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2017 Vincent Persichetti's Tenth Piano Sonata: An Analysis of Theme, Motive, Melody, and Harmony Chad Daniel Spears

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COLLEGE OF MUSIC

VINCENT PERSICHETTI’S TENTH PIANO SONATA:

AN ANALYSIS OF THEME, MOTIVE, MELODY, AND HARMONY

By

CHAD DANIEL SPEARS

A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music

2017 Chad Spears defended this treatise on November 17, 2017. The members of the supervisory committee were:

Read Gainsford Professor Directing Treatise

Clifton Callender University Representative

David Kalhous Committee Member

Stijn De Cock Committee Member

The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the treatise has been approved in accordance with university requirements.

ii

This treatise is dedicated to the memory of Joel Hastings and my Great Aunt Vera Casstevens

iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the following people:

My major professor, Dr. Read Gainsford, for the sincere interest he has taken in my musical growth and for always being a source of inspiration.

My former piano instructors, Dr. Jay Mauchley, Geraldine Harrison, and Adrienne Fisher for helping to shape me into the pianist I am today.

My doctoral supervisory committee, Dr. David Kalhous, Dr. Clifton Callender, and Dr. Stijn De Cock for their expert guidance and support in my doctoral degree completion.

The late Dr. Joel Hastings, for believing in me and supporting me throughout my time at Florida State University.

My friends and family for their unconditional love and support, without which I would not be where I am today.

iv TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures ...... vi List of Musical Examples ...... vii Abstract ...... x

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 1

Statement of Purpose...... 1 Need for the Study ...... 1 Organization ...... 2

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ...... 3

Contextualizing Persichetti’s Musical Language ...... 3 Persichetti’s Piano Sonatas ...... 17

3. TENTH PIANO SONATA, OP. 67: THEMATIC AND MOTIVIC DEVELOPMENT ...... 24

Theme and Motive in the Tenth Piano Sonata ...... 24

4. TENTH PIANO SONATA, OP. 67: MELODIC AND HARMONIC ANALYSIS ...... 44

Persichetti’s Melodic and Harmonic Vocabulary ...... 44 Phrase Re-Composition ...... 51

4. CONCLUSION ...... 62

References ...... 64

Biographical Sketch ...... 66

v LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1: Hungarian minor scale: ...... 9

Figure 2.2: Scriabin’s “Mystic” chord: ...... 14

Figure 2.3: Harmonic series: ...... 15

Figure 3.1: Tenth Sonata, consequent phrase of the opening period without octave displacements, first section, mm. 3-4: ...... 33

Figure 3.2: Tenth Sonata, manipulation of motive a, first section, mm. 5-6: ...... 35

Figure 4.1: C Mixolydian mode: ...... 46

Figure 4.2: Jazz Mixolydian mode: ...... 46

Figure 4.3: Octatonic scale forms: ...... 47

Figure 4.4: Tenth Sonata, examples of secundal, quintal, and quartal chords, first section: ...... 50

vi LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Example 2.1: Chopin, Prelude in A Minor, Op. 28, No. 2: ...... 7

Example 2.2: Liszt, Nuages Gris, mm. 11-20: ...... 9

Example 2.3: Scriabin, opening measures of Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53: ...... 12

Example 2.4: Scriabin, final measures of Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53: ...... 12

Example 2.5: Scriabin, second theme of the exposition, mm. 120-123: ...... 13

Example 2.6: Scriabin, second theme of the exposition, mm. 134-136: ...... 13

Example 2.7: First Piano Sonata, first movement, mm. 1-3: ...... 18

Example 2.8: First Piano Sonata, first movement, mm. 39-44: ...... 19

Example 2.9: Hindemith, Piano Sonata No. 1, first movement, mm. 1-4: ...... 19

Example 2.10: Fifth Piano Sonata, third movement, mm. 10-15: ...... 20

Example 2.11: Tenth Piano Sonata, fourth section, mm. 86-88: ...... 20

Example 2.12: Sixth Piano Sonata, fourth movement, mm. 1-4: ...... 21

Example 2.13: Twelfth Piano Sonata, first movement, mm. 18-20: ...... 21

Example 2.14: Eleventh Piano Sonata, first section, mm. 1-5:...... 22

Example 3.1: Tenth Sonata, first theme, first section, mm. 1-2: ...... 25

Example 3.2: Tenth Sonata, first theme, second section, mm. 1-5: ...... 25

Example 3.3: Tenth Sonata, sixteenth-note passagework, second section, mm. 40-43:...... 25

Example 3.4: Tenth Sonata, first theme, third section, mm. 1-2: ...... 26

Example 3.5: Tenth Sonata, first theme, fourth section, mm. 1-2: ...... 26

Example 3.6: Liszt Sonata, rhythmic diminution of introduction theme, mm. 14-17: ...... 27

Example 3.7: Liszt Sonata, second theme generated from introduction theme, mm. 153-156: ....27

Example 3.8: Tenth Sonata, second theme, first section, mm. 46-53: ...... 28

vii

Example 3.9: Tenth Sonata, second theme, third section, mm. 39-40:...... 29

Example 3.10: Tenth Sonata, second theme, fourth section, mm. 34-46: ...... 29

Example 3.11: Tenth Sonata, conflict between themes, fourth section, mm. 53-60: ...... 30

Example 3.12: Tenth Sonata, second theme interruptions, fourth section, mm. 92-101: ...... 30

Example 3.13: Tenth Sonata, final statement of second theme, fourth section, mm. 134-142: ....30

Example 3.14: Tenth Sonata, third theme, first section, mm. 27-32: ...... 31

Example 3.15: Tenth Sonata, third theme as lead-in material, first section, mm. 46-49: ...... 31

Example 3.16: Tenth Sonata, final appearance of third theme, first section, mm. 75-78:...... 32

Example 3.17: Tenth Sonata, melodic motives of opening period, first section, mm. 1-5:...... 33

Example 3.18: Tenth Sonata, first section, mm. 4-6:...... 34

Example 3.19: Tenth Sonata, motivic connections, first section, mm. 3-7: ...... 35

Example 3.20: Tenth Sonata, alternating chords, first section, mm. 6-7: ...... 36

Example 3.21: Tenth Sonata, inversion of opening rhythmic motive, first section, m. 9: ...... 36

Example 3.22: Tenth Sonata, return of opening scalar motive, first section, mm. 10-11: ...... 37

Example 3.23: Tenth Sonata, rhythmic and registral conflict, first section, mm. 12-16: ...... 38

Example 3.24: Tenth Sonata, first section, mm. 20-24:...... 38

Example 3.25: Tenth Sonata, introduction of third theme, first section, mm. 27-32: ...... 39

Example 3.26: Tenth Sonata, interruption of broken intervals, first section, mm. 35-38: ...... 40

Example 3.27: Tenth Sonata, alternating chords & broken intervals, first section, mm. 65-68: ...41

Example 3.28: Tenth Sonata, final statement of first theme, first section, mm. 70-72: ...... 41

Example 3.29: Tenth Sonata, ascending gestures, first section, mm. 82-84: ...... 42

Example 3.30: Tenth Sonata, first section, mm. 85-91:...... 42

Example 4.1: Tenth Sonata, use of octatonic pitch collections, first section, mm. 22-26: ...... 48

viii Example 4.2: Tenth Sonata, opening musical period, first section, mm. 1-4: ...... 49

Example 4.3: Tenth Sonata, C Jazz Mixolydian re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4: ...... 52

Example 4.4: Tenth Sonata, B-flat Dorian re-composision, first section, mm. 1-4: ...... 53

Example 4.5: Tenth Sonata, B-flat Mixolydian re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4: ...... 54

Example 4.6: Tenth Sonata, B minor re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4: ...... 55

Example 4.7: Tenth Sonata, B Major re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4: ...... 55

Example 4.8: Tenth Sonata, presence of contrasting pitch collections, first section, mm. 1-4: ....56

Example 4.9: Tenth Sonata, first section, mm. 29-32:...... 57

Example 4.10: Tenth Sonata, E-flat Major re-composition, first section, mm. 29-32: ...... 58

Example 4.11: Tenth Sonata, E minor re-composition, first section, mm. 29-32: ...... 59

Example 4.12: Tenth Sonata, E-flat minor re-composition, first section, mm. 29-32: ...... 60

Example 4.13: Tenth Sonata, B Major re-composition, first section, mm. 29-32: ...... 61

ix ABSTRACT

This study provides an analysis of the Tenth Piano Sonata, Op. 67 (1955) of the American composer Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987) through an analysis of thematic development, motivic development, melody, and harmony. The evolution of themes throughout each section of the Tenth Piano Sonata is illustrated and discussed, as well as motivic development in the first section, in order to help a performer understand the metamorphosis of musical ideas throughout the work. An understanding of this will allow a performer to achieve an interpretation with a greater sense of structural clarity, as motivic and thematic development serve as the primary unifying forces for the sonata. Melody and harmony in the first section are analyzed in reference to the specific twentieth-century compositional tools and techniques Persichetti draws upon in order to achieve his eclectic and distinct sound. A primary way in which melody and harmony is explored in this study is through re- composition of select phrases. This process involves re-writing particular phrases within the first section to fit within more conventional tonal and modal frameworks. Doing this helps to illuminate the compositional choices Persichetti ultimately made in the Tenth Piano Sonata as well as elucidate his eclectic melodic and harmonic language. In using re-composition as an analytical tool, phrases are chosen that are tonally ambiguous and draw from more than one collection of pitches. The phrases are then re-written to align with a single tonal center and collection of pitches. This process clarifies the harmonic and melodic vocabulary Persichetti utilizes by drawing attention to the motion of the music from one tonal center or pitch collection to another and the unique sound that results from the combined effect of these compositional choices. This can help a performer to develop an intimate understanding of Persichetti’s musical language and therefore lead to a more informed and convincing interpretation.

x CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the treatise is to analyze the Tenth Piano Sonata, Op. 67 (1955) of the American composer Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987), providing a framework within which to understand the unique qualities of Persichetti’s compositional language. Persichetti’s music consists of an amalgamation of styles and sounds, resulting in music that is truly his own. As music history textbooks predominantly cover composers who are more easily categorized and adhere to stylistic norms, musicians may not ever encounter Persichetti’s music in their formal training if not exposed to his music in performance. Persichetti has made a significant contribution to the piano sonata genre, having written a total of twelve piano sonatas. Pianists should be aware of his contribution. Through an analysis of thematic development, motivic development, melody, and harmony in the Tenth Piano Sonata, this treatise aims to demystify the eclectic music of Persichetti and provide a lens through which one can develop an appreciation of his kaleidoscopic sound world.

Need for the Study

To this date, a thorough analysis of the Tenth Piano Sonata does not exist. Of all of the research conducted on Persichetti’s piano sonatas up to this moment, Laurence Farrell’s dissertation Vincent Persichetti’s Piano Sonatas from 1943 to 1965 (1976) provides the most comprehensive overview and analysis, discussing the Third through Eleventh sonatas in a fair amount of detail. Farrell covers the topics of fabric (i.e., the horizontal counterpart to texture), dynamics, harmony, melody, rhythm, form, and phrase structure in addressing the piano sonatas. Two of the areas in which Farrell provides the most comprehensive look at each of the sonatas are the areas of form and motivic development. Even though coverage of these two areas is fairly significant, Farrell is not able to delve into great detail in his analyses of the nine sonatas covered owing to the breadth of his study. Considering the complexity of Persichetti’s music, Farrell’s analysis only scratches the surface as to the driving forces behind the sonatas. As a result, a more detailed look at the Tenth Piano Sonata is warranted.

1 In regards to previous studies on both Persichetti’s keyboard and non-keyboard works, most authors have attempted to dissect melody and harmony in some fashion, as those two areas largely define Persichetti’s unique sound. However, the approach for analyzing melody and harmony taken in this study has not been utilized by previous studies. Understanding how Persichetti’s music might be altered to fit within more standard tonal and modal frameworks will greatly help to illustrate the specific ways in which Persichetti achieves his eclectic sound and give performers a greater appreciation of the subtle yet important nuances that color Persichetti’s musical language.

