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Of Extended Techniques: Annotated Performance Guides to Sofia Gubaidulina’S Bassoon Works

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Of Extended Techniques: Annotated Performance Guides to Sofia Gubaidulina’S Bassoon Works Solving the “Problems” of Extended Techniques: Annotated Performance Guides to Sofia Gubaidulina’s Bassoon Works 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 Amy Marinello Pollard May 2012 Advisor: Dr. Terence Milligan, DMA B.M., Louisiana State University, 2004 M.M., The University of Cincinnati College‐Conservatory of Music, 2006 ABSTRACT This study focuses on the utilization and execution of extended techniques in the bassoon works of Sofia Gubaidulina: the Duo Sonata for Two Bassoons, the Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings, and Quasi Hoquetus for viola, bassoon, and piano. There is an historical background presented for the development of extended techniques for woodwind instruments, focusing on the bassoon in particular. Furthermore, the extended techniques used in each of Gubaidulina’s bassoon works are described and performance suggestions are provided for these sonorities. Each extended technique is supplemented by fingering options and ideas about changes to embouchure pressure, air pressure, and embouchure position in order to successfully achieve each effect. The study is designed to assist performers in their negotiation of contemporary techniques that are unfamiliar and make Gubaidulina’s works more accessible to bassoonists. iii iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I offer my sincere appreciation and deepest gratitude to my committee, Dr. Terence Milligan, Dr. Miguel Roig‐Francoli, and Professor William Winstead. Your guidance and support throughout this process has been phenomenal. I especially thank you for your willingness to work with me long‐distance and for being so flexible with your time as a result. You have all served as excellent role models, both as musicians and as educators, and I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to learn from you during my studies at CCM. Additional thanks to William Winstead, my major professor and one of the greatest musicians I have ever known. You have been an inspiration, a mentor, and a friend beyond measure. I thank you for all of your assistance, encouragement, and guidance throughout the years. I know that I would not be where I am today without your effort. To my friends and colleagues, thank you for your care and advice during this endeavor. You consistently encouraged me and nudged me forward, even when the stress and difficulty became overwhelming. I am lucky to have such great people in my life. To my parents, Chris and Cathy Gross, thank you for always believing in me and providing whatever I needed in order to succeed. From my first flute for band class, to my first bassoon lesson, to my most recent move to Georgia, you have been by my side with love and support. I am grateful that you have helped nurture my love for music and that you have been amazing cheerleaders along the journey. I v love you both deeply and thank you for still taking the time to come to my performances! Finally, I would like to thank my husband, Scott, for his unending love and encouragement during this process. You have urged me to persevere through each challenge, even when the tasks seemed insurmountable. You have listened to hours of commentary about bassoon fingerings and effects that I am certain are of very little interest to a percussionist! You have offered to do anything and everything to make my load easier to carry and for that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you for everything. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 An Historical Background of Extended Techniques: Bartolozzi and Penazzi............................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2 Explanation of Individual Techniques.............................................................. 12 Fluttertongue................................................................................. 12 Harmonics....................................................................................... 14 Quartertones.................................................................................. 16 Multiphonics................................................................................... 22 Chapter 3 Notes About Sofia Gubaidulina............................................................................ 28 Chapter 4 Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings.............................................................. 33 Performance Suggestions and Solutions............................ 38 Fluttertongue................................................................................. 38 Aleatoric Rhythms and Unusual Metric Aspects............. 44 Multiphonics................................................................................... 51 Ridendo, "The Scream," and Other Effects........................ 59 Chapter 5 Duo Sonata for Two Bassoons............................................................................... 67 Performance Suggestions and Solutions............................ 72 Fluttertongue................................................................................. 72 Harmonics....................................................................................... 74 Quartertones.................................................................................. 76 Multiphonics................................................................................... 81 Chapter 6 Quasi Hoquetus............................................................................................................ 89 Performance Suggestions and Solutions............................ 93 Multiphonics................................................................................... 93 Fluttertongue................................................................................. 99 Conclusion............................................................................................................................................... 103 vii Bibliography........................................................................................................................................... 105 Introduction to the Appendices..................................................................................................... 108 Appendix A Multiphonics in the Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings.................. 113 Appendix B Ridendo Sections and "The Scream" in the Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings..................................................................................................... 124 Appendix C Harmonics in the Duo Sonata for Two Bassoons........................................ 130 Appendix D Quartertones in the Duo Sonata for Two Bassoons................................... 131 Appendix E Multiphonics in the Duo Sonata for Two Bassoons................................... 153 Appendix F Multiphonics in Quasi Hoquetus....................................................................... 172 viii Introduction The amount of repertoire written for bassoon has increased by a significant amount over the last seventy years. While composers virtually ignored the bassoon as a solo instrument during the romantic era, the twentieth century and subsequent years featured a large number of works for solo bassoon and smaller chamber works involving bassoon. These works represent a wave of new ideas, techniques, sounds, and styles that are limited only by the imagination of the composer. The "dissolution of tonality" in the early twentieth century and the breaking of traditional forms and harmonies allowed composers to craft musical works that had no rules, no boundaries, and no precedents. With the expansion of the compositional styles and forms in the twentieth century, there was also an increase in the types of sounds composers sought from instrumentalists. Composers stretched the boundaries of instruments to their physical limits before turning to electronic means to further enhance the musical palette. The landmark text, New Sounds for Woodwinds, written in 1967 by Bruno Bartolozzi, expanded the sound possibilities of acoustic woodwinds without utilizing electronic means. Bartolozzi discovered that woodwind instruments were able to produce a vast array of unusual tones, timbres, and effects never before imagined. He provided instructions of how to achieve these "extended techniques" in his text, as a proposed resource for composers and performers in their continued quest for new sounds. 1 As information about extended techniques began to disseminate, many composers were eager to incorporate these sounds into their new compositions. The bassoon proved to be an excellent instrument for achieving these sounds. That aspect, paired with the increase of bassoon repertoire in production during the second half of the twentieth century, resulted in a large number of works for bassoon requiring the performance of extended techniques. Among this repertoire are three works by the accomplished Russian composer, Sofia Gubaidulina. The Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings, Duo Sonata for two bassoons, and Quasi Hoquetus for bassoon, viola, and piano, are all representative of Gubaidulina’s unique compositional style, and they all feature extended techniques to be executed by the bassoonist. These works are well crafted and fascinating additions to the
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