An Investigation of the Application and Performance Execution of the Aksak in the Solo Piano Music of Béla Bartók, György Ligeti, Lubomir Pipkov, Vassil Kazandjiev, Ahmed Adnan Saygun and Ilhan Baran by Gergana Nikolaeva Yildiz (BMus, MMus) School of Creative Arts and Media, Conservatorium of Music Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Tasmania, August 2019 Declaration of originality I declare that this exegesis contains no material that has been accepted for a degree or diploma by the University or any other institution, except by way of background information and duly acknowledged in the exegesis. I have read the University statement on academic misconduct (plagiarism) on the University website at www.utas.edu.au/plagiarism and to the best of my knowledge and belief the exegesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due acknowledgement is made in the text of the exegesis, nor does the exegesis contain any material that infringes copyright. Statement of authority of access This exegesis may be made available for loan and limited copying in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. Name: Gergana Nikolaeva Yildiz Signed: Date: 9th August 2019 ii Abstract The term aksak refers to a specific type of asymmetrical metre that is widespread in the folk music traditions of the Balkan countries and Turkey. The present study examines the translation of the aksak from folklore into classical piano repertoire, focusing on solo piano works by the following six composers from Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey: Béla Bartók, György Ligeti, Lubomir Pipkov, Vassil Kazandjiev, Ahmed Adnan Saygun and Ilhan Baran. Outlining the individual approaches each composer has taken to incorporate aksak in their solo piano music, this research enlightens performance aspects of the selected repertoire. It aims to demonstrate the influence of these particular types of asymmetrical metres on the pianist’s internal awareness of the bar structure. This performance-based research project contains two complementary components: a folio of performances and a written exegesis. The folio consists of three solo recitals, in which piano works featuring aksak are juxtaposed with diverse piano repertoire, and a recording project that involves only compositions on aksak. The exegesis provides contextual background around the selected composers and their creative work with aksak. It presents the outcomes of an individually developed informed performance practice of the selected solo piano works featuring aksak. Through the process of preparing and rehearsing these works, the different approaches to the asymmetrical metres have been examined in relation to key musical elements such as tempo and tempo alterations, rhythm, texture and articulation. In alignment with the methodology applied, the primary outcomes of this research address musicological matters through a comparative analysis of composers’ individual approaches to the aksak in piano music, and performance issues relating to the pianist’s perception of the bar iii structure when performing these works. The project contributes to the existing research on performance of the aksak applied to other musical styles and represents inaugural research into the classical repertoire. It is hoped that it will inspire further investigation of this topic in the piano music of different composers and in genres beyond the solo piano repertoire. iv Acknowledgments I would like to express my gratitude to my primary supervisor Dr. Arabella Teniswood-Harvey, whose expertise and professionalism have been invaluable in conducting this research project and in shaping my interpretation of the performed works. The constructive feedback and her optimistic viewpoint kept my motivation high regardless of the struggles through this road. I also wish to thank my secondary supervisor Dr. Susan Collins for her guidance and assistance during this period. Her positive outlook and confidence in my work have been a great inspiration to me during this period. This project would not be possible without the endless support of my husband Tuncay. I wish to thank him for his patience and understanding, for his enormous mental support and for keeping me motivated to continue. I also thank my mother Emilia, who despite the distance and time difference, was always ready to listen my struggles at any time of the day. A special thanks to my sound manager Veronika Vincze, who mastered the recordings for my performance folio and to my friend Rasim Paşaoğlu, who helped me formatting all the score examples in this exegesis. Also, thanks Jo Wall, who provided proofreading services according to the ‘Guidelines for editing research theses’ (approved by the Institute