Expressive Interpretation in David Maslanka’s “Eternal Garden: Four Songs for Clarinet and Piano” Kimberly Kirsten Wester A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts University of Washington 2013 Reading Committee: Steven J. Morrison, Chair Margaret Dees-Moseley Timothy O. Salzman Stephen Rumph Program Authorized to Offer Degree: School of Music © Copyright 2013 Kimberly Kirsten Wester University of Washington Abstract Expressive Interpretation in David Maslanka’s “Eternal Garden: Four Songs for Clarinet and Piano” Kimberly Kirsten Wester Chair of Supervisory Committee: Dr. Steven Morrison School of Music The purpose of this study is to provide an expressive interpretation of David Maslanka’s Eternal Garden: Four Songs for Clarinet and Piano. Similar to past research on composers and the clarinetists they composed for, this study will provide a valuable primary source of the composer’s inspiration, creative process, philosophy of expression and the clarinetist who commissioned the work. This examination will explore interpretation and an emotional relationship to the music, which was prompted by Maslanka’s recommendation to acquire “a profound grasp, whether you have words for it or not, the reason for being of the piece.” The first objective of this study is to develop an expressive interpretation of Eternal Garden from the clarinetist’s perspective. The second objective was prompted by the deeply powerful responses that the author has experienced when performing and listening to Maslanka’s compositions. Expressive characteristics in the author’s interpretation that evoke powerful feelings and allow for such an experience to occur will also be explored. The first chapter will focus on Maslanka’s musical training, development as a composer, and a section devoted to his expressive philosophy and creative process. The second chapter will review theories and philosophies of musical expression and meaning, followed by a brief survey of music and emotion research. This chapter is included to explore the philosophical and psychological perspectives of musical expression and meaning in order to provide a contextual framework for interpretation of expression in the last chapter. The author has chosen to approach the study of expression through a broad survey because the musical experience is multidimensional and compels this type of methodology. The final chapter will begin with a section devoted to Dr. Peggy Dees-Moseley the clarinetist who commissioned Eternal Garden and Desert Roads, discuss the commissioning process, and Maslanka’s inspiration for the piece. Then an expressive interpretation of Eternal Garden will be provided based on the author’s performance of the piece and the suggestion by Maslanka of “opening your mind fully to the music.” Performance suggestions will also be included to guide an expressive performance of the composition. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. David Maslanka for composing this deeply emotional and powerful piece. I feel so blessed that I have gotten to know this piece on a deeper level. Thank you for being so giving of your time, meeting with me at your home and your correspondence over the past several years. Your thoughts about music and composing have profoundly impacted my approach to interpretation and performance. I would like to thank Dr. Peggy Dees-Moseley for commissioning Desert Roads and Eternal Garden without your efforts organizing the consortia, these two incredible works for clarinet would not be here. Thank you for your guidance and friendship while completing this project. I would also like to thank the members of my committee. You are all amazing teachers, musicians and scholars and I am grateful for the guidance, rigorous training and support you have given me while at the University of Washington. And lastly I would like to thank Maslanka Press for permission to reprint score excerpts of Eternal Garden and Richard Beale for permission to reprint his poem ‘On Chestnut Hill.’ TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Examples ............................................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................v Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 Biography ....................................................................................................................5 The Creative Process and Expressive Philosophy ....................................................................12 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................21 Chapter 2 Music Expression and Emotion ................................................................................23 Philosophies of Musical Expression .........................................................................................24 Cognitive Component of Musical Emotion ..............................................................................27 Behavioral Component of Musical Emotion ............................................................................29 Affective Component of Musical Emotion ...............................................................................30 Expectation Theories ...........................................................................................................36 Unified Theoretical Framework ...........................................................................................39 Physiological Component of Musical Emotion ........................................................................40 Conclusion: Music Expression and Emotion ............................................................................49 Chapter 3 Eternal Garden: Four Songs for Clarinet and Piano ...............................................51 Commissioning Eternal Garden ...............................................................................................52 Composing Eternal Garden ......................................................................................................55 Interpreting Eternal Garden and the Dream Space ..................................................................57 Movement I: “Lamentation” .....................................................................................................58 Movement II: “On Chestnut Hill”.............................................................................................66 Movement III: “Elegy: August 6, 1945”...................................................................................76 Movement IV: “Eternal Garden” ..............................................................................................88 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................107 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................110 Scores ...........................................................................................................................................116 Discography .................................................................................................................................116 Video ............................................................................................................................................117 Appendix A Eternal Garden: Four Songs for Clarinet and Piano Consortium .........................118 Appendix B David Maslanka’s Compositions Including Clarinet ..............................................119 Appendix C “Ah Holy Jesus” text by Johann Heermann ............................................................120 Appendix D Interview with Dr. David Maslanka ........................................................................121 Appendix E Interview with Dr. Peggy Dees-Moseley.................................................................130 Appendix F Dr. Peggy Dees-Moseley Interview with Dr. David Maslanka ...............................138 Vita ...............................................................................................................................................143 LIST OF EXAMPLES Example 1: Movement I “spirituality”and “introspection” measures 1-7 .................................... 60 Example 2: Movement I “vocal expressions resembling sorrow and sadness” measures 19-20 .. 62 Example 3: Movement I “triplet heroic fanfare” measures 25-27 ................................................ 63 Example 4: Movement I “introspective ascending pitch set” measures 40-43 ............................. 64 Example 5: “On Chestnut Hill” poem by Richard Beale .............................................................. 67 Example 6: Metrical Stress “On Chestnut Hill” ........................................................................... 69 Example 7: Movement II “On Chestnut Hill I lean against the wind” measures 1-5 ................... 70 Example 8: Movement II “Impossible questions” measures 17-18 .............................................. 71 Example 9: Movement II “elements supporting otherworldly” measures 20-26 ......................... 72 Example 10: Movement II “fade