DOCSLIB.ORG

University of Oklahoma Graduate College

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
University of Oklahoma Graduate College UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE JACQUES DELÉCLUSE’S TWELVE STUDIES FOR THE DRUM: A STUDY GUIDE AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS A DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS By BRIAN STACKHOUSE Norman, Oklahoma 2015 JACQUES DELÉCLUSE’S TWELVE STUDIES FOR THE DRUM: A STUDY GUIDE AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS A DOCUMENT APPROVED FOR THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC BY _________________________________ Dr. Lance Drege, Chair _________________________________ Dr. William Wakefield, Co-Chair _________________________________ Dr. Eugene Enrico _________________________________ Dr. Frank Riddick _________________________________ Dr. James Shaffer © Copyright by BRIAN STACKHOUSE 2015 All Rights Reserved. This document is dedicated to my loving and beautiful wife, Nicole as our first year wedding anniversary present. Thank you for your patience, sacrifice, and support throughout the process. Sorry it is a year late. Also to my loving and supportive parents, Roger and Carla Carelock. Thank you for never letting me give up on my dream and for making constant sacrifices throughout the long journey. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to honor Jacque Delécluse, who died during the creation of this document on October 29, 2015. His impact on the world of percussion is monumental and will continue to be as more studies of his works are created. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Lance Drege for his constant guidance and support throughout my degree. Thank you for providing me with numerous opportunities to succeed and reach my full potential. I would also like to thank Dr. William Wakefield, Dr. Eugene Enrico, Dr. Frank Riddick, and Dr. Susan Caldwell, and Dr. James Shaffer for the time they sacrificed to meet with me and provide invaluable advice. Special acknowledgement goes to Metropolitan Orchestra percussionist, Rob Knopper. To my surprise and delight, Knopper released the first professional recording of Delécluse’s Douze Études and conducted an interview with the composer during my research process. Knopper’s blog and recording (delécluse: douze etudes for snare drum) were much needed and will prove to be invaluable resources for percussionists. Thank you to Alphonse Leduc for allowing me to include excerpts from their following publications: Douze Etudes pour Caisse-Claire By Jacques Delecluse © 1964 by Leduc Methods de Caisse-Claire By Jacques Delecluse © 1969 by Leduc iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ................................................................................................................... viii Abstract ................................................................................................................................ x CHAPTER I ......................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Biographical Information ........................................................................................ 3 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................ 4 Need for the Study ................................................................................................... 5 Limitations ............................................................................................................... 5 Design of the Study ................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER II – REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ................................................. 8 Jacques Delécluse’s Music ...................................................................................... 8 Model Study Guides of Percussion ......................................................................... 9 Model Study Guides of Other Instruments ............................................................ 12 CHAPTER III – INTRODUCTION TO TWELVE STUDIES FOR THE DRUM AND ROLL DEFENITION .............................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER IV – ETUDE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND STUDY GUIDE .......... 27 Etude 1 ................................................................................................................... 27 Etude 2 ................................................................................................................... 36 Etude 3 ................................................................................................................... 44 Etude 4 ................................................................................................................... 51 Etude 5. .................................................................................................................. 56 Etude 6. .................................................................................................................. 62 Etude 7 ................................................................................................................... 71 Etude 8 ................................................................................................................... 78 Etude 9 ................................................................................................................... 84 Etude 10 ................................................................................................................. 92 Etude 11 ................................................................................................................. 99 Etude 12 ............................................................................................................... 107 CHAPTER V – SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................................................... 113 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 118 v APPENDICIES ................................................................................................................ 122 Appendix One – Roll Basses ............................................................................... 122 Etude 1 ..................................................................................................... 122 Etude 2 ..................................................................................................... 