The Percussion Ensemble Music of Robert Moran Lucas James Bernier University of Iowa

University of Iowa Iowa Research Online

Theses and Dissertations

2012 The percussion ensemble music of Robert Moran Lucas James Bernier University of Iowa

This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/3430

Recommended Citation Bernier, Lucas James. "The percussion ensemble music of Robert Moran." PhD diss., University of Iowa, 2012. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/3430.

Follow this and additional works at: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd

Part of the Music Commons

THE PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE MUSIC OF ROBERT MORAN

by Lucas James Bernier

An essay submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa

December 2012 1

Essay Supervisor: Professor Daniel Moore

Graduate College The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ______

D.M.A. ESSAY ______

This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of

Lucas James Bernier has been approved by the Examining Committee for the essay requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the December 2012 graduation.

Essay Committee: ______Daniel Moore, Essay Supervisor

______David Gier

______David Gompper

______William LaRue Jones

______Kristin Thelander

To Robert Moran 2

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost I must thank Dan Moore. I have the privilege of calling him my teacher, mentor, and friend. The wisdom, guidance, and support he continues to provide are more than I ever could have imagined. For this, I am forever grateful. I would also like to give a special thank you to Liesa Moore. Thank you for your friendship and for keeping me on task. I would to thank my committee members Dr. Kristin Thelander, Dr. David Gompper, Dr. William Larue Jones, and Dr. David Gier. These individuals have supported me through two degrees, served on numerous recital and exam committees, and have always looked out for my future. I owe a great deal of gratitude to Robert Moran for his music, humor, and for allowing me to write about him. He has been more than supportive throughout the writing process and I feel honored to call him my friend. My family also deserves a big thank you. I want to thank my Mom for putting up with my drumming in the house, my Dad for encouraging me to read, my brothers Ben for always having my back, and Chris for being my inspiration to pursue music. Thank you to my teachers at both The University of Iowa and Minnesota State University Moorhead who have also been encouraging throughout my education and

professional career. 3 Finally and most importantly, I would like to thank my wife Niki. There is no one person who has been more supportive and encouraging. Without her unending love and patience, this document and degree would not be possible. As my editor and critic on many projects, she has helped me organize my thoughts and write clearly. There are no words that can describe the amount gratitude I have for her. Her emotional support has helped me through the most challenging times of three degrees and her ideas about life and education have helped me become a better person and teacher.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES...... vi LIST OF FIGURES ...... vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...... 1

Statement of Problem and Need for Study ...... 1 Purpose ...... 2 Procedures...... 3 Limitations...... 3 Review of Related Literature...... 4 II. BIOGRAPHY...... 7

Education ...... 7 The San Francisco Years ...... 10 Northwest, Northeast, and Northwestern...... 11 New York...... 12 Philadelphia ...... 13 1990s...... 14 2000 and Beyond ...... 15 III. OVERVIEW OF COMPOSITIONAL STYLE...... 16

City Pieces ...... 17 Theatrical, Interactive, and Media Works ...... 20 Drone Pieces ...... 21 Dance Pieces ...... 22 Opera and Choral Works ...... 23 Graphic Scores...... 24 Percussion Ensemble Compositions...... 28

IV. OBRIGADO ...... 31 4

Form and Harmony ...... 32 Rhythm ...... 35 Texture and Thematic Material ...... 36 V. BOMBARDMENTS NO.2...... 39

Graphic Notation and Its Relation to Improvisation ...... 41 Instrumentation...... 42 Navigation of the Score ...... 44 Symbols ...... 45 Analysis of Dan Moore’s Solo Version of Bombarments No. 2 ...... 46

VI. BY ANY OTHER NAME...... 49

Movement 1: Munich Miniatures- Var. I ...... 50 Movement 2: Satyagraha Variation ...... 54 Movement 3: Libations...... 58 VII. STIRLING: IT’S RAINING CATS AND DOGS...... 63

Analysis ...... 66 VIII. CONCLUSION...... 72 APPENDIX A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT MORAN’S PERCUSSION COMPOSITIONS...... 74

Percussion Ensemble Works...... 74 Variable Ensemble Works ...... 78 APPENDIX B CONCERT PROGRAMS ...... 79

Percussion Music of Robert Moran: Iowa Percussion...... 79 New Literature Session PASIC 2011: Iowa Percussion...... 84 BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 92