Organization

This study is organized into three main areas: (1) Background information, (2) Thematic and motivic development, and (3) Melodic and harmonic analysis. Within the chapter providing background information, a historical context for Persichetti’s music is established so as to clarify how Persichetti’s writing style came to be. A focus of this chapter is on the weakening of tonality in Western classical music and the development of musical style and compositional devices throughout the nineteenth century which pointed towards the rise of atonality in the twentieth century. This is followed by a brief overview of a few of Persichetti’s piano sonatas in order to contextualize the Tenth Piano Sonata within Persichetti’s work in the sonata genre. The following chapter on thematic and motivic development analyzes the metamorphosis of thematic material throughout each section of the sonata, after which motivic development is discussed through the lens of the sonata’s first section. The last chapter provides a melodic and harmonic analysis of the sonata’s first section. General melodic and harmonic characteristics of the first section will be discussed initially before going into analyses of select phrases. Lastly, a conclusion is provided in order to summarize the findings of this study.

2 CHAPTER 2

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Contextualizing Persichetti’s Musical Language

In order to fully understand and appreciate Persichetti’s music, it is beneficial to understand the context in which the music was conceived. The first half of the twentieth century featured striking experimentations with compositional styles and methods among classical composers. A crisis of tonality ensued, with composers feeling restricted by the confines of the traditional tonal system that had governed music from the Baroque era up through the start of the twentieth century. Author Robert P. Morgan (1991) speaks to the incredible impact this crisis in tonality had on music of the twentieth century: The collapse of traditional tonality […] was from a technical point of view the single most significant factor in shaping modern music. After a two-hundred-year period of relative agreement about basic technical matters, Western music was suddenly confronted with a radically new set of compositional possibilities, with basic new compositional decisions, and it is by no means farfetched to see subsequent music in the large as a series of conscious stratagems designed to compensate for tonality’s loss. (p. 1) Composers responded to this crisis in a variety of ways. Ernst Bloch (1880-1959), for instance, worked to expand the possibilities of tonality while keeping his music rooted in traditional triadic tonality (Simmons, 2004). Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951), on the other hand, veered away from tonality completely, embracing free atonality from 1908 and developing twelve-tone techniques from 1921. Persichetti emerged onto the classical music scene at a tumultuous time, but as this study will discuss, he neither felt pressure to hold on to the traditional tonal system of the past nor to do away with the system completely. He created his own unique voice and found comfort and excitement in the wealth of twentieth-century compositional techniques being explored by fellow classical composers.

Biographical Sketch of Persichetti

Vincent Ludwig Persichetti was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 6, 1915 to Vincenzo Ruggiero Persichetti and Martha Buch. His father was a native Italian, and his mother

3 a native German, though both came to the United States early in life with their families. Persichetti had a younger brother and sister, though neither shared his enthusiasm for music, which he developed quite early in life (Simmons, 2011). His parents fostered this enthusiasm, and at the mere age of 5, Persichetti was admitted into the Combs Conservatory in Philadelphia to study piano. He eventually broadened his range of studies to include the organ, double bass, theory, and composition. After completing his education through the public school system, Persichetti graduated from the Combs Conservatory at the age of 21 with a Bachelor of Music degree and was invited to head the school's Department of Theory and Composition. Persichetti went on to simultaneously pursue graduate studies in piano and composition at the Philadelphia Conservatory and conducting at the Curtis Institute, all while maintaining his position of head of the Department of Theory and Composition at Combs Conservatory. By 1941, he had earned his master's degrees from both Philadelphia and Curtis and was then invited to head the Philadelphia Conservatory's theory and composition departments. Four years later, he was awarded a doctorate from the Philadelphia Conservatory. One important friendship Persichetti developed was with the well-regarded American composer William Schuman (1910-1992), best known for his Third Symphony. Schuman, who had become the president of the Juilliard School in 1945, offered Persichetti a position at the school upon a recommendation from Persichetti's piano professor at the Philadelphia Conservatory. Persichetti accepted this position and would go on to assume other administrative positions at Juilliard over the years. Though Persichetti left quite a legacy with his compositions, he was equally known for his skills as a teacher. Notable former students of his include Thelonius Monk, Steve Reich, Lowell Liebermann, Richard Danielpour, Frank Zappa, Philip Glass, and Florida State University’s own Ellen Zwilich. Steve Reich had some particularly insightful things to say about Persichetti as a teacher: [Persichetti] was a phenomenal teacher because he had enormous musicianship and he could be a complete chameleon. He could listen to you, look at your score, and he became you. He could improvise pieces in your style. He knew what information you needed at this point in your life today. And that's a great teacher. Because, he has more technique than you have and he can see where you're going, not as a reflection of himself, but as an amplification of yourself. (Simmons, 2011, p. 179)

4 Persichetti taught at the Philadelphia Conservatory until 1962 and then remained on the Juilliard faculty until his death. Though one can detect many influences in his music, Vincent Persichetti's amalgamation of styles and sounds results in music that is truly his own. Of all of his works, his 12 sonatas for piano represent his musical personality the most clearly, as he was a formidable pianist himself. In addition to works for piano, Persichetti composed works for harpsichord, organ, and various other solo instruments, symphonies, works for band and wind ensemble, one opera based on the story of Chicken Little, chamber music, and also solo vocal and choral works. Considering the vast amount of music Persichetti wrote, one wonders why it isn't heard more often. A simple answer to this is that his music, at the time of its composition, was hard to classify and therefore did not ever gain a strong footing among audiences or even critics. His “fluent eclecticism often resulted in his being damned with the faint praise that he was merely a virtuoso craftsman whose work lacked an individual personality” (Simmons, 2011, p. 194). In defense of Persichetti, however, one might see this eclecticism as a strength of his, representing his comfort with and command of a wide variety of musical styles.

The Weakening of Tonality and Rise of Atonality

In understanding Persichetti’s musical style fully, it is necessary to look at the ways in which the evolution of tonality in the nineteenth century pointed towards the exploration of atonality in the twentieth century as well as the reasons atonality was so readily embraced by composers. The rise of atonality in the early twentieth century reflects a weakening of the traditional tonal system, which had become firmly established by the end of the eighteenth century. From around 1700 to 1800, the tonal system used in Western classical music had become solidified into a “universal music language” (Morgan, 1991). An example of this universal language can be seen in the use of sonata form throughout the Classical era (ca. 1750- 1820). Sonata form in the Classical era was inextricably linked with tonality by establishing a key through recognized tonal practices (using dominant to tonic motion as the way a key is defined), moving away from that key into areas of harmonic instability, and returning to the key. The first section of sonata form, the exposition, is comprised of two tonal areas. The first tonal area establishes the tonic, and in the case of a major key sonata, the second tonal area is usually anchored in the dominant key. The development section then commonly explores other keys,

5 creating a sense of harmonic instability. After an exploration of more remote keys, the development transitions into the last section, called the recapitulation. The recapitulation reprises material from the exposition, but the music of the second tonal area is now in the tonic key which leads to an overall sense of completion by returning to harmonic stability. Composers of the Romantic era (ca. 1820-1910) sought to explore harmony in more adventurous ways, utilizing more distant key relationships, unconventional harmonies, and tonal ambiguity. Though the sonata remained as a vehicle for musical innovation, with sonatas by Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt expanding the possibilities of sonata form, much of the significant musical growth throughout the Romantic era occurred through smaller musical forms. Smaller forms in many ways allowed for greater compositional freedom, including freedom of harmonic motion which could be explored without formal constraints. One striking example of tonal ambiguity from the Romantic era can be found in Chopin’s Prelude in A Minor, Op. 28, No. 2. In this work, Chopin delays any sign of the piece being in A minor until the cadential six-four chord is stated in measure 15 (Example 2.1). The piece begins with an E minor chord in measures 1-3, and the harmonic progression of the phrase results in a cadence in G Major in measure six. So, in the short span of six measures, Chopin explores the tonal centers of E minor and G Major, neither of which help to secure a feeling of A minor. Had the E minor chord at the beginning been written as an E Major chord, the phrase would have felt centered around the dominant triad and therefore be connected to the key of A minor. However, the use of G-natural in the chord makes the E minor harmony feel more like a tonic triad. The second phrase begins in B minor and appears to be a transposed version of the harmonic progression found in the first phrase, however, Chopin substitutes the expected D Major harmony in measure 11 with a D# fully diminished seventh chord. This surprising turn of events makes it to where Chopin can more easily steer the piece toward its eventual final cadence in A minor, with the D# fully diminished seventh chord serving as a leading-tone chord to the dominant triad of E Major that is stated at the prelude’s final cadence. Though each of the individual harmonic progressions Chopin explores in this prelude utilizes functional harmony, the overall harmonic plan of the work is anything but typical. Music of the Classical era revolved around a tonic-dominant axis, in which the feeling of a single key predominates throughout an entire work (Simms, 1996). As a result, Chopin’s prelude represents a dramatic departure from the tonal norms of Classical era music. The prelude points towards the

6 free exploration of tonality found in music of the twentieth century, where tonal centers can be

Example 2.1: Chopin, Prelude in A Minor, Op. 28, No. 2

7 free exploration of tonality found in music of the twentieth century, where tonal centers can be freely explored and not be restricted by the tonic-dominant axis that had governed music largely throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A second example of tonal ambiguity can be found in Franz Liszt’s Nuages Gris, S. 199, composed in 1881. In this piece, Liszt explores harmony in terms of color instead of function. From measure 11 to measure 20, a layer of descending augmented triads floats above a tremolo that alternates between the pitches B-flat and A (Example 2.2). In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the augmented fifth interval was treated as a passing dissonance, with augmented triads resolving according to standard voice leading principles. The augmented triads in Nuages Gris instead stand as independent entities, helping to create an eerie atmosphere as opposed to serving a functional purpose. Todd (1988) acknowledges Liszt’s role in the evolution of harmony, stating that “Liszt [arguably] was the first composer to establish the augmented triad as a truly independent sonority, to consider its implications for modern dissonance treatment, and to ponder its meaning for the future course of tonality” (p. 94). The exploration of harmonies as entities independent from the framework of functional tonality is a concept greatly explored in the twentieth century, which is foreshadowed in pieces like Liszt’s Nuages Gris. In Nuages Gris, the augmented triad seems to be derived from the Hungarian minor scale (Figure 2.1). Commonly found in Eastern European music, this folk scale is similar to the harmonic minor scale, except with the fourth scale degree being raised. The use of this chromatically altered scale reflects Liszt’s views as a composer in his post-Weimar years. On his view of tonality, Liszt “became convinced that the traditional Western tonal order was more or less superannuated, and that composers should seek a new means of tonal organization” (Todd, 1988, p. 113). To accomplish this, Liszt felt that the diatonic scales should be replaced with “whole-tone, gypsy, octatonic, and other chromatically altered scales” (Todd, 1988, p. 113). Though Liszt would not live to see the developments of music in the twentieth century, his experimentations in music, such as with Nuages Gris, reflect a desire to transcend the traditional tonal system and seek greater compositional freedom. Composers of the late-Romantic era who would realize many of Liszt’s wishes for the development of tonality are Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915). Though Debussy is labeled as an Impressionist composer, he can be considered a figure of the late-Romantic era with his music serving as an outgrowth of and reaction to Romantic-era music.

