A Performer's Guide to Minoru Miki's Sohmon III for Soprano, Marimba and Piano (1988)
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University of Cincinnati Date: 4/22/2011 I, Margaret T Ozaki-Graves , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice. It is entitled: A Performer’s Guide to Minoru Miki’s _Sohmon III for Soprano, Marimba and Piano_ (1988) Student's name: Margaret T Ozaki-Graves This work and its defense approved by: Committee chair: Jeongwon Joe, PhD Committee member: William McGraw, MM Committee member: Barbara Paver, MM 1581 Last Printed:4/29/2011 Document Of Defense Form A Performer’s Guide to Minoru Miki’s Sohmon III for Soprano, Marimba and Piano (1988) A document submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in the Performance Studies Division of the College-Conservatory of Music by Margaret Ozaki-Graves B.M., Lawrence University, 2003 M.M., University of Cincinnati, 2007 April 22, 2011 Committee Chair: Jeongwon Joe, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Japanese composer Minoru Miki (b. 1930) uses his music as a vehicle to promote cross- cultural awareness and world peace, while displaying a self-proclaimed preoccupation with ethnic mixture, which he calls konketsu. This document intends to be a performance guide to Miki’s Sohmon III: for Soprano, Marimba and Piano (1988). The first chapter provides an introduction to the composer and his work. It also introduces methods of intercultural and artistic borrowing in the Japanese arts, and it defines the four basic principles of Japanese aesthetics. The second chapter focuses on the interpretation and pronunciation of Sohmon III’s song text. The first part of Chapter 2 introduces and analyzes source poetry taken from the Man’ysh, giving special consideration to topics of intercultural and artistic borrowing, as well as identifying and explaining the use of Japanese poetic devises, such as makurakotoba and kakekotoba [epithets and homonyms]. The remainder of Chapter 2 provides general rules of Japanese diction, focusing on their application in Sohmon III. The third chapter provides musical examples of influence from traditional Japanese music upon Sohmon III. Similarities arise between the formal structure of Sohmon III and that of the instrumental ensemble genre of gagaku. The vocal and instrumental parts of Sohmon III also show influence from jiuta and nagauta traditional song styles, as well as from the folk song styles of warabeuta and shka. The latter portion of Chapter 3 discusses Miki’s compositional desire for konketsu and compares it with the terms “synthesis” and “fusion,” which have appeared in contemporary musicological studies of cultural hybridity. Additional materials include three appendices: Appendix A: An IPA Transcription of Sohmon III, Appendix B: A Glossary of Japanese Terms, and Appendix C: A Compilation of Miki’s Vocal Works. © Margaret Ozaki-Graves, 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to my advisor, Dr. Jeongwon Joe, and to my document committee members, Professor William McGraw and Dr. Barbara Paver. Also, thanks to Dr. Mikiko Hirayama of the Art History Department at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning and to Dr. Robert Zierolf of the Graduate School for taking a special interest in my endeavors and for supporting me in my self-designed cognate studies. I am grateful Professor Mary Henderson Stucky for her guidance as my DMA advisor and her unfailing support and mentorship and to Patti Rencher in the College Office for her extra assistance. Special thanks are also due to Clarence Brown and Kenneth Thornton for their assistance with IT issues and Sibelius. Without the support of my friends and family, none of this would be possible. I thank my husband for his patience and support through my graduate studies and my parents for their unconditional love and dedication. Finally, I am indebted to past teachers Yoko Hiraoka, Nancy Ozaki, and Gary Tsujimoto for exposing me to traditional Japanese music at a young age and for providing me with an outlet to share it with others. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ix NOTE ON THE TRANSLITERATION OF JAPANESE TEXT xi INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1 Composer 4 Japanese Aesthetics: Terms and Trends 8 CHAPTER 2: TEXT AND DICTION Understanding the Text 15 Diction 33 CHAPTER 3: MUSIC Introduction 48 Sohmon III: Understanding the Music 48 Synthesis, Fusion and Konketsu 78 CONCLUSION 89 IBLIOGRAPHY 94 APPENDIX A: AN IPA TRANSCRIPTION OF SOHMON III Names and Titles from Spoken Dialogue 100 Poetry 101 APPENDIX B: A GLOSSARY OF JAPANESE TERMS 104 APPENDIX C: A COMPILATION OF MIKI’S VOCAL WORKS Published Works 109 Japanese Publishers’ Contact Information 115 Unpublished Works 116 LIST OF TABLES CHAPTER 2 Table 2.1: Structure and Use of Text in Sohmon III 18 Table 2.2: Romaji Transcription of Japanese Phonetic