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Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Background, Analysis, and Performance Application

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Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Background, Analysis, and Performance Application Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Background, Analysis, and Performance Application D.M.A. DOCUMENT Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Musical Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Emily Ann Patronik, M.M. Graduate Program in Music The Ohio State University 2013 D.M.A. Document Committee: Karen Pierson, Advisor Robert Sorton Dr. Susan Powell Copyright by Emily Ann Patronik 2013 Abstract Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony for their principal bassoonist, Nancy Goeres and premiered in 1993. While this piece has been gaining popularity in the bassoon world, there are still many musicians that have never heard of it. Contemporary music can be intimidating to a performer because it is not as easily understood as the traditional music that precedes it. As a result, some performers shy away from it and quality pieces never get the notoriety they deserve. The background information, analysis, and performance applications included in this document are meant to help musicians understand this concerto in the hopes that it will be less daunting and will receive more professional performances. Background knowledge of the piece was compiled through telephone interviews with Zwilich and Goeres, newspaper and magazine articles, and information contained with the CD recording. The background information included is comprised of biographies of Zwilich and Goeres, a description of the commission, collaboration, and premiere performance, and information about the recording, piano reduction, and percussion part. When analyzing this concerto, an analysis of harmonic tendencies, scales used, and a list of motives were completed. After conversation with the composer, an in-depth look at motivic development, contrast in texture, and the use of key intervals, particularly ii the combination of a major and minor third and the half step, was focused on in depth. An understanding of the theoretical aspect of the piece helps guide a performer’s musical decisions and aids in greater awareness of ensemble pitfalls. The chapter on performance application is comprised of suggestions about fingerings, phrasing, articulations, breathing, and critical orchestral parts. These suggestions are not meant to dictate to a performer how the piece should be played, but rather a starting point to help bassoonists execute a difficult piece of music. The considerations are based on conversations with Zwilich, analysis, the recording that Goeres made with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and my own interpretation and performance of the concerto. Knowledge of Zwilich’s compositional techniques and ideas about performance aids in making this piece more accessible to interested bassoonists and musicians. iii This document is dedicated to my parents, Frank and Denise. iv Acknowledgments First, I would like to thank my advisor, Karen Pierson. Without her, I would not be the bassoonist and musician that I am today. She has helped me grow in so many ways and I will never be able to give her enough thanks. I am grateful to have also studied with Christopher Weait. He also contributed greatly to my development as a bassoonist and I owe him many thanks. He continues to be a source of inspiration and encouragement to me. I would also like to thank Ellen Taaffe Zwilich for taking the time to speak with me about her concerto and for giving me new ways to think about analyzing it. Also, thank you to Nancy Goeres for allowing me to interview her about her life and the concerto. Thank you to the rest of my committee, Professor Robert Sorton, Dr. Susan Powell, and Dr. Lora Dobos for all of your support and assistance through my degrees at Ohio State. I would also like to acknowledge my parents and grandparents. Without their love and support, I would not have had the same opportunities to continue music as a profession. I would also like to thank my Uncle Rick for teaching me how to read music on the piano and playing the tuba. If he had not played the tuba and not taught me about v music, I would not have developed my fascination for low range instruments and would not have become a bassoonist. Thank you to Kristilyn Woods for introducing me to this concerto and sparking my interest in learning, performing, and studying it further. I would also like to thank my good friends, Jared, Jackie, and Johnny, for always being willing to help and encourage me throughout this process. You are some of the greatest friends I could ever hope for and I admire each of you for your musicianship, character, and professionalism. I learn so much from interacting with you every day and I am honored to call you my friends. Lastly, I would like to thank all of my friends and family for being supportive and motivating me throughout my degrees and career. vi Vita February 20, 1985 ......................................... Born – Sugar Land, Texas 2003 ............................................................... Jackson High School – Jackson, Michigan 2007 ............................................................... B.M. Bassoon Performance, Magna Cum Laude, The Ohio State University 2009 ............................................................... M.M. Bassoon Performance, The Ohio State University 2007 to 2012 ................................................. Graduate Administrative Assistant, The Ohio State University 2012 to present .............................................. Adjunct Professor of Bassoon, Mount Vernon Nazarene University Recordings Southern Harmony. Performed by The Ohio State University Wind Symphony; conducted by Dr. Russel C. Mikkelson. Naxos 8.572342, 2009, compact disc. Winds of Nagaul. Performed by The Ohio State University Wind Symphony; conducted by Dr. Russel C. Mikkelson. Naxos 8.570244, 2007, compact disc. Fields of Study Major Field: Music vii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. v Vita .................................................................................................................................... vii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. viii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiv List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... xvi Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Interest in this Study ........................................................................................................ 1 Need for Study ................................................................................................................ 2 Procedures ....................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2: Background Information ................................................................................... 5 Biography of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich ................................................................................. 5 Biography of Nancy Goeres ............................................................................................ 7 Concerto Commission ................................................................................................... 10 viii Collaboration ................................................................................................................. 11 Premiere ........................................................................................................................ 14 Recording ...................................................................................................................... 15 Other Performances ....................................................................................................... 15 Piano Reduction and the Percussion Part ...................................................................... 16 Chapter 3: Overview Analysis ......................................................................................... 18 Instrumentation .............................................................................................................. 18 Form/Tonal Centers ....................................................................................................... 19 Use of Intervals ............................................................................................................. 23 Octatonic Scales ............................................................................................................ 24 Motives .......................................................................................................................... 25 Contrast in Texture ........................................................................................................ 31 Orchestration ................................................................................................................. 33 Chapter
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