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Obrigado, Instrumentation ...... 32 4.2 Obrigado, Ternary Form...... 32 4.3 Obrigado, Modified Rondo Form...... 33 5.1 Bombardments No. 2, Instrumentation ...... 44 5.2 Bombardments No. 2, Instrumentation for Dan Moore’s Solo Realization...... 47 6.1 By Any Other Name, Modified Rondo Form ...... 59 7.1 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Instrumentation...... 63 7.2 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Themes, Groups, and Tonal Centers...... 66

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Salagrama, Excerpt from Score, pg. 1...... 22 3.2 The Hapsburg Kunstkammer from Cabinet of Curiosities ...... 29 3.3 Circles in Wood from Cabinet of Curiosities ...... 29 4.1 Obrigado, Section 1 ...... 33 4.2 Obrigado, Section 9...... 34 4.3 Obrigado, Section 13...... 35 4.4 Obrigado, Section 6, mm. 1-2 ...... 36 4.5 Obrigado, Section 3...... 37 4.6 Obrigado, Section 4...... 38 4.7 Obrigado, Section 11...... 38 5.1 Bombardments No. 2, Example of symbol ...... 45 5.2 Bombardments No. 2, Example of event from upper left corner of score ...... 45 5.3 Bombardments No. 2, Example of event from upper left corner of score ...... 46 6.1 By Any Other Name, Mvt. I, mm. 1-6...... 51 6.2 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 1, mm. 7-12 ...... 52 6.3 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 1, mm. 21-26 ...... 52

6.4 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 1, mm. 27-34 ...... 53 7 6.5 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 1-6 ...... 54 6.6 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 16-19 ...... 55 6.7 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 20-23 ...... 55 6.8 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 12-15 ...... 56 6.9 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 7-11 ...... 56 6.10 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 37-38 ...... 57 6.11 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 3, mm. 1-5 ...... 58

vii

6.12 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 3, mm. 15-19 ...... 59 6.13 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 3, mm. 85-96 ...... 61 6.14 By Any Other Name, Mvt. 3, mm. 45-49 ...... 61 7.1 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Score Pages 1-2 ...... 65 7.2 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group A-Section 1...... 67 7.3 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group E-Section 1 ...... 67 7.4 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group B-Section 1 ...... 67 7.5 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group C-Section 3 ...... 68 7.6 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group B-Section 4 ...... 69 7.7 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group E-Section 7 ...... 69 7.8 Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group D-Section 6...... 70

viii 1!

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION “Make up something fancy, something for the academics.”1

! Statement of Problem and Need for Study Robert Moran is a critically acclaimed American composer who has written for percussion since the 1960s. He studied composition with some of the most notable names in twentieth-century music, including Luciano Berio and Darius Milhaud. He has collaborated extensively with Philip Glass, John Cage, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, and others. His career has spanned five decades and nearly every genre of contemporary music including many works for percussion ensemble. He has received major commissions from performers, ensembles, and dance companies throughout the world including the Scottish Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, American Repertory Theatre, and the National Symphony Orchestra. Moran’s relevance in percussion dates back to the early 1960s — a period that yielded relatively little in the way of innovative or significant literature for the serious percussion ensemble. Early percussion works by Moran were well regarded in their day, but since have been forgotten. His Divertissement Number One for electric frying pan and any variable ensemble, popularly known as The Popcorn Piece, has been frequently performed, but often not attributed to him. His innovative graphic composition Bombardments No. 2 for five percussionists, written in 1964, was widely performed at the time, but though still found in university percussion libraries across the country, is rarely performed today. Moran’s dozen or so works for percussion ensemble, the majority written before 1971 and after 2006, are relatively unknown and infrequently performed. This period of inactivity in composing for percussion could account for him

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 Robert Moran, email correspondence with Lucas Bernier, February 23, 2012. 2!

being overlooked by the percussion community. Recent revived interest in the performance of graphic notation and improvised classical music should help to bring the name Robert Moran back into the collective consciousness of percussionists. Commissions and recording projects by Professor Dan Moore and the University of Iowa Percussion Ensemble, known as Iowa Percussion, have brought old and more recent music by Robert Moran to the attention of audiences. One of Moran’s latest compositions for percussion ensemble, By Any Other Name, was performed by Iowa Percussion on the New Literature Session at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in 2011. It is uncommon to find a composer that writes for chamber ensembles, orchestras, operas, and dance companies who also writes regularly for the percussion ensemble. Robert Moran and his compositions for percussion are certainly deserving of receiving wider recognition by the percussion community. The need for this study originates from a void in research and general knowledge concerning Robert Moran and his music. Little scholarly literature has been written about him, although a simple Internet search frequently returns his name in association with graphic notation, opera, and contemporary music. This document will focus on his percussion writing, and an overview of his other compositions will be presented in order to characterize his compositional style and musical output.