8 Example 2.2: Liszt, Nuages Gris, mm. 11-20

Figure 2.1: Hungarian minor scale

Impressionism, as a musical movement, relied on the art of suggestion as opposed to the grandiosity and emotional excess that characterized much of the music at the height of the Romantic era. With his music, Debussy sought to “capture the immaterial essence, poetry or emotion of his subjects” and evoke “an effect of reality” instead of trying to portray his musical subjects in a literal sense (Simms, 1996, p. 168). Though Debussy’s philosophical views of music differed from those of Romantic-era composers, he continued the Romantic-era trend of working with smaller musical forms. In working with smaller musical forms, Debussy was more easily able to continue experimenting with tonality beyond what had been achieved in the Romantic era. The earlier musical examples presented by Chopin and Liszt reflect exceptions to their otherwise more standard compositional styles. For Debussy, however, what were considered departures for Chopin and Liszt was considered home ground. Some of Debussy’s innovations with music included a “free use of dissonance where sevenths and ninths no longer require preparation or resolution, new methods of voice leading by which perfect intervals move in 9 parallel, greater freedom in the expression of key, and passing use of nondiatonic harmonies such as the whole-tone set” (Simms, 1996, p. 170). With each of those innovations, Debussy helped to redefine the relationship between music and tonality. In his music, chords often function independently without a need to reinforce the tonic-dominant axis that governed Western music throughout the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras. Debussy shows with his music how tonality can serve a musical narrative as opposed to the musical narrative having to obey a particular set of harmonic principles. Though Debussy never felt a need to abandon tonality, he figured out how to expand the possibilities of tonality. In his prelude Voiles, from Book 1 of the Preludes, one can clearly see in the music how Debussy was trying to break away from tonality as it was known at that time. In the piece, tonality is ambiguous. However, there are pitch centers throughout the piece, which are juxtaposed together. The tonal ambiguity is a result of this juxtaposition. In the prelude, one can see three primary tonal centers: B-flat, C-natural, and D-natural. Despite the predominant B-flat pedal point throughout the entire prelude, it is telling that at the end, Debussy ends with a major dyad rooted in C. Though C does not serve as a predominant tonal center, it is clear that this pitch serves as a pivot point for tonality within the prelude. Combined with the B-flat pedal point and predominance of the pitch D-natural in measures 22-41, these tonal centers are combined in a way that deemphasizes tonality. In addition to Debussy's use of tonal centers throughout the prelude, it is also important to note that the prelude is based entirely on both the whole-tone scale (in the outer A sections) and pentatonic scale (in the middle B section). With his use of non-diatonic scales, Debussy was breaking away from Western music's reliance on the Ionian and Aeolian modes. Inspired by the gamelan music he heard at the Paris Exposition in 1889, Debussy tried to emulate the sounds of the exotic Far East in his own music. This was by no means a complete solution to his desire to re-imagine tonality, but it served as a tool with which he could begin to create a new kind of music. This experimentation is clarified by remarks Debussy made in a conversation with his teacher, Ernest Guirard: [I have] no faith in the supremacy of the C Major scale. The tonal scale must be enriched by other scales. Nor am I misled by equal temperament. Rhythms are stifling. Rhythms cannot be contained within bars. It is nonsense to speak of "simple" and "compound" time. There should be an interminable flow of both. Relative keys are nonsense, too.

10 Music is neither major nor minor. Minor thirds and major thirds should be combined, modulation thus becoming more flexible. The mode is that which one happens to choose at the moment. It is inconstant. There must be a balance between musical demands and thematic evocation. Themes suggest their orchestral coloring. (Watkins, 1995, p. 75) In this quote, it is important to see that Debussy does not reject musical conventions and traditions, but he questions how they are viewed and employed. He describes treating the musical conventions of that time in a way that elevates them beyond their individual qualities, creating music that is more organic. Unlike Schoenberg, who embraced free atonality and then twelve- tone serialism, Debussy stays rooted in tonality while exploring it in new ways that redefine it. Scriabin, like Debussy, worked to re-imagine the possibilities of tonality, and by around 1908 would even break away from tonality altogether. As a composer, Scriabin was most comfortable writing for the piano, having written ten published piano sonatas and over 200 shorter works for solo piano. The range in style from the earlier works to the later works is vast. In his earlier works, Scriabin was heavily influenced by Chopin, both in terms of style and also the genres in which he composed. Like Chopin, Scriabin wrote preludes, etudes, impromptus, mazurkas, nocturnes, and waltzes. The earlier music features clear tonal outlines and fairly conservative harmonic motion. However, in his later works, Scriabin ended up conceiving of a new system of tonal relationships that worked to emancipate dissonance completely (Simms, 1996). By the time of his later works, Scriabin did away with key signatures altogether. Key signatures imply certain tonal relationships and rely on specific harmonic motion and voice leading principles to secure the feeling of a tonic. As Scriabin worked to develop his own harmonic system, his music ventured past the brink of tonality to the point that key signatures were no longer useful. One of the last solo piano works of Scriabin to utilize a key signature is his Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53. In the sonata, both the opening and the ending material revolve around the tritone D#-A (Example 2.3; Example 2.4). Though the work bears an F-sharp Major key signature at the beginning and an E-flat Major key signature at the end, these key signatures seem completely unrelated to the material of the beginning and ending. In having tonal ambiguity frame the sonata like this, it illustrates how Scriabin was attempting to transcend tonality as it was viewed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As opposed to the view of the tritone in the traditional tonal system as a dissonant interval necessitating a proper

11 preparation and resolution, Scriabin is emancipating this dissonance to where it can function independently without needing to adhere to the rules of the traditional tonal system.

Example 2.3: Scriabin, opening measures of Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53

Example 2.4: Scriabin, final measures of Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53

In terms of the marked F-sharp Major key signature at the opening, it is not until measure 47 at the start of the sonata’s main theme that the music actually appears in the key of F-sharp Major. Even then, Scriabin does not include the leading tone within the theme at all, resulting in a more weakly defined tonal center (Morgan, 1991). The second theme of the exposition features a tonal center that is even more weakly defined than in the first theme. The marked B-flat Major key signature is mostly illustrated by the use of a dominant ninth chord on F, which never resolves (Example 2.5). Scriabin moves the bass voice down from F to B-flat in measure 134, helping to ground the theme somewhat in B-flat, however, the upper voices still belong to the dominant ninth chord (Example 2.6). This subtle change in the bass voice to reflect a move from the dominant to the tonic shows how the tonic-dominant axis still had a pull on Scriabin and his musical language. However, the freedom with which Scriabin explores tonality in his Fifth

12 Sonata points towards his later music where tonality is disintegrated and reborn as something entirely new.

Example 2.5: Scriabin, second theme of the exposition, mm. 120-123

Example 2.6: Scriabin, second theme of the exposition, mm. 134-136

With the disintegration of tonality in Scriabin’s final stylistic period (1907-1915), a harmonic entity, called the “Mystic” chord or “Prometheus” chord, became the foundation for Scriabin’s new tonality (Figure 2.2). This chord is constructed from the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, and 14th overtones in the harmonic series (Figure 2.3). On the conception of this chord, Scriabin had the following to say: I decided that the more higher tones there are in the harmony, it would turn out to be more radiant, sharper, and brilliant. But it was necessary to organize the notes giving them a logical arrangement. Therefore, I took the usual thirteenth-chord, which is arranged in thirds. […] To make it [more] shining, conveying the idea of light, a greater number of tones had to be raised in the chord. And, therefore, I raise the tones: At first I take the shining major triad, then I also raise the fifth (?!) and the eleventh – thus forming my chord – which is raised completely and, therefore, really shining. (Sabbagh, 2003, p. 24) 13 With the “Mystic” chord, Scriabin attempted to create a new type of consonance, juxtaposing tones that had previously been considered dissonant. Music of the Baroque and Classical eras drew partials mostly from the lower part of the harmonic series. To construct a major triad from partials in the overtone series, one must only travel up to the sixth partial, and for a minor triad, up to the ninth partial (Figure 2.3). As music utilizing the traditional tonal system rooted itself in the lower, more consonant partials, Scriabin’s move to higher partials is symbolic, as it represents his outgrowing traditional tonality. Whereas Schoenberg used a tone row as the basis for an entire composition, Scriabin used his “Mystic” chord as a seed from which to derive the material for an entire work. To Scriabin, it all added up to one unified sound where “the melody is dissolved harmony [and] the harmony is a vertically compressed melody” (Morgan, 1991, p. 57).

Figure 2.2: Scriabin’s “Mystic” chord

With the music of Debussy and Scriabin, exploration of the upper partials helped each of the composers to explore alternatives to tonality. Debussy frequently used the whole-tone scale in his music, which involves the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 13th partials of the harmonic series (Figure 2.3). Scriabin’s “Mystic” chord also explored these same partials, though in a different order to create a chord based on different qualities of fourths. In going a step beyond the part of the harmonic series Debussy and Scriabin explored, one finds complete chromaticism. The collection of partials from the 11th partial to the 21st partial spell a complete twelve-tone scale1 (Figure 2.3). Considering the trajectory of Western classical music in relationship to the harmonic series, it would make sense that Western classical music move in the direction of

1 Technically, there are only 11 partials between the 11th and 21st partials, however, the thirteenth partial (using the fundamental pitch C2) results in a pitch that cannot be played on a modern piano. That partial is sharper than a G# but lower than an A, therefore, the closest representation of the partial on a modern piano is obtained by splitting it into the two pitches G# and A. 14 complete chromaticism based on semitones. One can indeed see this natural progression come to fruition in the music of the German composer Arnold Schoenberg.

Figure 2.3: Harmonic series

In 1921, Schoenberg codified his twelve-tone compositional system after many years of development. The system involves the creation of a row of all 12 chromatic tones which then serves as a basis for musical development within a work. Repetition of one of the chromatic tones is not allowed until all of the subsequent tones in the row have been stated, thus ensuring that no tone assumes a greater importance than the others. Schoenberg had abandoned tonality in 1908, around the time Scriabin also broke away from tonality. He believed that music was “part of a process of change,” and that as opposed to the fixed nature of classical tonality and form, chromaticism represented a “principle of change and evolution” (Salzman, 1988, p. 34). Though Schoenberg was essentially replacing one system with another, his development of the twelve- tone system helped Western classical music to continue developing and not feel constricted by older methods of composition. Even if composers did not embrace this compositional system, it at least served as a catalyst in shaking up Western classical music and getting composers to think about ways in which they can contribute to the development of classical music in the 20th century and prevent it from becoming static. 15 Music in the United States

After World War II ended, there was a sharp increase in federal and state funding for higher education in America. As a result, many American artists and composers flocked towards universities. At the time, the United States assumed scientific leadership in the world, being one of the few industrialized countries to have sustained little damage during World War II. This increase in scientific activity as well as mechanization of the world in general greatly shaped artistic thought, which became more focused on rationality. The university became a place where many composers worked to reject the excessiveness of late romanticism and develop what they regarded as more efficient compositional systems. Schoenberg’s twelve-tone system proved to be a compelling option. Composers who used this system felt that tonally centered music had seen the limits of possible development and therefore needed to be replaced with another system. Opinions regarding the twelve-tone system were so strong, in fact, that many university composers “seized the intellectual high ground and bullied their colleagues and students into accepting serial procedures as the only valid form of modernism” (Simmons, 2011, p. 4). However, not all composers bought into the supremacy of the twelve-tone system, as is evidenced by the work of Persichetti. At the same time as the development of twelve-tone music, jazz music dominated the popular music scene in America. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, swing music served as a form of escapism as well as a sign of optimism for the country’s economic recovery. Millions of people were cast into unemployment during the Great Depression, which understandably created a culture of anxiety and uncertainty. Swing played a large part during this time in helping people to restore their sense of identity and gain confidence in the future. As authors DeVeaux and Giddins point out, swing’s “improvisatory flair and buoyant energy encouraged America to recover from the country’s economic disasters” (2009, p. 170). Swing also played an important role during World War II (1939-1945), as it brought people from different backgrounds together and served as a “statement of democracy” in contrast to the political climate of oppression in Nazi Germany (DeVeaux & Giddins, 2009, p. 70). By the end of WWII, a new form of jazz called ‘bebop’ emerged onto the scene. In contrast to swing music, which had infiltrated popular culture and enjoyed mass appeal, bebop thrived in “tiny cramped nightclubs rather than brightly lit dance halls” and was much more

16 complex and difficult to comprehend due to fast tempi and chord changes as well as frequent key changes (DeVeaux & Giddins, 2009, p. 279). In a way, the transformation of jazz music to something more esoteric mirrored the rise of atonality in Western classical music. Though Western classical music and jazz belonged to two separate realms, composers like Persichetti, who were open to a wide variety of musical styles, found inspiration in the complex harmonies and off-kilter rhythms of jazz. Composers also were attracted to the uniquely American optimism conveyed through much of jazz music at the time.

