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DANSES CQNCERTANTES BY IGOR STRAVINSKY: AN ARRANGEMENT FOR TWO PIANOS, FOUR HANDS by KEVIN PURRONE, B.M., M.M. A DISSERTATION IN FINE ARTS Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved Accepted August, 1994 t ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my appreciation to Dr. William Westney, not only for the excellent advice he offered during the course of this project, but also for the fine example he set as an artist, scholar and teacher during my years at Texas Tech University. The others on my dissertation committee-Dr. Wayne Hobbs, director of the School of Music, Dr. Kenneth Davis, Dr. Richard Weaver and Dr. Daniel Nathan-were all very helpful in inspiring me to complete this work. Ms. Barbi Dickensheet at the graduate school gave me much positive assistance in the final preparation and layout of the text. My father, Mr. Savino Purrone, as well as my family, were always very supportive. European American Music granted me permission to reprint my arrangement—this was essential, and I am thankful for their help and especially for Ms. Caroline Kane's assistance in this matter. Many other individuals assisted me, sometimes without knowing it. To all I express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii CHAPTER L INTRODUCTION 1 n. GENERAL PRINCIPLES 3 Doubled Notes 3 Articulations 4 Melodic Material 4 Equal Roles 4 Free Redistribution of Parts 5 Practical Considerations 5 Homogeneity of Rhythm 5 Dynamics 6 Tutti GesUires 6 Homogeneity of Texmre 6 Forte-Piano Chords 7 Movement EI: Variation I 7 Conclusion 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 9 m APPENDIX A. LICENSE AGREEMENT 10 B. MARCHE-INTRODUCTION 13 C. PAS D'ACTION 33 D. THEME VARIE 61 E. PAS DE DEUX 114 F. MARCHE-CONCLUSION 141 IV CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION There are many fine musical works not originally written for the piano. Pianists have the opportimity to perform these works if an arrangement or transcription is available. As an accomplished pianist, Igor Stravinsky (who composed at the piano) created several arrangements of his orchestral music for one or two pmnos-Petrouchka, Le Sacre du Printemps, Concerto Eb ("Dimibarton Oaks"), Scherzo a la russe. Septet and Agon are examples. Although these arrangements are a testament to his appreciation of the piano as a vahd portrayer of his orchestral music, no arrangement of Danses Concertantes has been available. Danses Concertantes is a work for chamber orchestra in five movements—Marche-Introduction, Pas d'Action, Theme varie. Pas de Deux, and Marche-Conclusion. It is written for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 homs, trumpet, trombone, timpani, 6 violins, 4 violas, 3 violoncelli, and 2 double-basses and its duration is approximately 20- minutes. This piece was commissioned by Wemer Janssen of Los Angeles for his own orchestra, and was conducted by the composer at its premier on February 8, 1942, in Los Angeles. It is an important representation of a change in the composer's style: Stravinsky was fifty-eight when he began a new life in California [1940], yet he was to change continually and more profoundly there than ever before, both as a composer—from the very first months in Los Angeles, he was more accessible to new ideas and influences than he had been in his final years in Europe-and as a man. The metamorphosis of the man was largely due to his remarriage, but the informality and the radically different "life style" of southern California were contributing factors.^ iFrom Stravinsky in Pictures and Documents, by V. Stravinsky and Robert Craft, 1979, as quoted in Louis Andriessen and Elmer Schoenberger, The Apollonian Clockwork, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989, page 12. 1 A quick look at Danses Concertantes gives us die false impression that it is a simple piece.2 The rhythms and meters are straightforward, the pitch content is diatonic, and the scoring is for chamber orchestra. Upon closer examination, the textural sophistication and relationships between the instnmiental parts show a high degree of complexity. The complexity of Danses Concertantes made it necessary in the course of the arrangement to pay unique attention to every measure and every instrumental part. It became obvious that no general formula could be followed—indeed, to consistently follow elementary arranging techniques (e.g., "put the strings in one piano, the winds in the other") would have resulted in disaster. In a sense, the work demanded that it should be arranged in its own way. Recognizing this requirement, I am grateful that very few notes needed to be omitted from the two-piano version, which has the added benefit of being idiomatic. Following this introduction is a discussion of the general principles which were followed during the course of the arrangement. This discussion is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather intends to be a compilation of concepts of which I made frequent use. It also may reveal certain aspects of the arranging process as a creative endeavor. The appendices follow. They contain a copy of the license agreement from European American Music Distributors, Inc., the score of each movement of the arrangement for two pianos, and analytical notes following each of these movements. These notes contain information about my distributions of the instnmiental parts (i.e., which piano or which hand takes the various parts). They also attempt to reveal the criteria and reasoning behind the many decisions I made conceming these distributions. Here, the appHcation of general principles is discussed in detail. The possession of a full score (Schott ED 4275) as well as a recording (Stravinsky recorded this work on Columbia Records, M30516. "Stravinsky Conducts.") would help the reader to acquire a good imderstanding of the original work, the arrangement, and my analytical notes. 2 Andriessen, Louis and Elmer Schoenberger, trans. Jeff Hamburg, The Apollonian Clockwork. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989, page 12. CHAPTER II GENERAL PRINCIPLES During the course of the arrangement, certain principles were followed. Some of these principles I imposed from the beginning. The majority of them evolved from die namre of the original orchestration as well as the composition itself. Doubled Notes From the first measure to the last, the primary and most obvious principle was to find doubled notes so that they would not be included in the two piano version. Doubled notes are considered to be the same pitches which appear in more than one instmmental part simultaneously. For example, in movement I, measure 1-11, the orchestral score shows eleven parts while the arrangement shows eight. It is not that certain parts are omitted, but rather that the doubled notes are not included. Although this principle is the simplest, it lays the foundation for the entire arrangement. Another example is in movement I, measure 31, where the oboe doubles the first violin and the clarinet doubles the viola. In this case, a variation of the doubling principle arises, which is concemed with instruments that play the same pitches an octave apart. Sometimes, it is necessary to omit one of these parts. In measures 31 and 34, the octave doubling of the flute is not included because it is a color effect and if not omitted, would create a passage which is not idiomatic to the piano. In movement III, variation I, measures 44ff., the lower viola octave is not included: its absence allows the pianist to follow the grazioso indication. An interesting appHcation of this principle evolved from the texture in movement II, measures 29ff. The melody is generated by the crossing of violin and viola parts, which individually jump up and down octaves, but together form a continuous melodic Hne. The lower octave is not included—it would prevent the pianist from playing the material in the indicated leggiero character. Articulations The treatment of articulations followed general patterns. Down- bow indications in the orchestral score are not included in the arrangement. A regular accent is substituted. For example, in movement n, measures 18-21, the down-bow indications are changed to accent marks in piano one. When pizzicato appears as an important part of the orchestral color, I add "pizz." to each appropriate note (see movement III, variation n, measures 37ff.). At other times, I add staccato marks instead of "pizz." over the notes, so that the arrangement does not get too cluttered. If the same notes appear in different instruments with different articulations, an average is found. In movement IV, measures 22-30. the cello and bass have the same notes, but the cello plays pizzicato quarter- notes at mezzo forte while the bass plays arco half-notes at piano. A mezzo piano is indicated in the arrangement, and accents are added to each of these notes to simulate the percussive effect of the cello pizzicati. Melodic Material The distribution of melodic material was affected by a principle concemed with piano technique. If one hand takes important melodic material, and that hand is unencumbered by other notes, the performer will have more control over the material's phrasing, dynamics, shaping, articulation, etc. For example, see movement I, measures 12ff., in piano two, and in measure 27ff., where piano one has only the trumpet part in the right hand. Equal Roles The principle concemed with giving each pianist as equal a share in the material as possible encompassed the entire arrangement. There was not to be one pianist serving as an accompanist to the other. Therefore, when one pianist has the melodic material in a certain section, the other pianist will have the melodic material in the next section, so that the pianists altemate.

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