An Examination of David Maslanka's

DEPICTION THROUGH EVOCATION, REPRESENTATION, AND INTROSPECTION: AN

EXAMINATION OF DAVID MASLANKA’S UNACCOMPANIED

MARIMBA SOLOS

Corey R. Robinson, B.M., M.M.

Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

August 201 8

APPROVED:

Mark Ford, Major Professor Warren Henry, Committee Member Christopher Deane, Committee Member John Holt, Chair of the Division of Instrumental Studies Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music John W. Richmond, Dean of the College of Music Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School

Robinson, Corey R. Depiction through Evocation, Representation, and Introspection: An

Examination of David Maslanka’s Unaccompanied Marimba Solos. Doctor of Musical Arts

(Performance), August 2018, 94 pp., 48 figures, bibliography, 46 titles.

Maslanka’s use of depiction. Depiction is the action or result of representing through drawing, painting, or other art form, in this case, music. In each work for unaccompanied marimba,

Maslanka uses this process of depiction in a unique way. The depictive mediums are categorized as evocative, representative, and introspective and these distinct approaches to depiction lead to three drastically different musical works. The different methods of depicting source materials are the distinguishing characteristics that separate these three works for solo marimba. This document includes a motivic analysis and comparisons of compositional devices used in these three works. A brief overview of Maslanka’s life and works as well as a listing of all of his works that feature percussion instruments are also included.

Corey R. Robinson

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First I would like to thank Leigh Howard Stevens, Lauren Vogel Weiss, and Andrew

Eldridge. Thank you for spending some time talking with me and sharing information about these works that are so special to each of you. Second, thank you to Mark Ford, Christopher

Deane, and Dr. Warren Henry for working with me and guiding me over the past four years.

Beyond the incalculable musical guidance you have provided, each of you has monumentally shaped the ways that I think about music, teaching, and how to be successful throughout a career in this profession. Thank you next to my parents. From beginning piano lessons to countless hours listening to my practicing to attending every concert that you could, I thank you for your patience and support. Lastly, I wanted to thank my loving wife, Amy for her unending support and encouragement. Thank you all.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... iii

LIST OF FIGURES ...... vi

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE ...... 1 Biography ...... 2 Methodology ...... 5

CHAPTER 2. SIGNIFICANCE AND STATE OF RESEARCH ...... 7

CHAPTER 3. EVOCATIVE DEPICTION IN VARIATIONS ON LOST LOVE ...... 10 Use of Evocative Depiction ...... 13 Theme ...... 16 Part I ...... 19 Part II ...... 23 Part III ...... 33 Conclusion ...... 40

CHAPTER 4. REPRESENTATIVE DEPICTION IN MY LADY WHITE ...... 43 Use of Representative Depiction ...... 44 Movement I – “Madrigal – My Lady White” ...... 46 Movement II – “Spring. . . Birds Sing. . . A Gift of Rings” ...... 50 Movement III – “For Pretty Alison” ...... 56 A Connecting Thread ...... 60 Conclusion ...... 61

CHAPTER 5. THE INTROSPECTIVE DEPICTION IN A SOLEMN MUSIC ...... 62 The Use of Introspective Depiction ...... 63 Part 1 ...... 65 Part 2 ...... 68 Part 3 ...... 71 Conclusion ...... 76

CHAPTER 6. SYNTHESIS OF THIS STUDY ...... 78

APPENDIX: CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF WORK BY DAVID MASLANKA FEATURING PERCUSSION ...... 81

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 91

LIST OF FIGURES

All music examples are used with permission from these copyright holders:

Page

Figure 3.1: Variations on Lost Love, Theme, mm. 1-5 ...... 17

Figure 3.2: Variations on Lost Love, Theme, mm. 8-12 ...... 18

Figure 3.3: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 13-15 ...... 20

Figure 3.4: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 19-25 ...... 21

Figure 3.5: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 29-30 ...... 21

Figure 3.6: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 36-38 ...... 22

Figure 3.7: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 52-55 ...... 22

Figure 3.8: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 56-59 ...... 24

Figure 3.9: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 60-62 ...... 25

Figure 3.10: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 68-78 ...... 26

Figure 3.11: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 79-83 ...... 27

Figure 3.12: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 108-114 ...... 28

Figure 3.13: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 115-122 ...... 29

Figure 3.14: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 123-134 ...... 30

Figure 3.15: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 179-182 ...... 32

Figure 3.16: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 184-188 ...... 32

Figure 3.17: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 189-198 ...... 34

Figure 3.18: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 227-235 ...... 35

Figure 3.19: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 282-285 ...... 37

Figure 3.20: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 298-308 ...... 37

Figure 3.21: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 320-329 ...... 38

Figure 3.22: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 330-333 ...... 39

Figure 4.1: My Lady White, Movement I, mm. 1-7 ...... 48

Figure 4.2: My Lady White, Movement I, mm. 16-26 ...... 49

Figure 4.3: My Lady White, Movement I, m. 27 ...... 49

Figure 4.4: My Lady White, Movement I, mm. 34-38 ...... 50

Figure 4.5: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 1-2 ...... 52

Figure 4.6: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 1-14 ...... 53

Figure 4.7: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 28-30 ...... 54

Figure 4.8: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 35-39 ...... 54

Figure 4.9: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 41-54 ...... 55

Figure 4.10: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 71-74 ...... 56

Figure 4.11: My Lady White, Movement III, mm. 1-7 ...... 57

Figure 4.12: My Lady White, Movement III, mm. 19-28 ...... 58

Figure 4.13: My Lady White, Movement III, mm. 29-34 ...... 59

Figure 4.14: My Lady White, Movement III, mm. 40-44 ...... 59

Figure 5.1: A Solemn Music, Part 1, mm. 1-8...... 66

Figure 5.2: A Solemn Music, Part 1, mm. 54-60 ...... 67

Figure 5.3: A Solemn Music, Part 1, mm. 81-88 ...... 68

Figure 5.4: A Solemn Music, Part 2, mm. 28-31 ...... 69

Figure 5.5: A Solemn Music, Part 2, mm. 32-33 ...... 70

Figure 5.6: A Solemn Music, Part 2, mm. 1-7, 44-50 ...... 71

vii

Figure 5.7: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 1-7 ...... 72

Figure 5.8: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 16-18 ...... 72

Figure 5.9: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 23-32 ...... 73

Figure 5.10: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 50-51 ...... 74

Figure 5.11: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 58-60 ...... 74

Figure 5.12: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 62-66 ...... 75

viii

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this study is to provide connections between a formal motivic analysis and the programmatic content of David Maslanka’s three works for unaccompanied marimba: Variations on Lost Love, My Lady White, and A Solemn Music. A comparison of the compositional process of each of these works is proposed through terms of Maslanka’s use of depiction. Depiction is the action or result of representing through drawing, painting, or other art form. In each work for unaccompanied marimba, Maslanka uses this process of depiction in a unique way. I have categorized the three forms of depiction used by Maslanka as evocative, representative, and introspective. My own definitions of these terms are as follows:

• Evocative depiction—the process of portraying an emotion or feeling through any form of art

• Representative depiction—the process of portraying the characteristics of a fixed object or the characteristics of a live entity at a singular moment through any form of art

• Introspective depiction—the process of portraying the meditative process of looking inward on one’s own psyche through any form of art

Maslanka’s use of these different forms of depiction stem from his treatment of source materials. In Variations on Lost Love Maslanka depicts the emotional turmoil that comes from the tragedy of lost love. This depiction utilizes the development of a musical motive to mimic the progress of a grief and its ever-changing nature, hence evocative depiction. In My Lady White,

Maslanka depicts an image of an idealistic “Lady in White.” This composition employs representative depiction by looking at different facets of this image of this fictional person. In A

Solemn Music Maslanka depicts a meditative process that he used regularly to clear his mind.

This process is termed introspection and the depiction of this process is categorized under introspective depiction.

1 These distinct approaches to depiction lead to three distinctive musical works. The works

vary in terms of musical structure and treatment of musical elements including texture, motives,

and development. The different methods of depicting source materials are the distinguishing

characteristics that separate these three works for solo marimba.

By providing a definition of each type of depiction used by Maslanka and supporting

these definitions with evidence on how the use of depiction in the compositional process creates

three decidedly dissimilar works, I hope that others will take these concepts and expand their

application to works by other composers and for other instruments. I would encourage the

addition of more categories of depiction as well as recognizing pieces that fall into the three

categories detailed in this research. Through studying this document, performers, composers, and

musicologists will gain a deeper understanding of Maslanka’s marimba music as well as his use

of three distinct depictive mediums.

Biography

David Maslanka was born in 1943 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Most of his study in

theory and composition took place during his master’s and doctoral study at Michigan State

University under the tutelage of H. Owen Reed and Paul Harder.1 After graduating, Maslanka went on to teach composition and theory at four universities in New York: State University of

New York – College at Greneso, Sarah Lawrence College, New York University, and

1 Kate L. Sutton, “David Maslanka and the Natural World: Three Studies of Music for Wind Ensemble” (MM thesis, FSU, 2014), 4.

Kingsborough Community College. Maslanka retired from teaching and moved to Montana in

1990 where he lived until his death in the summer of 2017.2

Maslanka is most well known for his success as a wind band composer. His first masterpiece was the work, A Child’s Garden of Dreams for wind band.3 This piece was

premiered by the Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble in 1981.4 Since then,

Maslanka has published nearly 150 works that loosely fall into four categories: music for wind

band, concertos, vocal music, and chamber music. Maslanka’s catalog of works contains over

fifty pieces for wind ensemble including are seven symphonies, 14 concertos, and a complete

mass.5 Maslanka’s concertos feature a wide variety of instruments including clarinet, flute,

saxophone, trombone, euphonium, percussion, marimba, piano, French horn duet, saxophone

quartet, and various vocal parts. Vocal music comprises a small portion of Maslanka’s works,

but includes pieces for soloist, small groups, and full choir. The chamber music in Maslanka’s

catalog is extremely varied. Some of the standard chamber music instrumentations, including

saxophone quartet, wind quintet, and string quartet, are represented as well as a number of pieces

with less common instrumentations. Maslanka utilizes alto saxophone, cello, and piano in Out of

this World (2013) and a cadre of flute, oboe, B-flat clarinet, bassoon, violin, and piano blend in

Little Concerto for Six Players (1990).

While much of Maslanka’s success has come from his wind band music, he has also

flourished in the genre of percussion literature. His mallet percussion octet, Crown of Thorns

(1991), has grown to wide acceptance among the percussion community as one of the premier

2 Scott A. Hippensteel, “A Study of David Maslanka’s Unending Stream of Life” (DMA diss., Ball State University, 2011), 25. 3 Sutton, “Maslanka and the Natural World,” 4. 4 “Works,” David Maslanka, 2018, accessed April 10, 2017, http://davidmaslanka.com/works. 5 Ibid.

works written for keyboard percussion.6 Along with Crown of Thorns, Maslanka has three other

percussion ensemble pieces, Montana Music: Three Dances for Percussion (1992), Hohner

(1999), and Hurtling through Space at an Unimaginable Speed (2011). Four concertos

accompany these percussion ensemble pieces: Arcadia II: Concerto for Marimba and Percussion

Ensemble (1982), Concerto for Marimba and Band (1990), In Lonely Fields (1997), and David’s

Book: Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble (2006). Maslanka also includes percussionists in many of his chamber works including A Litany for Courage and the Seasons

(1988), The Nameless Fear; or: The Unanswered Question Put Another Way (1989), Songbook

for Alto Saxophone and Marimba (1998), and This is the World We Know, the World of Air and

Sun and Breathing and Beating Hearts (2009).7 It is rare for a major composer to have the percussion instrument family feature so prominently in his or her compositional output.

Among his many works for percussion are three pieces for solo marimba: Variations on

Lost Love (1977), My Lady White (1980), and A Solemn Music (2013). Variations on Lost Love and My Lady White have been performed extensively and grown to wide acceptance by the percussion community. Due to its recency, A Solemn Music has not seen as much acclaim as the earlier two works.

The marimba solo repertoire is heavily saturated with music by percussionist performers who also write music to perform on their instrument. Much of the music performed today comes from this process because of the lack of a history of the marimba as a solo instrument in the concert hall. The marimba is rarely featured in two pieces by a prominent composer, let alone

Maslanka’s output of three solos, two concertos, and numerous chamber works. Appendix A

6 Molly Cryderman-Weber, “David Maslanka’s Works for Percussion Ensemble,” Percussive Notes 48, no. 2 (2010), 4. 7 “Works,” Maslanka.

4 contains a chronological listing of Maslanka’s works that feature percussion and includes instrumentation and program notes.

Methodology

Research for this document consisted primarily through interviews, formal motivic analysis, and inspection of source materials. Each of these areas of analysis contributed to the overarching thesis that Maslanka’s programmatic inspiration provided three distinct depictive mediums in his unaccompanied works for solo marimba. These depictive mediums, in turn, provide distinction to the final scoring of each work.

The original intent of this project was to utilize a series of interviews with David

Maslanka to form the foundation of my analysis. Late in the spring of 2017 I contacted David

Maslanka to request an interview with which he complied. We scheduled the interview for the summer to provide time for me to conduct my own research and analysis on each of the three works that I would be discussing. Unfortunately, during the time between my original contact and the scheduled interview, Maslanka and his family were struck with tragedy. Alison

Matthews, Maslanka’s wife, passed away in June due to kidney failure. Shortly after her passing,

Maslanka himself was diagnosed with a severe form of colon cancer and passed only one month later. I was able to include some of Maslanka’s thoughts on this through previously conducted research. A significant amount of this information comes from the transcripts of an interview conduced by Michael Varner in his dissertation on the marimba concertos of Maslanka from

1999.

Leigh Howard Stevens, Lauren Vogel Weiss, and Andrew Eldridge premiered Variations on Lost Love, My Lady White, and A Solemn Music, respectively. These performers’ experiences

5 working with Maslanka and performing these works served as important contributions to this research. Numerous topics relating to Maslanka’s works were discussed with each interviewee.

These topics included each performer’s discovery of Maslanka as a composer, specific requests of the commission, edits from the original manuscript, performance history of each work, and influence of the source materials. Quotes and information from each performer are included in this document in the individual chapters on each work.

Various models of formal analysis were considered. Michael Varner (1999) notes in his research that “the evolution of motivic gestures rather than functional harmony is the most distinctive characteristic of Maslanka's compositional process” and that “melodic gestures are perhaps the most prevalent feature of Maslanka’s music.”8 This type of motivic analysis was executed primarily in this study to identify the development, or lack of development, of gestures throughout each movement of each work, as opposed to a functional harmonic analysis. Other approaches used during this analysis were post-tonal techniques, jazz theory, and Schenkerian analysis.

8 Varner, Michael J., “An Examination of David Maslanka’s Marimba Concerti: Arcadia II for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble and Concerto for Marimba and Band” (DMA diss., University of North Texas, 1999), 104.

CHAPTER 2

SIGNIFICANCE AND STATE OF RESEARCH

Scholarly research has been conducted on most of the significant marimba solos in the repertoire. Documents by Hoefer (2012) and Santos (2008) detailed the music of Keiko Abe. The development of the marimba in Tokyo through composers such as Minoru Miki and Toru

Takemitsu was discussed in documents by Scott (2015) and Zator (2008). Reflections on the

Nature of Water by Jacob Druckman was researched by Fang (2005) and Brunk (2007). Other composers who have written significant unaccompanied marimba solos such as Daniel

McCarthy, Eric Ewazen, Eric Sammut, Alejandro Viñao, and Steven Mackey all have detailed accounts of their works (Hall, 2013; Latta, 2009; Roberts, 2010; Suen, 2011; & Wilkes, 1996).

Despite this large body of research on significant marimba solos, little has been written about any of Maslanka’s solos in the 30 years that have passed since the composition of Variations on

Lost Love and My Lady White.