Persichetti’s Piano Sonatas

Somewhere between jazz, the strict twelve-tone music of Schoenberg, and an array of other influences, lies Persichetti’s music. Unlike other twentieth-century composers who felt a need to claim admission to a particular school of composition, Persichetti was more than happy to assimilate the disparate styles around him into a language all his own. Regarding his compositional style, Persichetti had the following to say: I concentrate on the idea rather than style, on whatever combinations of sound materials best suit my expressive purpose. I tend to amalgamate the sounds around me and press them into the clay of the shaping object. As the music unfolds, I am well aware of the stylistic characteristics but am not intimidated by their presence. (Simmons, 2011, p. 198) This quotation offers valuable insight into Persichetti’s musical language. Persichetti was not concerned with aligning himself with any one stylistic category. He took an organic approach to composition, freely drawing from a wide variety of musical styles. Though he did not particularly like being associated with “eclecticism,” that word aptly describes his multi-stylistic compositional approach. Persichetti learned of Schoenberg's twelve-tone compositional system when he was a teenager and was fascinated by it. However, he felt that the system was quite creatively limiting (Simmons, 2011, p. 201). Persichetti was able to find his own individual way to incorporate Schoenberg’s system into his music, and this influence is evident in his First Piano Sonata, Op. 3, written in 1939. The sonata was the first work Persichetti composed after his so-called "silent decade" from 1929-1939, a period of time in which he worked to discover his own voice through closely studying and emulating the works of others (Persichetti & Shackelford, 1982, p. 111). Of his work from this period, Persichetti stated, “I wrote reams of aggressively adolescent,

17 unsophisticated music. […] There was some significant music, but none of it mine” (Persichetti & Shackelford, 1982, p. 111). The first movement of the First Piano Sonata opens with a statement of all twelve chromatic tones, though this does not serve as a tone row, as Persichetti does not pursue the course of a traditional twelve-tone composition (Example 2.7). Persichetti often states what seems to be a partial row, but then he continues from there to explore the twelve chromatic tones freely as opposed to constricting himself to a set ordering of pitches.

Example 2.7: First Piano Sonata, first movement, mm. 1-3

Additionally, Persichetti likes to explore brief moments of centricity, providing momentary points of stability amidst passages of greater chromatic angularity. An example of this in the First Piano Sonata can be found in mm. 39-44 of the first movement (Example 2.8). In this passage, Persichetti shifts from the more abrasive writing of the previous page and a half to a more tender and graceful style. Looking at the soprano line of measure 39 going into measure 40, Persichetti spells a G Major chord in first inversion. Though the feeling of G Major is obscured by the other voices, which in no way support a G Major tonal center, it shows how Persichetti flirts with tonality and is more concerned with giving a musical idea the freedom to move as it wishes as opposed to imposing upon it a strict set of rules. The phrase shown in mm. 39-44 is very similar in style and sound to the opening phrase of Hindemith’s Piano Sonata No. 1, which was written only three years earlier than Persichetti’s sonata (Example 2.9). Like Persichetti, Hindemith explored chromaticism freely in his music. He also composed in a neoclassical style,

18 achieving a sense of textural and rhythmic clarity that is also very much apparent in Persichetti’s music.

Example 2.8: First Piano Sonata, first movement, mm. 39-44

Example 2.9: Hindemith, Piano Sonata No. 1, first movement, mm. 1-4

In moving on to the Fifth Piano Sonata, Op. 37 (1949), one can see the influence of jazz on Persichetti. In his music, Persichetti frequently employs syncopation and unpredictable accents, drawing from the improvisatory nature of jazz music. The third movement of his Fifth Piano Sonata features such rhythmic irregularities, as can be seen in the passage from mm. 10-15 (Example 2.10). The Tenth Piano Sonata also features many jazz-inspired moments, such as in the last section of the work from mm. 86-88, in which each of the measures features strong accents on an offbeat (Example 2.11). As mentioned above, the music of Paul Hindemith greatly influenced Persichetti's musical style. Paul Hindemith was a German composer, and like Schoenberg, came to the United States from Europe. Some of the main characteristics of Hindemith's music are the frequent use of counterpoint, a linear versus a vertical compositional approach, and polytonality. The fourth movement of Persichetti's Sixth Piano Sonata, Op. 39 (1950) is a great example of

19 Hindemith's influence on his writing, exhibiting the texture of a two-part invention (Example 2.12). Both composers’ interests in counterpoint reflect their neoclassical leanings, favoring order, clarity, and an economical use of material over romantic excess.

Example 2.10: Fifth Piano Sonata, third movement, mm. 10-15

Example 2.11: Tenth Piano Sonata, fourth section, mm. 86-88

As with the piano sonatas of many other composers, Persichetti's final sonatas represent a culmination of his stylistic evolution. Though he did not necessarily know that his last sonatas would truly be his last sonatas, they nonetheless serve as a great summary of his development as a composer. The Twelfth Piano Sonata, Op. 145 (1980) is coined the "Mirror Sonata." Throughout all of his life, Persichetti mentioned that he "kept [his] fingers in shape by playing a unique kind of mirror music that develops both hands simultaneously" (Simmons, 2011, p. 219). With mirror writing, every interval played by one hand is reflected in exact inversion simultaneously by the other, across a central axis (Example 2.13). Persichetti used this 20 compositional idea in several works for piano. He may have been influenced by Anton Webern's use of symmetry in music, as in Webern's Variations for Piano where both horizontal and vertical symmetry are explored.

Example 2.12: Sixth Piano Sonata, fourth movement, mm. 1-4

Example 2.13: Twelfth Piano Sonata, first movement, mm. 18-20

In the "avant-garde" Eleventh Piano Sonata, Op. 101 (1965), a one-movement work in five sections, Persichetti seems to bring together the twelve-tone technique of Schoenberg and the formal clarity of classical music. Throughout the sonata, Persichetti explores twelve-tone writing with a sense of freedom not usually associated with the strict, rule-based technique. As opposed to most composers using the twelve-tone technique, Persichetti stated that, "I would

21 never choose or create a row, to compose. I never begin writing without a dramatic or thematic idea" (Persichetti & Shackelford, 1982, p. 123). So, with his eleventh sonata, Persichetti shows himself as a composer who defines the rules instead of letting the rules define him. Meter is not indicated at any point throughout the sonata. Overall, it is a very dissonant work marked by pointillistic gestures and textures (Example 2.14). Some interesting effects he employs throughout are tone clusters, use of flutter pedaling and the sostenuto pedal, and an exploration of overtones.

Example 2.14: Eleventh Piano Sonata, first section, mm. 1-5

The most important of the last three sonatas, though, is the Tenth Piano Sonata, Op. 67. Completed in 1955, It was commissioned by the Juilliard Foundation for a performance at the American Music Festival commemorating the Juilliard School's fiftieth anniversary. In comparison with the earlier nine sonatas, the Tenth Sonata is the longest and most technically demanding. It is a single-movement work with four major sections, like the Ninth and Eleventh sonatas which are also single-movement works. The work achieves a sense of unity through motivic and thematic transformation, with recurring material binding the contrasting sections together. In terms of precedents of the one-movement form, Liszt's Sonata in B minor and Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy come to mind with their use of thematic and motivic transformation across connected sections.

22 The first section of the sonata, marked “Adagio,” has a very improvisatory quality, wandering from one contrasting section to the next. Throughout, there are frequent large leaps, as well as frequent changes in dynamics, articulation, and tempo, reflecting the careful craftsmanship and attention to detail that Persichetti applied to all of his music. The second section, marked “Presto,” is very rhythmically exciting, drawing upon jazz music as an influence as seen by the irregular meters and unpredictable accents throughout. It is tightly constructed, using recurring motives to create a sense of unity. The third section, marked “Andante,” is slow and lyrical, written in a 6/8 meter. Unlike the first two sections, which have no clear form, the third section exhibits a three-part form, with the material of the first part returning for the third part. The fourth section, marked “Vivace,” is very lively and features toccata-like writing throughout. It is in sonata-allegro form, with the musical development more controlled and less seemingly improvisatory than in the other sections. Through each of the contrasting sections, Persichetti explores a variety of styles, resulting in a rather eclectic work. As with a lot of his music, a clear tonal center is absent. In describing the work, Maurice Hinson states that the “[f]ull piano range is exploited within the Sonata’s tight construction to express varied emotions, vibrant colors, full sonorities, lyrical melodies, and driving rhythms,” and even goes on to say that the work “is one of the very finest contemporary American piano sonatas” (Hinson, 2000, p. 596). This praise of the work contradicts David Burge’s assessment of the sonata, in which he comments that “its extended length is not justified by its content” (Simmons, 2011, p. 209). With music like Persichetti’s, its success lies largely in the hands of the performer, as it takes an acute awareness of the inner workings of the music to communicate it effectively. The Tenth Sonata is a long work, but through the repetition of material, Persichetti achieves a great deal of variety and produces a work that is rewarding for both the performer and listener in its kaleidoscopic exploration of sounds.

23 CHAPTER 3

TENTH PIANO SONATA, OP. 67: THEMATIC AND MOTIVIC DEVELOPMENT

Theme and Motive in the Tenth Piano Sonata

In lieu of a clear tonal framework for the Tenth Piano Sonata, theme and motive act as the primary driving forces of the music, helping the sonata to speak as a unified and coherent work. Throughout the sonata, Persichetti explores the development of two primary themes. These two themes help to provide a sense of unity among the four contrasting sections of the sonata. Looking specifically at the first section of the work, which is the focus of this study, there is also a third theme that works alongside the two primary themes. At the microscopic level, the use of melodic and rhythmic motives helps to shape each of the individual sections within the sonata and provide structural coherence amidst the diverse musical ideas explored throughout. Between the thematic development across the entire sonata as well as the motivic development explored within each of the individual sections, the Tenth Piano Sonata manages to be structurally taut while at the same time freely exploring a wide range of musical ideas and characters.

Sonata Themes

The first theme is a descending scale pattern, stated at the outset of the first section (Example 3.1). With this opening theme, Persichetti plants a seed for subsequent development, as each of the following sections begins with a variation of this opening theme. In the first section, the theme is stated in a much more declamatory fashion than in the other sections. Marked at a forte dynamic label, with an adagio tempo marking, and with an indication to be played ‘pesante,’ the initial statement of the first theme acts as a proclamation of what is to come ahead in the sonata. The melodic theme of the opening section is also harmonized by thirds of various qualities, coloring the theme distinctly through the specific ordering of major and minor thirds used. With the theme in the soprano voice not aligning with a standard scale type, the harmonization by thirds further obscures any clear sense of tonality or modality. This will be discussed more in detail in the following chapter on melody and harmony.

24 Example 3.1: Tenth Sonata, first theme, first section, mm. 1-2

In the second section, marked ‘presto,’ the opening theme of the sonata is presented in rapid, descending sixteenth notes, marked to be played ‘con fuoco’ (Example 3.2). Owing to the contrast in character from the first section, and the fast tempo, the varied presentation of the theme is disguised to such an extent that it is hardly perceptible to the ear. However, this varied theme presentation is important from a structural point of view, as it is a seed for the musical development that takes place within the second section. The statement of the theme in rapid sixteenth notes foreshadows the brief spurts of sixteenth-note passagework that pervade the section (Example 3.3).

Example 3.2: Tenth Sonata, first theme, second section, mm. 1-5

Example 3.3: Tenth Sonata, sixteenth-note passagework, second section, mm. 40-43

25 The sonata’s third section, marked ‘andante,’ begins with a lyrical and pondering variation of the opening theme, featuring a mezzo piano dynamic marking and the instruction to play the passage ‘affetuoso’ (Example 3.4). In addition to the varied statement of the opening theme being transposed up one semitone from its original presentation, the theme is also chromaticized. An additional note is inserted between the first two notes of the original theme, and the sixth note of the theme is lowered by a semitone. As with the second section’s varied presentation of the opening theme, the third section’s presentation of the theme in flowing 32nd notes helps to prepare the ensuing passages of 32nd notes.

Example 3.4: Tenth Sonata, first theme, third section, mm. 1-2

In the fourth section, marked ‘vivace,’ the opening theme is stated at the outset of the section in ascending and descending fashion (Example 3.5). For the rapid initial ascent of this version of the theme, sixteenth notes are used. However, for the descent, the theme is stated with the same rhythmic values as in the sonata’s opening, albeit at a faster tempo. This pattern of a rapid ascent followed by a slower descent is featured prominently throughout the fourth section.

