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Neo-Riemannian Transformations and Prolongational Structures in Wagner's Parsifal Steven Scott Baker

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Neo-Riemannian Transformations and Prolongational Structures in Wagner's Parsifal Steven Scott Baker Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2003 Neo-Riemannian Transformations and Prolongational Structures in Wagner's Parsifal Steven Scott Baker Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEO-RIEMANNIAN TRANSFORMATIONS AND PROLONGATIONAL STRUCTURES IN WAGNER’S PARSIFAL By STEVEN SCOTT BAKER A Dissertation submitted to the School of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2003 The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Steven Scott Baker defended on April 1, 2003. _______________________ Jane Piper Clendinning Professor Directing Dissertation _______________________ Douglas Fisher Outside Committee Member _______________________ Evan Jones Committee Member _______________________ James R. Mathes Committee Member _______________________ Matthew R. Shaftel Committee Member The office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii This document is dedicated to Dr. Jonathan May for instilling in me a love of music that has never wavered. I extend my deepest gratitude to him for believing that I could succeed in the field of music, and more importantly, for making me believe it. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks and appreciation are extended to Prof. Jane Piper Clendinning for her constant support and advice during the preparation of this document. I am forever indebted to her for being the best and most enthusiastic advisor I could have asked for. I would also like to thank the members of my dissertation committee: Prof. Evan Jones, Prof. Matthew Shaftel, Prof. James Mathes, and Prof. Douglas Fisher for their outstanding work and insightful comments. They have truly inspired me throughout this project. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Prof. Peter Spencer for giving me the opportunity to be a teaching assistant at Florida State University as well as for his constant support and tutelage, my colleagues in Prof. Jones’ Doctoral Seminar for their perceptive comments and questions, Prof. Michael Buchler for his advice during several informal conversations, Prof. Richard Kaplan whose helpful comments on my paper at SCSMT 2002 changed the course of this dissertation, and Danny Beard for all the lunches and phone conversations over the last five years. Finally, I would like to thank my wonderful wife, Sarah, and our cats, Greg and Brad, for all the love and understanding they gave me every day while I was writing this document. Thanks also to Dad and Debbie, Mom, Darlene and Jimbo, my grandparents, and to all my other friends and family, who have been a constant source of love and support throughout my life. I would never have made it without them. iv CONTENTS List of Tables vii List of Figures viii List of Examples xi List of Analytical Graphs xiv Abstract xv 1. INTRO TO WAGNER’S PARSIFAL 1 Wagner and the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ 1 The Story of Wagner’s Parsifal 5 The Legends of the Grail and Parsifal 8 The Composition of Parsifal 10 Performance History 11 The Analysis of Opera 13 Analytical Approaches 17 2. EXTENSIONS OF NEO-RIEMANNIAN THEORY 19 Review of Neo-Riemannian Models 20 Exploration of Parsimony and Displacement Classes 23 Expansion of Triad Model 27 Integration of Split Functions 30 Expansion of Seventh-Chord Model 33 Combination of Previous Models 36 Analysis 37 3. EXTENSIONS OF THE SCHENKERIAN PARADIGM FOR 70 LATE-ROMANTIC MUSIC Schenker and Chromaticism 72 Prolongation 79 Multivalence 83 4. LINEAR ANALYSIS OF FIVE SCENES FROM PARSIFAL 100 Analysis of the Prelude to Act I 100 Analysis of the Prelude to Act II 103 v Analysis of the ‘Kiss’ Scene from Act II 106 Analysis of the ‘Baptisms’ Scene from Act III 109 Analysis of the “Amfortas’ Prayer” Scene from Act III 111 5. CONCLUSIONS AND PLANS FOR FUTURE STUDY 152 BIBLIOGRAPHY 156 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 163 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1a: Triad to Triad – Displacement of 1 semitone 52 Table 1b: Seventh Chord to Seventh Chord – Displacement of 1 semitone 53 Table 1c: Triad to Seventh Chord – Displacement of 1 semitone 53 Table 2a: Triad to Triad – Displacement of 2 semitones 53 Table 2b: Seventh Chord to Seventh Chord – Displacement of 2 semitones 54 Table 2c: Triad to Seventh Chord – Displacement of 2 semitones 54 Table 3: Triad to Triad – Displacement of 1 semitone 56 Table 4: Triad to Triad – Displacement of 2 semitones 59 Table 5: Triad to Seventh Chord – Displacement of 2 semitones 60 