Much research has been also conducted on Maslanka’s other works. The primary research consists of numerous doctoral dissertations and masters theses. These topics of these documents fall into four categories: wind band repertoire (Alston, 2004; Booth 1994; Bolstad,

2002; Breiling, 2000; Hippensteel, 2011; Sutton, 2014; Weaver, 2011; Werner, 2005; Wright,

2010), concertos (Cross, 2012; Meitz, 2011; Varner, 1999), chamber repertoire (Franklin, 2014;

Moles, 2013; Olin, 2007; Wester, 2013), and the use of chorale tunes (Breiling, 2000;

Hippensteel, 2011; Moles; 2013). These categories are not distinct, as some research overlaps.

For example, most of Maslanka’s concertos are composed for wind band. Also, each of the researchers that discussed the use of chorale tunes did so in the context of a larger work in one of the other three categories.

7 One dissertation of note for this document is Michael Varner’s paper entitled “An

Examination of David Maslanka’s Marimba Concerti: Arcadia II for Marimba and Percussion

Ensemble and Concerto for Marimba and Band.” These two concertos are very closely related to

the three unaccompanied works due to the use of the marimba as a solo instrument. Arcadia II

from 1982 and Concerto for marimba and Band from 1990 were both written after Variations on

Lost Love and My Lady White, but before A Solemn Music.

Varner included in his document information about Maslanka’s compositional style as it

pertains to percussion instruments and specifically the marimba. Varner’s analysis of both of the

concertos included detailed listings of themes and motives, formal analysis, and programmatic

information for each movement. Varner concluded that both Arcadia II and Concerto for

Marimba and Band “express radically different approaches to composition,” in part due to

Maslanka’s move from New York to Montana.9 This conclusion is applicable to Maslanka’s

unaccompanied marimba literature as well. Variations on Lost Love and My Lady White were

written in New York, while A Solemn Music was written in Montana.10

Along with Varner’s dissertation, there are only a few other documents that contain

detailed information about Maslanka’s writing for marimba. A dissertation by Charles Sharer

details Maslanka’s use of percussion in wind band. Sharer wrote about only two of Maslanka’s

works, A Child’s Garden of Dreams and Symphony No. 2 and focused much of his research on

instrumentation and set-up concerns with Maslanka’s extensive percussion demands. No part of

that document deals with compositional process or analysis of any of the music.11 Despite these

9 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 103. 10 Ibid., 8, 10. 11 Charles Marty Sharer, “A Percussion Guide for Selected Wind Ensemble Works by Karel Husa, Joseph Schwantner, David Maslanka, and Michael Colgrass” (DM diss., NU, Northwestern University, 2006), 53-87.

limitations, Sharer demonstrated Maslanka’s intense focus on details and colors within the

percussion section and how the timbres created through the percussion medium can impact a

composition for wind band.

The only writing devoted specifically to any of Maslanka’s works for unaccompanied marimba is a 1983 thesis by Jeff Miller entitled “Approaching Four-Mallet Sticking

Interpretation in David Maslanka’s Variations on Lost Love for Marimba.” This document

considered specific sticking and interpretive decisions but did not detail the programmatic or

structural content of the piece.12 A condensed form of this thesis was also published in

Percussive Notes in 1986.

The wealth of current research on significant marimba solos and on Maslanka’s other works and compositional style, coupled with Varner’s dissertation on the marimba concertos of

Maslanka, evidently show the need for this study of Maslanka’s unaccompanied marimba music.

Both Variations on Lost Love and My Lady White have been performed and recorded extensively throughout the world and have become historic pieces in the solo marimba repertoire. This research intends to fill this gap with programmatic, compositional, and analytical information about each of Maslanka’s works for unaccompanied marimba.

12 Jeff Miller, “A Study of Selected Sticking Problems for the Marimbist in the 2nd and 3rd Movements of Variations on Lost Love for marimba by David Maslanka” (MM thesis, ETSU, 1983), iii-iv.

CHAPTER 3

EVOCATIVE DEPICTION IN VARIATIONS ON LOST LOVE

What I do know is that it is a color that can move powerfully if something moves me powerfully to speak in that color. ~David Maslanka

In 1977, Maslanka received funding from the New York State Music Teacher’s

Association to write a piece for solo marimba.13 For this commission, Maslanka chose to work

with young marimbist, Leigh Howard Stevens. Stevens was not familiar with Maslanka’s

previous work, but accepted the opportunity to collaborate with an up-and-coming composer on a new piece for marimba.

Stevens and Maslanka met a number of times through the beginning of the compositional process. Maslanka was teaching at Sarah Lawrence College at the time while Stevens was living only a short distance away in Manhattan. Through these meetings, Stevens discussed different textures and techniques that could be used effectively on the marimba. Reflecting on the process,

Stevens notes that many composers at that time “would have gone and looked at the Creston

[Concertino for Marimba], would have looked the Diemer Toccata for Marimba, and the Musser

Etudes and they would have gotten a completely, in my opinion, inappropriate view of how they should write for marimba.”14 This reality led Stevens to be very active in the early sketching

process of any piece that he would be learning, premiering, and touring, including Maslanka’s

new composition.

One roadblock came when Maslanka sent a nearly completed manuscript of Variations

on Lost Love to Stevens that was written for solo marimba and temple blocks. Stevens was

13 Ibid, 8. 14 Leigh Howard Stevens, Interview by author (Phone interview, Denton, TX, May 4, 2018).

10 touring extensively at the time and only a minimal aversion to this secondary instrument was the logistical concerns that the temple blocks added. For years, Stevens was striving to create a new image for the marimba as a legitimate solo concert instrument. He felt that the inclusion of the temple blocks and a “soft shoe” section of Part III “reinforced the stereotype notion that the marimba was just a novelty instrument.”15 This would contradict the “serious” image that

Stevens was striving to attain of the marimba as a “legitimate solo concert instrument, capable of performing 4-part Bach fugues and worthy of being heard in the important musical halls of the world.”16 Through some negotiation and suggestions from Stevens, Maslanka agreed to drop the temple blocks and make a few other textural changes to the work that was completed on

September 4, 1977.

Two significant, early performances of Variations on Lost Love were at the 1978

Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Tempe, Arizona and in Stevens’

New York debut recital at Town Hall. This Town Hall recital coincided with PASIC 1979 that was held in New York City and included the New York City Premiere of Variations on Lost

Love as well as the world premieres of Rhapsody for Marimba, “Night Rhapsody” by John Serry and Toccata Fantasy in E-flat Minor by Raymond Helble. Through many performances of

Variations on Lost Love, it became standard for Stevens to recite the Robert Graves poem “Lost

Love” which “served as inspiration for the sentiments expressed by the composer’s music” before performing the work.17 He notes that an eloquent reading of the poem by the performer can craft an appropriate mood to bring the audience into the work.18

15 Stevens interview. 16 Ibid. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid.

Perhaps the most significant development that was manifested in Variations on Lost Love

and the other pieces that were commissioned by Stevens around the same time was the use of

various roll types for various musical purposes. Up to this point, marimba performers either used

only traditional rolls, where the two mallets in the left hand struck together, followed by the two

mallets in the right, or only the Musser roll (sometimes called the ripple roll or the flop roll),

where the two mallets in the left hand “flopped” down together, creating a flam effect, followed

by the same process in the right. While these two approaches were diametrically opposed,

Stevens sought the middle ground by combining these roll types with one that he invented, the

one handed roll. These three roll types were the primary musical tools that Stevens used to “great

musical advantage in Variations on Lost Love.”19

Variations on Lost Love was published by Keyboard Production Publications, Stevens’

publishing company, in 1983 with a number of edits by Stevens. These edits included stickings

suggestions and an innovative roll notation to properly describe the combination of roll types that

Stevens was already using in his performances. This roll notation was first codified in a

Percussive Notes article from 1980.20 In this article Stevens discussed the history of rolling with

four mallets and explains his new symbols for marking the various roll types and the literal

notation of each roll type. These roll types include what are now known as the double vertical

roll, the double lateral roll, the one-handed roll, the Guatemalan roll, and the mandolin roll. The

first three, double vertical, double lateral, and one-handed rolls, are the most common of the roll types described here and are often used throughout all of Maslanka’s works for marimba. To this end, Stevens also included a page at the end of the score with a guide to performing each roll,

19 Ibid. 20 Leigh Howard Stevens, “Rolls and Notation,” Percussive Notes 19, no. 1 (1980): 60-61.

12 taken from the Percussive Notes article. These notations have nearly become standard practice in compositions where the composer chooses to delineate different roll types. Many performers also take liberties with compositions that do not specify roll types by using their own discretion to make the most appropriate musical decision for each passage of a work.

Use of Evocative Depiction

The defining characteristic of the programmatic nature of Variations on Lost Love is the evocation of an inner turmoil aroused from the loss of a true love. This journey through the soul provided ample material on which to compose. The inspirational source for this work was Robert

Graves’ poem “Lost Love” from 1919:

His eyes are quickened so with grief, He can watch a grass or leaf Every instant grow; he can Clearly through a flint wall see, Or watch the startled spirit flee From the throat of a dead man.

Across two counties he can hear, And catch your words before you speak. The woodlouse or the maggot's weak Clamour rings in his sad ear, And noise so slight it would surpass Credence—drinking sound of grass, Worm-talk, clashing jaws of moth Chumbling tiny holes in cloth; The groan of ants who undertake Gigantic loads for honour's sake (Their sinews creak, their breath comes thin); Whir of spiders when they spin, And minute whispering, mumbling, sighs Of idle grubs and flies.

This man is quickened so with grief, He wanders god-like or like thief

Inside and out, below, above, Without relief seeking lost love.21

The feelings of lost love are portrayed through a theme and set of three variations to be

performed continuously. Maslanka describes his variations as variations on the emotional

turbulence of concentrating deeply on the poem. He explains the relationship of the solo to the

poem in this way:

The poem portrays a man so struck by the grief of lost love as to be made utterly hypersensitive to the physical and psychic experience; the minutest noises or inner stimuli become overwhelming. A person ‘opened’ in this way by grief or other profound inner turmoil is shaken out of ordinary being into hyperawareness.22

One common trait among many composers is the use of real world experiences to aid in

the emotional authenticity of a composition. Maslanka is no exception. The second half of the

1970s were a trying time for the composer.23 “He faced divorce, depression, and other

psychological tribulations” around the time that he was composing Variations on Lost Love.24

Clearly, this distress can be linked to the subject matter of the piece and to much of the angular,

angry moments of the work. The poem by Robert Graves must have spoke to the inner emotional

turmoil that Maslanka was already feeling at the time.

The evocations of this inner turmoil are the primary form of depiction in Variations on

Lost Love. I have defined evocative depiction as the process of portraying an emotion or feeling

through any form of art. The depiction of the deep, powerful emotions that Maslanka was

21 Robert Graves, “Lost Love,” in Complete Poems, eds. Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward (Manchester, Great Britain: Carcanet, 1995), 68. 22 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 8. 23 Robert Joseph Ambrose, “An Analytical Study of David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 2” (DMA diss., Northwestern University, 2001), 19-20. 24 Kip Franklin, “Music for an Atomic Age: David Maslanka’s Eternal Garden: Four Songs for Clarinet and Piano: An Analysis and Performance Guide” (DMA diss., Michigan State University, 2014), 8.

14 experiencing influenced the decisions made during the compositional process through three contributing factors.

First, a singular, small-scale motive is presented at the opening of the work and developed through all four movements of the piece. This B, C#, D ascending line permeates the work in its original and in numerous modified forms. The use of this motive throughout the entire composition reminds me of a seed. It begins as a small, singular moment that grows and evolves to numerous, far-reaching places during the piece, just as a seed grows and evolves during its existence. I have termed Maslanka’s motive here as the “seed of grief” or “grief motive.” Despite the title of the work, the process of depicting this emotional journey with this seed of grief does not result in a classical theme and variations. Maslanka describes this process saying,

Although there are many minute programmatic sounds, the music does not create a parallel musical space. The music can be seen as a collection of emotional pictures, variations as it were, on the theme of loss. Some of these variations are quite sober, some mysterious, and some quite the other, even approaching playful.25

The use and development of this single motivic gesture grows from the evocative depiction used in Variations on Lost Love and does not appear through the representative depiction of My Lady

White or introspective depiction of A Solemn Music.

The second evidence of the use of evocative depiction in Variations on Lost Love is the use of individualized textures and techniques, isolated to distinctive sections of the work. Large segments of measures are clearly delineated by the use of a specific technique or texture as well as by Maslanka’s tempo markings. Within these sections, ideas are presented and thoroughly developed. It is almost as if Maslanka finds an aspect of grief that fascinates him and lets it fester

25 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 8.

to explores its intricacies. This separation of these textures is unique to the evocative depiction

used here.

Between each movement of Variations on Lost Love, Maslanka notes to the performer,

“Go right on.”26 This direction indicates a link through the movements that is not seen in either

of his other marimba solos. This link appears due to the narrative nature of the emotional

underpinning of the source material. The grief that has struck the subject of Graves’ poem is

evolving and Maslanka cleverly depicts this evolution by continually intensifying the work.

Overall, each movement grows from the previous in terms of density, volume, and bipolarity,

culminating in the final, emotionally charged portion of Part III. Maslanka indicated to the

performer to “Go right on” so that the energy of the piece is maintained, rather than stifled

between movements. This intensification of emotion through the course of the work is the third

defining characteristic of Maslanka’s evocative depiction.

A detailed analysis of Variations on Lost Love follows. Each movement will be discussed

in terms of the factors stemming from Maslanka’s use of evocative depiction. These three factors

are (1) the use of a small scale motive that is developed throughout the entire, multi-movement

work, (2) the use of individualized textures and techniques, isolated to distinctive sections of the

work, and (3) the intensification of emotion through the course of the piece, from movement to

movement.

Theme

The shortest of the four movements of Variations on Lost Love, the Theme, provides a

26 David Maslanka, Variations on Lost Love (Asbury Park, NJ: Keyboard Percussion Publications, 1983), composer notes.

presentation of the seed of grief that is expounded upon throughout the entirety of the work. The

slow tempo indication (q = 44), the stepwise motion of the melody, and the monophonic texture

provide a baseline level of relatively low intensity that has the opportunity to be perpetually

augmented throughout the course of Parts I, II, and III. The adherence to the B Dorian scale (B,

C#, D, E, F#, G#, A) for the entirety of the Theme aids the stillness that is depicted.

The motive that represents the seed of grief is presented in the first measure of the work

and consists of an ascending B, C#, D (Figure 3.1). The B appears both to begin and end the

grace note figure, while the C# and D both appear in the score with tapered beams, a trend

through the first movement. This beaming guides the performer to speed up or slow down based

on the direction of the tapering. The rhythm within each beam adds color and life to the lengthy,

sustained notes that permeate the Theme. Measure three contains the second presentation of the

grief motive, but in a shortened form to provide space for an extension of the motive up to E and

a descending line back to C#.

Figure 3.1: Variations on Lost Love, Theme, mm. 1-5

The first two alterations of the opening motive appear in measure five and six. Maslanka uses a D, E, F# three-note, ascending line followed immediately by a G#, A, B line. It is noted that neither of these transformations are intervallically identical to the original. The original 17

employs intervals of a whole step and a half step. The second consists of a whole step followed

by another whole step, and the third begins with a half step and follows with a whole step.

Despite the variation in the construction of this motive, the resemblance is clear and each is used

on numerous occasions throughout all movements of the work. For the purpose of this analysis,

each will be considered a variation or development of the original motive.

Measure five parallels to measures 1-2 while measures 6-7 resemble measures 3-4. In both instances, Maslanka uses the three note motive once and follows it with another three note motive that has an extension. Measure eight is marked with the word “echo” and seems to recall the opening measures of the movement but at a softer dynamic.27 Maslanka presents the full B

Dorian scale in measures 9-10 with an ascending line employing variations in rhythm again

through the use of tapered beams (Figure 3.2).