Example 3.5: Tenth Sonata, first theme, fourth section, mm. 1-4 26 With each of the sonata’s sections opening with a statement of the opening theme in some manner, Persichetti provides connective musical tissue that binds the otherwise contrasting sections. In terms of a historical precedent of thematic transformation, Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor, S. 178 comes to mind. Similar to Persichetti’s Tenth Piano Sonata, Liszt’s sonata takes the form of four connected sections/movements. Reinforcing the connection between Liszt’s sonata and the Tenth Piano Sonata, Persichetti mentioned that “[b]etween 1929 and 1939, the ‘silent decade’, I did indeed confront the problem of the large one-movement work. The form of the Liszt B Minor Sonata and of the 94th Psalm Sonata for organ by Julius Reubke (1834-1858) intrigued me” (Persichetti & Shackelford, 1982, p. 114). Within the connected movements of the Liszt sonata, two primary themes are reworked to take on different characters as the sonata progresses, much like the way in which Persichetti dramatically alters each presentation of the opening theme in the Tenth Sonata. In Liszt’s sonata, the three repeated Gs of the introduction undergo rhythmic diminution in mm. 14-15 and become a motive that is later transformed into a lyrical second theme in m. 153 (Example 3.6; Example 3.7). This particular progression of thematic transformation mirrors the transformation of the opening theme in Persichetti’s Tenth Piano Sonata, where the theme is presented more broadly in a rhythmic sense in the first section, more rapidly as a result of rhythmic diminution in the second section, and in a lyrical and flowing manner in the third section.

Example 3.6: Liszt Sonata, rhythmic diminution of introduction theme, mm. 14-17

Example 3.7: Liszt Sonata, second theme generated from introduction theme, mm. 153-156 27 The second main theme of Persichetti’s Tenth Piano Sonata is a meditative and plainchant-like chorale theme, beginning in m. 49 of the first section (Example 3.8). Harmony surrounds what would be a monophonic line in plainchant. An anacrusis of three eighth notes begins the second theme, helping to provide a sense of forward motion to the first downbeat of the phrase. The theme itself is brief, beginning with the anacrusis in m. 49 and ending at the end of m. 51. Following the theme’s statement and some development of its individual motivic components, the next appearance of the theme is not found until the sonata’s third section.

Example 3.8: Tenth Sonata, second theme, first section, mm. 46-53

In the third section, the theme is brought back in m. 39, though it is somewhat rhythmically and melodically altered (Example 3.9). It is stated more rapidly, using 32nd and 16th notes instead of eighth and quarter notes. Whereas the initial presentation of the theme featured a three eighth-note anacrusis, the varied theme in the third section only has a single sixteenth beat upbeat. This compression of the anacrusis reflects the overall rhythmic compression of the theme. As opposed to just a single full statement of the second theme in the first section, the second theme in the third section is stated in its entirety two times before the return of the first theme in m. 50. In the fourth section, the second theme is first stated with a standard chorale-like texture in mm. 34-48 (Example 3.10). Then, the rapid, ascending scalar pattern from the beginning of the fourth section appears simultaneously alongside the second theme, establishing a conflict 28 between the first theme and second theme (Example 3.11). Later, in the development area of the fourth section, brief portions of the second theme appear almost as interruptions, written in unison octaves and appearing rather emphatic with their exploration of the piano’s higher register (Example 3.12). Lastly, the music propels toward a final statement of the second theme in mm. 134-140 (Example 3.13). The theme is then developed through fragmentation, helping the music to propel to the sonata’s exalted conclusion.

Example 3.9: Tenth Sonata, second theme, third section, mm. 39-40

Example 3.10: Tenth Sonata, second theme, fourth section, mm. 34-46 29 Example 3.11: Tenth Sonata, conflict between themes, fourth section, mm. 53-60

Example 3.12: Tenth Sonata, second theme interruptions, fourth section, mm. 92-101

Example 3.13: Tenth Sonata, final statement of second theme, fourth section, mm. 134-142 30 In addition to the two primary themes discussed above, there is a third theme featured only in the sonata’s first section. This short theme lasts only from mm. 29-30 and is reminiscent of plainchant, like the second theme (Example 3.14). The theme then reappears in mm. 48-49 as a lead-in to the second theme’s entrance (Example 3.15). Lastly, the theme makes a final appearance in mm. 75-78, serving a transitional purpose in leading up to the first section’s closing material (Example 3.16).

Example 3.14: Tenth Sonata, third theme, first section, mm. 27-32

Example 3.15: Tenth Sonata, third theme as lead-in material, first section, mm. 46-49

Motivic Development in the First Section

Throughout the entirety of the Tenth Piano Sonata, motivic development serves as a primary driving force within the music. At the macroscopic level, the variation of the two primary themes that Persichetti uses is fairly explicit, with the original forms of the themes 31 clearly visible in their varied statements. However, the motivic development Persichetti employs is more subtle, and as one might argue, more important to maintaining a sense of structural coherence throughout the sonata. As the motivic development functions at the microscopic level within the work, it serves as the connecting tissue binding the theme statements and subsequent development together. For this study, motivic development will be looked at closely within the sonata’s first section. Though the other sections are not covered, the information provided about the first section is applicable to each of the following sections and can serve as a model for analysis in approaching the rest of the sonata.

Example 3.16: Tenth Sonata, final appearance of third theme, first section, mm. 75-78

The opening of the first section features a musical period, with the first theme being stated in the antecedent phrase (Example 3.17). Within both the antecedent and consequent phrases, two melodic motives can be identified that Persichetti uses as a basis for musical development. The first motive (motive a) is the whole-step descent from C-natural to B-flat in the soprano voice in measure one. The second motive (motive b) is the interval between the A- flat and F-natural in the soprano voice in the second half of measure one. This melodic interval of a third can be seen as a development of the harmonic thirds used to state the opening theme. Motive a appears in inversion in measure three, reflected by the soprano voice motion from E- natural on beat one to the F-sharp on beat two. Though Persichetti uses a descending minor seventh interval to represent this specific motion from E-natural to F-sharp, octave displacement is frequently employed throughout the sonata, so the motion can be interpreted as motion of a whole-step upwards from E-natural to F-sharp.

32 Example 3.17: Tenth Sonata, melodic motives of opening period, first section, mm. 1-5

Persichetti’s choice to displace the F-sharp by one octave downward reflects a decision to access the color of the lower register to ground the end of the consequent phrase more effectively. It also reflects the idea of registral conflict, which Persichetti uses as a key aspect of the musical narrative in the sonata’s first section. Though the E-natural might have naturally risen up one whole step to F-sharp, the lower register claimed the F-sharp for itself, creating disjunct melodic motion where conjunct motion could have worked just as easily. Here is an example of the consequent phrase of the opening period written with conjunct voice motion (Figure 3.1). Though octave displacement might seem like a subtle compositional choice, it’s the collective effect of such subtle compositional choices that characterizes Persichetti’s music.

Figure 3.1: Tenth Sonata, consequent phrase of the opening period without octave displacments, first section, mm. 3-4 33 In addition to the three melodic motives mentioned above, Persichetti introduces a rhythmic motive right at the outset of the opening theme (Example 3.1). A single, 32nd-note dyad serves as an anacrusis, leading to the first dyad on the downbeat of measure one. This gesture represents an alternation of two opposing elements, which Persichetti goes on to explore throughout the first section with broken intervals and alternations of dyads or chords. Additionally, the octave distance between the anacrusis of the opening and the dyad on the downbeat of measure one sets up the registral conflict that fleshes itself out in places such as in measures three and four, where the motion from E-natural to F-sharp is written both times as a descending minor seventh instead of an ascending major second. In looking beyond the opening musical period, Persichetti uses motivic kernels from the antecedent and consequent phrases to develop the first theme. In measure four, the first two dyads of the opening theme are repeated, with the whole step between C-natural and B-flat reflecting motive a. Measure five sees the manipulation of motive a, with the first note of the motive being lowered to C-flat in beat two and then raised, respectively, to C-sharp, E-flat, and then F-flat (Example 3.18; Figure 3.2). With this phrase, Persichetti explores pulling apart motive a, and this momentary destruction of the motive sets up the more frenzied activity in measures seven through nineteen.

Example 3.18: Tenth Sonata, first section, mm. 4-6

34 Figure 3.2: Tenth Sonata, manipulation of motive a, first section, mm. 5-6

Leading into measure seven, the 32nd notes at the end of measure six are a transformation of the beginning of the consequent phrase of the opening musical period (Example 3.19). The consequent phrase begins with the notes E-natural, F-sharp, and G-natural, with the ascending melodic minor third from E-natural to G-natural serving as an inversion of motive b. This same ordering of pitches can be seen with the 32nd-note lead-in to measure seven. With the 32nd notes, the A-natural preceding the G-natural can be interpreted as an appoggiatura. The rhythmic diminution of this melodic motive reflects what Persichetti does with the sonata’s first theme, as can be seen with the varied statement of the first theme at the beginning of the second section. Overall, this tendency to transform an idea through rhythmic diminution helps to propel the music forward, allowing for dramatic shifts in character and exploration of compositional variety while maintaining the presence of certain motivic and thematic threads.

Example 3.19: Tenth Sonata, motivic connections, first section, mm. 3-7 35 In measure seven, the quick 32nd notes that began in the previous measure lead up to a brief spurt of quickly alternating chords (Example 3.20). This quick alternation of chords stems from the opening rhythmic motive of the first section, where the two hands each play a dyad a 32nd beat apart. The hands cannot seem to agree, and this conflict plays out in places like measure seven and in several places throughout the first section where Persichetti employs broken intervals, alternating dyads, or alternating chords. Additionally, the motion of a half step between the lower voice of the opening dyads becomes a feature of the alternating chords in measure seven, with a half step interval between the lowest chord tone in the right hand (E- natural) and the highest chord tone in the left hand (D-sharp).

Example 3.20: Tenth Sonata, alternating chords, first section, mm. 6-7

The opening rhythmic motive is also transformed in measure nine, where the motive is inverted (Example 3.21). The original motive features an alternation of dyads, with the lower dyad leading to the upper dyad. In measure nine, the right-hand part features alternating dyads that instead go from high to low. The left-hand part features a simultaneous statement of the same dyads of the right-hand part, though it maintains the same low to high pattern as the opening rhythmic motive. In addition to the musical conflict created through the alternation of dyads in different octaves, there is the additional conflict created through the contrary motion between the left- and right-hand parts.

Example 3.21: Tenth Sonata, inversion of opening rhythmic motive, first section, m. 9 36 In measure ten, the opening descending scalar theme is partially restated, stopping just short of the E-natural (Example 3.22). Persichetti displaces the F-natural of the theme restatement upward by an octave on the downbeat of measure 11, reinforcing the registral conflict that plays an integral role in the musical narrative of the sonata. The soprano voice is harmonized by the left hand with the same notes used in the alto voice in the opening theme, instead now an interval of a tenth down from the soprano voice. After the downbeat arrival of F- natural, Persichetti again highlights the registral conflict by interrupting the melodic line in the piano’s high register with chords in a lower register. The partial restatement of the first theme culminates in a statement of motive b in the soprano voice in measure 11, continuing the melodic line from where it left off at the F-natural on beat one (Example 3.22).

Example 3.22: Tenth Sonata, return of opening scalar motive, first section, mm. 10-11

Rhythmic and registral conflict define the musical development in mm. 12-15 (Example 3.23). In measure 12, quickly alternating chords between the two hands are interrupted by chords lower in the piano’s register on the offbeats of beats two and four. The rapid 32nd-note chords of measure 12 are transformed a measure later into pairs of eighth-note chords that are interrupted by brief unison octave statements lower in the piano’s register. The lower-register interruptions in mm. 13 and 14 are longer than the interruptions found in measure 12, almost as if the lower register is trying to claim dominance over the higher register. Conversely, the higher-register chords are stated more emphatically, with Persichetti using broader eighth-note motion as opposed to the rapid 32nd-note rhythms of measure 12. Eventually, in measure 20, the piano’s middle register tries to intervene and put an end to the conflict between the high and low registers (Example 3.24). After an accented chord on beat one, an E-natural is repeated with

37 constant rhythmic acceleration until measure 21, where the right-hand part features three accented and staccato eighth notes. These three eighth notes serve as the final word for the time being, calming the conflict between the piano’s high and low registers.