Purpose The purpose of this project is to present an overview of Moran’s background and compositional style while providing a detailed view of his music for percussion ensemble. This document will provide historical and biographical information and analyses of selected percussion ensemble compositions. Descriptive analysis will provide insight into Moran’s compositional process that might aid in performance of these works. Moran has utilized multiple approaches to composition throughout his career and his percussion works reflect these stylistic variances. Roughly half of his percussion 3! works are written using graphic or proportional notation; the others are traditionally notated. Analysis of both types will be applied to performance practices of his percussion ensemble compositions. While at the University of Iowa, this author participated in premiere performances of several of Moran’s percussion ensemble compositions and performed on two recordings of his works. This research topic stemmed from this formative first-hand experience and from a desire to learn more about Robert Moran and his music.

Procedures Biographical and historical information will be taken from reviews of existing literature and interviews with Robert Moran and others. This primary source information will be invaluable in providing firsthand insight into his life and background. Four compositions were chosen for analysis. Each is significantly different from the others, and each exhibits Moran’s style in different ways. The compositions are Bombardments No. 2 (1964), Obrigado (1995), Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs (2007), and By Any Other Name (2008). Three of the four selections have also been recorded on two releases by Innova Records. Analyses of traditionally notated scores will include basic formal analysis with particular attention to harmonic, rhythmic, and thematic content. Graphic scores will be analyzed in such a way that will provide possible realizations of the score as well as interpretive suggestions.

Limitations Many of Moran’s percussion ensemble pieces utilize graphic notation, which intrinsically warrants individual interpretation. Personal views are necessary in interpreting and providing performance suggestions for graphic pieces, therefore the 4!

analysis of these works will be more subjective. Works that use traditional notation will receive a more objective analysis. Robert Moran has enjoyed a storied career of over 50 years as a composer and he has written hundreds of compositions. Although it is beyond the scope of this project to delve into his other works, an overview of compositions and compositional style will be presented to illustrate the depth and breadth of his work throughout his half-century of composing.

Review of Related Literature There are surprisingly few resources directly focused on Robert Moran. Other than basic biographical information, his name is only mentioned in various articles regarding avant-garde music and graphic notation. However, two dissertations include detailed analyses of Moran’s compositions. Patrick Coyle, in his doctoral dissertation Significant Male Voice Repertory Commissioned by American Gay Men’s Choruses, analyzed selected choral compositions.2 His analysis of Moran’s Night Passage, composed for the Seattle Men’s Chorus, provides thorough detail focusing on harmonic content and how those harmonic devices shape the text. Structural Functions of ‘Musical Gesture’ as Heard in Selected Instrumental

Compositions of the Twentieth Century: A Graphic Analytic Method by Richard Brooks covers multiple compositions, including Moran’s graphic score Four Visions.3 Brooks

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 Patrick O. Coyle, “Significant Male Voice Repertory Commissioned by American Gay Men’s Choruses” D.M.A. diss., University of Cincinnati, 2006. ! "!Richard James G. Brooks, “Structural Functions of ‘Musical Gesture’ as Heard in Selected Instrumental Compositions of the Twentieth Century: A Graphic Analytic Method,” Ph.D. diss., New York University, 1981. ! 5!