Figure 3.2: Variations on Lost Love, Theme, mm. 8-12

The movement concludes with a C#, D figure that is preceded by the largest leaps of the

movement. The three grace notes that lead to the C# roll contain intervals between them of a

major ninth, a tritone, and a major seventh. This grace note figure is repeated with another C#, D

roll, vividly recalling the first measure of the work. At the close of the Theme Maslanka gives a

27 Maslanka, Variations on Lost Love, 1.

18 note to the performer that reads, “Go right on – same tempo – very freely.”28 This indication provides the first bridge between separate movements of the work.

The Theme of Variations on Lost Love provides a very clear launching point for the three defining characteristics of evocative depiction. First, it is clear that Maslanka is using and developing the opening motive throughout even the brief, 12 measure opening statement.

Second, the tapered beam, step-wise, monophonic texture that is used to open the work are explored through each iteration of the seed of grief. And third, Maslanka uses this movement to provide an extremely low baseline for increased intensity through the next three, much lengthier movements of the piece.

Part I

Part I begins with no tempo change and in a similar manner to the opening of the Theme; a grace note figure leading to a rolled C#, eventually moving stepwise to a D. The grace note figure here is elongated and contains the same pitches as the opening of the theme (B, C#, D, F#) with the addition of a G (Figure 3.3). This G is the first appearance of any note outside of the original B Dorian scale of the Theme. Towards the end of the C# roll in measure 13, Maslanka adds harmony to the original, monophonic line to provide a pedal against the C# to D movement.

In measure 15, the second phrase of the movement mimics the start of measure three from the

Theme. Again, the added harmony written on the lower staff adds depth to the originally monophonic line. The evolution of the materials from the previous movement seen here is unique among Maslanka’s three unaccompanied marimba solos. This development arises from the depiction of the ever-changing grief that is portrayed though this work.

28 Ibid., composer notes.

Figure 3.3: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 13-15

Measures 17-19 introduce a dissonant harmonic layer. These three measures consist entirely of either perfect fifths or major triads with the addition of a half step dissonance. For example the chord that fills measure 17 uses the perfect fifth of F# to C# while a G is added in the lowest voice to create the half step dissonance. This harmony is then repeated in a number of different transpositions through measure 20 and continued through the next portion of the movement.

Maslanka’s next step in harmonic intensity occurs with a descending chromatic scale in measures 21-25 (Figure 3.4). The descent from F# to Eb most clearly occurs in the uppermost voice. The Eb is then followed by a D an octave lower in measure 25. The use of tapered beams, here against a roll in the lower staff, evolves from the original use of the tapered beam setting in the Theme. This is another example of the cross-movement development as a result of evocative depiction in Variations on Lost Love.

Figure 3.4: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 19-25

The utilization of a G, C# pedal marks the next phrase of the movement. Here Maslanka combines the G#, C harmony from measures 17-18 in Part I with the monophonic, scalar, tapered beamed melody of the Theme. These melodies wind themselves around the opening B of the phrase and eventually find their way to the C# in measure 28. This extension of the B to C# motive from the opening of the movement is another creative development of a specific texture within the piece.

Just before returning to a recap of the opening measures of the movement, Maslanka inserts two measures of sustained triads (Figure 3.5). This is the first appearance of a triad in the piece without any added dissonance or suspension. The contrast to much of the earlier music is made clear with four minor triads that precede the C# Major chord in measure 30. This major triad is fleeting but stands out aurally, marking the return to the original materials.

Figure 3.5: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 29-30

Measures 31-36 contain a near match to the opening of the movement. Minor differences do appear and are primarily used to cull the harmonic density of the opening. This lessening of

21 simultaneous notes leads to a monophonic setting. This is another evolution and combination of the texture of the monophonic Theme and the opening of Part I.

A systematic coda ends Part I. Maslanka uses pitches reminiscent of the opening grace note figure (B, C#, D, F#, A# here versus B, C#, D, F#, G at the opening) as a means to bring the movement to a close and transition to Part II (Figure 3.6). Each iteration of the rising and falling arpeggio is shortened by one note and is separated by a whole note roll on a B. This process continues until only two notes remain. Here, in measure 51, Maslanka changes the D to a C# and brings the movement to a close with another tapered beam, resolving to a C# roll (Figure 3.7). As with the Theme, Maslanka notes that the performer should “go right on.”29

Figure 3.6: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 36-38

Figure 3.7: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 52-55

Throughout Part I, all three evidences of evocative depiction appear. The B, C#, D motive from the Theme is developed in the opening measures of Part I, measures 26-28, and in the recap. Individual ideas within each texture are also developed. Tapered beams are employed and the monophonic texture appears augmented with harmonies (measures 13-16 and 25-28) or in a systematic process (measures 37-50). The intensification of emotion and density begin to

29 Ibid.

22 appear in this movement as well. Adding harmonies, four note chords, and chromaticism all contribute to this escalation.

Part II

Part II of Variations on Lost Love drastically contrasts the preceding movements.

Maslanka successively employs four distinct textures throughout the 133 measures of Part II, residing within each long enough for exploration and development. The four textures are

“disorientation” (measures 56-79), “falling apart” (measures 80-114), “agony” (measures 115-

144), and “anguish” (measures 145-182). These four textures are followed by a short coda to conclude the movement (measures 183-188).

Although the performer is instructed to “go right on” from Part I, Maslanka marks a new tempo of q. = ca. 76. Employed throughout measures 56-79, the “disorientation” texture is explored and evokes a sense of confusion. The rapid undulation of the melodic line, paired with the nearly uninterrupted, sixteenth-note rhythm propels the movement forward through a number of iterations of the original B, C#, D motive from the Theme.

The first appearance of the seed of grief motive occurs explicitly in the first measure of the movement (Figure 3.8). Maslanka includes three grace notes leading to beat one, harkening back to the grace note ideas in the earlier movements. Another noteworthy development is that each note of this iteration is doubled. This doubling appears frequently throughout the movement and eventually evolves into tripling during the “agony” texture. Maslanka promptly repeats these first six notes to reiterate his new development of the grief motive that will be used for the basis of much of this movement.

Figure 3.8: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 56-59

The opening doubling of the grief motive is followed by a very large leap of an octave plus a major seventh. A descending line follows, leading back to a literal repeat of the opening measure, minus the grace notes. Throughout the first portion of Part II, Maslanka perpetually engages in this process of juxtaposing the opening, three-note motive with rapid, undulating sixteenth-note figures. This swift succession creates the “disorienting” texture that characterizes the opening of the movement.

Measure 58 features a repeat of the opening measure of the movement and is followed by the first alteration of the motive of the movement. Here Maslanka uses C#, D, and E, which does not match intervallically, but does recall a similar alteration of the motive in measure five of the

Theme. Throughout the Part II, Maslanka varies the grief motive in many different ways and utilizes a number of different intervallic structures for variation on the 3-note, ascending motive.

Measure 58 also utilizes the doubling of measures 56 and 58, but this time employs an octave displacement between the doubled notes. This measure also includes a descent back to C# through D, in a reversal of the original, ascending appearance. This descent provides a connection between the opening three movements where the grief motive occurred almost exclusively in ascending form and Part III, where the descending motive is explored.

The next two measures of Part II (60-61) contain the first extension of the rapid, ascending and descending figure introduced in measure 57 (Figure 3.9). Here Maslanka utilizes the same B minor tonal area as he does in the first few bars of the movement but extends the

24 amplitude of the rising and falling to two octaves plus a perfect fourth. Following the descent, a brief appearance of the grief motive, displaced in octaves again, appears. D, E, and F# are used in this instance to transition to a much shorter rise and fall leading into the octave G#s in measure 63.

Figure 3.9: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 60-62

Here Maslanka combines the two ideas that have been presented thus far. Taking the first note in each grouping gives another variation on the grief motive, this time G#, A, B. Like measure 59, this iteration of the motive includes a descent back to G#. The space between the notes in the motive is filled with rapid, ascending arpeggios. Maslanka marks the notes at the beginning of each grouping with octaves to accentuate the grief motive through the added density.

Following the extended grief motive is another ascent and descent, coupled with another appearance of the motive with the octave displacements. Here Maslanka uses A, B, and C#.

Measures 68-69 trail, recalling the structure of measures 63-64, this time beginning on D# instead of G#. In measures 71-74, Maslanka explores this expansion of the grief motive. He begins by placing an E, F#, G# iteration of the motive in dotted eighth notes. These dotted eighths are separated by ascending sixteenth notes. Another repetition of the motive follows, this time using A, B, and C# in dotted quarter notes. The final C# is also delayed by a dotted quarter creating a rhythmic ritardando by placing more sixteenth notes between each note of the motive

(Figure 3.10).

Figure 3.10: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 68-78

Maslanka hangs around this final C# for five measures and finally departs with a chromatic descent and a repeat back to the opening of the movement. The entire opening is then repeated verbatim, giving the listener another chance to catch all of the complexities included in this opening section of the movement. Despite the two repetitions, the opening adds a disorienting perspective to the grief motive through swift repetition and rapid undulations of the melodic line.

Some of the characteristics of the “disorientation” texture remain into the second texture of Part II, “falling apart.” This is one result of evocative depiction. The inner turmoil that is being depicted is growing and can not be completely siloed. This overlap is essential to the complex evolution of the grief motive and the musical structure of the entirety of the piece.

The next of the four textures in Part II, “falling apart,” is marked by a metric modulation.

Maslanka notes “q. = q” at measure 80. The effectively slows the pace of the sixteenth notes by two thirds. To compensate for this decrease in intensity, more grace notes are included as well as the first appearances of thirty-second notes. Although Maslanka clearly states that “the music

does not create a parallel musical space” to the poem, the “falling apart” texture could logically

be derived from lines 13-16 of the poem:

Worm-talk, clashing jaws of moth Chumbling tiny holes in cloth; The groan of ants who undertake Gigantic loads for honour's sake30

The residue of the first texture of the movement is clearly seen through the first nine measures of the “falling apart” texture. Here Maslanka continues his alternation of the grief motive with ascending, arpeggiated lines. The ascending lines here are placed adjacently to one another, separated only with large leaps. Notably, the only descending line occurs in the first measure of this section.

The grief motive appears numerous times in the opening of the “falling apart” texture. In measure 81 Maslanka cleverly places the motive on two levels. First, the three-note motive is

placed twice in succession: A, B, C# and B, C#, D. Second, the first note of each iteration of the

motive forms the same motive on a more background level. This A, B, C# sequence is seen in

Figure 3.11. This two layered technique is used again in measures 104, 120, 122, and 128-129.

Individual ascending lines continue from measure 82 through measure 88, separated by one more

iteration of the grief motif in measure 87.

Figure 3.11: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 79-83

Measure 89 begins the literal “falling apart” of this texture. Here Maslanka joins an

30 Graves, “Lost Love.”

abundance of grace notes, densely chromatic melodic lines, and the most rhythmic complexity of

the piece thus far. Coupling these forces with a gradual increase in sparseness gives a sense of

emotionally spiraling into pieces. Maslanka even includes the performance note, “gradually

disappearing.”31

The opening measure of the “falling apart” texture is reintroduced in measure 103. This

time, instead of falling apart with deteriorating rhythms, Maslanka lets the performance fall apart

with density. At the marked tempo, measures 111-113 stretch the limits of a performer’s

technical ability. Here all of the notes are tripled and eventually quadrupled, a further

development of the doubling that Maslanka used to open the movement (Figure 3.12). The grief

motive is employed here in two voices separated by a minor 9th. The upper voice includes the grief motive twice, first on E, Gb (F#), Ab (G#) then on Ab, Bb, C. The lower voice follows with

Eb, F, G and G, A, B.

Figure 3.12: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 108-114

The stretching of the limits of performance practice allow Maslanka to achieve a sense of spiraling out of control to conclude the “falling apart” texture of the movement. The intensification of this texture grows from the characteristics of evocative depiction. A clear

31 Maslanka, Variations on Lost Love, 6.

development of a number of compositional ideas is displayed here as well. Through further

utilizing grace notes, layering the grief motive in a new way, and moving from doubling to

tripling to quadrupling single notes allows Maslanka to continue to explore the depths of the lost

love of Graves’ poem.

In another attempt to increase intensity in successive sections, Maslanka ratchets up the

tempo through the third texture of the movement, “agony.” Three accelerandos are used to drive

this section forward. The “agony” texture is also characterized by dozens of iterations of the

three-note grief motive in several variants. The combination of the repetitive grief motive and the rapidly increasing tempo propel the composition into the depths of the composer’s emotional turmoil.

This section opens in measure 115 with a continuation of the previous two voice separation. The lower line here employs the grief motive four, successive times as shown in

Figure 3.13. The climbing of each repetition of the grief motive is the defining characteristic of this portion of the work. Maslanka continues this climb in measures 117-118 while excluding the upper voice that was present in measures 115-116.

Figure 3.13: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 115-122

Here Maslanka twice places an interjection that mimics the opening of the “falling apart”

texture from measures 80-81. This interjection again demonstrates the blending and development

of textures through different portions of the work as a result of evocative depiction. This

mingling will not be seen in Maslanka’s other unaccompanied marimba solos.

Following this brief interjection is a long set of repetitions of the grief motive. The pitches continue to rise, only dropping by cleverly including a octave displaced iteration of the grief motive (Figure 3.14). After the octave displacement, the rising action continues as before.

This one ascent covers almost three octaves from A3 up to G#6 and concludes with a second set

of octave displacements in measure 130. An extended appearance of the descending C#, G#

figure of measure 80 appears from measure 131 through measure 136. This is a clear

development of this motive that was introduced at the opening of the “falling apart” texture.

Figure 3.14: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 123-134

Following this extension is the final ascent, leading to the next texture of the work. For

this last ascent, Maslanka chooses to extend the grief motive from three notes to a five-, six-, and

eventually seven-note ascending scale. This new development of the first measure of the entire

work, paired with an accelerando, thrusts the listener into the most recognizable portion of the

piece, the “anguish” texture.

The final texture of the movement, “Anguish,” is clearly distinguishable from the

previous textures of Part II of Variations on Lost Love due to its abrupt halt of the rapidly

moving melodic line. Here Maslanka develops a homophonic love song of sorts that captures the

essence of the work by utilizing rolled notes at the marked tempo of q = ca. 72. The harmonic

30 structure becomes much more chordal as opposed to the scalar passages of the previous portions of the movement.

This section of the work is composed of four phrases in two pairs with brief transitional material. A quarter note pulsing accompaniment in thirds characterizes the first pair of phrases

(measures 145-152 and measures 153-161). These phrases are eight and nine measures, respectively and begin very similarly.

Following the second phrase of the “anguish” texture, Maslanka slowly diminuendos and descends down an octave from where he began. The second set of paired phrases follows with a marking of “Slower – hesitant.”32 Here the quarter note pulsing accompaniment is replaced with long, rolled thirds. The loss of the quarter note pulse gives a sense of relief from the driving anguish of the first half of the section. Contrast is created through the deployment of accompanimental rolls, the slower tempo marking, and a drastic decrease in the dynamic marking.

The stark contrast between the “agony” and “anguish” textures creates the intensification of emotion through the end of the movement. The rolled notes are, in practice, more dense than even the fastest sixteenth notes of the movement. While the tempo slows, Maslanka continues to build the emotional intensity with this increase in density. Up to this point in the piece, the overall arc of the narrative is that of increased intensity of the depths of the emotions portrayed in the original poem.

The last few measures of the movement, the coda, mark a reprieve from the intensification. Measures 182-188 are marked at a pianissimo dynamic with musical directions of

“Slower – freely” and “Ethereal.” The first measure of the coda foreshadows the final movement

32 Ibid., 10.

31 of the work. Here Maslanka flips the original grief motive in reverse with G, F#, E and F#, E, D# three-note descending lines (Figure 3.15). This reversal will be employed further in Part III.

