION OF EXTRAMUSICAL MATERIAL INTO LIBBY LARSEN'S POST MINNESOTA ORCHSTRA RESIDENCY CHAMBER MUSIC Transition to a New Phase 53 Black Birds, Red Hills 57 Background 57 Similarities between Larsen and O'Keeffe 60 O'Keeffe's Musical Influence 65 Compositional Process 66 First Movement: Pedernal Hills 69 Second Movement: Black Rock 75 Third Movement: Red Hills and Sky 79 Fourth Movement: A Black Bird with Snow-Covered Hills 83 Fifth Movement: Looking... 87 Conclusion 92 CHAPTER 3: A NEW DIRECTION WITH ABSOLUTE MUSIC: 94 THE GENERAL INFLUENCE OF AMERICAN SOUND IN LARSEN'S VIOLA SONATA Compositional Development 94 Introduction to the Viola Sonata 100 Larsen as an Instrumental Composer 103 Overview of Viola Sonata and its Connections with Earlier Works 110 First Movement: Flow 117 Second Movement: Drift 126 Third Movement: Breathless 135 Conclusion 144 CONCLUSIONS 148 APPENDIX A 154 APPENDIX B 156 APPENDIX C 159 APPENDIX D 161 BIBLIOGRAPHY 164 TABLES AND MUSICAL EXAMPLES Tables Figure 1: Viola's Role in Black Roller 10 Figure 2: Black Roller Motive Chart 15 Figure 3: Black Roller Possible Narrative 24 Figure 4: Gringalet Formal Structure 36 Figure 5: Significance of Musical Material in Black Rock 79 Figure 6: Motivic Connections Between Black Birds, Red Hills 115 and Viola Sonata Figure 7: Viola Sonata, First mvt, Formal Structure 118 Figure 8: Viola Sonata, First mvt., Motive x Transpositions 120 Figure 9: Viola Sonata, First mvt., Motive y Usage 122 Figure 10: Formal Structure of Viola Sonata, Third mvt. 139 Musical Examples 1.1: Black Roller, Opening motives, mm. 1-4 14 1.2: Motive x development in Black Roller 14 1.3: Black Roller, Viola melody and voice leading, mm.