describes his approach to interpreting graphic notation, but leaves room for further research, especially with regard to compositions for percussion. Multiple dissertations and articles have been written about graphic notation and modern notational systems; however, few provide any recommendations as to how to perform a graphic score. Dissertations from Rachel Julian-Jones4 and Scott Shepherd5 detail various notational practices specifically utilized in percussion. As their focus is on alternative notational systems, both documents fail to adequately provide suggestions for performances of graphic scores. Articles such as “Visual Music”6 by Stuart and Sylvia Smith describe the phenomenon of graphic notation. Though no analysis is included, the description of graphic notation contends that it is a necessary and legitimate convention. John Cage’s book Notations (1969) is a collection of scores from hundreds of composers, including notable names such as Stravinsky, Berio, Bernstein, and many others. This now-famous collection gathered a single page of a composition that each composer was working on at the time. While there is little information regarding the compositions, it is noteworthy that a high number of graphically notated pieces, including Moran’s Sketch for a Tragic One Act Opera,7 are included. The book New Voices: American Composers Talk About Their Music by Geoff Smith and Nicola Walker Smith presents interviews with several composers. Their interview with Moran provides excellent detail into his background, education, and compositional process. Though limited in length and scope, the first-hand account is notable from a biographical standpoint. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4 Rachel Carissa Julian-Jones, “A survey of multiple percussion notation with an emphasis on timbre staff notation and setup,” D.M.A. diss., University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1999. ! #!Scott Lawrence Shepherd, “Notational Practices of Percussion Since 1950: An Analysis of Selected Chamber Works,” M.A. Thesis, University of California Los Angeles, 1977. ! 6 Stuart Smith and Sylvia Smith, “Visual Music,” Perspectives of New Music 20:1/2 (1981) 75-93. ! 7 This work inspired Dan Moore to ask Moran to compose the percussion opera Bats in the Belfry, an Opera in Five Acts and Four Murders for Four Solo Voices and Large Percussion in 2010. 6!

Numerous articles and dissertations have been written about other important composers for percussion along with analyses of their works. No such research has been conducted about Robert Moran. This document is intended to fill that gap in research.

CHAPTER II BIOGRAPHY “By the way, WHO is this Robert Moran anyway?”8

The career of composer Robert Moran is nothing short of extraordinary. He has studied with master composers. He has held teaching positions at multiple universities. He has written hundreds of pieces, some allowing up to 100,000 performers. He has received commissions from all over the world. He has composed in nearly every genre of contemporary music over the past five decades, yet his original style defies labels and categorization. This chapter will provide a detailed overview of the life and compositional career of this truly unique contemporary American composer.

Education Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1937, Robert Moran developed a keen interest in music at a young age. His parents frequently took him to the opera, where young Robert became fascinated with the genre, and enrolled him in a drama course for children at Denver University at age seven.9 Though his formal education in music did not begin until much later, this early exposure to opera and drama was clearly influential in his career.

Moran’s first years as an undergraduate student took place at an educational college in Colorado, an experience he deemed “totally unsatisfactory.”10 According to Moran, the institution offered nothing in the realm of music composition, so he decided to pursue it on his own. During a family vacation to Europe in 1957, an opportunity arose

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8 Robert Moran, email correspondence with Lucas Bernier, November 23, 2011.

9 Geoff Smith and Nicole Walker Smith, New Voices: American Composers Talk About Their Music (Portland: Amadeus Press, 1995), 200.

10 Robert Moran, interview with Lucas Bernier, St. Paul, MN, September 10, 2011. 8!

for him to study music in Vienna.11 Moran took a break from his university education to study twelve-tone composition with Hans Erich Apostel, who was a student of both Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg.12 Apostel only accepted a small number of students, so this was a fortunate opportunity for Moran. It marked the beginning of his formal education in composition as well as his studies with world-renowned composers. During one of his first lessons, Apostel was editing the individual parts of Berg’s opera Wozzeck and handed the original manuscript to Moran. The fact that he was actually holding Berg’s manuscript left him nearly in shock, as he describes the score as being “like the Bible to composers.”13 In another lesson, Moran remembers having this exchange, which he described as typical of his study with Apostel:

I would say, “Mr. Apostel, I just bought the score of the Webern Symphony and I can’t find the twelve-tone row. It’s not laid out like I would think.” He [Apostel] said, “Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Then he would go over to the desk and pull out a packet of letters from Webern. He’d pull out a letter and say, “Here it is, Webern wrote me about this new symphony he was writing and here is the row. So write it down, put it down in the score.” So I would get a pencil and I would mark 1, 2, etc. on the notes directly from Mr. Webern’s letter. That was Apostel.14

Moran mastered twelve-tone composition and the art of variation under Apostel, whom he credits as an excellent teacher.15 In Vienna, Moran was not only studying composition, but was also attending a seemingly endless banquet of superb live music, ranging from Wagner at the Vienna State Opera to the Modern Jazz Quartet. During this

time, Moran absorbed an astonishing amount of musical knowledge and experience.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 11 Moran, interview, 2011.

12 George W. Gruber, “Apostel, Hans Erich,” In Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/01097 (accessed December 10, 2011).