Figure 3.15: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 179-182

An extended, monophonic ascending and descending figure recalls the “disorientation” texture of this movement and leads to a Bb in measure 184. This Bb ends the movement but not before it is embellished with four more ascending and descending figures (Figure 3.16). One final time, Maslanka instructs the performer to “go right on” at the end of the movement. The appearance of this instruction at the conclusion of each movement effectively links the entire piece into an uninterrupted string of musical thoughts that are inextricably united through the grief motive.

Figure 3.16: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 184-188

As shown through this motivic analysis of Part II of Variations on Lost Love, Maslanka blends four distinct textures into a continually intensifying musical work. He continues his

development of the grief motive from the Theme in a number of different iterations while

developing each texture within each section of the work. The coda provides a brief respite from

the chaos that has ensued before the culminating movement of the work.

Part III

Part III of Variations on Lost Love primarily utilizes just one texture: a triple meter with

an “uneven” eighth and sixteenth note base. Maslanka also uses this triple base while filling in

all of the sixteenth notes to build intensity toward the end of the movement. The grief motive is

employed extensively in Part III, but mostly as a descending 3-note line instead of an ascending

line. The development of this “uneven” rhythm occurs in conjunction with the development of

the reverse grief motive throughout the movement. The intensification of the overall arc of the

piece continues here as well with only minor setbacks. Each of these characteristics are

fundamental to the structure of the piece are resultant of the evocative depiction of the source

material.

As with the final movement of Hector Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique, Maslanka creates

a final variation where lost love develops into a crazed emotional state.33 Another work that

exhibits a similar crazed finale is Ravel’s Le Valse. Both of these orchestral masterpieces,

similarly to Part III of Variations on Lost Love, conclude with the depiction of an emotional

turmoil spiraling wildly out of control.

In the opening of the movement, measures 189-195, Maslanka takes the original grief motive of B, C#, D, transposes it to D, E, F, and reverses it. This process results in the F, E, D reverse grief motive seen in measures 189-190 (Figure 3.17), ornamented with a high Eb. This

33 Burkholder, History of Western Music, 642.

Eb is reminiscent of the half step dissonances in measures 17-25 of Part I and is used throughout

Part III. This new development of the grief motive is then repeated twice more, each with more

complex ornamentation. Despite the added complexity, the clarity of the motive is still clear due

to the length of the motivic notes in the second iteration and the added rolls of the third. The

opening of Part III is concluded with a tapered beam, harkening back to the underlying texture of

the Theme.

Figure 3.17: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 189-198

While the opening motivic development occurs within a 6/16 meter, the dotted eighth note pulse is hardly felt due to the complexity of the rhythm. Measures 196-200 contain the first clear, extended passage of the dotted eighth note pulse in the movement. This pulse is the foundation for much of the entirety of the final movement. Following these five short measures,

Maslanka reverses another of the compositional ideas of the Part II. Here rapid descending lines provide motivic motion opposite that of the ascending lines in the previous movement. This opposition shows a turn in development due to the narrative nature of the evocative depiction used to compose the work and continues to build the connection between each of the movement of the piece.

Beginning in measure 227, the piece takes on a new character while retaining the dotted eighth note of earlier. This playful portion of the work can be interpreted as mischievous or even

impish. Maslanka gives the note “very casually, elegantly” at the opening of this section and

employs a pitch collection that falls nicely into F# major (Figure 3.18).34 The only notes that does not fit into this key area are the occurrences of A, which each act as lower neighbors to their following A#. This jarring move from a mostly chromatic pitch set to a major key area provides the playfulness that Maslanka has hinted about some of the variations in his piece.35

Figure 3.18: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 227-235

An interjection of the reverse grief motive interrupts the flow of the “mischievous” texture in measure 235. Here Bb, A, and G# are used in tandem with the eighth and sixteenth

“uneven” rhythm. This interruption is followed by some continuous, sixteenth note, ascending lines and another appearance of the reverse grief motive, this time with A, Ab, and G in measure

239. Maslanka then skillfully blends this “uneven” figure with the running sixteenth notes and the major tonality of the “mischievous” texture. Here an F major key area is employed. The non- diatonic notes that are seen here occur in the context of the fully diminished seventh chord of E,

G, Bb, and Db. This portion concludes with an ascending, arpeggiated line and a pause. The intermingling of motives and textures mimics the complexity of the lost love of the poem. While each line of the poem does not have an explicit depiction in any movement of the work, the spirit

34 Maslanka, Variations on Lost Love, p. 13. 35 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 8.

35 of the emotional complexity can be seen through many sections of Maslanka’s composition, especially this playful portion in Part III.

The opening measures of the movement return next with only slight adjustments. One change is that the four notes that lead into the second iteration of the reverse grief motive are written as a rhythm in measure 190, while here in measure 256, the same notes are written as grace notes. The ending of the section is altered as well. This brief reprise is the last respite before the unrelenting finale to this long work.

Maslanka marks the tempo of this last push at e. = ca. 172. The clear dotted eighth note pulse returns here with the repetitive eighth and sixteenth note “uneven” rhythm interspersed with brief spurts of continuous sixteenth notes. The reverse grief motive is employed in full force during the opening of the finale. F, E, and D occur on beats one, two, and three, respectively, of measures 262, 263, 265, 266, and 267. Between these appearances are a return of the descending lines from the front of the movement, this time utilizing the “uneven” rhythmic feel. Measure

277 brings the first instance of the reverse grief motive in octaves and is repeated in measures

278. The continual play on the grief motive continues the developmental narrative set forth during the Theme.

The first moment of Part III where the dotted eighth note pulse is eliminated is during the move to a 4/8 meter in measure 283. Maslanka uses duple groupings and the ascending grief motive here. The grief motive appears in two layers in this instance with Bb, B, and C# in the upper voice and C, D, and D# in the lower (Figure 3.19). This form of the motive appears in measures 283, 284, 287, and 288. The duple pulse eventually modulates back to the dotted eighth note pulse of before, but at a slower tempo. This relaxation is fleeting as Maslanka quickly instructs the performer to accelerate.

Figure 3.19: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 282-285

A moment of reminiscence appears in measures 296-299. Here the “mischievous,” F# major texture appears, very similarly to its original form, once at e. = ca. 144 and once as fast as possible (“sub. prestiss. possible”).36 Maslanka then truncates the reverse grief motive, using only two notes in measures 300-301, A and G# (Figure 3.20). Two more prestissimo interjections follow with the full motive appearing in measure 303.

Figure 3.20: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 298-308

With brief transitional material utilizing pieces of the motive in measure 303, Maslanka returns to the F, E, D pitches from the outset of the movement. Here the reverse grief motive is again placed in octaves and utilizes the “uneven” rhythm. This setting of the motive is played four times and evolves into a stream of constant sixteenth notes written in octaves. An

36 Maslanka, Variations on Lost Love, 16.

accelerando is marked in measure 320 leading to a metric modulation of now equally as fast

eighth notes (Figure 3.21). The final intensification of the piece is actually a slowing of the tempo and density, but the addition of glissandos. Each beat of measures 326-327 contains an

octave in the lower staff that is placed either a half step higher or lower than the octave in the

upper staff. Each of these beats also contains a glissando that either ascends or descends into the

four-note chord. Even the glissandos here are a development from an earlier moment in the

work. Their other appearance is during the “falling apart” texture of Part II in measures 89, 94,

and 95. That occurrence was limited in its dynamic and range where here the glissandos add

width to the loudest and most intense moment of the piece.

Figure 3.21: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 320-329

A brief coda ends the movement, just as in Parts I and II. Three separated, ascending phrases are used, each less intense than the last. The first in measure 328 is marked triple forte and employs the octaves of the previous portion of the movement. The second line is marked

“same tempo” but uses a piano dynamic.37 The third is longer than the previous two but employs

a pianissimo dynamic and a marking of “slower.”38 This reversal of the intensification of the

entire work up to this point provides a simple, but effective, conclusion to the madness that

preceded it.

The final two measures of the piece are curious. Maslanka writes a B major chord with a

C# suspension in the highest voice in measure 332 (Figure 3.21). This is followed by two grace

notes, B and C#, that lead to a single B to end the movement. The use of a major chord after the

intensely chromatic few minutes that come before seems out of place. This major chord is even

more puzzling when considering the source material. Graves ends his poem with “This man is

quickened so with grief, / He wanders god-like or like thief / Inside and out, below, above, /

Without relief seeking lost love.” In the poem, there is no relief for the one seeking lost love.

Contrary to the poem, Maslanka does provide relief with his final, consonant chord. This decision could be to give hope for those grieving or to signify that the journey is not yet over.

Either way, Maslanka provides a fitting end to his work, despite his deviation from the poem.

Figure 3.22: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 330-333

Part III of Variations on Lost Love affirms the attributes of evocative depiction from the previous movements. First, the grief motive is again developed from the outset of the movement

37 Ibid., 17. 38 Ibid.

with the reversal and transposition of the line from B, C#, D, to F, E, D. Second, the

development of ideas within the “uneven” texture creates and drives the structure of the

movement. And third, the intensification of emotion continues to build after the reprieve at the

end of Part II. This rise continues until the last few measures of the movement. All three of these

attributes contribute to the overall narrative of the evocations of Graves’ poem.

Conclusion

Evocative depiction is the process of looking inward on oneself, focusing specifically on a singular emotion, and describing the evolution of that emotion through some form of art. The evidences of Maslanka’s use of evocative depiction in Variations on Lost Love exist in three processes: (1) the use of a small scale motive that is developed throughout the entire, multi- movement work, (2) the use of individualized textures and techniques, isolated to distinctive sections of the work, and (3) the intensification of emotion through the course of the piece, from movement to movement. These three processes are inextricably linked through the four movements of the work depicting the intertwined complexity of the lost love described in

Graves’ poem.

Maslanka’s foundational motive in Variations on Lost Love is the ascending, three-note,

B, C#, D grief motive. This motive is explored in various ways throughout all four movements of the work. In the Part I the grief motive is explored through the addition of harmonic accompaniments and the elongation of the melody. Part II provides sixteenth note repetitions of the motive while interjecting ascending lines between each of the three notes. The final movement of the work utilizes an inversion of the original motive and explores this through the lens of the “uneven” rhythms.

The second process characteristic of evocative depiction is the use of individualized

textures and techniques, isolated to distinctive sections of the work. In each portion of the piece,

a specific texture is introduced and exploited to build the narrative of grief. The Theme utilizes a

monophonic, scalar melody that is characterized by the rhythmic flexibility of the tapered beams.

Part I invokes a sense of emotional acceptance of loss from the extensive use of rolled chords

and half step dissonances. Four textures are developed in Part II: “disorientation,” “falling apart,”

“anguish,” and “agony.” These textures each develop a part of the earlier movements and

liberally employ the grief motive. Part III uses triple meter and a barrage of demented sixteenth

notes to push the piece to its conclusion. All of these textures are employed to poignantly depict

different aspects of the grief of lost love.

Lastly, the final process of evocative depiction is intensification of emotion throughout

the course of the piece. Each movement builds on the intensity of the previous and spirals deeper into the depths of the soul overtaken with lost love. The Theme begins quietly and freely. Part I begins to deepen the grief by adding leaps in the melody and some rhythmic and harmonic complexity. Part II brings this complexity to another level with the rapid, undulating lines and a love song with fleeting harmonic stability. The only relief from the building intensity is in the coda of Part II. Immediately following the coda is a dash to the final variation which contains

frenzied, dense, chromatic harmonies and abundant use of the octave to strengthen the

monophonic lines of earlier. This intensification continues to the last six measures of the work

where Maslanka finally gives a glimmer of hope with the final major suspension and resolution.

The connection between the parts of Variations on Lost Love shows the narrative nature

of evocative depiction and the continuous evolution of a singular emotional seed. While the

music does not map perfectly onto Graves’ poem, the compositional devices used do

41 successfully depict the exploration of an emotion that comes from the depths of one’s soul.

Maslanka skillfully turns this exploration into a masterpiece of the solo marimba repertoire.

CHAPTER 4

REPRESENTATIVE DEPICTION IN MY LADY WHITE

She was a crown set with gems; her wit was totally without malice for she never wronged or deceived any creature. ~Muriel Bowden

Three short years after the composition of Variations on Lost Love, Maslanka was commissioned by Harvey Vogel to write a second solo for unaccompanied marimba. In 1978,

Vogel had founded Lone Star Percussion, the Dallas, Texas-based percussion retailer who specialized in mail order business. His daughter, Lauren Vogel (now Lauren Vogel Weiss), was a budding percussionist who had attended Leigh Howard Stevens’ performances of Variations on

Lost Love at PASIC ’78 in Tempe, Arizona and again in 1979 at Town Hall in New York City.39

Ms. Vogel “adored” the piece but came to terms with the fact that she, as an 18-year-old college

freshman, did not have the technical ability to perform the work effectively.40

Harvey Vogel, who had met Stevens at PASIC ’78, discussed with him Lauren’s

fondness for Variations on Lost Love as well as her lamenting about the difficulty of the piece.

Upon Stevens’ suggestion, Vogel contacted Maslanka directly to commission him to write

another piece for solo marimba that was more practical for an intermediate marimba player.

Lauren recalls her father asking for the piece to be “as much like Variations on Lost Love as

possible, very melodic and pleasant to listen to, but with technique that was more accessible for a

younger marimba player” because, at the time, there were only a few marimbists who could even

39 Lauren Vogel Weiss, Interview by author (Personal interview, Bedford, TX, April 7, 2018). 40 Ibid.

43 attempt to play a piece as technically difficult as Variations on Lost Love.41 This commission led

to the completion of My Lady White for solo marimba on July 10, 1980.

Ms. Vogel received the piece at the end of the summer of 1980 when she returned from

her tour with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.42 Originally, she planned to perform the piece on her Junior Recital during the 1981-82 school year at Southern Methodist

University, where she was a student. The premiere date was moved forward because someone else had received a copy of the piece and was planning to perform in it during the spring of 1981.

The official premiere was performed by Ms. Vogel on April 29, 1981 in a special Sophomore

Recital at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.43

During the summer of 1982, Ms. Vogel was again performing with the Phantom

Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. At the end of that season, Ms. Vogel had an opportunity to play excerpts from My Lady White for the Drum Corps International Individual and Ensemble

Competition, competing against percussionists from many of the other member corps. Ms. Vogel ended up winning Best Individual Keyboard and recalled this as her most important performance of the piece because of the significance of the competition.44

Use of Representative Depiction

The defining characteristic of the programmatic intent of My Lady White is its use of representative depiction. Representative depiction is the process of taking a preexisting physical object and detailing it through the composition of a piece of music. In the case of My Lady

41 Ibid. 42 Ibid. 43 Ibid. 44 Ibid.

White, Maslanka depicts his own “Lady White” with the help of three separate sources. The first

movement, “Madrigal – My Lady White,” uses Chaucer’s poem “The Book of the Duchess” to

begin to build a picture of Maslanka’s “Lady White.” The second movement, “Spring. . . Birds

Sing. . . a Gift of Rings,” uses a Robert Graves poem “With a Gift of Rings,” to add to the representation initiated in the first movement. Movement three, “For Pretty Alison,” references

Maslanka’s own wife and is scored to complete the picture of his “Lady White.”

The use of representative depiction through the compositional process can be viewed through three contributing factors. First, there is no development through the three movements of the work. Each movement can and does stand on its own as a madrigal, or a short song about courtly love. In Variations on Lost Love, each movement naturally flows into the next with the composer even indicating that the movements should be performed without pause. Most significantly, Parts I, II, and III of the earlier work develop the motive that is presented in the

Theme. In opposition to the evocative depiction of Variations on Lost Love, the representative depiction of My Lady White leads to three independent movements that can be thought of as

Maslanka observing his Lady White from three different angles or through three unique lenses.