Example 3.23: Tenth Sonata, rhythmic and regstral conflict, first section, mm. 12-16

Example 3.24: Tenth Sonata, first section, mm. 20-24

The opening scalar theme returns again in mm. 22-23, however, it is expanded (Example 3.24). With D-natural serving as the last note of the opening theme, Persichetti continues the theme downward to include the pitches D-flat and C-flat. The end of measure 23 sees the further 38 downward expansion of the first theme, with the left hand continuing the trajectory of the theme restatement down to the depths of the piano. Marked to be played ‘lamentoso’, this passage can be seen as a lament in response to the tumultuous musical dialogue up to this point. In mm. 29-30, Persichetti introduces a theme that is unique to the first section and not found in any of the other sections. This theme is built on motives a and b of the opening theme. Motive a can be seen with the opening two notes, E-natural and D-natural. Motive b can be seen with the interval of a minor third explored between E-natural and G-natural as well as B-natural and D-natural (Example 3.25). The left hand harmonizes the theme in the right hand by the interval of a tenth, providing a “broken thirds” effect. Persichetti amplifies this “broken thirds” effect in mm. 31-46, which feature rapid broken tenths simultaneously in both hands. The passages of broken intervals are interrupted by middle-register chords that attempt to state a melody but are not allowed to by the broken intervals (Example 3.26). The chords are able to interrupt the broken intervals more effectively in measure 37, where the dialogue between the feuding outer registers and the intervening middle register is able to take shape.

Example 3.25: Tenth Sonata, introduction of third theme, first section, mm. 27-32

The next major development is the emergence of the sonata’s second main theme in measure 49. The opening anacrusis of three repeated eighth notes possibly stems from the occurrence of repeated notes figurations throughout the first section up to that point. For example, in measure 12, the alternating chords result in multiple repetitions of a single note

39 (Example 3.23). This repetition of pitch can also be seen in mm. 35-36, where broken intervals are repeated in succession (Example 3.26). In terms of intervallic content, the second theme features motive c prominently, with the rise of a major second from F-sharp to G-sharp at the beginning of measure 50 as well as at the tail end of the theme statement in measure 51 (Example 3.8). With this theme, both the left- and right-hand parts are rhythmically in unison as opposed to being in rhythmic opposition. Any conflicts up to the point of this theme seem to be at rest momentarily, providing a moment of calmness within the largely restless and disjointed movement.

Example 3.26: Tenth Sonata, interruption of broken intervals, first section, mm. 35-38

The calmness of the second theme is short-lived, as mm. 65-66 see the return of frenzied alternating chords (Example 3.27). After tension from this frenzy builds up, everything comes crashing down with a final appearance of the first theme (Example 3.28). In measure 70, fragments of the first theme in various octaves lead to a full statement of the theme in mm. 71- 72. With the disjointedness of measure 70, it seems like the two hands are fighting over who gets to state the theme, with dyads bouncing back and forth between the two hands until finally settling on a conjunct statement of the theme in the right hand. A restatement of the “third” theme is made in mm. 75-77, first stated in a lower register and then a higher register, reinforcing the idea of registral conflict that had permeated the music

40 leading up to there (Example 3.16). The piano’s registers are merged in mm. 82-85, with the music featuring sweeping, ascending gestures from the bottom of the keyboard all the way to the top (Example 3.29). The rhythmic and registral conflict tries to resurface in mm. 86-87, but by this point, the music does not have any energy left to invest in a struggle (Example 3.30).

Example 3.27: Tenth Sonata, alternating chords & broken intervals, first section, mm. 65-66

Example 3.28: Tenth Sonata, final statement of first theme, first section, mm. 70-72

An interesting aspect of this whole passage is the augmentation of the first theme from mm. 86-90 (Example 3.30). In the soprano voice of the right-hand chords, one can trace the first theme all of the way down to the note F-natural, at which point the theme stops from descending farther. Measure 86 contains the C-natural, measure 87 contains the B-flat and A-flat, and measure 90 contains the G-flat and F-natural. In the original theme, G-natural is used instead of

41 G-flat, though G-flat works well in the last phrase of the first section, as it possesses the feeling of wanting to move downward and resolve, fitting for an ending. Three repetitions of an A-F dyad in measure 91 end the section rather abruptly, with a crescendo marked through each repetition of the dyad and the last dyad being marked with a sforzando. As each section within this sonata is connected, this creates a feeling of suspense and excitement leading into the second section. The three repeated A-F dyads were possibly taken from the opening repeated note rhythmic motive of the second theme (Example 3.8).

Example 3.29: Tenth Sonata, ascending gestures, first section, mm. 82-84

Example 3.30: Tenth Sonata, first section, mm. 85-91

In summary, thematic and motivic development serve an integral role throughout the entire sonata. At the thematic level, Persichetti provides a sense of structural coherence to the work by using the same thematic material as a driving force behind each of the sections. By

42 manipulating the themes, Persichetti is able to shed light on the original themes, maintaining their structural essence while dramatically altering their character. At the motivic level in the sonata’s first section, rhythm plays the largest role. With the constant presence of alternating intervals, dyads, chords, and registers, Persichetti creates a very active and disjointed musical fabric. The conflict created by the exploration of quickly alternating elements provides an exciting musical narrative, and it helps to bind the music together in lieu of a clear tonal framework, on which traditional sonata form is based. In addition to the use of rhythm as a motive, various intervals of the opening phrase are used in generating the subsequent themes of the first section. Between the recurring themes and rhythmic and melodic motives used, Persichetti is able to develop the music extensively with remarkable economy.

43 CHAPTER 4

TENTH PIANO SONATA, OP. 67: MELODIC AND HARMONIC ANALYSIS

Persichetti’s Melodic and Harmonic Vocabulary

In the Tenth Piano Sonata, Persichetti explores melody and harmony in a wide variety of ways. Though the musical components that Persichetti draws upon are fairly standard in terms of 20th-century compositional techniques, the specific manner of juxtaposition he utilizes in fusing these diverse musical components together results in a highly individual sound. Regarding his approach to composition, Persichetti states the following in his book Twentieth-Century Harmony: Following a predetermined path of strict axioms is avoided, for harmonic creativity depends upon the relation of chord to chord in a particular context; any chord may progress to any other chord, and seemingly opposing techniques may be combined under certain formal and dramatic conditions. In theoretical deductions the emphasis is placed upon creative ideas and compositional stimulation. (1961, p. 11) Persichetti allows creative ideas to unfurl organically in his music, feeling free to let his music shape itself over the course of its journey while at the same time providing a guiding hand every step of the way. With the Tenth Piano Sonata, the organic musical journey incorporates a variety of pitch collections and chords that make suggestions of tonal centers throughout the work but obscure any sense of a true tonal center. An observation by Joseph N. Straus (2005) on Schoenberg’s Piano Piece, Op. 11, No. 1 is quite fitting in also describing the Tenth Sonata: “[…] [T]onality operates in this piece like a ghost, haunting the structure with its presence, but impossible to pin down in any satisfactory way” (p. 131). Persichetti’s use of terms like “mijor” and “manor” in talking about tonality within his own music illustrates the elusiveness of his musical language (V. Persichetti & R. Shackelford, 1982). He finds comfort in contrast and dualities, exploring how different sounds and musical systems can play off of one another despite their inherent differences. Persichetti does not bind himself to traditional rules, and as a result, his music evokes a sense of freedom and spontaneity that draws in both the listener and the performer.

44 Pitch Collections

The entire sonata is anchored around the opening theme of the first section, which reappears in varied ways throughout the work (Example 3.1). In analyzing the soprano line of the opening theme, it appears at first glance not to align with a standard scale type. The first four notes of the theme (C, B-flat, A-flat, and G) outline the upper tetrachord of a C natural minor scale. However, the remaining notes of theme (F, E, and D) belong to the lower tetrachord of a C Major scale. So, within the initial phrase of the first section, Persichetti plays upon the duality of major versus minor. This duality is further exemplified by the opening rhythmic motive of the first section (Example 3.1). With this gesture, the left-hand dyad incorporates an A-natural, however, the right-hand dyad incorporates an A-flat. Between the opposing tetrachords of the opening theme and the opposing dyads of the opening rhythmic gesture, Persichetti sets up a theme of conflict. The exact pitch collection Persichetti utilizes for the opening descending scalar theme is not discussed in his book Twentieth-Century Harmony. Persichetti lists several synthetic scale types in the chapter on scale materials, however, he only discusses the more commonly used synthetic scales. In finding a label for the scale Persichetti uses, one must turn to jazz music. As Persichetti was fond of jazz music and incorporated many of its stylistic aspects into his own music, it makes sense that certain elements of his music might defy explanation in terms of Western classical music. In his book titled The Jazz Language, author Haerle covers multiple types of modes common to jazz music. In the section of the book on modes of the ascending melodic minor scale, one can find the exact mode Persichetti utilizes for his opening theme. Haerle’s label for the mode is C Mixolydian (with a lowered sixth scale degree) (Figure 4.1). In their book titled Modalogy, authors Brent and Barkley also cover the mode type Persichetti utilizes, however, they refer to the mode as “jazz mixolydian” (Figure 4.2). The reason for this label is that the authors see the scale as being connected to the “jazz minor” scale, which features a lowered third scale degree but raised sixth and seventh scale degrees. This results in a scale that features the lower tetrachord of a natural minor scale and the upper tetrachord of a major scale. Though Persichetti probably did not consciously choose a jazz mode for the opening scalar theme, his sound world was influenced by jazz in many ways, therefore, the connection is worth noting.

45 Figure 4.1: C Mixolydian mode (Haerle, 1980, p. 27)

Figure 4.2: Jazz Mixolydian mode (Brent & Barkley, 2011, p. 156)

The next theme of the first section, referred to in the previous chapter as the “third” theme, involves the use of pentatonic pitch collections. Both the right hand and left hand state the theme simultaneously at its first appearance. However, the left-hand theme statement is transposed down a tenth from the right-hand theme statement (Example 3.14). The right hand states the theme utilizing an E minor pentatonic pitch collection, and the left hand states the theme using a C minor pentatonic pitch collection. The theme reappears in measure 48 as a lead- in to the first statement of the sonata’s second main theme (Example 3.15). This time, however, an E# minor pentatonic pitch collection is used. A final appearance of the theme takes place in mm. 75-78, where the theme is transposed yet again (Example 3.16). Like with the first appearance of the theme, the left hand states the theme simultaneously with the right hand, though down by the interval of a third. The right hand first states the theme using a G minor pentatonic pitch collection and then states the theme in the following measure with an F minor pentatonic pitch collection. The left hand’s first statement of the theme utilizes an E-flat minor pentatonic pitch collection, and a measure later restates the theme using a D-flat minor pentatonic pitch collection. The last main type of pitch collection Persichetti uses in the sonata’s first section is the octatonic pitch collection. This pitch collection results in an eight-note scale that involves the continuous alternation of half steps and whole steps. There are only three different transpositions

46 of the octatonic scale. The first type of octatonic scale is labeled OCT (0,1), as it involves an initial move from C to C-sharp (Figure 4.3). The second type of scale is labeled OCT (1,2), indicating an octatonic scale that begins with an initial move from C-sharp to D. The last type of octatonic scale is labeled OCT (2,3), involving an initial move from D to E-flat.

Figure 4.3: Octatonic scale forms (Roig-Francolí, 2008, p. 53)

Persichetti’s use of the octatonic pitch collection is fairly brief, lasting just from measures 22 to 25. In measures 22 through 24, Persichetti utilizes the OCT (1,2) scale (Example 4.1). Instead of using C-sharp as a scale member, Persichetti enharmonically respells the pitch as D- flat. The use of the octatonic scale is obscured by the left hand, which contains the pitch C- natural in measures 22 and 23. These measures see Persichetti balancing between linear and vertical elements, with the left-hand part providing the harmonic color Persichetti desires while the right-hand part is more linearly focused, adhering strictly to the pitches of the OCT (1,2) scale. Measure 25 involves the use of the OCT (2,3) scale. The inclusion of a D-sharp in measure 24 foreshadows this shift from the OCT (1,2) scale to the OCT (2,3) scale, as this is a pitch that the OCT (2,3) scale contains but the OCT (1,2) scale does not. Besides the altered mixolydian mode used for the first theme, the pentatonic pitch collections used for the “third” theme, and the octatonic pitch collections used in measures 22- 25, the only other area of the first section that seems to draw from a particular pitch collection is the second theme in measures 49 through 51 (Example 3.8). With the pitch E-natural prominent in the left-hand part, the implied pitch collection seems to be E Lydian, with an A-sharp appearing in measure 51. As with the obscuring of the OCT (1,2) scale in measures 22 and 23, the E Lydian mode is contradicted by the inclusion of C-natural and A-natural in measure 50 and D-natural in measure 51. As is evidenced by the statement of the second theme, it is difficult to ascribe labels to Persichetti’s music, as something implied melodically or harmonically one moment can be contradicted a moment later. The material of the Tenth Piano Sonata is often

47 trying to be many things at once, exhibiting a difficulty to adhere consistently to a single pitch collection. However, it is through melodic and harmonic contrast that the sonata achieves its distinctive sound.