Table 6: Seventh Chord to Seventh Chord – Displacement of 1 semitone 61 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: Parsifal Leitmotifs 18 Figure 2-1: Douthett and Steinbach’s Parsimonious Relations 42 Figure 2-2: Hyer’s Tonnetz 42 Figure 2-3a: Douthett and Steinbach’s Chicken-wire Torus 43 Figure 2-3b: Douthett and Steinbach’s Cube Dance 43 Figure 2-4a: Douthett and Steinbach’s Towers Torus 44 Figure 2-4b: Douthett and Steinbach’s Power Towers 44 Figure 2-5: Callender’s use of the split (S) function 45 Figure 2-6: Arrow tables demonstrating one-semitone displacement 45 from C major triad. Figure 2-7: Graphic illustration of one-semitone displacement from 45 a) CM triad and b) C7 chord Figure 2-8: DC2 relations 45 Figure 2-9: Algebraic model for major triad 46 Figure 2-10: Complete arrow table transformations among major triads 47 Figure 2-11: Displacement class tables 48 Figure 2-12: Arrow table transformations illustrating a) Xm – (X+9)ø7, 52 a) XM7 – (X+2)dom7, and c) Lewin’s upshift and downshift voice-leading principles applied so that each member of the first sonority has a discrete corresponding member in the second. Figure 2-13: Tonnetz functions 55 Figure 2-14: -L and R* functions 55 viii Figure 2-16: PR-cycle generated octagons 56 Figure 2-17a: Octatonic Propeller graph 57 Figure 2-17b: L-relations 57 Figure 2-17c: -L relations 58 Figure 2-17d: R* relations 58 Figure 2-18: Two possible intermediate sonorities between C major 59 and E major Figure 2-19: Arrow table demonstration of the two DC1 splits 59 Figure 2-20: Arrow tables demonstrating all thirteen DC2-related split 59 functions Figure 2-21: Arrow tables demonstrating the eight DC1-related 61 seventh-chord functions. Figure 2-22: 3-D Power Towers 62 Figure 2-23: Starburst graph 63 Figure 2-24: Connection of triad and seventh chord models 64 Figure 2-25: Final graph 64 Figure 2-26: Transformational path of Example 2-1 68 Figure 2-27: Transformational path of Example 2-2 68 Figure 2-28: Transformational path of Example 2-3 69 Figure 2-29: Transformational path of Example 2-4 69 Figure 3-1: Schenker’s list of diatonic and chromatic Stufe from 92 Harmonielehre Figure 3-2: Brown’s realization of Schenker’s list 92 Figure 3-3: Schenker, Der freie Satz, Fig. 40.6: arpeggiation of minor 93 thirds ix Figure 3-4a: Schenker, Der freie Satz, Fig. 30b: substitution of ^3 93 caused by mixture in tonic triad Figure 3-4b: Schenker, Der freie Satz, Fig. 154.4: substitution of ^5 93 caused by mixture in mediant triad Figure 3-5: Mitchell’s graph of Tristan Prelude 94 Figure 3-6: Three possible resolutions F7 94 Figure 3-7a: Schenker Free Composition, Fig. 100.3a: graph of 94 Chopin Op. 28, no. 2 Figure 3-7b: Stein’s Directional tonality reading of Chopin 95 Op. 28, no. 2 Figure 3-8: Schenker, Der freie Satz, 62.5 and 62.4: prolongations 95 of V7 Figure 3-9: Darcy’s expansion of mediant in Das Rheingold 96 Figure 3-10: McCreless’ composing out of V7/B in 96 Götterdammerung Figure 3-11: Krebs’ dual analysis of ‘Der Wanderer’ 97 Figure 3-12: Darcy’s reduction of Das Rheingold – Act I, 97 Scene I, Episode 6 Figure 3-13a: Alternation of m2 interval with alternate 98 prolongational suggestions Figure 3-13b: Harmonization of 3-13a in cadential formula 98 Figure 3-13c: Final measures of Bach, Partita in Bb, Sarabande 98 Figure 3-13d: Benjamin’s overlapping prolongations 98 Figure 3-14: Haydn, Piano Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI/35, I, 99 mm. 1-8 with Wagner’s reduction illustrating alternate unfolding Figure 3-15: Salzer, Structural Hearing Fig. 183: double voice 99 exchange in Mozart, Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 311, II, mm. 1-4 x LIST OF EXAMPLES Example 2-1: Wagner, Parsifal, Act II mm. 1032-1041 65 Example 2-2: Wagner, Parsifal, Act II mm. 1076-1078 66 Example 2-3: Wagner, Parsifal, Act II mm. 1102-1107 66 Example 2-4: Wagner, Parsifal, Act III mm. 1012-1021 67 Example 4-1: Wagner, Parsifal, Act I, mm. 1-6: Opening 116 Communion motive Example 4-2: Wagner, Parsifal, Act I, mm. 20-25: Communion 116 motive in C minor Example 4-3: Wagner, Parsifal, Act I, mm. 39-43: Grail motive 117 Example 4-4: Wagner, Parsifal, Act I, mm. 44-55: Sequential 117 repetition of Faith motive. Example 4-5: Wagner, Parsifal, Act I, mm. 60-69: Sequential 118 repetition of Faith motive Example 4-6: Wagner, Parsifal, Act I, a) mm. 80-82; b) mm. 85-87; 120 c) mm. 90-92: Communion motives supported by dissonances Example 4-7: Wagner, Parsifal, Act I, mm. 128-132: Tonal and 121 melodic closure Example 4-8: Wagner, Parsifal, Act II, mm. 5-8: 8-6 sequence of 123 Klingsor motives Example 4-9: Wagner, Parsifal, Act II, mm. 9-14: Unfolding of 124 C#°7 Example 4-10: Wagner, Parsifal, Act II, mm.
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