of Professional Editors and the Australian Council of Graduate Research). Any remaining errors are my own. v List of figures Figure 1: ‘Сусанко моме’ [Susanko mome] Bulgarian folk song Figure 2: ‘Чия е тая девойка’ [Whose is this girl] Bulgarian folk song with an upbeat Figure 3: Stoyan Djudjev’s suggested table of asymmetrical metres in Bulgarian folk music Figure 4: Simha Arom’s suggested typology of aksak Figure 5: B. Bartók - Piece No.12 from Fourteen Bagatelles, bars 1-4 Figure 6: B. Bartók - Piece no. 14 (‘Waltz’) from Fourteen Bagatelles, bars 88-94 Figure 7: Song in 8/8 asymmetrical metre, found by Bartók in 1907 Figure 8: Two songs with asymmetrical metric pulsation found by Kodály in 1910 Figure 9: Hungarian folk song ‘Borbála Angoli’ Figure 10: B. Bartók - ‘Ballade’ from Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs, bars 1-4 Figure 11: B. Bartók - Piece no. 7 from Romanian Christmas Carols, bars 1-3 Figure 12: B. Bartók - Piece no. 113 from Mikrokosmos vol. 4, bars 1-6 Figure 13: B. Bartók - Piece no. 115 from Mikrokosmos vol. 4, bars 1-5 Figure 14: Stages of ordering the pieces in ‘Bulgarian rhythm’ in Mikrokosmos suggested by László Vikárius Figure 15: Bulgarian folk dances (horo) in the asymmetrical metres used by Bartók Figure 16: B. Bartók – Piece no. 149 from Mikrokosmos vol. 6, bars 3-5 Figure 17: B. Bartók – Piece no. 151 from Mikrokosmos vol. 6, bars 1-4 Figure 18: B. Bartók – Piece no. 152 from Mikrokosmos vol. 6, bars 1-3 Figure 19: G. Ligeti – ‘Capriccio’ no. 2, bars 1-12 Figure 20: B. Bartók – Piece no.149 from Mikrokosmos vol. 6, bars 1-5 Figure 21: G. Ligeti – Etude no. 4, ‘Fanfares’, bars 1-4 Figure 22: G. Ligeti – Etude no. 1, ‘Desordre’, bars 1-2 Figure 23: G. Ligeti – Etude no.13 ‘The Devil’s Staircase’, bar 1 Figure 24: L. Pipkov – ‘Studio no. 1’ from Metro-Rhythmic Studios and Pictures op. 69, bars 52-54 vi Figure 25: L. Pipkov – ‘Studio no. 1’ from Metro-Rhythmic Studios and Pictures op. 69, bars 1-3 Figure 26: L. Pipkov – ‘Burlesque’ from Spring Caprices, bars 1-3 Figure 27: L. Pipkov – ‘Pastoral’ from Spring Caprices, bars 1-5 Figure 28: L. Pipkov – ‘Return’ from Spring Caprices, bars 29-30 Figure 29: L. Pipkov - ‘Recitative’ from From 1 to 15, bars 1-3 Figure 30: Alternative notation in Kazandjiev’s Youth Album (1973) Figure 31: V. Kazandjiev – ‘Little Etude’ from Youth Album, bars 1-3 Figure 32: V. Kazandjiev – ‘Rachenitsa’ from Youth Album, bars 1-7 Figure 33: V. Kazandjiev – ‘Baba Metsa’ from Youth Album, bars 1-4 Figure 34: V. Kazandjiev – ‘Harvest’ from Youth Album, bars 1-2 Figure 35: V. Kazandjiev – ‘Ring of Bells’ from Youth Album, bar 10 Figure 36: V. Kazandjiev – ‘Triumph of the Bells’, model no.7 Figure 37: A.A. Saygun – ‘Masal’ from Inci’s Book, bars 30-38 Figure 38: A.A. Saygun – ‘Meşeli’ from From Anatolia, bars 8-11 Figure 39: A.A. Saygun – ‘Halay’ from From Anatolia, bars 55-60 Figure 40: Table of the aksak rhythms published in the preface to Ten Etudes on Aksak Rhythms op. 38 Figure 41: A.A, Saygun – Etude no. 1 from Ten Etudes on Aksak Rhythms op. 38, bars 1-3 Figure 42: A.A. Saygun – Etude no. 7 from Ten Etudes on Aksak Rhythms op. 38, bars 1-7 Figure 43: A.A. Saygun – Prelude no. 1 from Twelve Preludes on Aksak Rhythms op.45, bars 1-11 Figure 44: I. Baran – Zeybek-motif in meno mosso, ‘Zeybek’ from Three Abstract Dances, bars 15-21 Figure 45: I. Baran – ‘Horon’ from Three Abstract Dances, bars 80-85 Figure 46: I. Baran – ‘Horon’ from Three Abstract Dances, bars 35-36 Figure 47: I. Baran – Bagatelle no. 1 from Three Bagatelles, bars 61-63 Figure 48: I. Baran – Bagatelle no. 2 from Three Bagatelles, bars 2-3 Figure 49: Inner bar structure and accents in binary and ternary metres Figure 51: B. Bartók – Piece no. 152 from Mikrokosmos, vol. 6, bars 1-3 vii Figure 51 a): G. Ligeti – ‘Capriccio’ no. 2, bars 1-3 Figure 52: L. Pipkov – ‘Etude’ from Spring Caprices, bars 49-51 Figure 52 a): A.A. Saygun – Prelude no. 2 from Twelve Preludes on Aksak Rhythms op.45, bars 20-21 Figure 52 b): A.A. Saygun – Prelude no. 4 from Twelve Preludes on Aksak Rhythms op.45, bar 79 Figure 53: G. Ligeti – Etude no. 4 ‘Fanfares’ bars 51-52 Figure 54: A.A. Saygun – Etude no.1 from Ten Etudes on Aksak Rhythms op.38, bars 1-3 Figure 55: I. Baran – ‘Aksak’ from Three Abstract Dances, bars 39-40 Figure 56: L. Pipkov – ‘Etude’ from Spring Caprices, bars 3-5 Figure 56 a): L. Pipkov – ‘Etude’ from Spring Caprices, bars 23-25 Figure 57: L. Pipkov – ‘Return’ from Spring Caprices, bar 27 Figure 58: I. Baran – ‘Horon’ from Three Abstract Dances, bars 77-79 Figure 59: A.A. Saygun – Prelude no. 7 from Twelve Preludes on Aksak Rhythms op.45, bars 45-47 Figure 60: A.A. Saygun – Prelude no. 6 from Twelve Preludes on Aksak Rhythms op.45, bars 66-71 Figure 61: A.A.