Example 4.1: Tenth Sonata, use of octatonic pitch collections, first section, mm. 22-26

Harmonic Vocabulary

Regarding harmony in the first section of the Tenth Piano Sonata, Persichetti often does not spell out a complete chord. Persichetti chooses to use dyads frequently throughout the sonata, as is illustrated by the opening musical period of the first section (Example 4.2). The dyads function both horizontally and vertically. In terms of their horizontal function, the dyads function separately in the right-hand and left-hand part due to their alignment with contrasting pitch collections and tonal centers. On the other hand, the dyads can be analyzed vertically, as the composite effect of the two contrasting dyads creates a harmonic tension that forms a central part of the sound world of the Tenth Piano Sonata. In measure one of the opening musical period, beat two features an E and G-sharp dyad in the left hand juxtaposed with a G and B-flat dyad in the right hand (Example 4.2). At first glance, the two dyads seem to be completely unrelated, with the left hand dyad implying an E Major triad and the right hand dyad implying either a G minor triad or an E-flat Major triad. The

48 effect Persichetti achieves with these contrasting dyads is quite biting, due to the tritone outline between the two dyads as well as the interval of a major seventh between the tenor and alto voices. Though the pitch content of the dyads seems to separate them, they can also be viewed as a composite harmonic entity. The two dyads can be interpreted as an E diminished triad with a split third. Another instance of contrasting dyads is in measure three, where beat two features a B and G dyad in the left hand and a D-sharp and F-sharp dyad in the right hand. The left hand dyad implies a G Major triad, and the right hand dyad implies a B Major triad. Though the two dyads appear to belong to different tonal planes, they can also be analyzed together, resulting in a G Major seventh chord with a raised fifth.

Example 4.2: Tenth Sonata, opening musical period, first section, mm. 1-4

In measures 31 through 46, broken tenths achieve the same effect as the dyads in the opening musical period, with the intervals being explored melodically as opposed to harmonically. In measure 31, the left hand features a broken tenth consisting of the pitches D- natural and F-sharp, while the right features a broken tenth consisting of the pitches A-sharp and C-sharp (Example 3.25). The left hand broken tenth implies a D Major triad, and the right hand broken tenth implies an F-sharp Major triad. However, if analyzed vertically, the resulting harmony is a D Major seventh chord with a raised fifth. This is the same type of chord found in measure three on beat two (Example 4.2). A second type of harmony that Persichetti utilizes in the first section is the polychord. A polychord, according to Persichetti in his book Twentieth-Century Harmony, is “the simultaneous combination of two or more chords from different harmonic areas” (1961, p. 135). Measures 65 and 66 feature polychords, however Persichetti alternates the two chordal units between the two hands, slightly obscuring the vertical relationship between the chords. On beat two of measure 65, Persichetti alternates an A Major triad in the left hand with an A-flat Major 49 triad in the right hand (Example 3.27). The polychords he uses are not always complete, as can be seen in the closing measures of the first section. In measure 86, an F-sharp Major triad in the left hand is rhythmically alternated with what appears to be either an incomplete F Major triad or A minor triad in the right hand (Example 3.30). Despite the polychords of this closing section not being complete, one can still perceive the opposing harmonic areas. Therefore, the incomplete polychords function like complete polychords. Lastly, Persichetti also explores harmonies built from intervals other than a third. In measure 51, a secundal chord can be seen in the right hand on the offbeat of beat one and also in the left hand on beat four (Example 3.8; Figure 4.4). The secundal chord in the right hand is built from the pitches B-natural, C-sharp, and D-sharp. Instead of the C-sharp appearing in between the B-natural and D-sharp, Persichetti displaces the pitch by an octave, resulting in a more widely spaced chord. This causes the secundal chord to have a more open sound than it would have had it not been rearranged. The other secundal chords are arranged similarly, with Persichetti preferring wider spacing over compact spacing (Figure 4.4). Persichetti states in Twentieth-Century Harmony that “[s]pacing in intervals of the seventh and ninth gives the muscle-bound chords by seconds linear freedom and room for activity of the parts” (1961, p. 122). In addition to secundal chords, quartal and quintal chords can also be found. The third beat of measure 50 features a quintal chord in the right hand, and on beat one of the following measure, a quartal chord can be found in the left hand on the offbeat of beat one (Example 3.8; Figure 4.4). A quintal chord can be viewed as an inversion of a quartal chord and provides a more open sound because of the stacked fifths. Persichetti states that quartal materials have origins in medieval polyphony, therefore considering the plainchant-like quality of the second theme, the use of quartal and quintal harmonies is quite fitting (1961, p. 93).

Figure 4.4: Tenth Sonata, examples of secundal, quintal, and quartal chords, first section

50 Phrase Re-Composition

To fully appreciate the diverse melodic and harmonic materials that Persichetti uses in the Tenth Piano Sonata, a helpful tool is phrase re-composition. Since Persichetti’s music is often switching rapidly between implied tonal centers as well as pitch collections, it is difficult to perceive and comprehend the vast melodic and harmonic materials Persichetti uses. Phrase re- composition involves rewriting a musical passage so that it aligns with a single tonal center and collection of pitches. Doing so allows one to see more clearly how Persichetti juxtaposes so many varying and contrasting materials and how that affects the overall sound. To determine what tonal center or pitch collection to use, one must first analyze a passage for implications of pitch collections. Certain pitches might imply an association with a minor scale, however, other pitches might appear to belong to the parallel major scale of said minor scale. The opening musical period of the sonata’s first section implies many things harmonically in the short span of four measures (Example 4.2). The opening two dyads in the right hand could easily belong to A-flat Major, F minor, E-flat Major, or C minor. However, one should consider the overall trajectory of the passage in considering a tonal center on which to root the passage. As the opening musical period cadences with a B Major triad, it would make sense to choose a key or mode that would naturally come to rest on a B Major triad at the end of a phrase. Considering that a B Major triad is nowhere to be found in the keys of A-flat Major, F minor, E- flat Major, or C minor, the triad could be chromatically altered to spell out a B-flat Major or minor triad in order to accommodate the opening dyads of the antecedent phrase. Conversely, one could base the tonal center of the musical period solely on the B Major triad and rewrite the entire musical period in the key of B Major. For the purpose of exploring phrase re-composition, this study will explore multiple keys/modes so that the musical period can be appreciated and understood from a variety of angles. The first mode that will be explored for a re-composition of the opening musical period is C Jazz Mixolydian, which can also be referred to as C Mixolydian with a flattened sixth scale degree (Figure 4.1; Example 4.3). The reason for choosing this mode is that Persichetti uses it as a basis for the first sonata theme. Though the soprano voice of the antecedent phrase aligns with the pitch collection from this mode, the rest of the voices do not, including the entirety of the consequent phrase. As this mode serves as a unifying element among the contrasting sections of

51 the sonata, it is worth seeing what the opening musical period would sound like if the mode governed all of the pitch content. In aligning all of the pitch content of the antecedent phrase with the mode, it requires a total of nine chromatic alterations. For the consequent phrase, it requires a total of 11 chromatic alterations. The biggest difference in sound from the resulting re-composed musical period is that the antecedent phrase sounds significantly brighter throughout its entirety. In the original phrase, the final three dyads of measure one give the antecedent phrase a darker feel, with the flattening of F, E, and D in the alto voice. In altering those voices to become F-natural, E-natural, and D- natural, it makes the downbeat of measure two less impactful by eliminating the brightening that takes place from the E-flat and D-flat of the alto voice leading to the E-natural and D-natural in the soprano voice. In the consequent phrase, re-composition results in a much more unstable feeling on beat four of measure three. The chromatic alteration results in an E half-diminished seventh chord leading to a C Major chord, which sounds awkward because of the emphasis of the tritone in the lower voices. As opposed to the final chord of the original period, re-composing the phrase in C Jazz Mixolydian results in a B-flat Major triad. The effect of the transition from a B-flat Major feel at the end of the antecedent phrase to a cadence in B Major is quite striking in the original period, and re-composing it so that the end of the antecedent and consequent phrases align eliminates this effect. In hearing the end of both phrases revolve around B-flat, one appreciates the chromatic alteration Persichetti utilizes in the original period even more.

Example 4.3: Tenth Sonata, C Jazz Mixolydian re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4

A next logical choice in key for re-composing the opening musical period would be A- flat Major, considering the presence of A-flat, B-flat, E-flat, and D-flat in the first measure. In

52 having the pitches of the period align with the key of A-flat Major, the consequent phrase would naturally cadence on a B-flat Major chord. As a result, B-flat Dorian is a more suitable label for the mode being used. Similarly to using C Jazz Mixolydian, re-composing the antecedent phrase to align with a B-flat Dorian pitch collection eliminates the contrast of the original phrase moving from E-flat and D-flat in the alto voice of measure one to E-natural and D-natural in the soprano voice in measure two. Unlike the brighter feel of the antecedent phrase with a C Jazz Mixolydian mode, using B-flat Dorian causes the antecedent phrase to feel quite darker. The original antecedent phrase ends with a B-flat and D dyad, implying a B-flat Major triad. With B- flat Dorian, however, the antecedent phrase ends up closing on a B-flat and D-flat dyad, implying a B-flat minor triad. The consequent phrase also ends up cadencing with a B-flat minor triad. A key aspect of the original period is the arrival on a major triad at the end of the consequent phrase, which does not happen with pitch alignment to the B-flat Dorian mode. Another moment of brightening that does not occur under the B-flat Dorian mode is in the left hand part in measure two. In the original antecedent phrase, the tonal center implied by the F and D-flat dyad appears to modulate upwards with the appearance of B-natural and C-sharp in the subsequent dyads. Persichetti’s constant chromatic alterations result in slippery music that can not decide on a single tonal center. This effect is lost when aligning all pitches with a single tonal center.

Example 4.4: Tenth Sonata, B-flat Dorian re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4

As the original antecedent phrase incorporates a D-natural in the second dyad of measure two in the right hand, it is also worth re-composing the phrase in B-flat Mixolydian (Example 4.5). The only difference between the B-flat Dorian re-composition and the B-flat Mixolydian re-

53 composition is the inclusion of D-natural versus D-flat. The original antecedent phrase ends on a B-flat and D dyad, which the mode B-flat Mixolydian supports. As opposed to B Dorian, using B-flat Mixolydian results in the consequent phrase ending with a major triad. As Persichetti chose a mode for the original phrase that is half-aligned with a major scale and half-aligned with a natural minor scale, the B-flat Mixolydian more closely approximates the effect of C Jazz Mixolydian then B-flat Dorian, as the lower tetrachord belongs to the major scale tetrachord family and the upper tetrachord belongs to the minor scale tetrachord family.

Example 4.5: Tenth Sonata, B-flat Mixolydian re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4

As the previous re-compositions were based on the prevalence of flat notes in the first measure, it would also be beneficial to consider re-composing the musical period based on the appearance of sharp notes in each of the measures. In measure one, the left hand part contains an E and G-sharp dyad, which contrasts the implied tonal center of the dyads in the right hand part. In measure two, the incorporation of a B-natural, C-sharp, and E-natural with the second and third dyads in the left hand part also reflects a different tonal center than the right hand pitches imply. Lastly, the presence of a D-sharp and F-sharp dyad in the third measure as well as the cadence on a B Major triad contradicts much of the right hand pitch material. Considering the presence of both D-natural and D-sharp in the musical period as well as the cadence on a B Major triad, re-compositions in both B minor and B Major would shed a different light on the passage and more appropriately contextualize some of the pitches that were neglected with the previous re-compositions (Example 4.6; Example 4.7).

