David Amram: His Life and Five Major Compositions That Utilize the Oboe in a Prominent Role Aaron Ichiro Hilbun
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For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC DAVID AMRAM: HIS LIFE AND FIVE MAJOR COMPOSITIONS THAT UTILIZE THE OBOE IN A PROMINENT ROLE by AARON ICHIRO HILBUN A treatise submitted to the School of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2004 The members of the Committee approve the treatise of Aaron Ichiro Hilbun defended on 17 February 2004. ___________________________________ Eric Ohlsson Professor Directing Treatise ___________________________________ Peter Spencer Outside Committee Member ___________________________________ Eva Amsler Committee Member ___________________________________ Jeffrey Keesecker Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many people that contributed to the completion of this treatise: the FSU Office of Graduate Studies for providing me with a grant to defray my research expenses; Kurt Doles, for graciously donating his time putting the musical examples into Finale; Gene Caprioglio and Hector Colón in the Clearance Rights Division of C. F. Peters Corporation for granting permission to reprint the musical examples; Heidi Hodges of the FSU Office of Research for expediting my Human Subjects Review application; Bryan Meyer, for generously providing lodging while I was in New York interviewing Mr. Amram; my wife, Lisa Ferrigno, for all her support and help writing and proofreading; my major professor Eric Ohlsson, who has truly gone “above and beyond the call of duty” on my behalf; the rest of my supervisory committee members, Eva Amsler, Jeffrey Keesecker and Peter Spencer, and past committee member Nancy Fowler, for all their efforts in making my completion of this degree possible; my parents, without whose support and generosity my education would not have been possible; and finally, David Amram, who was not only generous with his time but also his scores and recordings. Thank you for continuing to teach us how to find “the diamonds in the sidewalk.” iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures …………………………………………………………….. vi Abstract ……………………………………………………………………. vii I. A Biographical Sketch and Analysis of Important Events in the Life of David Amram ……………………. 1 II. Analytical Essay on A Little Rebellion: Thomas Jefferson for wind quintet, percussion, strings and narrator …………………. 26 III. Analytical Essay on the Quintet for Winds ………………………... 36 IV. Analytical Essay on the Shakespearean Concerto for oboe, two horns and strings ……………………………………. 44 V. Analytical Essay on the Trail of Beauty for oboe, mezzo-soprano and orchestra ……………………………. 51 VI. Analytical Essay on the Triple Concerto for brass, wind and jazz quintets and orchestra ……………………. 58 Appendices A. Text to A Little Rebellion: Thomas Jefferson …………….. 67 B. Text to Trail of Beauty …………………………………….. 73 C. Copyright Permission ……………………………………… 76 D. Human Subjects Review …………………………………… 78 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………….. 80 Biographical sketch ………………………………………………………… 83 iv LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 – David Amram and Leonard Bernstein, 1967 ……………….. viii CHAPTER TWO: A Little Rebellion: Thomas Jefferson FIGURE 2 – Movement one, measures 1-4 ………………………………. 27 FIGURE 3 – Movement one, measures 12-16 ……………………………. 27 FIGURE 4 – Movement two, measures 4-6 ………………………………. 28 FIGURE 5 – Movement three, measures 1-8 ……………………………... 29 FIGURE 6 – Movement four, measures 1-8 ……………………………… 30 FIGURE 7 – Movement five, measures 33-35 …………………………… 31 FIGURE 8 – Movement six, measures 1-3 ……………………………….. 31 FIGURE 9 – Movement seven, measures 1-8 …………………………….. 32 FIGURE 10 – Movement eight, measures 1-8 ……………………………. 33 FIGURE 11 – Movement eleven, measures 4-12 ………………………… 34 FIGURE 12 – Movement eleven, measures 25-33 ……………………….. 34 CHAPTER THREE: Quintet for Winds FIGURE 13 – Movement one, measures 8-11 ……………………………. 37 FIGURE 14 – Movment one, measures 12-17 ……………………………. 38 FIGURE 15 – Movement three, measures 1-15 …………………………... 41 FIGURE 16 – Movment three, measures 59-65 …………………………... 42 v CHAPTER FOUR: Shakespearean Concerto FIGURE 17 – Movement one, measures 52-58 …………………………... 45 FIGURE 18 – Movement two, measures 33-40 …………………………... 47 FIGURE 19 – Movement three, measures 117-128 ………………………. 48 FIGURE 20 – Movement three, measures 129-140 ………………………. 49 FIGURE 21 – Movement three, measures 141-142 ………………………. 50 CHAPTER FIVE: Trail of Beauty FIGURE 22 – Movement one, measures 1-15 ……………………………. 53 FIGURE 23 – Movement two, measures 44-51 …………………………... 54 FIGURE 24 – Movement three, measures 1-31 …………………………... 