NON-TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS in a TRADITIONAL ROLE THREE•WORKS for PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE SINCE I960 Martha Joy Reeder a Thesis Su
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Non-traditional instruments in a traditional role: three works for percussion ensemble since 1960 Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Reeder, Martha Joy Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 26/09/2021 14:12:36 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/557382 NON-TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS IN A TRADITIONAL ROLE THREE•WORKS FOR PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE SINCE i960 by Martha Joy Reeder A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF MUSIC In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of ' MASTER OF MUSIC WITH A MAJOR IN MUSIC THEORY In the Graduate College THE.UNIVERSITY OF,ART ZONA 1 9 8 0 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial ful fillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. - : Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for per mission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the music department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of Scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be ob tained from the author APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: 'DkMA (2 'OyfA/^ Nil 1 iamVP f lugr ad. t / Date Lecturer in Music ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author would like to express deepest appreciation to Mr. William Pflugradtthe director of the thesis, for his helpful guidance and numerous sug gestions during the course of this study.. The author is especially grateful to Mr. Michael Colgrass, Mr. Anthony Cirone and M r . William Kraft for their gracious and extremely helpful response in correspondence and for their permission to use excerpts from the compositions under consideration'. Most of all the author would like to thank her hushand, Larry Reeder, and her parents, without whose loyal encouragement and patient assistance this study would not have been possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . vi ABSTRACT. ...... x 1. INTRODUCTION. , . ' 1 Survey and Development of Percussion Instruments . ... 1 New Sound Sources For Percussion. ....... 4 Format and Terminology. ... 7 2... WILLIAM KRAFT'S CONCERTO FOR 4 PERCUSSION SOLOISTS AND ORCHESTRA . ... 11 Differential Parameters . 18 Cohesive Parameters . , . ■. 20 Parametric Treatment and Relationship . .27 Summary ....... ... .. , . 28 3• MICHAEL COLGRASS' FANTASY-VARIATIONS. .... 30 Movement One. , ... ..... .... 36 . Mo vement Two. ..■ . 40 Differential Parameters . ... .43 Cohesive Parameters . .. ... 47 'Parametric Treatment' and Relationship . .. 49 Summary .... ... .... ... 52 4. ANTHONY CIRONE'S 5 ITEMS. .54 Differential Parameters . ...... -58 Cohesive Parameters . .69 Text. Painting in 5. Items. .. ■. 75. Parametric Treatments and Relationships . 77 Summary •. , . .. 7 9 5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . ... , . 80 Summary . .. ...... 80 Conclusions . ... .... 8l iv v TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued . Page SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY. , . , . , . 84 Books and Articles . - 84 Scores . , . .. .. 85 Recordings , ........ ............ 86 Correspondence .......... 86 LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS Figure ■ 1. Kraft, Concerto, II. Instrumentation and ensemble set-up . > . .. 14 2. Kraft, Concerto, Second movement. General formal scheme. ,. * . .18. 3. Kraft3 Concerto, Second Movement. ■ Dynamics as a differential parameter . ..... 19 4. Kraft, Concerto, Second movement, "Jazz- like" r h y t h m ................................ 20 5. Kraft, Concerto,- Second movement (m. 128-134). Fixed voices and free voices . 21 6. Kraft, Concerto, Second movement (m. 1-5). Minor, second as important pitch 'material. 22 7. Kraft, Concerto, Second, movement.. Dynamics as a cohesive parameter . , .. 23 8. Kraft, Concerto, Second movement. Texture : as a cohesive parameter . , . 24 9. Kraft, Concerto, Second movement. Formal summary . .... .. .. ". .. 29 10. Colgrass, Fantasy-Variations. Pitches of the solo chromatic drums . , . '. 31 11. Colgrass, Fantasy-Variations, First Movement. Opening melody in solo drums . 33 12. Colgrass, Fantasy-Variations. Ensemble diagram and set-up. , . '. .. 35 13. Colgrass, Fantasy-Varlatlons, Movement One. Arabesque of opening material, m. 10-11 . 36 14. Colgrassj Fantasy-VarTations, Movement One. Polyrhythms in movement one, m. 7-8 .... 