The lack of development between movements leads to a second evidence of representative depiction: the use of different motives for each movement. This change could possibly be due to the use of separate source materials for each movement of My Lady White as opposed to the single seed from which Variations on Lost Love was written. Another theory is, as mentioned above, the notion that Maslanka is depicting the same, static object, My Lady White, but from different angles or vantage points. This variation in the conception of each piece results in vast differences in the construction of each work.

Scouring the local level of each movement leads to another differentiation from

Variations on Lost Love. Maslanka rarely develops any of the themes that he presents in My

Lady White. Much of Variations on Lost Love was dependent on the development that is lacking in My Lady White. Maslanka simply presents a motive or theme, then either repeats it or presents something different. This process continually reoccurs through all three movements of the work.

Some themes return later within a movement, but never across movements, and, typically, these occurrences appear identically to the first iteration.

A detailed analysis of My Lady White follows. Each movement will be discussed in terms of the factors stemming from Maslanka’s use of representative depiction. These three factors are

(1) the minimal development of themes within each movement, (2) the use of different themes for each movement, and (3) the lack of a narrative arc connecting the three movements.

Movement I – “Madrigal – My Lady White”

The title the first movement, “Madrigal – My Lady White,” is a reference to Geoffrey

Chaucer’s Book of the Duchess from the mid 14th century.45 It is undoubtedly certain that

Chaucer wrote this work as an elegy to Blanche of Lancaster, the first wife of John of Gaunt,

Duke of Lancaster at the request of the Duke himself.46 This 1,334 line poem is the earliest long poem of Chaucer’s life and follows the form of the French love-vision poem.47 In this genre of poetry, the author and narrator of the poem declares that sleep eludes him because of trouble with a romantic relationship and decides to seek the comfort of a literary work. The narrator, in turn, falls asleep while reading the story and moves into a dream state. This dream somehow

45 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 10. 46 Bowden, A Reader’s Guide to Chaucer, 145. 47 Marion Turner, “Politics and London Life,” in A Concise Companion to Chaucer, ed. Corinne Saunders (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006), 14.; Bowden, Reader’s Guide to Chaucer, 145.

46 reminds the narrator what true love means and, when awoken, finds refreshment in this newfound realization about love.48

The Book of the Duchess follows this form very closely and the moment of interest for this study occurs during the dream sequence of the narrator. In this scene the author meets “a man in black” who is mourning the loss of his lover, “good fair White.”49 Chaucer describes this

“White” in great detail from line 950 through 1087, using much hyperbole. It is no coincidence that Chaucer included this heavenly “good fair White” in this poem that he was writing as an elegy to a woman named Blanche, which is French for the color white. Based on the text,

Chaucer scholar Muriel Bowden describes White in this way:

[White] has been a light for all her world and her own brilliance was never dimmed through the light she gave to others; she was a crown set with gems; her wit was totally without malice for she never wronged or deceived any creature; always she kept her word (a virtue which Chaucer praises over and over again in later works); she was the peer of all the noble women of song and story.50

Although it seems that this is the “Lady White” that Maslanka is referencing, another look at his personal life brings new insight into the composition. During the time that Maslanka was composing this piece, he was engaged to his fiancé, Alison. Their marriage occurred only a few short months after the completion of My Lady White, and Maslanka undoubtedly had Alison on his mind while composing this work, even naming the third movement “For Pretty Alison.”

Movement 2 of the solo builds upon Maslanka’s vision of his “Lady White” by employing additional source materials.

Out of the 38 total measures in the first movement of My Lady White, 37 primarily

48 Bowden, Reader’s Guide to Chaucer, 144. 49 Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess, trans. A. S. Kline, 2007, accessed April 4, 2017, https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/English/Duchess.php, lines 445, 948. 50 Bowden, Reader’s Guide to Chaucer, 146.

feature rolled chords. These chords typically contain three or four voices with a few rare

occurrences of single rolled notes. The lone, monophonic measure 27 occupies and entire line of

the score and is written devoid of a time signature. This measure is marked “as a recitative,” contrasting the q = ca. 52 marking for the other 37 measures of the movement.

The first movement is completely through-composed as none of the thematic materials return or are repeated in any significant way. The tonal center of the movement journeys from

the opening C# minor chord in measure one to a long G to end the movement, one tritone away.

A reading of the detailed analysis below will show many paired phrases that do not develop or relate through the first movement of the work, evidencing Maslanka’s use of representative depiction.

The first two measures of the movement are filled with only two chords: C# minor and B minor with an added ninth. These two chords are repeated in measures 3-4 followed by a return back to C# minor and a surprising, concluding C# major chord in measure seven (Figure 4.1).

These two paired phrases are only slightly different from each other. This same is true of the next portion of the piece as well. Measures 8-12 are characterized by an F# octave pedal tone and a primarily consonant melody above, also in octaves. This brief section in F# major is quickly contrasted by a texturally and melodically matching phrase in D# minor from measures 13-17.

Figure 4.1: My Lady White, Movement I, mm. 1-7 48

Measures 18 through 26 contain the most active harmony of the movement, beginning on

an Eb major chord and eventually moving to C-minor in measure 26 (Figure 4.2). This phrase

stands out in the movement with the loudest dynamic marking. This forte in measure 22 is only

the second concrete dynamic marking of the piece.

Figure 4.2: My Lady White, Movement I, mm. 16-26

As mentioned above, measure 27 uniquely stands as the only monophonic measure of the work as well as the one containing almost all of the non-rolled notes of the movement (Figure

4.3). The performance indication by Maslanka of “as a recitative” was unique at the time of the writing.51 This measure marks the beginning of the transition to the final G of the movement, a

long way from the C# minor where it began.

Figure 4.3: My Lady White, Movement I, m. 27

Measures 28-31 represent a return to the chordal texture of the beginning of the work.

This section can also be split into two, paired phrases, the second only slightly altered from the

first. The paired phrase structure here is reminiscent of the first 15 measures of the movement.

51 Weiss interview.

The last section of Movement I uses and G-natural to contrast the opening C# minor

chords of the movement. Measures 34-35 are paired with 36-37 in the same way as many of the previous phrases (Figure 4.4). The direct juxtaposition of the C# minor chord and the G-natural emulate the close proximity of a number of disparate phrases throughout the entirety of the first movement of My Lady White.

Figure 4.4: My Lady White, Movement I, mm. 34-38

The relationship of the analysis to the representative depiction and the source material can be seen through the paired phrases. Each of these phrases possibly represent an aspect of

Blanche of Lancaster that is looked at once, then again more closely, shown through the slight changes in the second of each paired phrase. The disconnect between the pairs of phrases through the movement as well as the two lone phrases illustrate the lack of development that occurs through the first, through-composed movement of My Lady White. Also notable is the lack of appearance of any of the themes from the first movement in either the second or third movements of the work. These factors lead to the consideration that Maslanka is depicting a journey though a space around the static object about which he is writing, the amalgam of his

“Lady White,” as opposed to composing about the evolving nature of a story or emotion.

Movement II – “Spring. . . Birds Sing. . . A Gift of Rings”

The title for movement two is split into three phrases separated by ellipses. These phrases

match three musical textures that construct the movement. The first parts of the title, “Spring,”

represents the reinvigoration of life and the forward motion of the seasons. “Birds Sing,” elicits a

brightness and sense of hope of the new life that spring brings. Maslanka clearly shows his

admiration for the poetry of Robert Graves by referencing another of his poems, “With a Gift of

Rings,” with the third phrase of his title. The poem reads,

It was no costume jewellery I sent: True stones cool to the tongue, their settings ancient, Their magic evident. Conceal your pride; accept them negligently But naked on your couch wear them for me.52

The third portion of the movement title, “A Gift of Rings,” connects to the madrigal

theme presented in the first movement. The vivid imagery of the jewelry in the poem coupled

with the pride that the recipient of the jewelry must “conceal” gives insight to the relationship

between the author and the recipient. This relationship is very similar to the relationships

stereotypically depicted in sixteenth-century madrigals discussing love and longing.53 In the case

of Maslanka’s piece, the poem works to build an image of the “Lady White” that was introduced

in the first movement.

The second movement is marked much faster than the first at q = ca. 184. This sets up the

overall solo-fast-slow structure for the entire piece that is opposite the traditional three

movement structure.54 Most of the notes in this movement are struck alone with only implied

harmonies, save a few sections of rolled, four-note chords and very short sections of moving harmonic lines. The movement begins and ends with clear, D minor triads, but, throughout the middle, extended sections of G major are employed.

52 Robert Graves, “With a Gift of Rings,” in Poems 1970-1972 (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1973), 10. 53 Burkholder, History of Western Music, 245. 54 Weiss interview, 8.

Unlike in Variations on Lost Love, Maslanka chose to introduce new motives and themes

instead of developing the themes from the first movement in the new context of the second. This

is evident from the first chord. There are no four-note chords in the first movement that are not

rolled. Also, the opening B minor chord of the second movement is found not found once in the

first movement, let alone repeated four times (Figure 4.5). The appearance of new motives and themes continues throughout the entire movement.

Figure 4.5: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 1-2

Another difference between movement one and movement two of My Lady White is the repetition of materials. Three textures emerge in the second movement that match the three phrases of the title. “Spring” is depicted through the B minor tonal center, the use of scalar passages, and the driving rhythms that propel the music forward. The use of a G major tonal center, arpeggiated chords, and constant 16th notes characterize the “Birds Sing” texture. The sections of rolled, 4-note chords define the “Gift of Rings” texture. These chords are usually triads and many measures contain rolls that quickly pulse back and forth between only two chords, possibly depicting the shimmering of the jewelry. The tonal center of the “Gift of Rings” texture is more unstable and is used to contrast the stability of the other textures.

The movement begins with three consecutive two measure phrases, each building in intensity (Figure 4.6). This forward motion is one defining characteristic of the “Spring” texture.

These six measures are clearly centered around a B minor tonality with measures 5-6 using a

short chromatic scale (C, C#, D, D#) to hint at B major by adding a D#. This six measure

structure repeats itself in a very similar way in measures 7-13. The second section has a similar

rhythmic build in intensity and density, capped by an extra measure in the third phrase. This measure serves as an additional push into the next portion of the work.

Figure 4.6: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 1-14

Following the opening “Spring” section is the first appearance of the “Birds Sing” texture. This section is characterized by a G major tonality and the use of arpeggiated 16th note chords. Discounting the inversions, the harmony here is very functional, unlike the majority of

Movement I. By measure 20, Maslanka transitions back to a tonal center of B minor and recalls the “Spring” texture, specifically measures 3-4. This quick recap is followed by an extended,

descending scale in B minor pushing the music towards the first appearance of the “Gift of

Rings” texture.

The first rolled chord of the movement comes without a lapse in tempo. Maslanka notes

at this point, “Don’t Slow! Maintain sense of tumultuous motion.”55 The “Gift of Rings” texture

is primarily composed of four-note, rolled chords. The very fast rolls create a shimmering effect

and vividly evoke the glimmering of the jewelry from Graves’ poem. The harmony throughout

these twelve measures is much less stable than the harmonies in the other textures of the

movement. Maslanka first alternates between E major and B minor chords (Figure 4.7). This is

followed by brief transitional material and a switch to C major and Bb major alternations. This sections ends with three repetitions of F minor, Eb major, and a G to D open fifth (Figure 4.8).

The instability of the “Gift of Rings” texture provides contrast to the other two textures that typically consist of stable, diatonic harmonies.

Figure 4.7: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 28-30

Figure 4.8: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 35-39

55 David Maslanka, My Lady White, (Asbury Park, NJ: Keyboard Percussion Publications, 1981), composer’s notes.

Immediately juxtaposed with the previous “Gift of Rings” texture is the lengthiest

appearance of the “Birds Sing” texture (Figure 4.9). These 13 measures are split into four

phrases and each use the brisk, arpeggiated 16th notes and the G major tonality that characterize

this texture earlier in the movement. The stability of the harmony can be seen through the

scarcity of non-diatonic notes to the G major tonal center. The only notes that fall outside of this

scale are the two F-naturals in measure 50, which can be seen as neighbor tones between the

surrounding E-naturals.

Figure 4.9: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 41-54

As is becoming a trend in this second movement, the next two textures come immediately following each other with little transitional material. Measures 54-59 contain long scalar passages centered around a B minor tonality in the style of the “Spring” texture from earlier. The

“Gift of Rings” texture is next in measures 60-68 set in a nearly identical style to the previous appearance, save the piano dynamic listed here. A brief recap of “Birds Sing” follows. It should

be noted that these two measures appear in G minor, in opposition to the G major of earlier. One

last “Gift of Rings” section appears from measure 71 to measure 78, this time alternating

between D major and A minor chords (Figure 4.10). The movement concludes with eight

measures of the “Spring” texture, culminating with a root position B minor triad that is nearly

identically voiced to the opening chord of the movement.

Figure 4.10: My Lady White, Movement II, mm. 71-74

As seen through this analysis, each texture in the second movement of My Lady White is juxtaposed with little to no transitional material or overlap. Each has its own, distinct set of characteristics and each representatively depicts different objects. The objects are not being molded or changed, but merely exist as they are and are composed as such by Maslanka. This drastically differs from Maslanka’s approach in Variations on Lost Love due in large part to the different depictive mediums that are employed and results in a disparately constructed end product.

Movement III – “For Pretty Alison”

The final movement of Maslanka’s slow-fast-slow structure is titled “For Pretty Alison.”

Alison is undoubtedly a reference to Maslanka’s wife whom he married in 1981, less than one year after the completion of My Lady White.56 The movement is marked at q = ca. 120 with a

56 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 11.

note, “tempo very free and flexible.”57 Despite the medium tempo marking, Maslanka provides

great contrast to the previous movement by writing much more sparsely. Much of the movement

contains long, rolled notes or monophonic lines. When more density occurs, Maslanka marks

significantly slower tempos (q = ca. 72 in measure 30 and q = ca. 84 in measure 42).

Maslanka separates Movement 3 from the others through its wandering nature. Many of

the phrases here are paired similarly to the phrases in the first movement. Also, each pair of

phrases has almost no connection with the previous or the next pairs, and the only set of phrases

that appears twice are the opening seven measures. Each phrase could stand by itself, with or

without the adjacent music. It almost seems as if Maslanka is exploring many different aspects of

his “Lady White” as opposed to telling a story about her or depicting her development.

The first seven measures are composed as two phrases, each containing only two four-

note chords. Both chords have a pedal A and G with a chromatic suspension in the upper voices.

The only differences are the length of the phrases (16 beats versus 14 beats) and an F# versus an

F-natural (Figure 4.11).

Figure 4.11: My Lady White, Movement III, mm. 1-7

In measures 8-18 Maslanka returns to the monophonic texture that was employed for one phrase of the first movement. This monophonic section can be split into three phrases: measures

57 Maslanka, My Lady White, 7.

8, 9-12, and 13-18. The second of these phrases repeats the first and extends it with a long descending line. The third monophonic phrase extends even longer than the second and slowly meanders up two octaves from B3 to B5.

In sharp contrast to the previous, monophonic phrases, the next four measures contain three rolled chords: C major, D major, and E major. The point of interest here is the descending

E, D, B in the upper staff (Figure 4.12). This descending line is repeated in the next phrase of this pair with the same voicing but as broken chords. The chorale texture returns in measures 26-

29 with no noticeable reference to the E, D, B descending line or any other earlier motives.

Figure 4.12: My Lady White, Movement III, mm. 19-28

Measures 29-34 are similar in structure to measures 8-12. The first measure introduces the phrase and the second repeats and expounds upon it with a long extension. As before,

Maslanka uses the monophonic texture here but includes a pair of two-note chords to end the phrase (Figure 4.13). The only instance of the recall of a previous phrase comes in measures 35-

42. Measures 1-7 are placed here identically as their first appearance, including the dynamic indications.

Figure 4.13: My Lady White, Movement III, mm. 29-34

The movement comes to a close with another set of paired phrases. A new descending

line of D, C, Bb, A is repeated with two different voicings and rhythms (Figure 4.14). The first

iteration employs 16th notes and 2-note chords, while the second contains 16th note triplets played independently. The movement and the piece disappear with a final measure arpeggio containing only Ds and As.