123 Etude 3 ..................................................................................................... 126 Etude 4 ..................................................................................................... 128 Etude 5 ..................................................................................................... 131 Etude 6 ..................................................................................................... 133 Etude 7 ..................................................................................................... 136 Etude 8 ..................................................................................................... 138 Etude 9 ..................................................................................................... 141 Etude 10 ................................................................................................... 143 Etude 11 ................................................................................................... 144 Etude 12 ................................................................................................... 146 Appendix Two – Resources ................................................................................. 148 Appendix Three – Suggested Listening .............................................................. 150 Etude 1 ..................................................................................................... 150 Etude 2. .................................................................................................... 150 Etude 3 ..................................................................................................... 151 Etude 4. .................................................................................................... 151 Etude 5. .................................................................................................... 152 Etude 6... .................................................................................................. 153 Etude 7. ................................................................................................... .154 Etude 8 ..................................................................................................... 154 Etude 10 ................................................................................................... 155 Etude 11 ................................................................................................... 155 Etude 12. .................................................................................................. 156 Copyright Permission Letter ................................................................................ 157 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Determining Roll Base Based on Tempo .......................................................... 20 Table 2. The Alan Able Chart .......................................................................................... 21 Table
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Rite of Spring: Rhythmic Rebirths As Delivered by Messiaen and Boulez
    Te Rite of Spring: Rhythmic Rebirths as Delivered by Messiaen and Boulez* Wai Ling Cheong A century has passed since Te Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps) provoked a riot at the Téâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913 and harvested a captivating success from the Parisian audience soon after wards.1 Some of the best minds of our times, Messiaen and Boulez foremost among them, attempted to unravel the ‘secrets’ of Te Rite of Spring, with rhythm prioritised as one of their main concerns. Even be- fore the end of World War II, during the difcult years of the Occupa- tion, Messiaen had already shared his pioneering study of Te Rite of Spring with his star students from the Paris Conservatoire at a private analysis class.2 Messiaen’s insightful analysis of Te Rite of Spring is often praised in a vacuum. For a very long time the details of Messiaen’s anal- ysis were known rather exclusively only to his students. In 1953 Boulez, then in his late twenties, published his exegesis of Te Rite of Spring – Stravinsky Remains (Strawinsky demeure) – which soon became one of his best known analyses and has since then left an indelible imprint on the reception history of the masterpiece.3 Te lack of any formal documen- * Tis project (CUHK14613417) is supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council. 1 According to Jonathan Cross, Sergey Diaghilev had assumed a critical role in engi- neering the riotous premiere. See Jonathan Cross, Rewriting “Te Rite of Spring”: Creative Responses to “Le Sacre du printemps”, in: Avatar of Modernity: Te Rite of Spring Reconsidered, ed.
    [Show full text]
  • Project-Isorhythm 2019
    Project 4: Isorhythmic Trio or Quartet after Messiaen What’s due when: 1. Online discussion comments posted by Tuesday October 1 at noon. 2. Preliminary analysis worksheet completed by Wednesday, October 2. 3. Rough draft completed by Wednesday, October 9. We will read them through (on piano, MIDI playback, and/or in ensemble) and discuss them in class. 4. Score and parts completed in neat copy (by hand or computer) by noon on Monday, October 14, to me by email (Sibelius or PDF; scans of neatly handwritten music are fine). Model: Messiaen “Liturgie de cristal” from Quartet for the End of Time. Instrumentation: 3-4 instruments. One and only one must be a “chord” instrument (piano, marimba, vibraphone, or guitar). The other 2-3 can be any available single-line instrument: voice, flute(s), clarinet, t. sax, bass. Duration: circa 2-5 minutes, circa 4-16 pages of score Formal procedure: Your piece will be based on one or more isorhythmic structures. Each isorhythm should employ a talea (rhythmic cycle) and color (pitch cycle) of different lengths. At least one of the isoryhthmic patterns should run through the entire movement. You may choose what elements are governed by isoryhthmic cycles: it could be certain instruments (like the piano and cello in the Messiaen), or it could be certain dimensions (for example, a harmonic progression, or the notes of a certain register) that are not necessarily localized to one particular instrument. Structure: Think about the relationship between isorhythmically determined and free writing in your piece. Remember that the isorhythmic elements are not “beyond your control” just because you follow a strict procedure, as you are determining the content of the talea and color.