Alphabet in Normal Order 39 Table 2.3: Inter-Syllabic Glides 41 Table 2.4: Consonant Phonemes in IPA as Classified by Articulation and Voicing 44 Table 2.5: Words from Sohmon III Poetry that Contain /r/ 46 CHAPTER 3 Table 3.1: Alternation of Narrative, Sung, and Instrumental Units in Sohmon III 49 Table 3.2: Features of Two Lyrical/Dramatic Units: Akane sasu C and Kimi matsu to B 54 Table 3.3: The Relationship of Six-Part Nagauta Form to Jo-ha-ky Structure 61 Table 3.4: Jo-ha-ky Structure in Two Subsections of Sohmon III 62 LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Example 1: First Two Instances of Marimba Ostinato 50 Example 2: Marimba Ostinato in Narration III 51 Example 3: Piano Accompaniment to Narration IV 51 Example 4: Lyrical Style of Singing 52 Example 5a: Declamatory Style of Singing: Repeated Pitches 52 Example 5b: Declamatory Vocal Style: Initial Ascending Interval 53 Example 5c: Special Notation of Piano Interjection 53 Example 6a: Jiuta Vocalism 63 Example 6b: The Trill Type Figure 64 Example 6c: The Glissando Figure 64 Example 6d: The Glissando Release 64 Example 7: Sakura, Sakura Vocal Melody 66 Example 8a: Vocal Line from Akane sasu A 67 Example 8b: Vocal Line from Akane sasu A (2nd) 67 Example 9: Variations on the Rhythmic Motive from Akane sasu A 68 Example 10: Antecedent-Consequent Phrases in the Melody of Akatombo 69 Example 11: Two-Bar Phrasing in the Vocal Melody of Akane sasu D 70 Example 12a: Response-Style Accompaniment in Marimba and Piano 71 Example 12b: Response-Style Accompaniment in the Piano 72 Example 13: The Sliding-Doors Effect 73 Example 14a: Warabeuta Influence in the Piano Accompaniment to Akane sasu A 74 Example 14b: Shka, Inspired Accompaniment Pattern in Akane sasu D 75 Example 15: Miki’s Symbol for Ma 77 Example 16: Syllabic Expansion in the Vocal Cadenza 77 Example 17: Melismatic Expansion at Transition 78 NOTE ON THE TRANSLITERATION OF JAPANESE TEXT As there are no standard spelling rules in transliterated Japanese Romaji, I would like to clarify my spelling decisions. In the use of proper names, I reproduce the transliterations presented in the manuscript score of Miki’s Sohmon III. In this score double length vowels are denoted by using a macron, or long mark, over the vowel (i.e. ama-no-Miko) or by following the single vowel in question with an “h” (i.e. Sohmon). In this paper, all other Romaji words taking double length vowels use the macron. The practices of showing double length vowels by way of adding an “u” vowel (i.e. Satou) and through vowel repetition (i.e. ooki) are avoided in this paper, because of the confusion that it may cause the Western reader (i.e. soumon, soomon). Modern Japanese names are spelled according to the most common transliterations and are given in Western order, with given name preceding surname, at first mention. This varies from normal Japanese order, in which the surname precedes given name. Ancient Japanese names are spelled according to standard Romaji transliteration (i.e. Nukata rather than Nukada) and follow the normal Japanese order, with surname preceding given name or title. Repetitions of names are treated in the standard manner, by surname, unless there are multiple people with the same family name (i.e. Minoru and Kosaku Yamada). In these cases, the first person mentioned will be referred to by their family name (i.e. Yamada for Minoru Yamada). In the case of others with the same family name, the first initial of the person’s first name appears preceding his family name (i.e. K. Yamada for Kosaku Yamada). INTRODUCTION The purpose of this document is to provide the singer with the background in Japanese music, aesthetics, language, and pronunciation necessary to create a sophisticated performance of the 1988 vocal chamber work Sohmon III: for Soprano, Marimba and Piano by Japanese composer Minoru Miki (b. 1930). In this document, I intend to uncover what is most important and essential to preparing an informed reading of this work: an understanding of both the text and the music. Chapter 1 presents essential background information on the composer and his work. Chapter 2 discusses Japanese poetry and pronunciation in Sohmon III. The first section, Understanding the Text, introduces and analyzes the source poetry of Sohmon III. Providing the necessary background for the singing artist’s own interpretive reading, this section discusses the poetic lyrics and spoken narration of Sohmon III in historical context, and gives special attention to the topics of intertextuality and iconic referencing in its analysis. The remaining section, Diction, provides general rules of pronunciation in lyric Japanese diction, highlighting specific applications that appear in Sohmon III. Understanding the Music, the opening section of Chapter 3, encompasses musical topics including influences from both non-Western aesthetic values and traditional Japanese musical styles.