37 ■ - vi ' ' ' ' - : . vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure , Page 15. Colgrass, Fant as y-Var1at ion s, Movement Two. Polyrhythms in movement two, m . 4. : 37 . 16. Colgrass,' Fantasy-Variations, Movement One. Transition passage, m. 17 . 38 17. Colgrass,' Fantasy-VariafIons, Movement One. New material based on opening, m. 20 . 38 18. Colgrass, Fantasy-Varlatiohs,. Movement One. Transition material, m. 29 .. ........ 39 19. Colgrass, Farttasy-Varlations, Movement One. ■ General formal .scheme . .. ■ 40 20. Colgrass, Fantasy-Varlations,- Movement Two. Opening, m. 1-2 . 4l 21. Colgrass, Fantasy-Varlations, Movement Two. Polyrhythms of TB 1 in movement two, m. 11. 4l 22. Colgrass, Fantasy-VarlatIons, Movement Two. General formal scheme of movement two . ' 42 23. Colgrass, Fahtasy-Variatlons, Movement One. Closing cadential material from fA.’ (m. 6-7) . ... ... 43 24. Colgrass, Fantasy-Varlations, Movement One. Important thematic material from ’B.’ (m. 22—23) . * .. • . • . .. .: 44 25. Colgrass, Fantasy-Variations.- Microrhythmic table . ... , . .- 45 26. Colgrass, Fantasy-Varlations, Movement Two. Use of microrhythmic meters, m. 15-16 . ' 46 27. Colgrass, Pantasy-VdriatIons, Movement One. The beginning of 'A, ’ (m. 1-2) . 50 28. Colgrass, Fantasy-Variations, Movement One. The beginning of ’a ^Y' (m. 9-11) . 51 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Coritinued Figure Page 29. Cirone, 5 Items, III. General formal scheme . I , . „■ . 58 30. Cirone, 5 Items, III. Alternating textures of voice and ensemble (m.. 5-11) . 59 31. Cirone, 5 Items, III. Texture in Section •' II, Tm. 28-30) . .. ... 61 32. Cirone, 5 Items, III. Texture in Section III, (m. 40-46) . .. .' . , . 62 33. Cirone, 5 Items, III. Linear interaction of timbres . -. .......... 64 3-4. Cirone, 5. Items, III . Importance of IC5 in vocal line (m.,22-24) . 65 35. Cirone, 5. Items, III. Section II, first phrase contour (m. 21-24) . 66 36. Cirone, 5 Items, III. Section II, last phrase contour (m. 26-29). 67 37. Cirone, 5. Items, III. Durational differentiation between Section I and • Section II (m. 16-21) . ..... 68 38. Cirone, 5 Items, III. Use of intervals . 69 39* Cirone, 5. Items, III. Free metric organization (m. 1-3) . • • • • •■ .. •' • • • 7.0 40. Cirone, 5 Items, III. Duplets as the smallest division of the beat(m. 13-15) • . 71 41. Cirone, 5. Items, III . Imitation of , triplet figure (m. 21-22) . .. .. •. 72 42.. Cirone, 5 Items, III. Dynamics— shape , . 74 ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 43. Cirone, 5. Items, III. Text painting in shapes (m. 37-39) • . ................. 76 44. Cirone, 5 Items, III. A musical question . (m. 521 r . , . ,..... 77 ABSTRACT Non-Traditional Instruments in a Traditional - Role: Three Works for Percussion Ensemble Since i960 deals with the percussion ensemble' as a valid means of musical expression. Through three contemporary com posers— ‘•William Kraft, Michael Coigrass, and Anthony Cirone— the percussion ensemble is seen as an adaptable media with a wide palette of sounds and combinations yet to be explored. Each composer in his own work is intent . on writing extended ideas for the percussion. Each composer chooses a pre-established role or structure in which to exhibit the talents of the percussion ensemble. In the Kraft Concerto for Percussion Soloists and Orchestra (1964), the percussion adapts well to the role of solo concertante in a concerto. In Michael Colgrass v Rantasy-Yarlations (1971), the percussion rises to the demands of an intricate free variation. Anthony Cirone uses the wide range of color and timbre available to the percussion ensemble to set his text in 5 Items (1976). These works demonstrate the flexibility of the percussion ensemble and the infinite possibilities available to the composer, performer and the listener. x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Survey-and Development of Percussion Instruments Percussion music was confined almost strictly to the orchestra until the twentieth century. The function of the percussion within the orchestra (with the exclu sion of the tonal function of the.timpani) was either peripheral— to add to the magisterial setting of certain occasions, or merely supportive— to. add color and accent to the overall palette of the orchestra. Berlioz was the first composer to begin to ex plore the gamut of percussion instruments. "His ’dream1 ensemble of 467 instrumentalists included 53 percussion players .' . .11 (Berlioz scores are very specific as to tuning instructions and size and hardness of mallets.) Keyboard percussion instruments such as the glockenspiel and xylophone were popular on the Continent in the late Romantic era. The Indonesian gamelan or chestra introduced the gong and instruments indigenous