    [Show full text]
  • God, Desire, and Musical Narrative in the Isorhythmic Motet Susan Fast
    Document généré le 2 oct. 2021 05:08 Canadian University Music Review Revue de musique des universités canadiennes --> Voir l’erratum concernant cet article God, Desire, and Musical Narrative in the Isorhythmic Motet Susan Fast Crossing Borders: Interdisciplinary Studies by Canadian Scholars Résumé de l'article Franchir les frontières : études interdisciplinaires de chercheurs This article examines the relationship between late Medieval narrative canadiens structure in French literature and music (specifically the isorhythmic motet) Volume 18, numéro 1, 1997 and how that structure was shaped by deeply held beliefs within Medieval culture, including the idea that a person's identity and desires were directed by URI : https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1014818ar God. A detailed analysis of the motet De bon espoir/Puis que la douce DOI : https://doi.org/10.7202/1014818ar rousee/Speravi by Guillaume de Machaut is made to support the argument. Aller au sommaire du numéro Éditeur(s) Canadian University Music Society / Société de musique des universités canadiennes ISSN 0710-0353 (imprimé) 2291-2436 (numérique) Découvrir la revue Citer cet article Fast, S. (1997). God, Desire, and Musical Narrative in the Isorhythmic Motet. Canadian University Music Review / Revue de musique des universités canadiennes, 18(1), 19–37. https://doi.org/10.7202/1014818ar All Rights Reserved © Canadian University Music Society / Société de musique Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d’auteur. L’utilisation des des universités canadiennes, 1997 services d’Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d’utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne. https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 3: the Ars Nova: Musical Developments in the Fourteenth Century I. Early Fourteenth Century A. Introduction 1. Changes I
    Chapter 3: The Ars Nova: Musical Developments in the Fourteenth Century I. Early Fourteenth Century A. Introduction 1. Changes in notation in the thirteenth century allowed for musical experimentation in the early fourteenth century. 2. The evidence that tells us that fourteenth-century composers understood that they were doing something different can be found in two treatises: The Ars novae musicae by Jehan de Murs and the Ars nova by Philippe de Vitry. B. Music from Mathematics 1. During the fourteenth century, mathematics expanded beyond the boundaries previously seen in European thought. Music, the discipline so closely coupled with mathematics, followed suit. a. A fourfold system existed for musical time. Each of those listed is a subdivision of the previous: Maximodus, Modus, Tempus, and Prolatio. b. Each of these could be divided into two or three parts. 1) The first two are essentially theoretical concepts, and practical use resided in the latter two. 2) These possibilities yield, in modern terms: 9/8, 3/4; 6/8, 2/4. 2. Not everyone liked the innovations of the Ars nova. a. One example of disapproval is Jacobus de Liege’s Speculum musicae. 1) He dismissed the complexity and innovation as superfluous. C. Music about Music 1. Another new idea in the Ars nova concerns a growing realization of self- awareness as composers of art. 2. Music composition is seen as an art, not a craft. D. Establishing the Prototype: The Roman de Fauvel 1. The earliest surviving pieces in the Ars nova style are found in the Roman de Fauvel. a. Compiled around 1317, poem by Gervais du Bus, this manuscript includes 126 musical compositions (different genres).
    [Show full text]
  • FOURTEENTH CENTURY MUSIC Increased Attention to Secular Song, Though Much Sacred Music Continued to Be Composed.
    ! ! FOURTEENTH CENTURY! ! MUSIC! ! Increased attention to secular song, ! though much sacred music continued! to be composed.! ! ! ! ! ! ! FOURTEENTH CENTURY! ! ROMAN de FAUVEL! ! Flatterie (Flattery)! Avarice (Greed)! Villanie (Villany)! Variété (Fickleness)! Envie (Envy)! Lâcheté (Cowardice)! ! ! FOURTEENTH CENTURY! ! ROMAN de FAUVEL! ! Flatterie (Flattery)! Avarice (Greed)! Villanie (Villany)! Variété (Fickleness)! Envie (Envy)! Lâcheté (Cowardice)! ! ! ROMAN de FAUVEL! ! Flatterie (Flattery)! Avarice (Greed)! Villanie (Villany)! Variété (Fickleness)! Envie (Envy)! Lâcheté (Cowardice)! Fond Français 146, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale ! ! ROMAN de FAUVEL! ! Flatterie (Flattery)! Avarice (Greed)! Villanie (Villany)! Variété (Fickleness)! Envie (Envy)! Lâcheté (Cowardice)! Fond Français 146, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale ! ! ARS NOVA! ! Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361)! ! Ars Nova (c. 1320)! “This completes the ars nova of Magister Philippe de Vitry”! ! ! ! ! ! ARS NOVA! ! Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361)! ! Ars Nova (c. 1320)! “This completes the ars nova of Magister Philippe de Vitry”! ! Vitry’s compositions among the 169 pieces of music in Fauvel! ! ! ARS NOVA! ! MENSURATION SIGNS! ! MODE = Division of the Long! TIME = Division of the Breve! ! PROLATION= Division of the Semibreve! Major / Minor! ! MODE TIME PROLATION Division of Long Division of Breve Division of Semibreve Perfect : Imperfect Major : Minor ! ! ARS NOVA! ! MENSURATION SIGNS! ! Temporary changes of Mode or Time are indicated by! COLORATION! ! Use of Red Ink, rather than Black! ! ! ! ARS NOVA! ! Shifting emphasis to duple meters was criticized! by Jacque de Liège! ! “Perfection is brought low, and imperfection exalted.”! ! ! ! ! ! ISORHYTHM! ! Motets of Philippe de Vitry some of the earliest uses of ISORHYTHM! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ISORHYTHM! ! Motets of Philippe de Vitry some of the earliest uses of ISORHYTHM! ! Rhythmic structure of the tenor of motet ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ISORHYTHM! ! TALEA! “cuttings” (pl.
