Conducting Elgar's Wand of Youth Suites
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2014 Conducting Elgar's Wand of Youth suites : programming possibilities and perspectives on performance Vaughn Aristides Cardona Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Cardona, Vaughn Aristides, "Conducting Elgar's Wand of Youth suites : programming possibilities and perspectives on performance" (2014). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 488. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/488 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. CONDUCTING ELGAR’S WAND OF YOUTH SUITES: PROGRAMMING POSSIBILITIES AND PERSPECTIVES ON PERFORMANCE A Monograph Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music by Vaughn Aristides Cardona B.A., Transylvania University, 2008 M.M., Colorado State University, 2011 May 2014 Table of Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... iii List of Examples ..................................................................................................................... iv Abstract .................................................................................................................................. vi Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter One: Conductor’s Analysis of Op. 1(a)....................................................................... 10 Movement 1: Overture ................................................................................................. 10 Movement 2: Serenade ................................................................................................ 19 Movement 3: Minuet (Old Style) ................................................................................. 31 Movement 4: Sun Dance .............................................................................................. 38 Movement 5: Fairy Pipers ............................................................................................ 50 Movement 6: Slumber Scene ....................................................................................... 62 Movement 7: Fairies and Giants .................................................................................. 67 Chapter Two: Conductor’s Analysis of Op. 1(b) ...................................................................... 80 Movement 1: March .................................................................................................... 80 Movement 2: The Little Bells (Scherzino) ................................................................... 96 Movement 3: Moths and Butterflies (Dance) ............................................................... 108 Movement 4: Fountain Dance ...................................................................................... 116 Movement 5: The Tame Bear ...................................................................................... 122 Movement 6: The Wild Bears ...................................................................................... 126 Conclusion: Performance and Programing Considerations ....................................................... 134 Suggested cuts based on recordings ............................................................................ 136 Programming Possibilities: Reduction, Recombination, and Fiscal Responsibility ....... 138 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 141 Works Cited ................................................................................................................ 141 Works Consulted ......................................................................................................... 142 Vita ......................................................................................................................................... 144 ii List of Tables Table 1: Documentation of potential cuts for Wand of Youth suites based on Elgar’s own recorded arrangements ............................................................................................................ 137 iii List of Examples Example 1: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth op. 1a, “Overture,” mm. 1-3. Orchestral score excerpt showing opening gesture and beginning of first melodic subject ................................. 11 Example 2: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth op. 1a, “Overture,” mm. 8-14. Orchestral score excerpt showing second melodic subject ................................................................................. 14 Example 3: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth op. 1a, “Overture,” mm. 30-33. Orchestral score excerpt showing the transition to the Largamente section ........................................................ 16 Example 4: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op 1a,“Serenade,” mm. 1-7. Orchestral score example of the movement’s introduction ................................................................................. 21 Example 5: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op 1a,“Serenade” mm. 17-25. Orchestral score excerpt showing a portion of the first melodic subject with accompanying orchestral textures ................................................................................................................................... 24 Example 6: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a, “Serenade,” mm. 26-33. Orchestral score example of second melodic subject ......................................................................................... 27 Example 7: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a, “Serenade,” mm. 67-75. Orchestral score example of the rhythmic challenges posed by the end of the movement ................................... 31 Example 8: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a, “ Minuet (Old Style)” mm. 8-16. Orchestral score except showing Elgar’s deliberate articulation differences between the string and wind choirs ....................................................................................................................... 33 Example 9: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a, “Minuet (Old Style),” mm. 26-32. Orchestral score excerpt showing the dynamic changes, tempo changes, and fermatas present in the last phrase ......................................................................................................................... 37 Example 10: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a, “Sun Dance,” mm. 1-5. Orchestral score excerpt of the challenging opening phrase of the fourth movement .......................................... 39 Example 11: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a “Sun Dance,” mm.19-25. Orchestral score excerpt of string section showing transitional material that is used thematically ............. 42 Example 12: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op 1a, “Sun Dance,” mm. 32- 38, 39-47. Orchestral score excerpt showing the imitative processes in the second melodic subject .......... 44 Example 13: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a, “Fairy Pipers,” mm. 1-6. Orchestral score excerpt showing both the beginning of the first melodic subject, the suggested melodic rubato in measure 5, as well as the complexity of the two layers of accompanimental ostinato ................................................................................................................................... 53 iv Example 14: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a, “Fairy Pipers,” mm. 13-23. Orchestral score excerpt showing the transition between the first and second melodic subjects and associated key areas via close voice leading ............................................................................ 58 Example 15: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op. 1a, “Slumber Scene,” mm. 1-4. Orchestral score excerpt showing both the opening melodic material and the musical homage to Elgar’s childhood bass in the lower strings .......................................................................................... 64 Example 16: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op 1a, “Fairies and Giants,” mm. 1-15. Orchestral score excerpt showing the jig-like first melodic subject as well as the march-like second component of the first melodic subject......................................................................... 68 Example 17: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op.1a, “Fairies and Giants,” mm. 23-26. Orchestral score excerpt showing rhythmic echo effects that distort the larger sense of the pulse ....................................................................................................................................... 72 Example 18: Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, op 1b, “March,” mm. 1-5. Orchestral score example showing opening marching motive, accompanying textures, and the beginning of the first melodic subject ...............................................................................................................