13 Moran, interview, 2011.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid. 9!

After studying in Vienna, Moran briefly returned to Denver, then moved to San Francisco where he completed his undergraduate degree at San Francisco State College.16 There, according to Moran, the composition teacher even had him write the syllabus and outline for a course in twelve-tone music.17 Directly after completing his undergraduate degree, Moran enrolled at Mills College in Oakland, California. The early 1960s proved to be an opportune time to study at Mills College because both Luciano Berio and Darius Milhaud were faculty members. He completed his Master’s degree in composition under the tutelage of both men. Berio drew an interesting assortment of students to his courses. Moran’s classmates included Phil Lesh and Tom Constanten, who later formed the Grateful Dead, and the now-renowned minimalist composer Steve Reich. The community at Mills College offered direct contact and interaction with world famous composers and musicians. During his studies with Berio, Moran was encouraged to write for ensembles of varying instrumentation, which, in a way, led to Moran’s affinity for graphic notation and non-standardized ensembles. Studying under Milhaud brought Moran into contact with virtuosic artists who were Milhaud’s close associates and friends: the other five of “Les Six,” Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Gertrude Stein, and others.18 Moran had a cordial relationship with Milhaud, about whom he recalls:

Every time he would say “You’re going back to Vienna after you leave here? Would you like me to write a letter of introduction to Universal Edition?” That was Milhaud. Same thing with John Cage. They would bend over backwards. “Can I write you a letter here? You must contact this person there.”19 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 16 San Francisco State University, “SF State Facts 2011-2012,” San Francisco State University, http://www.sfsu.edu/~puboff/sfsufact/ (accessed August 29, 2012).

17 Moran, interview, 2011.

18 Milhaud was one of Les Six, a group of French composers that also included Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, and Germaine Tailleferre.

19 Moran, interview, 2011. 10!

As he was finishing his Master’s degree in 1963, Ravi Shankar invited Moran to study with him in Bombay, India. He was also invited to assist Berio on a new composition in Europe. In order to aid his decision, he consulted the I Ching.20 Moran chose to assist Berio in Milan, but only remained there for a brief stay before returning to Vienna. During his second stay in Vienna, Moran took one of his graphic scores to Universal Edition, a music publishing company that he jokingly refers to as the “Mafia of Stockhausen, Nono, Berio, and Ligeti.”21 Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, a Polish composer, worked at Universal Edition at the time and happened to be quite interested in graphic notation. According to Moran, he presented his piece Four Visions to Ramati, saying, “I have written it and I dedicate it to you.” Ramati replied, “That’s very lovely. Where can I send you the contract?”22

The San Francisco Years Moran returned to the United States later that year and began teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition to teaching courses in composition, opera literature, Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and piano, he also co-directed the New Music Ensemble with founder Howard Hersh.23 During his years in San Francisco, Moran was in close company with influential individuals in the creative arts. He lived around the corner from Janis Joplin at the top of

Casper Hill, and the two became close friends — even walking their dogs together.24 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

20 The I Ching is an ancient text in which images are randomly selected by tossing coins or sticks. This is a popular device used for composing aleatoric music. ! 21 Moran, interview, 2011. ! 22!Ibid. ! 23 Ibid.

24 Moran, interview, 2011. ! 11!

Moran developed close relationships with people like contemporary American artist Jasper Johns, and composers David Tudor and Christian Wolff. He also taught the now- famous pianist George Duke. Moran describes the artistic and social atmosphere of those years: “There was John Coltrane playing Ascension in jazz clubs, Nina Simone, and parties with John Cage.”25 Moran was living a life surrounded by the arts and surrounded by figures that occupied the pinnacle of the arts. He states, “It was just an amazing time, an amazing time.”26

Northwest, Northeast, and Northwestern In addition to his time at the San Francisco Conservatory, Moran held various positions in academia. None were full time positions, which he preferred because it allowed him to keep composing regularly. In 1972, he accepted a position at Portland State University in Oregon and taught courses about Wagner’s Ring Cycle and opera literature.27 He stayed there for two years before venturing to Germany to serve as a composer-in-residence for the city of West Berlin.28 Next came a residency at the State University of New York in Buffalo from 1975 to 1977. The contemporary music program there was started by Lukas Foss, and Moran’s responsibilities were to work with the New Music Ensemble and compose. He recalls: “It was basically two years of being in insufferable Buffalo. But, it didn’t make a difference because I could fly anywhere.”29

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 25 Ibid.

26 Ibid.

27 Ibid.

28 Robert Moran, “Biography,” Robert Moran, http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/biography.htm (accessed December 10, 2011).

29 Moran, interview, 2011.

12!