    [Show full text]
  • Guillaume De Machaut: Musician and Poet Sharon S
    Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1999 Guillaume de Machaut: Musician and Poet Sharon S. Pearcy Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Music at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Pearcy, Sharon S., "Guillaume de Machaut: Musician and Poet" (1999). Masters Theses. 1697. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1697 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THESIS/FIELD EXPERIENCE PAPER REPRODUCTION CERTIFICATE TO: Graduate Degree Candidates (who have written formal theses) SUBJECT: Permission to Reproduce Theses The University Library is receiving a number of request from other institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library holdings. Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professional courtesy demands that permission be obtained from the author before we allow these to be copied. PLEASE SIGN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University has my permission to lend my thesis to a reputable college or university for the purpose of copying it for inclusion in that institution's library or research holdings. -. II I respectfully request Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University NOT allow my thesis to be reproduced because: Author's Signature Date thesis4 form GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT: MUSICIAN AND POET BY SHARON S. PEARCY /t}S'I - THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF TIIE REQUIREMENTS FOR TIIE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN TIIE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSTIY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 1999 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS TIIESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF TIIE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE Abstract The life of Guillaume de Machaut (c.
    [Show full text]
  • MTO 20.1: Bugallo, Harmonic and Non-Harmonic Temporal Structures
    Volume 20, Number 1, March 2014 Copyright © 2014 Society for Music Theory Harmonic and Non-Harmonic Temporal Structures in Nancarrow’s Study No. 47 for Player Piano * Helena Bugallo NOTE: The examples for the (text-only) PDF version of this item are available online at: http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.14.20.1/mto.14.20.1.bugallo.php KEYWORDS: Conlon Nancarrow, Studies for Player Piano, Study No. 47, player piano, notation, tempo templates, pitch-time isomorphism, rhythm, rhythmic harmony, temporal dissonance, temporal proportions, player-piano roll, punching score, isorhythm, tempo canon, acceleration, deceleration, structural syncopation, Henry Cowell. ABSTRACT: This article presents a critical score and a rhythmic analysis of Conlon Nancarrow’s Study No. 47 for player piano. A work representative of the composer’s technical and aesthetic interests in his late productive years, Study No. 47 has been available only on recording until now. The score is based on both Nancarrow’s short-handed manuscript of the piece—the so-called punching score —and his original player-piano roll. Merging information from both sources, it introduces a new type of notation—combining both traditional and graphic aspects—especially developed for Nancarrow’s late output. The score and the analysis are preceded, and contextualized, by a discussion on the development of Nancarrow’s temporal thinking both theoretically, under the influence of Henry Cowell, and practically through his sustained and exclusive work for decades with the player piano. Special attention is given to Nancarrow’s usage of tempo templates , with a proposed classification into harmonic and non-harmonic . Study No.