Figure 4.14: My Lady White, Movement III, mm. 40-44

A careful dissection of the third movement of My Lady White reveals numerous paired

phrases employing a variety of textures that are seemingly disjunct. The direct juxtaposition of

these phrases partly illustrates Maslanka’s use of representative depiction. The exploration of

many different sides of his “Lady White” almost as a piece of art drastically differs from his

evocative depiction of the endless depth of the feelings of loss in Variations on Lost Love.

A Connecting Thread

Despite all of the separation in My Lady White, a few details connect these three disparate

movements into one coherent piece. One clue to this connection is Maslanka’s indication that

each movement is its own madrigal through the subtitle of the piece, Three Songs for Solo

Marimba. Many books of madrigals from the sixteenth-century were published in compilations

as numerous, disparate works of the same style. My Lady White could be considered Maslanka’s

own, miniature book of madrigals, the subject of which being his wife, Alison.

The separation of themes and movements could also be viewed as a connecting thread.

Traditionally, sixteenth-century Italian madrigals consisted of a single stanza of text with no

refrains or repeated lines. These pieces were generally through-composed with new music for

each line of poetry.58 Maslanka clearly adheres to this style in his madrigals that form My Lady

White. While the materials used for each movement of the work are unique, the style and

structure of each movement follow similar patterns.

Another theory initiated by Lauren Vogel Weiss is the idea that the movements are set in

a similar fashion to another of Chaucer’s works, The Canterbury Tales.59 In this piece of poetry,

Chaucer tells stories about a number of different characters that hardly relate to each other.

Despite the different characters and settings, the stories of The Canterbury Tales fit together

nicely because they are compiled around a similar genre and style of poetry. In the same way, the

three movements of My Lady White fit together nicely while being almost wholly unrelated to each other.

58 Burkholder, History of Western Music, 244-5. 59 Weiss interview, 8.

Conclusion

Each movement of My Lady White is representative of a separate physical object,

Blanche of Lancaster, the jewellery in Graves’ poem, and Maslanka’s wife. In this way,

Maslanka’s compositional approach contrasts the approach in Variations on Lost Love through his use of representation. The objects represented can be tied to emotions, but ultimately are, in themselves, physical objects. This physical representation contrasts Maslanka’s evocative, emotional depictions of Variations on Lost Love. Instead of looking inward at the developing emotions within oneself, Maslanka looks outward to a physical entity and depicts its intricacies through music.

This depiction manifests itself if three ways throughout the work. First, Maslanka only minimally develops themes within each movement. Most themes appear and disappear with no lasting impact on the larger structure of the piece. Second, Maslanka uses different themes for each movement. This grows from the different objects of depiction that Maslanka uses as source material for each movement. And third, Maslanka sets each movement apart from the others by setting each as its own madrigal about separate topics, leaving no hints of a narrative arc connecting the entire work.

The change in relationship status from recently divorced to engaged in the second half of the 1970s surely had a effect on the emotional character and depiction of Maslanka’s first two marimba solos. Alison “provided a great deal of strength and direction to [Maslanka’s] life” after they met towards the end of the 1970s.60 Both Variations on Lost Love and My Lady White

contain deep emotional connections to Maslanka’s life, but depict those connections in two

drastically different musical settings.

60 Ambrose, An Analytical Study of Symphony No. 2, 20.

CHAPTER 5

THE INTROSPECTIVE DEPICTION IN A SOLEMN MUSIC

You can be out all by yourself in a very large place and the mind simply floats out and away, into the hills and into the sky. ~David Maslanka

Maslanka’s final piece for unaccompanied marimba, A Solemn Music, was commissioned in 2012 by Andrew Eldridge. Eldridge’s interest in Maslanka began during his undergraduate degree at Texas A&M University - Commerce where he performed Crown of Thorns (1991) and

Montana Music (1992) with the percussion ensemble directed by Dr. Brian A. West. While completing his master’s degree at the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign, the importance of commissioning new music for percussion was impressed upon him by his percussion professor, William Moersch. Eldridge has since carried this ideal throughout his career, commissioning a number of new works for the solo marimba and percussion ensemble mediums.

In 2008, while serving as Director of Percussion and Assistant Band Director at

Rockwall-Heath High School, Eldridge first contacted David Maslanka inquiring about commissioning a new work for solo marimba. This inquiry was fresh on the heels of his attendance of a performance of Maslanka’s Fourth Symphony. This work moved Eldridge so deeply that he decided to contact Maslanka about a commission. Maslanka informed Eldridge that he was interested in accepting the commission but would not have time to begin the work for the next four years. Late in 2012, Eldridge resumed contact with Maslanka who now accepted the commission and, in March of 2013, completed A Solemn Music. In the time since the initial contact, Eldridge began his Doctoral studies at Texas Christian University. Eldridge premiered the work at a degree recital on January 16, 2014 in PepsiCo Recital Hall at Texas Christian

University.

62 Recalling the commissioning process, Eldridge notes that he originally asked Maslanka

for a piece that had “virtuosic lines, was very powerful, and technically demanding.” Much to

Eldridge’s surprise, the resultant work ended up being “completely opposite” of what he

originally expected.61 Eldridge contributes this dichotomy to Maslanka’s compositional process:

Every piece [of Maslanka’s] is generated from within him without any external influence. So he’ll say that he appreciates the suggestions about some things, but he doesn’t like to use that as a generative process. He wants to write the piece himself. He prays and meditates to produce a composition that is complete in its own sense.62

After a few years of performing the marimba solo and letting it grow, Eldridge now fully appreciates the composition. Eldridge recognizes that Maslanka “delivered one of the most powerful pieces” for him in his repertoire and has developed a “deep emotional connection to it.”63 Mature musical demands, a heightened sense of symbolism, and control of phrase pacing

replaced the technical facility that Eldridge originally requested in the commission.

The Use of Introspective Depiction

A Solemn Music differs from Maslanka’s earlier two works in its lack of source material.

Maslanka writes in the program notes that his “own sense of the music is the release and clearing of old patterns of thought and feeling.”64 Varner notes in his research that Maslanka’s geographic

location contributed to some of the differences between Arcadia II and Concerto for Marimba

and Band.65 This geographical change from New York to Montana could also have played a significant role in the disparate depictions of A Solemn Music and the earlier two works.

61 Andrew Eldridge, Interview by author (Personal interview, Arlington, TX, May 10, 2018). 62 Ibid. 63 Ibid. 64 David Maslanka, A Solemn Music (New York: Maslanka Press, 2015), v. 65 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 103.

Maslanka’s use of introspection as inspiration for A Solemn Music defines the work.

Introspection is the process of examining one’s own thoughts and feelings.66 The manifestation

of introspection is distinct from evocation in its scope. Evocation involves depicting the results

of an intense focus on one aspect of the inner being while introspective depiction details the

process of looking at the whole self without focus on any one aspect. Introspection is less

defined and less specific than evocation.

The introspective process can possibly be linked to Maslanka’s own meditative process

of clearing his mind before beginning to compose a new work. In an interview with Michael

Varner, Maslanka discusses this process. He says,

What happens is that I go into my meditative mode which means that my mind moves from my consciousness into a dream space . . . What it does is to allow me to enter into a dream area and bring that into conscious mind and then to feel the power of it, whatever it might be and to allow that to translate itself into music. I'm talking hesitantly because I still, after all these years, don't know how it works. It just does.67

The depiction of this introspective process in A Solemn Music is manifested in three

forms. First, textures are employed that remain static throughout each appearance. Only minimal

evolution of texture appears throughout the piece. Each is presented, used to convey a thought,

and abandoned. This process gives distinction to each section of each movement. The distinct

separation of textures depicts the process of introspection by illuminating the various stages of

this dream-like excursion and mimics the separation of the dream-state and the conscious mind

that Maslanka describes.

A second result of introspective depiction is the limited number of textures within each movement of the work. In Variations on Lost Love and My Lady White, Maslanka employed

66 Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “introspection,” accessed April 11, 2017, https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/introspection. 67 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 112-13.

numerous textures to depict the multifaceted complexity of evocative and representative

depiction. In A Solemn Music, only two textures are used as substantial sections of the work. The first of these textures is rolled chords, generally consisting of four note, triadic harmonies.

Ascending or descending arpeggiated permutations of simple triads compose the second primary

texture of the work. The simplicity of these textures and the limiting of compositional ideas

mirror the openness and lack of expectation that occurs during introspection. When exercising

the process of introspection, one is not looking for something specific inside themselves, they are

just looking to see what is already there, ready to be discovered.

The third compositional trait of A Solemn Music that relates to introspective depiction is

the large scale use of repetitions. Introspection is a reoccurring process that can be used

habitually to continue to discover new parts of one’s inner workings. The use of extensive

repetition in each movement of the work mimics this process.

An analysis of each movement of A Solemn Music follows. This analysis will be

considered in light of the three manifestations of the introspective process: (1) the static nature of

the piece that includes little to no evolution and development, (2) the limited number of textures

within the entirety of the work, and (3) the use of large scale repetitions. Each of these structural

traits of the piece mirror aspects of the process of introspection.

Part 1

Part 1 of A Solemn Music begins with a 31 measure section of monophonic, rolled notes

at a marked tempo of q = 60. The dynamic marking is pianissimo and decrescendos are added at

the ends of phrases. Maslanka notes at the opening of the work, “no dynamic inflections other

than those indicated.”68 This indication clearly notifies the performer that the piece is reliant on this understated steadiness.

The pitch set used from the opening until measure 31 is almost exclusively E minor diatonic (E, F#, G, A, B, C, D). Two added D#s in measures 18 and 30-31 support E as the tonic.

The first three phrases, measures 1, 4 and 7, each begin with a rolled B (Figure 5.1). These appearances of B serve a dominant function, ultimately resolving to the E in measure 32 to start the second section of the movement. The limited harmonic structure and the single note melodies of the opening introduce the static character of the work.

Figure 5.1: A Solemn Music, Part 1, mm. 1-8.

The second section of Part 1 consists of measures 32-53 and is marked by a slowing of the tempo to q = 46. This portion of the piece begins and ends on a single rolled E. This further supports the tonal center of E that commenced in the opening. A shift to the parallel key of E major occurs almost immediately in measure 33. This E major key area is never lost during the second portion of the movement.

Maslanka employs an extension of the monophonic roll texture here with the use of four- note rolled chords. As is common with many of Maslanka’s other works, a similarity to J. S.

Bach’s four-part chorales is present. Smooth voice leading and tonal harmonies contribute to this comparison.

68 Maslanka, A Solemn Music, 3.

After landing back on the same E that started the second section of the piece, Maslanka

moves to the second recurring texture common in A Solemn Music: the use of arpeggiated

ascending and descending lines. These arpeggiated lines are juxtaposed against more four-note

rolled chords throughout the middle portion of the movement. This section is also marked with

an increase in tempo to q = ca. 84. The E minor tonality of the opening of the work is reinstated and carries from measure 54-80. The pitch C# makes a few appearances towards the end of this section, but each is followed closely by a C-natural, so no purposeful move to a new key area is supported.

Maslanka begins this section with a short chord progression at a fortissimo dynamic. This is immediately followed by an ascending and descending arpeggiated line, leading back into another short progression (Figure 5.2). Maslanka follows this formula twice more while gradually adding sets of parallel fourths and fifths that alternate between the upper and lower staves of the score, separated by octaves. This alternating texture overtakes the arpeggiations from measure 64 until measure 70.

Figure 5.2: A Solemn Music, Part 1, mm. 54-60

Measure 71 marks the first large scale repetition of the piece. Measures 71-80 map identically onto measures 53-62 with the exception of a few minor dynamic differences and the

addition of accents in the second iteration. This repetition mimics the introspective process with

its simplicity and reiteration of previous material.

A transition back to the opening, monophonic texture occurs in measures 81-88. These

bars contain an alternation between four-note voicings of an E major chord with a single F-

natural, decreasing in volume (Figure 5.3). The opening monophonic texture returns in measure

89. To end the work, Maslanka repeats the opening 32 measures. The last two measures are

added as an extension to conclude the piece on an E major triad.

Figure 5.3: A Solemn Music, Part 1, mm. 81-88

Through Part 1 of A Solemn Music, Maslanka introduces three compositional traits of introspective depiction. The static nature of the piece is evidenced by the opening direction not to add any dynamic inflection and by the simple harmonic structure of the movement. The limited use of textures is clear with most of the movement consisting of rolled notes. The limited use of arpeggiated lines and the alternating fifths in octaves provide a limited deviation from the rolled textures. Finally, the use of large scale, nearly identical repetitions depicts the repetitiveness and straightforward nature of introspection.

Part 2

The structure of Part 2 is very similar to that of Part 1: an opening chorale, an arpeggiated

center, and a recap of the beginning at the conclusion. Almost the entire movement is marked at

q = 80. Composed of only 56 measures, Part 2 is less than half as long as the 124 measure Part 1.

Similar to Part 1, a string of static dynamic markings occurs throughout the movement. Markings

of piano occur sporadically through the first section with some phrases ending in a decrescendo.

The arpeggiated middle portion of the piece mainly consists of a mezzo forte marking and a long

decrescendo leading down to a pianissimo to begin the final part of the movement. The subdued,

static character of the piece continues the trend that began in Part 1.

Measures 1-31 compose the first section of the movement. Ten phrases occur

consecutively, delineated by breath marks in the score. The first six of these phrases contain

four-note rolled chords of either major or minor triads. Only five non-chord tones are present: a

passing B on beat five of measure eight, a suspended B over an F# major chord in measure 16, a

double neighbor on beats four and five of measure 18, and a sharp 4th over the G to D perfect

fifth in measure 19. These rare occurrences of any dissonance maintain the subdued, static

disposition of the piece.

Measure 20 contains the first appearance of a single rolled note. This is followed by three

more rolled phrases that lead to the transition out of the first section of the piece. A hint at the

upcoming arpeggiated section of the piece appears in measures 28-30 (Figure 5.4). This arpeggiation leads to a rolled C in measure 31 to conclude the opening chorale of Part 2.

Figure 5.4: A Solemn Music, Part 2, mm. 28-31

Maslanka gives a brief introduction to the permutation he will be using for the

arpeggiated section of the work with measures 32-33 (Figure 5.5). The downward moving,

sixteenth note triplet arpeggios contain simple triads in a high-low-high pattern. The pattern repeats every three notes, with each successive iteration beginning on the chord tone one step lower in the arpeggio. Every two beats, a new chord begins the pattern again. This repetition covers the entirety of the middle section of Part 2 until the concluding rolled chord in measure

43.

Figure 5.5: A Solemn Music, Part 2, mm. 32-33

After the two introductory measures of the section, measure 34 begins a single decrescendo from mezzo forte down to the pianissimo in measure 43. The chord progression here reflects the chord progression of the opening of the movement only in terms of its simplicity. The chords in each section of the piece do not follow a similar progression. This separation of sections of the A Solemn Music again supports to the idea that there is little to no evolution or development between, or even within, sections of the piece.

The final section of Part 2 opens with a chorale that is very similar to the opening of the movement. The chord progression from measure 44 through measure 50 is identical to that of measures 1-7 (Figure 5.6). The difference in the two sets of phrases is the voicing of the chords in the first four measures. The highest line is identical between the two progressions, but the

70 chords are written here with a voicing that is more condensed than the first appearance leaving the lowest line of measures 44-47 one octave higher than that of the opening.

Figure 5.6: A Solemn Music, Part 2, mm. 1-7, 44-50

Maslanka concludes the movement with six measures that are marked slower than the rest of the movement at q = ca. 66. These six measures contain only notes of the A minor triad and slowly decrescendo to nothing. Maslanka carefully conveys a sense of lethargy by including six fermatas and numerous breath marks to encourage the performer to take their time.