54 Example 4.6: Tenth Sonata, B minor re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4

Example 4.7: Tenth Sonata, B Major re-composition, first section, mm. 1-4

Between the keys of B minor and B Major, the original passage is more closely aligned with a B minor tonal center. The left-hand B and G-natural dyads in measures two and three imply a connection to B minor, however, the left-hand E and G-sharp dyad in measure one and the right-hand D-sharp and F-sharp dyad in measure three imply a B Major tonal center. In choosing B minor as an overall key for the passage, it illuminates the moments where Persichetti chooses to have a darker sound as a result of the flattened scale degrees. This is represented by the left-hand E and G-sharp dyad in measure one closely followed by the B and G-natural dyad in measure two, with G being lowered from the first to the second measure. An interesting moment in the original passage is the juxtaposition of the right-hand D-sharp and F-sharp dyad in measure three with the B and G-natural dyad in the left hand. As is the case throughout the sonata, major and minor are pitted up against one another, refusing to let the other assert its dominance. This duality colors the opening passage and is central to its identity. Though choosing either B Major or B minor solely does not support this duality, it helps to illuminate the

55 harmonic choices Persichetti makes in the original passage and serves as a beneficial experiment in understanding all of its many facets. In seeing how many of the pitches in the original passage need to be chromatically altered to align with a single tonal center and collection of pitches, the diversity of the harmonic and melodic materials Persichetti uses is highlighted. The reason the original passage sounds so distinct is that it draws upon so many different collections of pitches. This results in striking color changes as a result of either the lowering or raising of pitches throughout the passage. To have the passage align with the B Major pitch collection, it requires a total of 31 pitch alterations. Re-writing the passage in either B minor or B-flat Mixolydian requires 25 pitch alterations. Using the mode of B-flat Dorian requires 24 pitch alterations, and keeping the passage entirely in the C Jazz Mixolydian mode requires 20 pitch alterations. As aligning the passage with a single tonal center or collection of pitches requires so many pitch alterations, it helps to illustrate how diverse the pitch content is of the original opening period. Example 4.8 provides an inventory of the various pitch collections implied by the pitch content of the opening passage.

Example 4.8: Tenth Sonata, presence of contrasting pitch collections, first section, mm. 1-4

Another area of the sonata that can benefit from the process of phrase re-composition is from measure 29 to measure 32 (Example 4.9). Measures 29 and 30 involve the “third” theme of the first section, a theme only the first section contains. Both the left and right hand state this theme simultaneously, which draws from a minor pentatonic pitch collection. With the right hand drawing from an E minor pentatonic pitch collection and the left hand using the pitches of a

56 C minor pentatonic scale, phrase re-composition can help to highlight the unique properties of each part and clarify the compositional choices Persichetti made. Measures 31 and 32 revolve around broken tenths in each hand, moving in contrary motion. The right hand and left hand parts imply different tonal centers with their respective broken intervals, therefore this provides an opportunity to re-compose the phrase to align with each of the parts. The right hand part in measures 31 and 32 implies an F-sharp Major tonal center. The left hand part implies a D Mixolydian tonal center, with the presence of a C-natural on beat three of measure 31. Within these tonal center implications, some anomalies exist that complicate the passages from an analytical standpoint. In measure 29, the left hand contains a G-flat and E-flat dyad, hinting at E- flat minor. This greatly contradicts the right hand part, which is centered around the E minor pentatonic scale. In measure 32, the pitches of beat two imply a tonal center of E-flat Major, diverging from the pitch material at the start of the measure. Shortly after the implication of E- flat Major, the left hand contradicts this with chords that involve the pitches E-natural and C- sharp. To better appreciate the anomalies throughout the two phrases of this passage, phrase re- composition can be used to normalize the use of the “wrong” pitches and help a performer to more fully understand the ways in which the implied tonal centers change.

Example 4.9: Tenth Sonata, first section, mm. 29-32 57 In considering the main tonal centers implied throughout measures 29-32 as well as the tonal implications of the pitch anomalies, the tonal centers of E-flat Major, E minor, E-flat minor, and E Lydian will be explored through phrase re-composition. The labeling of these tonal centers is based off of the bass voice on beat two in measure 32, which is the main arrival point of the passage. With E-flat Major, the intervallic relationship of the two parts in mm. 29 to 30 changes (Example 4.10). In the original passage, the right hand and left hand parts are separated by the interval of a major tenth throughout the entirety of measures 29 and 30. The sound quality of having a continuous stream of major tenths is greatly affected by the aligning the pitches of the passage with a single tonal center. As a result of constricting the pitch content solely to E-flat Major, the quality of the tenths alternates continually between major and minor. Also affected are some intervallic relationships in mm. 31 and 32. As opposed to the left hand containing a major broken tenth and the right hand containing a minor broken tenth, this is reversed when aligning the pitch content to the key of E-flat Major. The left hand now contains minor broken tenths, and the right hand contains major broken tenths. Though this might seem like a small difference, Persichetti’s music is characterized by the slight lowering or raising of pitches. These subtle motions darken and brighten the music in ways that greatly affect the overall sound of the music.

Example 4.10: Tenth Sonata, E-flat Major re-composition, first section, mm. 29-32 58 The next tonal center that will be utilized for phrase re-composition is E minor (Example 4.11). In comparison to the original passage, the left hand part is significantly brightened through the chromatic alteration of the flattened pitches. The right hand part in measure 31 up to the beginning of measure 32 is slightly darker in color in the re-composed phrase, as the original phrase shifts the tonal center from E-natural in measure 30 to F-sharp in measure 31. In measure 32, the change in pitches form beat one to beat two is less dramatic than in the original phrase. The original phrase has the C-sharp and A-sharp on beat one moving to B-flat and G-natural on beat two, a move of an augmented second. With the re-composed phrase in E minor, this move is reduced to the interval of a half step, with C-natural and A-natural moving to B-natural and G- natural.

Example 4.11: Tenth Sonata, E minor re-composition, first section, mm. 29-32

Lastly, the keys of B Major and E-flat minor are worth exploring through phrase re- composition, as the portions of the original passage aligning with these tonal centers contradict the other pitch material so greatly. In measure 29, the original phrase features a dramatic darkening of color with the appearance of a G-flat and E-flat dyad in the left hand. Phrase re- composition helps to highlight how distantly related the G-flat and E-flat dyad is to the rest of 59 the pitch material. Regarding the use of a B Major pitch collection, it sheds a new light on the relationship between measures 29-30 and measures 31-32, which represent different tonal planes. The pitches aligning with a B Major pitch collection in the original passage brighten the passage as a result of the implied tonal center shifting upward in measure 31. As a result, re-writing the entire passage in B Major significantly brightens the original material. This contrasts re-writing the passage in E-flat minor, which significantly darkens the overall color of the original passage. In general, the effect of the contrasting pitches and implied tonal centers is neutralized when aligning the passage with a single tonal center and collection of pitches. As a result of the great variety of pitch collections and implied tonal centers that Persichetti utilizes in his Tenth Piano Sonata, it makes for a slightly disorienting initial listening experience. However, upon closer inspection, one finds that the compositional materials themselves are fairly standard but that it is the way in which they are juxtaposed that creates the eclectic sound Persichetti achieves in this sonata. Phrase re-composition helps to show how unique Persichetti’s compositional choices are and illustrates his high degree of creativity and adventurous spirit.

Example 4.12: Tenth Sonata, E-flat minor re-composition, first section, mm. 29-32 60 Example 4.13: Tenth Sonata, B Major re-composition, first section, mm. 29-32

61 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

With the music of Vincent Persichetti, one finds a large amount of variety, both in musical styles and in the palette of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic devices from which he draws. Persichetti found inspiration in all types of sounds, and it is the skillful juxtaposition of these often contrasting sounds that contributes to his eclectic musical style. On his compositional approach, Persichetti says the following: I concentrate on the idea rather than style, on whatever combinations of sound materials best suit my expressive purpose. I tend to amalgamate the sounds around me and press them into the clay of the shaping object. As the music unfolds, I am well aware of the stylistic characteristics but am not intimidated by their presence. (Persichetti & Shackelford, 1982, p. 114) While composers like Arnold Schoenberg veered away from tonality completely, Persichetti felt no need to do the same. As is evidenced by the Tenth Piano Sonata, Persichetti explored alternatives to tonality, developing his own system of harmonic and melodic devices. Quick shifts between contrasting tonal centers and pitch collections help to obscure a sense of tonality, however, tonality is almost always present in some way. For Persichetti, the traditional tonal system did not carry with it the same baggage as it did for composers who considered twelve- tone composition the only viable musical system of the twentieth century. In allowing himself access to a wider range of sounds and styles, he was able to create music with a highly personal sound. In the Tenth Piano Sonata, motivic and thematic development serve as the primary driving forces for musical development. As a composer, Persichetti prefers to “say more about less, than less about more” (Persichetti & Shackelford, 1982, p. 114). This is evident in the Tenth Sonata where the music is tightly controlled through a small set of melodic and rhythmic motives. It is the skillful control of contrasting melodic and harmonic materials that drives Persichetti’s music. The Tenth Piano Sonata juxtaposes many contrasting melodic and harmonic elements through the course of its journey, reflecting Persichetti’s enthusiasm for music that continually surprises and delights. Persichetti quests for unique sound qualities to explore in his

62 music, and the freedom with which he does this communicates a sense of optimism that is uniquely American. Overall, the large number of twentieth-century compositional techniques that Persichetti employs in his music makes it difficult to pin down in analysis. Just as Persichetti’s multifaceted music explores many angles, one must approach it from a variety of angles in order to piece together an adequate understanding of the musical language. It is well-crafted, thoughtful, and creative music that deserves to be heard and performed more frequently. All it takes is a willingness to embrace the musical journey that Persichetti provides.

63 REFERENCES

Bauer, M. (1933). Twentieth Century Music. New York, NY: Da Capo Press, Inc.

Chopin, F. (2007). Prelude in A Minor, Op. 28, No. 2. In N. Müllemann (Ed.), Préludes (p. 3). Munich: G. Henle Verlag.

DeVeaux, S. & Giddins, G. (2009). Jazz. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Farrell, L. (1976). Vincent Persichetti’s Piano Sonatas from 1943 to 1965 (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 7621656)

Hindemith, P. (1936). Erste Sonate für Klavier. New York, NY: B. Schott’s Söhne.

Hinson, M. (2000). Guide to the Pianist’s Repertoire (3rd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Liszt, F. (1927). Nuages Gris, S. 199. In J.V. da Motta (Ed.), Musikalische Werke, Serie II, Band 9 (p. 163-164). Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel.

Liszt, F. (1924). Sonata in B Minor, S. 178. In J.V. da Motta (Ed.), Musikalische Werke, Serie II, Band 8 (p. 103-140). Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel.

Morgan, R.P. (1991). Twentieth-Century Music: A History of Musical Style in Modern Europe and America. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Persichetti, V. (1988). Piano Sonatas (Complete). Bryn Mawr, PA: Elkan-Vogel.

Persichetti, V. (1961). Twentieth-Century Harmony: Creative Aspects and Practice. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Persichetti, V. & Shackelford, R. (1982). Conversation with Vincent Persichetti. Perspectives of New Music, 20(1/2), 104-133.

Sabbagh, P. (2003). The Development of Harmony in Scriabin’s Works. (n.p.): Universal Publishers.

Salzman, E. (1988). Twentieth-Century Music. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Scriabin, A. (1971). Sonata No. 5, Op. 53. In G. Philipp (Ed.), Ausgewählte Klavierwerke, Band 5: Sonaten 1-5 (pp.93-111). Leipzig: Edition Peters.

Simmons, W. (2011). The Music of William Schuman, Vincent Persichetti, and Peter Mennin: Voices of Stone and Steel. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc.

64 Simmons, W. (2004). Voices in the Wilderness. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc.

Simms, B.R. (1996). Music of the Twentieth Century: Style and Structure (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Schirmer Books.

Todd, R. L. (1988). The "Unwelcome Guest" Regaled: Franz Liszt and the Augmented Triad. 19th-Century Music, 12(2), 93-115.

Watkins, G. (1995). Soundings: Music in the Twentieth Century. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Group.

65 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Pianist Chad Spears was born in Boise, ID on May 2nd, 1985. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Idaho in 2010, his Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from Florida State University in 2013, and is expected to receive his Doctor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Florida State University in 2017. Chad made his orchestral debut at the age of eighteen playing Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor with the Treasure Valley Youth Symphony. Since then he has been featured with the Washington-Idaho Symphony, the Coeur d'Alene Symphony, and the University of Idaho Orchestra. A highly sought-after collaborative pianist, Chad was invited to perform at the Encuentro Internacional de Flauta y Piccolo at the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza in Monterrey, Mexico, where he played in several recitals with the festival’s students and faculty members. He has also been a guest artist in Toronto, Canada a number of times. A passionate teacher, Chad is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians. He has served as a group piano instructor at Florida State University as well as the University of North Florida. Additionally, he maintains an active piano studio in Tallahassee, Florida.

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