Basque and Modernist Influences in Gabriel Erkoreka's Works for Solo Piano (1994-2019)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BASQUE AND MODERNIST INFLUENCES IN GABRIEL ERKOREKA'S WORKS FOR SOLO PIANO (1994-2019) Ariel Magno da Costa A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS August 2021 Committee: Laura Melton, Advisor Yuning Fu Graduate Faculty Representative Nora Engebretsen Brian Snow © 2021 Ariel Magno da Costa All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Laura Melton, Advisor The music of Spanish composer Gabriel Erkoreka (b. 1969) has been widely performed in Spain and across Europe, but it has received little attention from performers in the Americas and from scholars worldwide. To the author’s knowledge, only one conference paper has examined a work by Erkoreka in great detail, while two other dissertations include passing mention of his music. The composer has drawn inspiration from his native Basque culture, piano literature from Western Art Music, and modernist techniques and styles, most notably the music of British composer Michael Finnissy (b. 1946). This unique blend has resulted in a style that is authentic and distinct from his contemporaries, while at the same time being rooted in traditional music; it also poses a challenge to analytical methods, since any approach on its own would severely underserve this kind of music. This research document is the first detailed discussion of works for solo piano by Gabriel Erkoreka to date. For a broad discussion of his writing for the instrument, six works were selected: Nubes I (1994), Jaia (2000), Dos Zortzikos (2000), Kaila Kantuz (2004), Mundaka (2009), and Ballade no. 2 (2019). This selection ranges from Erkoreka’s earliest published composition for the instrument to his second most recent work, which is representative of his current style. This document is divided in three parts: (1) an overview of the composer and the main influences behind his compositions, (2) detailed analysis of each of the works mentioned above, and (3) suggestions for performance, both in the form of general notes applicable to most works and specific advice for each piece. iv This research draws on literature review related to the influences on Erkoreka’s music, original analysis of the piano works based on scores and recordings, and interviews conducted by the author with the composer and five pianists: Ricardo Descalzo, Juan Carlos Garvayo, Alfonso Gómez, Alex Hills, and Jonathan Powell. While the conversation with the composer provided significant information on his background and the context behind each piece, the pianists provided valuable insights on their approach to the technical demands and complexity found in Erkoreka’s music for piano. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people who have supported me during the last four years and on this journey towards completing this document. First and foremost, to my parents for their unconditional love and support, and for always encouraging me to pursue my passion for music; to my teacher and advisor, Dr. Laura Melton for her patience and thoughtful guidance throughout all my degree recitals and the long process of writing this document; and to the other members of my committee, Dr. Nora Engebretsen, Dr. Brian Snow, and Dr. Yuning Fu for their valuable feedback and support during this process. I would also want to extend my gratitude to Dr. Ryan Ebright, whose assistance has allowed me to grow as a writer and researcher. My friends and colleagues at BGSU have also been incredibly supportive throughout these years; I am grateful for their friendship. I would like to recognize the important role of my former piano teachers Dr. Thomas Rosenkranz, Dr. Alexandra Mascolo-David, and Dr. Maria José Carrasqueira. Under their guidance, I was able to build up my technical and musical foundation, grow as a performer in traditional music, and pursue my individual interests in music outside the canonic repertoire, as well as in contemporary music. For their continuing support, I am forever thankful. Lastly, I would like to thank Gabriel Erkoreka, whose music has fascinated me from the very beginning, and the pianists, Ricardo Descalzo, Juan Carlos Garvayo, Alfonso Gómez, Alex Hills, and Jonathan Powell, for their willingness to be interviewed for this project. The insights gathered from all their interviews contributed significantly to my research. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1. COMPOSER AND WORKS ................................................................................... 5 1.1 Biographical Sketch ...................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Musical Interests ........................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Works for Solo Piano ................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Influences, and the Problem of an Analytical Approach .............................................. 10 1.5 Piano Literature from the Traditional Repertoire ......................................................... 12 1.6 Modernism and Michael Finnissy ................................................................................ 20 1.7 Basque and Spanish Cultures ....................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER 2. DETAILED ANALYSIS OF SELECTED WORKS FOR PIANO ........................ 36 2.1 Nubes I .......................................................................................................................... 36 2.2 Jaia ................................................................................................................................ 43 2.3 Dos Zortzikos ............................................................................................................... 51 2.3.1 Zortziko no. 2 ........................................................................................... 54 2.3.2 Links ........................................................................................................ 62 2.3.3 Zortziko no. 1 ........................................................................................... 62 2.4 Kaila Kantuz ........................................................................................................... 70 2.5 Mundaka ................................................................................................................. 76 2.6 Ballade no. 2 ........................................................................................................... 84 CHAPTER 3. SUGGESTIONS FOR PERFORMANCE ......................................................... 93 3.1 General Notes .......................................................................................................... 93 3.2 Nubes I .................................................................................................................... 100 vii 3.3 Jaia .......................................................................................................................... 101 3.4 Dos Zortzikos .......................................................................................................... 102 3.5 Kaila Kantuz ........................................................................................................... 104 3.6 Mundaka ................................................................................................................. 105 3.7 Ballade no. 2 ........................................................................................................... 107 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 110 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 112 APPENDIX A. INTERVIEW WITH RICARDO DESCALZO .............................................. 117 APPENDIX B. INTERVIEW WITH GABRIEL ERKOREKA .............................................. 123 APPENDIX C. INTERVIEW WITH JUAN CARLOS GARVAYO ...................................... 132 APPENDIX D. INTERVIEW WITH ALFONSO GÓMEZ ..................................................... 139 APPENDIX E. INTERVIEW WITH ALEX HILLS ................................................................ 142 APPENDIX F. INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN POWELL ................................................ 147 APPENDIX G. CONSENT DOCUMENTS ............................................................................ 154 viii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Musical Example Page 1.1 Brahms, Ballade op. 10 no. 2, mm. 1-4 ........................................................................... 14 1.2 Chopin, Ballade op. 38, (a) first system, (b) last system .................................................... 14 1.3 Chopin, Ballade op. 38, mm. 47 and 194 ........................................................................... 15 1.4 Albéniz, Navarra, (a) mm. 9-16, (b) mm. 104-111 ............................................................ 16 1.5 Albéniz, “Evocación,” from Ibéria, mm. 1-4 ..................................................................... 17 1.6 Ravel, Jeux d’eau, mm. 46-47 ............................................................................................ 18 1.7 Granados, “El Fandango de Candil,” from Goyescas,