Stuart Dempster William Benjamin Mcilwain
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2010 Select Contributions and Commissions in Solo Trombone Repertoire by Trombonist Innovator and Pioneer: Stuart Dempster William Benjamin McIlwain Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC SELECT CONTRIBUTIONS AND COMMISSIONS IN SOLO TROMBONE REPERTOIRE BY TROMBONIST INNOVATOR AND PIONEER: STUART DEMPSTER By WILLIAM BENJAMIN MCILWAIN A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2010 The members of the committee approve the treatise of William Benjamin McIlwain defended on October 14, 2010. __________________________________ John Drew Professor Directing Treatise __________________________________ Richard Clary University Representative __________________________________ Deborah Bish Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members. ii I dedicate this to my loving wife, Jackie, for her support, guidance and encouragement throughout our lives together. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge Stuart Dempster‘s unwavering support and willingness to see this project through since its inception. In addition to his candor in the interview process, Mr. Dempster put me in contact with colleagues and former students who have helped in my research. Also, he took an active role in the editing process of the transcripts and treatise, all of his own accord. It has been a true honor and privilege to learn from him during this process. Thank you to all of Mr. Dempster‘s students and colleagues that provided insight during the research process. These generous people include James Lebens, Pauline Oliveros, Scott Mousseau, Monique Buzzarté, Dan Wolch, Gretchen McNamara, Nathaniel Oxford and Jonathan Pasternack. Also, I would like to thank Dr. Deborah Bish and Professor Richard Clary for their time and commitment to help make this process as painless as possible. I feel particularly fortunate to have a major professor like Dr. John Drew, whose attention to detail and never-ending support proved pivotal during the course of this journey. Throughout my life, I have been blessed with a family that believed in me and encouraged me, regardless of my seemingly lofty goals and aspirations. These family members include Don and Debbie McIlwain, Brad McIlwain, George and Lori O‘Kain, John O‘Kain, and Joanne O‘Kain. Last but not in any way least, I would like to thank my wife for her wisdom, love and support. I will always appreciate how you beat me to the finish line, Dr. Jackie McIlwain. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................ vii INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 1. STUART DEMPSTER .......................................................................... 3 1.1 As Performer .................................................................................. 5 1.2 As Teacher ..................................................................................... 12 1.3 As Commissioner ........................................................................... 15 1.4 As Composer .................................................................................. 16 1.5 As Healer ....................................................................................... 19 2. SELECT COMMISSIONS .................................................................... 22 2.1 Berio Sequenza V (1966) .............................................................. 23 2.2 Imbrie Three Sketches (1967) ........................................................ 30 2.3 Krenek Five Pieces (1967) ............................................................ 33 2.4 Erickson General Speech (1969) ................................................... 35 2.5 Suderburg Chamber Music III: Night Set (1972) .......................... 43 2.6 Erb Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (1976) ....................... 47 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................... 50 APPENDICES ............................................................................................ 52 A TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH STUART DEMPSTER ....... 52 B TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH JAMES LEBENS................ 78 C TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH PAULINE OLIVEROS ...... 95 D STATEMENT BY SCOTT MOUSSEAU............................................ 103 E STATEMENT BY MONIQUE BUZZARTÉ ...................................... 106 F STATEMENT BY DAN WOLCH ....................................................... 109 G STATEMENT BY GRETCHEN MCNAMARA ................................. 115 H STATEMENT BY NATHANIEL OXFORD ....................................... 119 I STATEMENT BY JONATHAN PASTERNACK ............................... 121 J LIST OF COMMISSIONS AND DEDICATIONS .............................. 124 v K HUMAN SUBJECTS REVIEW BOARD EXEMPTION .................... 128 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................... 130 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ...................................................................... 134 vi ABSTRACT Trombonist innovator and pioneer, Stuart Dempster‘s diverse career has included roles as performer, teacher, commissioner, composer and healer. Through extensive interviews with Dempster, his colleagues and former students, this document will provide biographical information and background on his career over the past five decades including his experiences with the San Francisco Tape Music Center, didjeridu, Deep Listening Band and his teachings at the University of Washington. Additionally, six of Dempster‘s commissions will be discussed providing background information on the composer, collaborative process and an examination of any salient features of the work. The six commissions that will be discussed include Luciano Berio‘s Sequenza V (1966), Andrew Imbrie‘s Three Sketches (1967), Ernst Krenek‘s Five Pieces (1967), Robert Erickson‘s General Speech (1969), Robert Suderburg‘s Chamber Music III: Night Set (1972) and Donald Erb‘s Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (1976). vii INTRODUCTION Many of the advances in the various fields of science and technology would have proven difficult to achieve without the emergence of pioneers and innovators. According to Paul DiMaggio in ―Social Implications of the Internet,‖ more than fifty-five million Americans went online during an average day a decade ago.1 In 2000, the World Wide Web included over two billion Web pages and nearly two million pages added daily.2 Without World Wide Web inventor and pioneer, Tim Berners-Lee, this undeniable technological advancement could have taken much longer to materialize. Similarly, the phenomenon of innovations attributed to specific people can also be found in the field of music. For instrumentalists, pioneers have facilitated the increase in popularity of their particular instrument through performance, commissions, compositions, and manufacture. Violinists have Antonio Stradivari and Niccolò Paganini, while pianists have Henry E. Steinway and Franz Liszt. While the trombone might not have yet reached the same heights in popularity as the violin or piano, the instrument‘s prominence has greatly increased in the last one hundred years due to significant figures who have championed it. Recently, many young trombonist‘s ears have been saturated with recordings of the current giants in the trombone world, such as Joseph Alessi and Christian Lindberg, while remaining unfamiliar with the strides that Stuart Dempster pioneered for the trombone and its repertoire, laying the groundwork for respect the trombone is garnering as a virtuosic solo instrument. Dempster‘s major contributions to the advancement of the trombone include his performances, teachings and commissions for new works for the instrument. In an article marking his seventieth birthday and the fortieth anniversary of Luciano Berio‘s Sequenza V, Chris Stover writes, ―until Christian Lindberg came along no one has done more to expand the repertoire of the trombone than Stuart Dempster.‖3 Composer and friend 1 Paul DiMaggio, Eszter Hargittai, W. Russell Neuman and John P. Robinson, ―Social Implications of the Internet,‖ Annual Review of Sociology 27 (2001): 308. 2 Ibid. 1 Robert Erickson recollects that after Dempster‘s first solo recital of new music at the San Francisco Tape Music Center in 1966 the ―audience, musicians, and critics were impressed, and that night Stu launched his campaign to place the trombone in the main stream of contemporary music.‖4 Suffice it to say, Dempster‘s role in the rise in popularity of the trombone among both composers and aspiring trombonists has been pivotal and indisputable. 3 Chris Stover, “Stuart Dempster: Sedimental Journey,” International Trombone Journal 34, no. 2 (Spring 2006): 60. 4 Robert Erickson and John MacKay, Music of Many Means: Sketches and Essays on the Music of Robert Erickson (Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1995), 72. 2 CHAPTER 1 STUART DEMPSTER With nearly two dozen commissions for the trombone and twenty dedications by other composers, Stuart Dempster‘s growth as a musician has been influenced by his relationships with not only other musicians and composers, but also the audience that