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Functional Transformations and Octatonality in Selected Works by George Crumb

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Functional Transformations and Octatonality in Selected Works by George Crumb Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 2-6-2014 Functional Transformations and Octatonality in Selected Works by George Crumb Peter Lea The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. John Cuciurean The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Music A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Peter Lea 2014 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Music Theory Commons Recommended Citation Lea, Peter, "Functional Transformations and Octatonality in Selected Works by George Crumb" (2014). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1893. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1893 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Functional Transformations and Octatonality in Selected Works by George Crumb (Thesis format: Monograph) by Peter Lea Graduate Program in Music A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Peter Lea 2014 Abstract The music of George Crumb has been analyzed using a variety of analytic methods including pitch-class set theory, transformational theory, intertextual analyses, and various tonal and Schenkerian approaches. The results of these types of analyses invariably identify certain consistencies in Crumb’s compositional style within a single work or volume of similar works, but often are unable to relate or compare procedures between different works. In the present study, I propose a transformational model that accounts for characteristic gestures in numerous works by Crumb. Unlike many transformational models of twentieth-century music, the proposed model does not require significant alterations for each work, and is able to model transformations between sets with a cardinality of three through twelve. Because of the relatively stable nature of this model, it is possible to compare gestures within and between different works in a manner analogous to comparisons of functional progressions in tonal music. In the introductory chapter, the basis for a functional model of Crumb’s music is introduced, and the scope of the study is defined. In the second chapter, certain characteristics of Crumb’s music identified by other scholars such as trichordal structures, referential collections, and the principles of opposition and completion are discussed. Based upon these characteristics, the model of octatonality is proposed and defined in the third chapter. The fourth and fifth chapters include analyses of Crumb’s A Haunted Landscape (1984) and “Come Lovely and Soothing Death...” from Apparition (1980) as representative examples of octatonality. Crumb’s sketch materials for these and other related works are ii included to provide support for segmentation as well as octatonic considerations. In the concluding sixth chapter, the functional designs of these examples are compared. The generic model, divorced from the octatonic collection, offers a method to compare different works at various functional levels where the intervallic components of the music, a limited pitch-class set vocabulary, and an underlying functionality are perceived as fundamental features of the music. The utility of the generic model in analyzing Crumb’s non-octatonic works is demonstrated and an extension of the generic model for the analysis of music by other composers is suggested. Keywords George Crumb, Crumb, octatonic, octatonality, function, diatonic, tonal, referential collection, transformational theory, neo-Riemannian, K-net, set-theory, intertextuality, A Haunted Landscape, Come Lovely and Soothing Death, Apparition, Gargoyles, Makrokosmos, Music of the Starry Night, Music of Shadows, Litany of the Galactic Bells, Pastoral, Primeval Sounds, Processional, Whitman, Lorca, Paisaje, Siguiriya, Cante Jondo, Deep Song, sketch iii For Heather and Ruby iv Acknowledgments I wish to thank my advisor, Dr. John Cuciurean, for his inspiring class, which fostered my interest in George Crumb’s music. His helpful suggestions, encouragement, and general guidance have been indispensible throughout the course of this project and beyond. For his constructive criticism, keen editorial eye, and timely feedback on the final draft of this dissertation, I am indebted to Dr. Peter Franck. I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to Dr. Catherine Nolan for her carefully considered suggestions in this and other related projects, as well as her stimulating class in transformational theory. I am grateful to Dr. Robert C. Cook (University of Iowa) for his willingness to discuss his research and helpful recommendations. I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Leslie Kinton for his comments on the final version of this dissertation and for reminding me of the intuitive aspect of Crumb’s music. I would like to thank Dr. Steven Bruns (University of Colorado Boulder), who directed me to, and advised me of, Crumb’s sketches at the Library of Congress. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Richard Parks and Dr. Richard Semmens, who served on my advisory committee, for their valuable feedback and for subtly guiding me in the right direction. To all my friends and colleagues around the world, I cherish our stimulating conversations in the office, classroom, or hallway at a conference, and I look forward to many more. I would like to thank Western University and the Don Wright Faculty of Music for their generous financial support, which enabled me to concentrate on my studies, allowed me to present stages of this research at conferences, and, through the Western Graduate Research Award, funded my research trip to the Library of Congress. My gratitude is extended to Dr. v John Doerksen for his thoughtful comments and suggestions throughout my time at Western, including his review of this dissertation, as well as his financial generosity that supported my research at the Library of Congress. I wish to thank the staff at the Music Division of the Library of Congress who facilitated the retrieval of Crumb’s sketch materials and directed me to other important documents that I may not have otherwise considered. I would also like to thank the C.F. Peters Corporation for granting me permission to reproduce elements of Crumb’s published works. My sincerest gratitude is extended to George Crumb for his interest in this project and consent to reproduce his sketch materials in this dissertation. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the ongoing support of my family. I would like to thank my parents, Gordon and Pauline, and siblings, Hiram, Megan, and Sharon, for their encouragement as well as their roles in fostering a musical environment at home. I am thankful to my mother- and father-in-law, Beth and Bill, for welcoming me into the family and providing much-needed babysitting services. My heartfelt gratitude seems inadequate to describe my wife Alison’s unwavering support, patience, and confidence throughout my studies. My wife and son, Grayson, are an inspiration to me and remind me daily of how fortunate I am. vi Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... x List of Appendices ........................................................................................................... xiii 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 2 Recurring Aural Signatures in George Crumb’s Music ................................................. 6 2.1 Trichordal Structures .......................................................................................... 6 2.2 Referential Collections ..................................................................................... 18 2.3 The Principle of Opposition ............................................................................. 37 2.4 The Principle of Completion ............................................................................ 44 2.5 Toward a New Tonality .................................................................................... 60 3 A Model of Octatonality .............................................................................................. 62 3.1 Models and Metaphors ..................................................................................... 64 3.2 Chords .............................................................................................................. 69 3.3 Modes, Keys, and Key Areas ........................................................................... 81 3.4 Hybrid Chords and Families ............................................................................. 87 3.5 T Transformations ...........................................................................................
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