Part 2 of A Solemn Music is structured in a very similar manner to Part 1. This similarity shows a lack of development and evolution over the course of the work. The rehashing of the textures used in the first movement and the employment of repeated phrases also develop out of the utilization of introspective depiction.

Part 3

The exploration of introspective depiction continues through Part 3 of A Solemn Music.

While there is a bit of added complexity to the structure, Maslanka employs a slow-fast-slow

71 structure in Part 3 just as in Parts 1 and 2. The opening 36 measures use the chorale texture.

Measures 37-53 are composed of arpeggiated chords and are followed by some unique (to this piece) transitional materials. The movement is capped with a recalling of the opening measures and a brief coda.

The opening chorale of Part 3 is more complex harmonically than any of the chorales in the previous movements. Each chord of the opening two phrases contains a triad in the upper three voices with the seventh of the chord in the lowest line (Figure 5.7). This creates some instability to the opening of the movement. As the chords continue, more chromatic complexity is added. A monophonic pick-up line, only one of two deviations from the four-note rolled chord texture, leads into measure nine. The other deviation comes in measure 17 where Maslanka marks “no trem.,” indicating that these three chords should not be rolled (Figure 5.8).

Figure 5.7: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 1-7

Figure 5.8: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 16-18

Measure 23 marks a new layer to the rolled chord texture. Here, Maslanka employs a two voice chorale texture along with a third melodic line with special performance instructions

(Figure 5.9). Maslanka instructs the performer to “Hum ‘oo,’ narrowing the circle of the lips until a buzzing whistle happens along with the pitch.”69 This added vocal line is unique within

Maslanka’s writing for marimba and builds a connection from the instrument to the performer’s body that is not typically present due to the lack of physical contact. This connection parallels to the process of introspection where one explores their own thoughts and builds a connection of nebulous ideas to the physical world. This vocal application is one of the only deviations from the two prominent textures of the piece. A brief return to the standard, 4-note chorale structure concludes the opening of the work.

Figure 5.9: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 23-32

The second portion of the piece begins in measure 37. Here Maslanka utilizes the arpeggiated pattern from Part 2 and expands it by adding ascending lines to the previous

69 Maslanka, A Solemn Music, 11.

73 descending lines. The chords are still mostly triads, with a few exceptions, and each chord lasts for approximately one measure. The tempo marking here is q = ca. 88, just a touch faster than the matching section of Part 2.

Starting in measure 48, Maslanka interjects monophonic, rolled notes within the arpeggiated sixteenth structure at the end of each measure (Figure 5.10). These rolls lead to the transitional material that concludes section two, beginning in measure 54. This transition begins with six, consecutive, stepwise descending lines. The first two descents utilize various rhythmic fluctuations, but the final four consist of rolled eighth notes (Figure 5.11).

Figure 5.10: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 50-51

Figure 5.11: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 58-60

In the most unique segment of the work, measures 62-66 contain nothing like what has been composed so far (Figure 5.12). Each measure here consists mostly of four note chords, struck simultaneously, with only one roll notated. Measure 62 uses a C major triad for the first five eighth notes and a F to C perfect fifth on the final chord of the measure. Dotted eighth notes in lower staff give measure 63 more rhythmic interest than the surrounding bars. Measures 64

74 and 65 oscillate between A minor and C major triads on each eighth note and measure 66 ends this transitional material with a rolled C major triad.

Figure 5.12: A Solemn Music, Part 3, mm. 62-66

The wandering from the two dominant textures of the work during this section of the piece should be considered in light of the introspective depiction used throughout the work.

Maslanka speaks with hesitancy when describing his introspective process. He says, “I still, after all these years, don't know how it works. It just does.”70 This mystery parallels nicely to this portion of Part 3. The mystery that comes from the change in texture could be Maslanka’s way of expressing bewilderment at his own introspective process.

Part 3 concludes similarly to Parts 1 and 2, with a recap of earlier material. Measures 67-

84 directly recall measures 1-18 with only a few minor alterations. Measure 8 of the opening is expanded in measure 74 of the conclusion with a similar set of pitches, and, while measure 17 is specifically marked to be played without rolls, measure 83 of the conclusion is marked with

70 Varner, “An Examination of Concerti,” 112-113.

rolls. These two alterations are the only differences between the opening and concluding sections

of Part 3. Maslanka does add a coda to the end of the piece. These six measures continue the

rolled texture and eventually end on the same chord that began the piece.

While Part 3 has many similarities to Parts 1 and 2, a few significant differences arise.

First, the addition of the vocal line in measures 23-32 adds a connection with the body that is not

typically present in a solo marimba performance. Second, the transitional material in measures

62-66 is unique to this movement and does not utilize a texture that unique to this portion of the

piece. Both of these deviations from the formula used in Parts 1 and 2 arise from the use of

introspective depiction in A Solemn Music.

Conclusion

The use of introspective depiction in the composition of A Solemn Music is seen through three structural attributes of the work. These attributes are (1) the static nature of the piece that includes little to no evolution and development, (2) the limited number of textures within the entirety of the work, and (3) the use of large scale repetitions. Each of these structural attributes mirror aspects of the process of introspection.

The static nature of the work is seen from the outset. Maslanka’s note to the performer not to add any extra dynamic inflection leads to a subdued tone at the opening of Part 1. Part 2 continues the minimal use of dynamics and the simplicity of the harmonic motion. Part 3 contains slightly more development than the first two movements but ultimately returns to the static chorale texture by the end of the piece.

The use of different textures is limited throughout the work. The two- and four-note chorale texture is used extensively throughout all three movements, generally employing simple

76 triadic harmonies. The second prominent texture is the arpeggiated, ascending and descending lines. The harmonic structure during these arpeggiated sections of the work is just as limited as during the chorale texture. Maslanka rarely strays from either of these textures, and when he does, it is only for a few measures of transitional material.

Repetition can be seen in each of the three movements of A Solemn Music. Each movement concludes with a literal recap of the opening of the work. Only on a few occasions are the voicings even altered from the original setting. This repetition contributes to the other two aspects of introspective depiction. A static undertone and a lack of varying textures develops from the extensive use of literal repetition.

Maslanka’s final work for solo marimba is significantly distinct from his earlier pieces.

One contributing factor to consider is the location where each piece was composed: A Solemn

Music in Montana and Variations on Lost Love and My Lady White in New York City. A second contributing factor is Maslanka’s depiction of his own compositional process through introspection. Introspection inherently leads to a more subdued, static character than the raucous development in evocative depiction. Also, the repetition on the introspective process is not seen in the illumination of various characteristics of an object through representative depiction. These contributing factors lead to a unique work that stands apart from Maslanka’s earlier two unaccompanied marimba solos.

CHAPTER 6

SYNTHESIS OF THIS STUDY

Evocation, representation and introspection are each depictions of different mediums.

Evocation depicts the facets and evolution of an emotion deep within oneself as seen in

Variations on Lost Love. Representation depicts a physical object, or in the case of My Lady

White, a person. And in A Solemn Music, Introspection depicts the process of looking at one’s whole consciousness, not necessarily at the details of what is inside. In these three forms,

Maslanka effectively creates three distinct works for unaccompanied marimba.

Despite these three discrete approaches to programmatic composition, many similarities exist to create a characterization of Maslanka’s solo marimba style. These links are the extensive use of rolled notes and the chorale texture, the use of a motivic and textural framework for creating structure, and the use of a generally tonal, triadic harmonic language with intermittent chromaticism. All three of these characteristics are evident in each of Maslanka’s unaccompanied marimba solos.

The most obvious characteristic of Maslanka’s composition style for solo marimba is his use of rolled notes. Perhaps Maslanka was looking for the effect of sustained motivic lines which contrast the instrument’s natural ability for rhythmic articulation. The Theme and Part I of

Variations on Lost Love nearly exclusively contain rolled notes, whether by Stevens’ roll types or Maslanka’s tapered beams. The final texture of Part II also employs this rolled texture in two ways: a rolled melody with quarter note accompaniment and rolled four-note chords. Similar to the opening of Variations on Lost Love, movements 1 and 3 of My Lady White each primarily consist of rolled notes. Even through the lengthy sabbatical from writing music for unaccompanied marimba, Maslanka continues this tradition of rolls in A Solemn Music. All three

78 movements here begin and end with significant sections of this chorale texture. Both two- and

four-note textures appear throughout the work.

A second defining characteristic of Maslanka’s writing for solo marimba is his use of motives and varied textures to create structure. Throughout Variations on Lost Love, numerous

textures appear to convey different aspects of the narrative of lost love set forth in Robert

Graves’ poem, “Lost Love.” The Theme consists of the monophonic, tapered beam texture. Part I

employs the chorale texture discussed above. Four textures, “disorientation,” “falling apart,”

“agony”, and “anguish,” are employed in Part II with some overlap to create a sense of

development throughout the course of the movement. The “mischievous” texture of Part III

carries the piece to its chaotic finale. Movement II of My Lady White contains a textural

framework that is similar to Part II of Variations on Lost Love but without the developmental

overlap between textures. The three textures utilized here are “spring,” “birds sing,” and “a gift of rings” to match the three phrases of the title of the movement. Lastly, A Solemn Music utilizes the chorale texture as well as the arpeggiation of triadic harmonies. These two textures combine to form the primary portions of each of the three movements.

The use of a generally tonal, triadic harmonic language with intermittent chromaticism is the third defining characteristic of Maslanka’s writing for solo marimba. The Theme of

Variations on Lost Love sets the harmonic structure for the work. Here Maslanka closely adheres to a B Dorian pitch set. Throughout the next three movements, Maslanka begins to move away from this limited pitch set, ending Part III with the use of glissandos sliding into half step dissonances. This gradual increase in chromaticism aids the spiraling narrative of the entire work. My Lady White consists mostly of triadic, tonal harmonies. Movement III strays the furthest form this ideal, but does so in a limited fashion. Each of the segmented phrases in this

79 movement stays within a diatonic pitch set, but generally does not adhere to the pitch set of the previous phrase. This approach to adding harmonic complexity is quite reserved compared to some of the highly chromatic portions of Variations on Lost Love. Each section of chorale texture in A Solemn Music generally adheres to a major diatonic pitch set. This piece utilizes the least amount of chromaticism of the three solos but does sometimes stray due to the non- traditional chordal progressions.

Each of Maslanka’s works for unaccompanied marimba provide evidences of three generalities about his voice for solo marimba. These characteristics are the extensive use of rolled notes and the chorale texture, the use of motivic and textural framework for creating structure, and the use of a generally tonal, triadic harmonic language with intermittent chromaticism. These three characteristics permeate and define Maslanka’s marimba writing. An avenue for further research is to map these characteristics to Maslanka’s marimba concertos and his other works in the percussion ensemble and chamber music mediums.

Both Variations on Lost Love and My Lady White have grown to become staples in the mass of solo marimba literature. A Solemn Music has not seen the same success possibly due to its recency or the explosion of percussion music being written and published since the beginning of the 21st century. It is my hope that this document will provide performers, composers, musicologists, and listeners with a deeper understanding of Maslanka’s marimba music as well as his use of three distinct depictive mediums.

APPENDIX

CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF WORK BY DAVID MASLANKA FEATURING

PERCUSSION

81 Variations of Lost Love (1977)71 Instrumentation: Marimba Program Note: Variations on Lost Love is based upon the poem “Lost Love” by English poet Robert Graves. The poem describes “a person so distraught by lost love that he enters a state of hyper-awareness.”

Orpheus (1977)

Instrumentation: 2 Bassoons and Marimba

Program Note: Orpheus is a musical retelling of the tale of Orpheus who was so torn by the death of his beloved Eurydice that he descended to the underworld in an attempt to bring her back to life. His tragic failure dooms them to an eternity apart. The fruit of tragedy is beautiful music! The center of my piece is entitled “Orpheus’ Song: I cannot go on living apart from her.”

My Lady White (1980)

Instrumentation: Marimba

Program Note: My Lady White is a collection of three songs for solo marimba. All three are very beautiful pieces and are among the best tonal literature for solo marimba today. These can be performed individually or as a set and would be appropriate for a jury, recital, or audition.

The title, My Lady White, is a reference to a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer; an elegy for a woman named Blanche who was his devoted courtly love who he described as “supremely modest, yet easily approachable, refined, temperate, lighthearted and pious without sternness or coldness.” I call the three movements of My Lady White madrigals because they remind me of those brief, intimate, emotional song forms. The words, A Gift of Rings, from the title of the second piece are the title of a poem by the modern English poet Robert Graves. Graves also spent his life searching for the ‘White Goddess’, which is the name of a book that he wrote. For Pretty Alison: Alison is my wife, my best friend, and in many ways my own ‘Lady White’.

Arcadia II: Concerto for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble (1982)

Instrumentation: Solo Marimba, 10+ small Indian bells of a variety of pitches, Snare Drum (sm and med), Vibraphone, Marimba, Tenor Drum, Bull Roarer, Gong (2), Bass Drum, Cymbal (med and lg), Temple Blocks, Tom-tom (med and lg), Suspended Cymbal (6) (3 sm and 3 med), Wood Block (med and lg), Crash Cymbal, Anvil (metal hammer), Ratchet, Triangle (med and lg), High Hat Cymbal, Bongo, Antique Cymbal, Orchestra

71 All information for this appendix taken from David Maslanka’s official website at http://davidmaslanka.com/works. All program notes by David Maslanka.

Bells, Slide Whistle (2), Claves, Xylophone, Crotales, Bamboo Sticks (4) (ca 2 ft long 1 in diameter), Bell Plate, Slap Stick, Tambourine

Program Note: From the dictionary, “Arcadia” means a pastoral district of ancient Greece, or any place of rural peace and simplicity. It refers as well the mythic land of human origin. The title Arcadia II has a double intent: it is the second piece of mine with the title Arcadia, and it is a musical prayer for the well being of Earth and a return to an attitude of reverence for the Earth.

The Concerto uses a traditional concerto form: faster outer movements surrounding a slow middle movement. The outer movements are both in sonata form (exposition of themes, development, recapitulation), and the middle movement has the feel of an extended song.

The first movement arises from darkness. I remember standing in a New Hampshire meadow on a summer evening. One by one the fireflies lit up until the darkening field was alive with their activity. The tiny opening bell sounds of this movement are the fireflies. Out of this grows a mournful bittersweet music which rises to a high intensity and then fades.

The second movement is a nature meditation. It comes directly from my walks in Inwood Hill Park in upper Manhattan. This hundred-acre wood is the last “wild” parkland in New York City. Though faint and crowded on all sides by urban noise, the voices of nature can still be heard in these woods. They suggested a music in which the human presence (the solo marimba) communes with the sounds of wind, birds, the rustling of small things, the flow of water - all represented in the ensemble.

The last movement is infused with a spirit of playfulness, light, and simple joy in the glories of nature. There is an assertive opening theme, a serene and pastoral second theme, an extended development which rises to moments of epiphany (wind and glittering sunlight in the rustling leaves), a cadenza, and a recapitulation with the second theme coming first.

A Litany for Courage and the Seasons (1988)

Instrumentation: SATB Choir, Bb Clarinet, Vibraphone

Program Note: A Litany for Courage and the Seasons was composed in 1988 for the Geneseo Chamber Singers (State University of New York at Geneseo), Robert Isgro, conductor. Chamber Singers was a very fine group with a devotion to the performance of new music. I was on the faculty at Geneseo from 1970 through 1974. The poet, Richard Beale, was there as well. He is primarily a visual artist, a very fine painter, but also a prolific poet. His work always had a strong appeal for me, and I have set over twenty of his poems to music. Included are the seven Sofia songs for my Mass, Black Dog Songs for tenor and piano, and the six songs of A Litany.

