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Analysis and Performance Suggestions for Witold Lutoslawski's Grave: Metamorphoses for Cello and Piano

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Analysis and Performance Suggestions for Witold Lutoslawski's Grave: Metamorphoses for Cello and Piano City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 6-2014 Analysis And Performance Suggestions For Witold Lutoslawski's Grave: Metamorphoses For Cello And Piano Marta Reilly Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/271 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCE SUGGESTIONS FOR WITOLD LUTOSŁAWSKI’S GRAVE: METAMORPHOSES FOR CELLO AND PIANO by MARTA REILLY A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, The City University of New York 2014 i © 2014 MARTA REILLY All Rights Reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Music in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. Norman Carey_________________________ _____________________ _____________________________________ Date Chair of Examining Committee Norman Carey_________________________ _____________________ _____________________________________ Date Acting Executive Officer Joseph N. Straus (Adviser)_________________________ Philip Lambert (First Reader)_______________________ Marcy Rosen (Second Reader)_______________________ Supervisory Committee The City University of New York iii Abstract ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCE SUGGESTIONS FOR WITOLD LUTOSŁAWSKI’S GRAVE: METAMORPHOSES FOR CELLO AND PIANO by Marta Reilly Adviser: Professor Joseph N. Straus The dissertation gives an analysis and performance suggestions for Witold Lutosławski’s Grave: Metamorphoses for Cello and Piano. The analysis is grounded in set-class theory, while the performance suggestions are based on my own experience as a concert cellist. The introduction describes background, circumstances of the composition, editions, publications, performance, reception history, and summarizes other Lutosławski compositions for cello. The analysis describes the melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, articulation, agogic, texture, and compositional techniques. Sketches of Grave are used for further analysis and comparison. The dissertation also explores connections with other compositions, such as Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande and Lutosławski’s Funeral Music. iv Acknowledgments I am deeply grateful to my professors at the City University of New York for their knowledge and support during my doctoral studies, particularly to my advisor, Professor Joseph N. Straus for his patience and prompt feedback, and whose book Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory inspired me to further explore post-tonal music and to write about the music of Witold Lutosławski. I am indebted to Professor Norman Carey for his accurate and straightforward guidance in performance and analysis, and Professor Philip Lambert for his fast reading and valuable comments. I would also like to thank Professor Marcy Rosen who took me under wing, always providing a role model as teacher. Her work has inspired me to nurture, explore and expand my knowledge as a teacher and a cellist. This dissertation would not have reached its final form without the help of my superb editor, Dr. Jennifer Griffith, whose linguistic skills greatly improved this dissertation’s presentation. I would like to thank my mother and father for their constant support in my studies, and for reminding me that, with hard work, anything is possible. Finally, my deepest gratitude goes to my beloved husband Tom for his help during the process of my research and writing, and to my son William whose smile makes everything brighter. v Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... vi Table of Examples .................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. xii Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Background and Circumstances of Composition .................................................. 1 1.2. Editions, Publications, Performance, and Reception History ................................ 2 1.3. Other Lutosławski Compositions for Cello ........................................................... 5 1.4. Overview of Grave ............................................................................................... 8 1.5. Techniques ............................................................................................................ 9 1.6. A Limited Number of Intervals ............................................................................. 11 1.7. Intervallic and Rhythmic Overlapping .................................................................. 13 1.8. Additive Technique ............................................................................................... 14 1.9. Horizontal/Diagonal Chords ................................................................................. 18 1.10. Repetitions of a Single Pitch ............................................................................... 21 1.11. Large-Scale Form ................................................................................................ 26 1.12. Texture ................................................................................................................. 29 Chapter 2: Twelve-Tone Organization of Grave ..................................................................... 36 2.1. The Twelve-Tone Row .......................................................................................... 36 vi 2.2. Internal Structure and Combination into Pairs ...................................................... 37 2.3. Sketches ................................................................................................................ 43 2.4. Twelve-Tone Organization of the Music .............................................................. 50 2.5. Aggregates and Their Influence on Performance ................................................. 60 2.6. Further Comments on the Twelve-Tone Organization ......................................... 65 Chapter 3: Intervallic Families and Characteristic Set Classes in Grave ................................ 71 3.1. Lutosławski’s Intervallic Families: Basic Distinctions between (016) and (027) 71 3.2. Dramatic and Programmatic Nature of the Distinction between (027) and (016) . 73 3.3. Functions of (027), (016) Trichords, and Associated Harmonic Families ........... 79 Chapter 4: Performative Aspects of Rhythm and the Role of the Piano in Grave .................. 106 4.1. Performative Aspects of Rhythm .......................................................................... 106 4.2. The Role of the Piano in Grave ............................................................................ 118 Chapter 5: Grave’s Connection to Other Compositions .......................................................... 126 5.1. The Debussy Connection ..................................................................................... 126 5.2. The Funeral Music Connection ........................................................................... 134 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 140 Appendix ................................................................................................................................... 142 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 154 vii List of Examples Example 1.1. Beginning of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande (cello part) ................................ 2 Example 1.2. Beginning of Lutosławski’s Grave (solo cello) ................................................. 2 Example 1.3. Rhythmic overlapping in cello and piano and intervallic overlapping in cello . 14 Example 1.4. Dyad (01) evolves by repetition with new pitches every time it reappears ....... 15 Example 1.5. Intervallic depiction of second part of m. 150 ................................................... 18 Example 1.6. Fingering and bowing for m. 151 (of cello) ...................................................... 19 Example 1.7. Pitches and intervals in second part of m. 151 ................................................... 20 Example 1.8. Pitch repetitions and dyad (01) and (06) between two instruments ................... 22 Example 1.9. Pitch repetitions presented with various rhythms, dynamics and articulation ... 23 Example 1.10. Persona B takes over in m. 58 with continuously somber voice until m. 64 ... 26 Example 1.11. Cello whispers (016) (mm. 85–88) while piano repeats (0268) and (0167) .... 31 Example 1.12. Arpeggiated (012567) and (012367)
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