THE MARCEL BITSCH <I>VINGT ETUDES</I>
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Kentucky University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Music Music 2012 LANGUAGE AS A PERFORMANCE PARAMETER: THE MARCEL BITSCH VINGT ETUDES Evan Benjamin Duke University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Duke, Evan Benjamin, "LANGUAGE AS A PERFORMANCE PARAMETER: THE MARCEL BITSCH VINGT ETUDES" (2012). Theses and Dissertations--Music. 2. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/music_etds/2 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Music by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained and attached hereto needed written permission statements(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine). I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless a preapproved embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. 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Evan Benjamin Duke, Student Dr. Skip Gray, Major Professor Dr. Lance Brunner, Director of Graduate Studies LANGUAGE AS A PERFORMANCE PARAMETER: THE MARCEL BITSCH VINGT ETUDES _____________________________________ DISSERTATION _____________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in the School of Music at the University of Kentucky By Evan Benjamin Duke Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Skip Gray, Professor of Music Lexington, Kentucky Copyright © Evan Benjamin Duke 2012 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION LANGUAGE AS A PERFORMANCE PARAMETER: THE MARCEL BITSCH VINGT ETUDES The Bitsch Vingt Études are a significant part of the trumpet performers repertoire. They are taught in many university trumpet studios across the United States. David Baldwin, professor of trumpet at the University of Minnesota, has recorded all of them for the International Trumpet Guild. The editor, Raymond Sabarich, is considered the founder of the modern French school of trumpet playing. Articulation is a significant component in performing on a brass instrument. By varying the attacks of the tongue, different timbres can be successfully achieved on the trumpet. Because of the volume the trumpet can generate, any defective articulation will be more noticeable. Articulation is for the brass player what consonants are for the singer—successful execution is imperative or a lack of clarity results. One major problem in teaching the Bitsch etudes is the lack of attention paid to French pronunciation. The musical ideas in these etudes (melodies, articulation, phrasing, etc.) were conceived by a Frenchman. While fluency in French is not a prerequisite for successful performance of these works, understanding the basics of French pronunciation and how they influence French articulation is essential. In order to properly perform the Marcel Bitsch Vingt Études, the trumpeter needs to modify his or her tonguing in accordance with the rules of French pronunciation. The different components of articulation will be discussed, after which the impact of language in recorded performance will be examined. Finally, selected compositions from the Marcel Bitsch Vingt Études will be analyzed, with recommendations for articulation being given for each work. KEYWORDS: Marcel Bitsch, Articulation, Trumpet, French Pronunciation, Vingt Etudes LANGUAGE AS A PERFORMANCE PARAMETER: THE MARCEL BITSCH VINGT ETUDES By Evan Benjamin Duke Skip Gray Director of Dissertation Lance Brunner Director of Graduate Studies ____________________________________ Dedicated to John C. Duke Sr. (1922–2009), who gave me my first trumpet, and never tired listening to me play; a true hero and the world’s greatest Grandfather. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following dissertation, while an individual work, benefitted from the insights and direction of several people. First, my Dissertation Chair, Dr. Skip Gray, exemplifies the high quality scholarship to which I aspire. In addition, Mr. Mark Clodfelter provided timely and instructive comments and evaluation at every stage of the dissertation process, allowing me to complete this process on schedule. Next, I wish to thank the complete Dissertation Committee, and outside reader, respectively: Dr. Karen Bottge, Mr. David Elliot, Dr. Eric Gruilke, Dr. Lance Brunner and Dr. Jeffrey Peters. Each individual provided insights that guided and challenged my thinking, substantially improving the finished product. Also, I wish to thank Dr. Bill McCauley, Dr. Janie McCauley, Dr. Argyle Paddock, and Dr. Ken Casillas for allowing me to travel the world with them, exposing me to multiple languages and cultures that helped to prepare me for this endeavor. Indispensible aid was also given on the part of Dr. Bruce Byers and Dr. David Parker while I was involved in the research stages of this document. I would also like to thank the entire Foundation Brass sextet (Mr. Dan Kirsop, Dr. Dan Turner, Dr. Bruce Cox, Dr. Paul Overly, Mr. Paul Jantz, and Mr. Mark Fredrick) for their encouragement and friendship over the years and encouragement. Without their kind words and steadfast encouragement, this project would not have been possible. In addition, Dr. Mark Parker also gave me excellent advice as well as a great deal of encouragement both during the course of the project and during the course of all of my education. Finally, I would like to thank both of my parents for all of the support and encouragement that they have given to me over the years not only with this project but also with everything else that I have done. Without their constant encouraging words, visits to my concerts, and desire to instill in me a good work ethic, this project would never have been possible. iii Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... iii List of Tables .............................................................................................................. vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................ viii List of Files .................................................................................................................. ix Part 1: Lecture Recital Monograph ............................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Need for the Study ..................................................................................................... 3 Thesis ......................................................................................................................... 4 Terminology .............................................................................................................. 5 Components of Articulation ...................................................................................... 6 Linguistic Pronunciation Variations ....................................................................... 10 Recordings ............................................................................................................... 14 General Observations ............................................................................................. 14 Implementing Language Modifications in Performance ......................................... 15 Types of Articulation in the Bitsch Vingt Études ..................................................... 16 Etude No. 1 .......................................................................................................... 17 Etude No. 2 .......................................................................................................... 19 Etude No. 14 ........................................................................................................ 20 Etude No. 5 .......................................................................................................... 21 Etude No. 8 .......................................................................................................... 23 Etude No. 12 .......................................................................................................