    [Show full text]
  • The Middle Ages, Part 2
    A-R Online Music Anthology www.armusicanthology.com Content Guide The Medieval Period, Part 2: Polyphonic Traditions Karen M. Cook is associate professor of music history at By Karen M. Cook The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. She specializes in late medieval music history, with current The University of Hartford research projects treating various aspects of mensural theory and notation in late-fourteenth-century France. Assigned Readings She also focuses heavily on the intersections between Core Survey music and medievalism, particularly in video games, the subject of several recent publications in the journal Historical and Analytical Perspectives postmedieval and the Oxford Handbook of Music and Composer Biographies Medievalism. Supplementary Readings - Anonymous IV, excerpt from De mensuris et discantu - Johannes de Grocheio, excerpts from De musica Suggestions for Further Reading Summary List Genres to Understand Musical Terms to Understand Contextual Terms, Figures, and Events Main Concepts Scores and Recordings Exercises This workbook is for authorized use only. Unauthorized copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. If you have questions about using this article, please contact us: http://www.armusicanthology.com/anthology/Contact.aspx Content Guide: The Medieval Period, Part 2 (Polyphonic Traditions) 1 ______________________________________________________________________________ Content Guide The Medieval Period, Part 2: Polyphonic Traditions Karen M. Cook Assigned Readings Core Survey o James Maiello, “Medieval
    [Show full text]
  • French Ars Nova Motets and Their Manuscripts: Citational Play and Material Context
    French Ars Nova Motets and their Manuscripts: Citational Play and Material Context Submitted by Tamsyn Rose-Steel to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Medieval Studies In May 2011 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: ………………………………………………………….. 3 ABSTRACT The discussion of citation and allusion has become an important area of research in Medieval Studies. The application of postmodern intertextual theories has brought scholars to a deeper understanding of the reuse of borrowed material, shedding new light on a culture of music and literature that was once dismissed as dully repetitive. This thesis builds on this work by examining in depth the manner in which citation and allusion was deployed in the fourteenth- century motet. Motets are a particularly fertile ground for discussion of the reuse of material, drawing as they do on a range of citational techniques such as borrowed liturgical tenors, modelling of rhyme schemes on existing works, and quotation of refrains and authorities. The polyphonic and polytextual nature of the motet enabled composers to juxtapose different registers, languages and genres, and thus to create an array of competing possible interpretations. This study is situated against several strands of recent scholarship.
    [Show full text]
  • Medieval Terms
    Medieval Terms Ars antiqua: ("The old art") A term used to describe the musical style period of France from 1150 to 1300 (Perotin, etc.). Ars cantus mensurabilis: This treatise written in c1260 by Franco of Cologne introduced the first notation system of long and short notes and rests (long and breve)--known as Franconian notation or mensural notation. Ars nova: ("The new art") A term used to identify the experimental musical style period of France from approximately 1300-1375 (DeVitry, Machaut, etc.). Ars subtilior: ("The subtle art") A term used to describe the highly expressive musical style period of France in the late 1300s/early 1400s (Baude Cordier, etc.). Church Modes: The term for the system of eight "octave species" (dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, hypodorian, hypophrygian, hypolydian, hypomixolydian) formulated originally for the purpose of organizing the repertory of Gregorian chant. Formes fixes: ("Fixed forms") The three French poetic forms that were the primary song forms of the Ars Nova [see "The Structure of the Formes Fixes and the Ballata"], see also the entries for ballade, virelai, rondeau in "Medieval Genres", below]. Isorhythm: ("The same rhythm") A compositional device usually applied to the Tenor of a polyphonic work, featuring a repeated "talea" (rhythmic pattern) and "color" (melodic pattern). Used by DeVitry, Machaut and other French Ars Nova composers. Melisma: Many notes sung on a single syllable of text to put emphasis on that word. Monophonic: A musical texture with one melody played or sung at a time with no harmony. Musica enchiriadis: This writing, dating from c900, is the earliest known treatise to describe polyphonic music.
    [Show full text]
  • V·M·I University Microfilms International a 8Eil & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road
    Olivier Messiaen's "Cinq rechants": The importance of rhythm as a structural element. Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Wiest, Lori Jean. Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 24/09/2021 18:11:14 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/185098 INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. T::.JS, some thesis and dissertation copies are. in typewriter face, while others may be from any . type of computer printer. The quali~ of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. 'Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed iIi one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book.
    [Show full text]
  • Lou Harrison's
    i ABSTRACT Lou Harrison’s “Old Granddad”: A Composer’s Guide by Brady J. Spitz American composer Lou Harrison was known for his activity in blending the music of the world’s cultures and, later in life, building instruments. An example of this is the creation of his “American Gamelan” in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He and William Colvig created a set of tuned pipes and aluminum slabs that were fixed to a single key; and, because the instruments were highly resonant metallophones, they became known as the “American Gamelan” (even though Harrison’s own compositional practice with them bore little resemblance to the music of Indonesia at this point). The music of these instruments (which came to be known at “Old Granddad”) are a truly significant achievement in the history of Western music. The first three chapters of this document include a history of the Old Granddad instruments, technical diagrams and descriptions, and a discussion of their tuning. Their purpose is to help future musicians build a replica. The following three chapters analyze Harrison’s three major works for Old Granddad: the opera Young Caesar (1971); the oratorio La Koro Sutro (1972); and the Suite for Violin and American Gamelan (1974). Their purpose is to provide a model for composers who wish to write more works for the instrument. A synthesis of this historical, technical, and theoretical information offers practical details that may be of use to future ii composers. The document concludes with Laurel—a commissioned piece by Shane Monds that tests the conclusions of my research.
    [Show full text]