My way of selecting poetry is to read volumes, noting anything of interest, then to begin culling until a set emerges. What came in this case was a strong mystical journey on the borderline between life and death, one constantly working from both sides: the eager exploration of dream space in “The Sleep of Poets,” the deep agony and yet profound grace of “St. Francis in Service Road,” the thin, evanescent mysticism of “The Soundless Sound,” the unspoken question and pain of “On Chestnut Hill,” the vibrant, living I AM of “Little Dance,” and the final release of “A Litany for Courage and the Seasons.”

The clarinet and vibraphone create a wonderful foil for choral sound. I have told clarinet players that this is really a clarinet concerto with choral and vibraphone accompaniment.

Concerto for Marimba and Band (1990)

Instrumentation: Solo Marimba, Piccolo, Flute (3), Oboe (2), (2 doubles English Horn), Clarinet in E♭, Clarinet in B♭ (3), Bass Clarinet in B♭, Contrabass Clarinet in B♭, Bassoon (2), Contrabassoon, Alto Saxophone (2), Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Horn in F (4), Cornet (3), Trumpet in B♭ (2), Trombone (2), Bass Trombone, Euphonium (2) (sub. Baritone if needed), Tuba (2), Violoncello (3), Double Bass, Harp, Timpani, Percussion (3 players): Vibraphone, Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Crash Cymbals, Tom-toms (4) (2 bongos, med. tom, tenor drum), Xylophone, Suspended Cymbal (3 lg.), Gong (med.), Sleigh Bells, Glockenspiel, Crotales, Tam-tam, Ratchet, Chimes

Program Note: This piece has more the nature of a fantasia than a classical concerto. It is in two large halves, the first very quiet and serene, devoted to rhapsodic melody and transparent textures, and the second starting with a huge dynamic build up and then moving through a relatively brief spurt of fast and fierce music before settling to a quiet and transcendent close.

Crown of Thorns (1991)

Instrumentation: Glockenspiel, Vibraphone (2), Marimba (4.0 oct), Marimba (3) (4.3 oct), Marimba (5.0 oct) (opt. Bass Marimba)

Program Note: The title “Crown of Thorns” is an obvious reference to Christ’s crown of thorns, but the name first came to me as a possible title for a piece from seeing a plant called “Crown of Thorns” at the New York Botanical Gardens. Crown of Thorns is a rambling, thorny desert plant from the Middle East, with small green leaves, and small, pretty red flowers. The rambling, interweaving, vine-like stems suggested music to me.

As I meditated on the words “Crown of Thorns”, and on the plant, and on the idea of a work for keyboard percussion ensemble, the following image arose:

a darkening sky seven stars are visible: the seven-starred halo

the golden light the hands of blessing

The seven-starred halo is a transcended image of the crown of thorns. It is the crown of highest spiritual power arrived at through the greatest depth of suffering. The imagery is Christian, but the experience transcends religion, and is universal. The music is at times sober and reflective, but more often filled with a liberated energy and joy.

Montana Music: Three Dances for Percussion (1992)

Instrumentation: Piano, Double Bass, Percussion (7 players + 1 for third movement): Vibraphone (2), Gong (1 sm., 2 med., 5 lg.), Tuned Gongs (4, see score for pitches), Chimes , Tam-tam (2), Crotales (2, 1 on timp head), Marimba (2), Bass Marimba, Gourd Rattle (sm), Suspended Cymbal (3 sm., 2 lg.), Bull Roarer (1 sm., 2 med.), Bongos (2), Conga Set (2 mini., 1 high, 2 med., 1 lg.), Snare Drum, Tenor Drum (2), Bass Drum (3), Cabasa (2 sm., 1 med., 2 lg.), Shaker (2 v. sm.), Bass Marimba, Anvil, Maracas (1 sm., 1 med.), Timpani, Triangle (1 sm., 1 med.), Log Drum (3), Temple Blocks, Claves (1 sm., 1 med., 1 lg.), Bamboo Rain Tree, Ratchet, Wood Block (1 sm., 1 lg.), cello bows (6-may substitute bass bows), offstage siren and marimba

Program Note: It was with great pleasure that I wrote “Montana Music: Three Dances for Percussion” for my good friend Robert Hohner, and his wonderful Central Michigan University Percussion Ensemble. Bob’s persistence and his keen musical intuition brought to life my first major percussion piece “Arcadia II: Concerto for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble”, and I know that he would find the heart and soul of this new piece. I think of “Montana Music” as complementary to “Arcadia II”, and this new work is offered as a gesture of thanks to Bob and the CMU players.

“Montana Music: Three Dances for Percussion” is one of a series of pieces with the title “Montana Music”. These are separate pieces with no musical crossover, yet they all spring from a single root point which I feel to be the powerful spirit of life emanating from the Montana land. This spirit as I perceive it is a rich and complex thing: it is the vibrant life force with all its earth manifestations, yet along with it there is a sharp element of pain and urgency. My response to this force has been a deepened sense of the quality of the moment, a better understanding of the need to experience the moment fully, and then to release it without regret, and a deeper sense of the timeless as perceived through the shifting patterns of sound in time.

At first I had difficulty composing this piece. Given the nearly unlimited possibilities in there percussion ensemble, I started with preconceived notions of all the sounds I would like to hear. The piece didn’t want to be any of those things and refused to be written until I opened myself to what wanted to come out. Then the piece came quickly and fairly smoothly. The resulting three slow movements are not something I could or would have preplanned. They are nocturnal, lunar, inward pieces, dedicated to the spirit of the earth, which speaks through them, Through this music I have a very personal vision of the slow dance of creation, transformation and rebirth.

Each movement embodies a large, simple ABA form. This allusion to Classical form gives and objective frame and feel to a music which is otherwise intensely personal and impassioned. Vibraphone is often the center of attention in this music. Its evocative bell- like character may be thought of as a motif in the whole work.

In Lonely Fields (1992)

Instrumentation: Solo Percussion 1 (Vibraphone), Solo Percussion 2 (Marimba, Wood Block, Very Small Shaker, Practice Pad), Flute, Oboe (dbl. English Horn), Clarinet in B, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet in C, Trombone, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Percussion (5 players): Vibraphone, Log Drum, Tenor Drum (2), Slap Stick, Tambourine, Bass Drum, Suspended Cymbal (2 sm, 1 med, 3 lg), Shaker (2 very small), Practice Pad, Congas, Tam-tam, Maraca, Triangle, Cabasa, Timpani, Crash Cymbals (2 sm), Wood Block (2), Crotales (cello or bass bow), Bongos, Tom-toms (3 sm, 1 lg), Gong (med), Chimes, Marimba, Bamboo Rain Tree, Orchestra Bells

Program Note: The title “In Lonley Fields” arises out of many solitary walks in the fields and mountains near my home in western Montana. During such walks a progressive meditation developed on the life force of Bradley Lowman – on its urges and lively sense of itself, its need for resolution and movement, and on the needs of family and friends who have been left behind. I hope that this musical statement will in some way be part of that resolution.

The music has formed itself around three hymn times from the “371 Chorales” by J.S. Bach, a collection which has been the focus of my personal study for many years. The tree melodies in order of appearance are “Christ ist erstanden” (“Christ has risen”), “Herr Gott, dich loben wir” (“Lord God, we praise you”), and “Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist” (“Now we ask the Holy Spirit”). These are woven into the musical fabric of my composition and serve as structural supports for the span of the piece. The first suggests that life is forever, the second that in all things is the presence and hand of God, the third that the spirit of highest love arises out of deepest grief and loss.

“In Lonely Fields” was commissioned by Robert and Mary Sue Lowman in memory of their son, and is dedicated to them, their family, and friends.

Song Book for Alto Saxophone and Marimba (1998)

Instrumentation: Alto Saxophone, Marimba

Program Note: “Song Book” was commissioned by Steven Jordheim and Dane Richeson of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, and was composed in the summer of 1998.

The Bach four-part chorales have become a central part of my music study. Playing and singing a few of them each day has become my way of making the transition into

composing time. I sing the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass successively while playing all the parts at the keyboard. At this writing I am on my ninth pass through the collection. Which each pass I am drawn deeper into the relationship of line to line – how one borrowed melody (the chorale tune) generates three other beautiful melodies in the same space, and how all parts together generate a pattern of harmonic movement. I am fascinated by the process of the pieces and they have become a strong influence on my composing.

Three chorale melodies appear in “Song Book”. I have taken them quite out of their liturgical context. Their titles inspire an emotional response in me, and out of this comes a music that expands on the original tune. My feeling for quotation is twofold. First, when a pre-existing melody comes to mind or hand while I am writing a new piece, it is a suggestion that the tune has something more to say, and that it will unfold differently in the new context. Secondly it allows for the process of “going underneath” the old tune to find something quite different and new. I let this happen because it seems that deeper connections are trying to work themselves out over many years and across many pieces. Folk and jazz artists do this as standard procedure.

Hohner (1999)

Instrumentation: Percussion (14 players): Vibraphone (3), Marimba (3) 4 1/3 Oct., Marimba (2) 4 1/2 Oct., Marimba (2) 4 1/2 Oct., Marimba (2) 5 Oct., Piano, Maraca, Double Bass, Timpani (2), Tam-tam (4), Gong (sm and med), Rain Stick, Orchestra Bells, Bell Plate (or large Bell), Chimes, Suspended Cymbal (1 sm, 3 lg), Tom-tom (2), Anvil, Snare Drum (sm), Snare Drum (2), Tenor Drum, Bass Drum (2), Hand Bells (see score insert), Crotales

Program Note: Bob Hohner was one of my closest friends and musical companions. He was one of the very few people I know who didn’t want a recording of music that he was to perform. It was his joy to discover musical sound. It was his insistent and persistent effort with Arcadia II: Concerto for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble that rescued this “failed” piece from oblivion, and started a long collaboration between us. I wrote Montana Music: Three Dances for Percussion for him, and then In Lonely Fields for Percussion and Orchestra. He recorded Arcadia II, Montana Music, and Crown of Thorns, and we were started on yet another composing project when he died. That project was to have been a “Symphony for Percussion.” I had a flash vision of a stage full of percussion, a large percussion orchestra – sections of marimbas and vibraphones – and lots of players, and I heard them playing a full-scale symphony.

The project came to a halt with Bob’s death, but I decided for his memorial piece that I would write at least one movement of this work, using all of the percussion forces available at the time at Central Michigan University. It is offered in memory of Bob, whose dedicated life as performer, teacher and friend touched, and continues to touch, many thousands of people.

David’s Book: Concerto for Solo Percussionist and Wind Ensemble (2006)

Instrumentation: Solo Percussion (Tam-tam, Chimes, Gongs (4 – high to medium, unpitched), Drums (6 – high Toms to Bass), Tibetan Singing Bowls (see score for pitches), Vibraphone, Metal Wind Chimes, Xylophone, Marimba), Flute (4) (1 dbl Piccolo, 2 dbl Alto Flute, 4 dbl Bass Flute), Oboe (2) (2 dbl English Horn), Clarinet in B♭ (3), Contralto Clarinet in B♭, Bass Clarinet in B♭, Bassoon (2) (2 dbl Contrabassoon), Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bassoon (3), Horn in F (4), Trumpet in B♭ (3), Trombone, Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Double Bass, Harp, Piano, Percussion (2 players): Suspended Cymbal (2 lg.), Xylophone, Crotales, Orchestra Bells, Bowl Bell on cushion, Timpani, Log Drums, Vibraphone, Bass Drum, Tam-tam, Marimba

Program Note: The word “book” gives the feeling of a larger collection of material, something extensive and varied, and something that may have a story to tell. And there are two David’s involved, myself and David Collier, for whom this piece was written. Because of my longtime and persistent use of chorale melodies, it has been suggested that I am somehow proselytizing for the Christian faith. This is not the case. My attraction to these melodies is that they are the product of countless generations of human seeding, and have about them an aura of depth and power.

They invariably unlock something unknown and powerful in my imagination. That they have overtones of spirit (fundamentals as well) is not a bad thing. Music is about spirit, and about finding one’s connection to a “bigger” self and to universals. If it didn’t do this, we would find something that did. Every path to spirit is a good path, whatever the label.

The story told by the movement titles is unspoken, and personal to each hearer. The titles are mere hints that can open the mind and heart in different ways. Chorale melodies from the 371 Four-Part Chorales by J.S. Bach are the starting points for the first, second and fifth movement. I have taken only the melodies; harmonizations are my own.

I. Today Is the Great Day of Suffering (Heu’ist, o Mensch, ein grosser Traurertag) II. We Believe in One God (Wir glauben all’ in einen Gott) V. It Is Enough (Es ist genug)

The titles of the 3rd and 4th movements are images from the book “The Old Gringo” by the Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes.

This is the world we know, the world of air and breathing and sun and beating hearts (2009)

Instrumentation: Piano (2), Percussion (2 players): Crotales, Orchestra Bells, Vibraphone, Marimba, Suspended Cymbal, Chimes, Metal Wind Chimes, Tam-tam, Snare Drum, Bass Drum

Program Note: This is the World is a set of largely interior tone poems for a two-piano, two-percussion ensemble. The music is spacious and patient, with simple rhythms, slow harmonies, expansive and touching melodies, and moments of ferocity, whimsy, and grandeur. Although old-time Chorale melodies play an important role in this music, the Nighthawks painting of Edward Hopper is foundational to the whole piece. This painting from 1942 touches something enduring about the American heart and experience, specifically an element of darkness, estrangement, and waiting which I wish to see brought forward and transformed in our time. We are at the cusp of enormous change.

Hurtling Through Space at an Unimaginable Speed (2011)

Instrumentation: Percussion (12 players): Crotales, Orchestra Bells, Xylophone, Vibraphone (2), Marimba (3; Low A, Low E, Low C), Chimes, Tom-toms (4), Double Bass, Tenor Drum, Bass Drum, Log Drum (2; sm and lg), Sizzle Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal (6; 2sm, 2 med, 2 lg), Gong (3 sm; 2 with water), Tam-tam (2; 1 with water), Anvil , Wind Machine, Long Rain Stick, Triangle (lg), Sleigh Bells, Timpani

Program Note: The impetus for this piece was a cartoon that I doodled some few years ago at a concert: “Hurtling through space at an unimaginable speed” – which is what we are doing on planet Earth.

Considered abstractly this is a terrifying idea. Who knows where we are going, what we might hit, what might hit us? Earth and its life are the tiniest of tiny specks in a universe of billions of galaxies. What we don’t know about all this dwarfs into the ridiculous what we do know. It “smalls” us!

On the other hand, we are not separate from the universe. Our living minds and bodies are a manifestation of the same life force that brings us the sun, the moon, the planets, the stars, and the weirdness of the idea of time. It is not inimical to us. At the core of the core of the core of the all-that-is, is the heart of love.

Time Stream (2012)

Instrumentation: Steel Drum Ensemble (Lead Tenor, Double Tenor, Double Second, Cello Pans, Bass Pans)

Program Note: Time Stream takes a favorite chorale melody of mine (Durch Adams Fall – Through Adam’s Fall) through a whirlwind evolution. There is deep mystery in the old hymn tune, and mystery as well in the poem that inspired my music:

Message from a Stream in a Sacred Place by Alison Matthews

Rock in the stream The stream takes over. Passage of time, passing of time. Showing faces in the water, Spirit faces, guardian faces, Horse, deer, fox, Human faces. All eyes large, soft, luminous, passing through time. Rock, stalwart and steady, Move me if necessary. Passage of time, allow. Stream goes on, wears away even the largest of places. Source of all and end of all. Song is beguiling and beckoning. Absolutely inviting to stillness. Be still. Allow. Use me. Transform me. Allow.

A Solemn Music (2013) Instrumentation: Marimba

Program Note: The three “songs” in this set are studies in deep moods of contemplation. There are no stories being told, but the patient laying out of line shapes with pauses, and the simple beauty of the marimba tone allow a quiet opening for personal reflection. My own sense of this music is the release and clearing of old patterns of thought and feeling. A Solemn Music was written for Texas marimbist Andrew Eldridge.

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