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Darren Sigesmund Final Dissertation Contrapuntally Inspired: Voice Leading, Texture and Rhythm in the Music of Ben Monder by Darren Thomas Sigesmund A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance Faculty of Music University of Toronto © Copyright by Darren Sigesmund 2021 Contrapuntally Inspired: Voice Leading, Texture and Rhythm in the Music of Ben Monder Darren Thomas Sigesmund Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance Faculty of Music University of Toronto 2021 Abstract This dissertation examines the use of counterpoint in the music of New York guitarist Ben Monder, arguing that specific contrapuntal elements inform his musical expression and contribute to his unique voice in contemporary jazz. Published pedagogical literature on jazz composition emphasizes big band arranging over small ensemble writing and has not adequately addressed the scope of jazz compositional practices since the 1960s. Consequently, innovative approaches such as Monder’s have been neglected and suitable frameworks for analyzing his contributions have not been developed. Synthesizing Walter Piston’s notion of opposition and Ernst Toch’s interest in textural shifts as a form of contrast with attention to Monder’s development of intervallic voicings and voice leading broadens my framework for analyzing contemporary jazz counterpoint. In particular, my analysis emphasizes non-imitative polyphony consisting of opposing elements within a texture (melody, harmony, rhythm, metre) and contrast between textures (shifts). Score analysis, transcription and a personal interview with Monder form the basis for examining select compositions and related improvisations in solo, duo, trio or quartet settings featured in his ii recordings Flux (1996), Dust (1997), Excavation (2000), Oceana (2005), and Hydra (2013). Analyses reveal a varied use of contrapuntal devices, including voice leading of intervallic voicing structures in chorales, a freer treatment of dissonance in pedal point, polytonality, polyrhythm, polymetre, and textural shifts. Guitar solos illustrate an often-overlooked contrapuntal link between composition and improvisation through motivic development. Most significantly, Monder’s extensive treatment of contrapuntal techniques shapes the form and identity of his compositions. This comprehensive approach to counterpoint and his emphasis on notation over improvisation in multi-movement compositions set him apart from his peers and gain him recognition from musicians and critics alike. His unique position within contemporary jazz circles challenges the prevailing tendency among jazz scholars to overlook composers in favour of improvisers who are assumed to have been the driving forces of jazz history. This study, then, builds on a growing direction in jazz scholarship that challenges existing narratives of jazz history and practice. It also serves as a stepping-stone for establishing counterpoint as a rich analytical, pedagogical, compositional and improvisational resource in contemporary jazz practice. iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere thanks to my doctoral committee members, Jeff Packman, Alexander Rapoport, Terry Promane, and Jim Lewis for their invaluable support and suggestions in the development and writing of this dissertation. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my co- supervisor, Jeff Packman, for helping me to develop the conceptual framework of the thesis, for the extensive feedback and countless suggestions in conversations over the past several years, and for keeping the boat afloat. An enormous thanks to my co-supervisor Alexander Rapoport for the many insightful lessons on counterpoint, cello writing and more, and for deepening my understanding of counterpoint throughout the dissertation process. I would like to thank Joe Sullivan for serving as the external committee member and for his thorough and informative feedback on the conceptual basis of my thesis. I would also like to thank Ryan McClelland for his participation on the defense committee and his very constructive comments that helped to solidify my arguments. I am indebted to Frank Falco who, through many years of private instruction, opened my eyes and ears to understanding music in a way that guides me to this day. In particular, I would like to thank Ben Monder for taking the time for our interview and for his music that I continually return to for inspiration and enriching my own writing and playing. Most of all, I would like to thank my family: my mom and sisters for their continued love and support, and many Friday dinners throughout my studies; my dad who somehow knew I could finish; the Parks for their moral support; and my wife Angela and my son Alfie who are my backbone and whose love and encouragement helped me immeasurably throughout this research. iv Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES .............................................................................................................................. VII INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCING BEN MONDER ................................................................................................................................... 7 MONDER ON COMPOSITION .................................................................................................................................... 8 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER ONE LITERATURE REVIEW AND BROADENING THE NOTION OF COUNTERPOINT ................................. 13 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................................... 13 Jazz Literature and Counterpoint ....................................................................................................................... 14 Voicing Construction and Voice Leading ............................................................................................................ 17 Toward a Broader Notion of Counterpoint ........................................................................................................ 20 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 23 Voice Leading as Counterpoint .......................................................................................................................... 23 The Evolution of Counterpoint ........................................................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER TWO CHORALES .................................................................................................................................. 29 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 29 LUTEOUS PANGOLIN – COMPOSITION .................................................................................................................... 32 Single Line Construction ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Two-Voice Framework ....................................................................................................................................... 36 Full Texture ........................................................................................................................................................ 38 IMPROVISATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 42 LUTEOUS PANGOLIN - IMPROVISATION ................................................................................................................. 44 O.K. CHORALE - COMPOSITION ............................................................................................................................... 48 O.K. CHORALE - IMPROVISATION ............................................................................................................................ 54 IN MEMORIAM - COMPOSITION ............................................................................................................................. 57 TREDECADROME – COMPOSITION ......................................................................................................................... 62 TREDECADROME – IMPROVISATION ...................................................................................................................... 66 SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................................. 66 v CHAPTER THREE PEDAL POINT ........................................................................................................................... 68 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................................
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