Following his time in Buffalo, he taught at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, for one year. There he started the New Music Ensemble and completed one of his most important collaborations, The Waltz Project, a collection of 25 contemporary piano waltzes written by some of the best-known modern composers including John Cage, Lou Harrison, Philip Glass, Milton Babbitt, and Charles Wuorinen.30 He and Robert Helps compiled the project, which, according to Moran, began with a humorous phone conversation:

I called up my friend Bob Helps, who’s a concert pianist and composer, and I said, “I’m really slipping. I’ve just written a waltz. I think I’ve lost my mind.” He said, “Don’t worry about it, I’ve lost mine too. I’m just working on a waltz here.” His was Waltz Mirage and it’s quite wonderful. We invited his Bernstein and Copland friends to contribute a waltz. We also invited Frank Zappa, and I even wrote a letter to Boulez saying, “We’re doing this waltz project and we’d love to have you write a waltz. My friend has a $5 bet that you can’t write a waltz.” I had a very charming letter back saying, “Thank you for the invitation, but unfortunately I can’t write the waltz because I am very busy.” We received twenty-five new waltzes and not one was a commission. The rules were: it’s a waltz if you call it a waltz! It could be easy or extremely difficult, five minutes in length or open, like Cage. That’s how it happened.31

New York In 1978, following the one-year appointment at Northwestern, Moran moved to New York City and was able to compose full time, living solely on commissions.32 In 1984, Moran and renowned minimalist composer Philip Glass shared a residency at the

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 30 Ibid.

31 Smith, New Voices, 202-203.

32 Moran, interview, 2011. !! 13!

Third Street Music School Settlement,33 which led to an important collaboration, The Juniper Tree — one of his most famous works. 34

Philadelphia Later in 1984, Robert Moran settled in Philadelphia where he still lives.35 The premiere of The Juniper Tree came just a year after his move,36 but this important collaboration began in New York.37 According to Moran, one of the board members approached him about writing an opera for the children at the school. Moran replied, “Well, that sounds like fun, but why don’t I write a one-act opera and find another composer to write another one-act opera?”38 The only other composer he could think of was Philip Glass. According to Moran, Glass responded, “That sounds like fun, but I think it would be more fun if we wrote an opera together. That means you can do all of the work and I’ll just pick up the checks [laughs].”39 So the creative process began and the two debated about topics for the plot. Moran turned to fairy tales “because they’re primal, everyone gets it, all the elements are there, and it’s supposed to be for kids.”40 A

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 33!The Third Street Music School Settlement is the oldest community music school in the U.S. (started in 1894) located in New York City.!!! ! 34 The Juniper Tree is an opera that was commissioned by the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge Massachusetts. The opera was co-composed by Robert Moran and Philip Glass with the libretto by Arthur Yorinks. The plot is based on a tale by the Brothers Grimm. ! 35 Moran, interview, 2011.

36 Robert Moran, “Biography.” http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/biography.htm. (accessed December 10, 2011).

37 Nathan Rubin, John Cage and the Twenty-Six Pianos of Mills College: Forces in American Music from 1940 to 1990, a History (Moraga, CA: Sarah's Books, 1994), 111.

38 Moran, interview, 2011.

39 Ibid.

40 Ibid.

14!

friend directed him to Maurice Sendak, who was unable to collaborate, but directed them to a collection of stories.41 Upon reading The Juniper Tree, Moran proclaimed, “This is pure opera. I mean it was cannibalism and ruthless brutality to children and redemption and all this stuff.”42 Philip Glass was less excited by the story. Moran responded, “Are you kidding? You’ve got two kids; you know they’ll love it. It’s the parents that’ll turn green and freak out.”43 Moran and Glass divided the writing of the opera; Arthur Yorinks wrote the libretto. Directly after the premiere, the Houston Grand Opera approached them about performing The Juniper Tree the following summer.

1990s The 1990s marked a successful period for Moran, especially for his operas and choral works. The success of The Juniper Tree led to more commissions. David Gockley commissioned Moran to write the opera Desert of Roses. The Minnesota Opera also programmed Desert of Roses and commissioned Moran to write another opera, From the Towers of the Moon. He had world premieres of two operas in consecutive months.44 Also during this time various recording projects were taking place, including releases on notable record labels such as Columbia (BMG), Decca, and Argo. In 1995, Night Passage was commissioned and premiered by the Seattle Men’s Chorus. In just the first half of the 1990s, Moran had four new operas performed by major ensembles in the United States. According to Moran’s website, in the 1990s, he wrote 35 works that were premiered around the world by notable ensembles and

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 41 Maurice Sendak is the well-known author and illustrator who wrote the popular children’s story Where the Wild Things Are.