55 FIGURE 25 – Movement four, measures 1-4 …………………………….. 56 CHAPTER SIX: Triple Concerto FIGURE 26 – Movement one, measures 1-4 ……………………………... 60 FIGURE 27 – Movement one, measures 23-28 …………………………... 60 FIGURE 28 – Movement three, measures 9-16 …………………………... 63 FIGURE 29 – Movement three, measure 253 …………………………….. 64 FIGURE 30 – Movement three, measure 254 …………………………….. 64 FIGURE 31 – Movement three, measure 255 …………………………….. 65 vi ABSTRACT David Werner Amram III, is a unique figure in American music to whom musical compartments mean nothing. He is a respected composer and conductor of western art- music, having served as composer-in-residence for the New York Philharmonic and having conducted his works with many major symphony orchestras. At the same time he is an accomplished jazz musician, having collaborated with greats such as Charles Mingus and Thelonius Monk, and also performs on many non-western instruments as well. Even his instrument of choice in jazz is unusual: the French horn. The title of his 1971 album No More Walls appropriately illustrates Mr. Amram's unique views on music and society. Mr. Amram is not known as a prolific composer for the oboe, and his compositions that utilize the oboe in a prominent role are not yet staples of the oboe and woodwind literature. These works would undoubtedly have tremendous audience and performer appeal. The musical language Mr. Amram employs in these compositions reveal the influence of such diverse musical cultures as that of Elizabethan England, American blues and jazz, and Native American and Middle Eastern music. This project does not purport to be a comprehensive survey of all of Mr. Amram's compositions that involve the oboe. Rather, the idea is to inspire in other oboists interest in Mr. Amram's work by examining in some detail five particular compositions that seem representative of his compositional output as a whole. These works are well-written for the oboe and show an understanding of the instrument’s strengths and limitations. Also included is a detailed biographical sketch that analyzes important events in Mr. Amram's life, which will hopefully shed light on the circumstances and philosophies that led to the creation of these, and other works. vii FIGURE 1 – David Amram and Leonard Bernstein, 1967 (Photo taken from http://www.davidamram.com; used with permission) viii CHAPTER I A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH AND ANALYSIS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF DAVID AMRAM David Amram is a unique figure in American music. "Musical compartments mean nothing to David Amram, whose compositions have fearlessly crossed back and forth between the classical and jazz worlds, as well as those of Latin jazz, folk, and television and film music."1 His jazz instrument, the French horn, is an unusual choice, and he has made recordings on piano, recorder, and a plethora of unusual non-western instruments including Native American and Asian flutes, and Middle Eastern percussion instruments. The object of his life is to, "educate the young and old in music, its diversity as well as its universality, so that it's demystified and off the elitist, ivory-towered shelves of black-tie pomposity (in terms of classical music) and industry domination (in terms of pop)."2 To this day, he remains completely without pretense and is ". .unspoiled by success, informal in manner and dress."3 The following chapter is a biographical sketch of Amram's life and will provide insight into his unique outlook on music and life, and also explain how he came to hold those philosophies. David Werner Amram III was born on 17 November 1930 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His earliest musical recollections include his father attempting to play “a Mozart Sonata or Brahms Symphony on the family Steinway after everyone had already 1 "David Amram," All Music Guide to Jazz, 1998 ed. 2 Matt Damsker, "David Amram Bridges the Gap," in Biography News (Detroit: Gale Research Co., April 1974), 370. 3 Charles Moritz, ed., "Amram, David (Werner)," in Current Biography 1969 (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1970), 16. 1 gone to bed,” and receiving a toy bugle for his sixth birthday. Both recollections would hold important future ramifications.4 After living in Pass-a-Grille, Florida in 1937-1938, the Amrams moved to a farm in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, where, as a second grader, he began taking lessons on both piano and trumpet. Several other seminal events occurred during this time. One was his introduction and subsequent attraction to the French horn on having heard a performance of Peter and the Wolf at a Philadelphia Orchestra childrens’ concert. After