42 Moran, interview, 2011.

43 Ibid.

44 Ibid.

15!

soloists.45 Although he composed numerous other chamber works during this time, Moran refers to this decade as “lots of choral and lots of opera.”46

2000 and Beyond

Robert Moran has shown no decline in activity since the turn of the twenty-first

century. He continues to compose and receive large-scale commissions. In 2004, he began collaborations with Innova Records, which produced and released four albums solely of Moran’s compositions: Open Veins (2004), Mantra (2008), Cabinet of Curiosities (2011), and Trinity Requiem (2011).47 For Moran, the 2000s also marked a return to the genre of percussion ensemble. Numerous percussion works were written for and premiered by Iowa Percussion including Kboco, Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, By Any Other Name, Meister Ekhard and the Point of No Return, Bats in the Belfry, and Cabinet of Curiosities. In 2011, Trinity Wall Street and organist Robert Ridgell commissioned Moran to write Trinity Requiem (scored for children’s chorus, organ, harp, and four cellos) to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City. In October 2011, Moran had another large premiere titled Buddha Goes to Bayreuth, for two choruses and two string orchestras. Two more premieres came in November 2012, Game of the Antichrist conducted by Alexander Hermann in Munich

and The Lottery performed by Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Utah. Robert Moran’s career as a composer shows no signs of slowing down.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 45 Moran, interview, 2011.

46 Ibid.

47 “Robert Moran,” http://www.innova.mu/composers/robert-moran, (accessed January 26, 2012). 16!

CHAPTER III OVERVIEW OF COMPOSITIONAL STYLE “And we’ll have plenty of time for going blah, blah until you run for the exit.”48

Moran’s style as a composer is nearly impossible to conclusively pinpoint. Over the five decades he has been composing, Moran has written for nearly every genre of contemporary music. When questioned about his style, he answered with another question: “Wouldn’t it be different for each piece?”49 With his breadth and depth of compositions and determination not to be pinned down to any one category, he has been able to successfully escape any sort of stylistic captivity. He notes that many composers and artists have failed due to the confining descriptions of critics, who:

…always want to pigeonhole. And I just don’t want to get bored, and so you’ve got to keep going on and that confuses them.…And I think the pieces, whatever you’re doing, should determine the costume that you’re putting on. You don’t want to wear the same costume all the time. I don’t.50

As mentioned previously, Moran’s formal education began with intense study in twelve-tone composition, but none of those works are published.51 He explained, “Nobody wanted to perform them and in all honesty, not too many wanted to hear them.”52 His early studies of twelve-tone music with Apostel benefited his entire career, because Apostel would not let him touch the piano, requiring Moran to hear the sounds first.53 This helped him to truly understand what was being written on the page. He

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 48 Moran, interview, 2011 ! 49 Ibid.

50 Ibid.

51 Moran, phone interview with Lucas Bernier, September 15, 2012. ! 52 Smith, New Voices, 199.

53 Ibid,198. 17!

moved away from twelve-tone music shortly after his studies, and toward graphic music and large-scale “city-pieces.” These early works focused heavily on sound, texture, and color. Later in his career, Moran made a progression back to tonality. He categorized his stylistic output as “whole-city events, meditative pieces using drones, and minimalist works with repeated rhythmic patterns.”54 However, his musical output has produced more than three categories can contain, including opera and choral works, theatrical pieces, graphic scores, chamber works, and percussion ensemble compositions in a variety of compositional styles. Moran’s harmonic language tends to be functional. While he does use standard chord progressions, much of his writing is based around the concept of tonal centers and gradually shifting harmonies. For this, some critics have labeled Moran a minimalist, although he disagrees with any sort of label.55 As his style has changed over the course of his career, Moran has moved to a more direct musical language described as being for the “pure listener.”56 The remainder of this chapter divides his works into various genres and briefly discusses selected compositions representative of each genre. This is not a conclusive list, but will provide the reader with an overview of Moran’s compositional style.

City Pieces

Moran may be best known for his four “city pieces,” immensely large compositions written for entire cities. The first, written for the city of San Francisco, happened almost by accident. According to Moran, by 1969 the music and artistic scene

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 54 Rubin, John Cage and the Twenty-Six Pianos of Mills College, 111.

55 Smith, New Voices, 203. ! 56 Cornall, Liner Notes to Mantra.

18!

in San Francisco was fading.57 A large music festival was proposed and Moran was invited to a planning meeting, much to his dislike, as “it was all terribly hippie nonsense.”58 When asked if he had any ideas, Moran replied, “Well, I’ll do a whole city piece and use all the skyscrapers.”59 The planners thought it was a great idea, and 39 Minutes for 39 Autos was premiered on August 20, 1969, at 9 p.m.60 This massive work involved performers, artists, dancers, lighting technicians, radio broadcasters, at-home participants, and many others. The title and length of the work resulted from the chance operations of the I Ching. Moran called for 39 automobiles with their horns amplified and placed on San Francisco’s Twin Peaks. Three performers on a moog synthesizer were also utilized and those 40 sounds were mixed and sent to three radio stations and one television station. In addition to the audio from Twin Peaks, video from cameras placed around the city and six airplanes circling overhead provided “a visual fantasy montage” that was broadcast on television.61 Around the perimeter of the video was a simple lighting score that directed at-home participants to turn their house lights on and off. 62 Paul Crowley, a talented lighting technician, programmed and coordinated the lighting of the skyscrapers. Even the audience and cast of the musical Hair paused their show to participate.63 According to figures from the electric company, over 100,000 people participated in this monumental premiere.64 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 57 Moran, interview, 2011.

58 Ibid.

59 Ibid.

60 Robert Moran, “City Works,” Robert Moran, http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/city_works.htm, (accessed December 9, 2011).

61 Robert Moran, “Robert Moran: Lunchbag Opera –BBC TV 1971,” YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChXkv5IZVhw (accessed September 3, 2012)

62 Moran, interview, 2011.

63 Ibid. ! 64 Moran Website, “City Works.” 19!

His next three city works follow a similar formula: multiple musical ensembles, light shows, dancers, actors, etc., resulting in citywide mixed media events. Hallelujah, commissioned by the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, came after the success of 39 Minutes for 39 Autos and premiered on April 23, 1971.65 The work called for 20 marching bands, 40 church choirs, multiple rock bands, organs, and carillons, and light shows projected on synagogues.66 The music was based on old Moravian hymns and songs, reflecting the heritage of Bethlehem’s founders. The third city piece, Pachelbel Promenade, was written for Graz, Austria and commissioned by the Styrian Autumn Festival.67 Moran wrote hundreds of variations on Pachelbel’s Canon for nearly every ensemble in Graz.

Moran’s last city piece, From the Market to Asylum, was written for Hartford,

Connecticut. Premiered in June 1982, it featured music, actors, puppeteers, acrobats, and dancers.68 After From the Market to Asylum, Moran moved in a new direction. He

explains, “It was at that point when you realize that the phenomenon of doing that type of

thing is over. It’s a different period. Things change, besides I have done that and it was

time to move on.”69

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

65 Moran Website, “City Works.”

66 Moran, interview, 2011.

67 Ibid.

68 “Public Art,” from News and Notes, in Umbrella Magazine 5:3 (1982): 74, http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/umbrella/article/viewFile/1034/983 (Accessed October 1, 2012). ! 69 Moran, interview, 2011.

20!

Theatrical, Interactive, and Media Works Moran often pushes the envelope and tests boundaries of contemporary music. While some of his ideas for pieces may initially seem rather unconventional, his sense of humor is evident. Moran’s pieces may be outlandish, completely engaging, musically enthralling, and hilarious — all at the same time. One such piece is Divertissement Number Three, also known as The Lunch Bag Opera. It premiered in October 1971 in the London Banking Centre, sponsored by BBC Television. This work calls for ensemble members to walk around any financial center at lunchtime wearing upside down body-sized paper lunch bags playing small plastic toys at random underneath the bags. The contrast of the absurdity of the bags and the seriousness of high finance combined with bewildered executives creates a unique viewing experience. Perhaps Moran’s most well-known theatrical piece is Divertissement Number One, also called The Popcorn Piece. This work was inspired when Moran lifted the cover off his electric popcorn popper too soon, and popcorn pieces went flying in every direction. His dog, Charlotte, began leaping in the air to catch the popcorn. Despite the mess in his kitchen, Moran thought the grace of Charlotte twirling through the air was beautiful and wanted to turn the “dog popcorn ballet”70 into a staged performance. In true Moran comical fashion, he instructs the ensemble to wear over-sized circus sunglasses

with five lines representing the musical staff taped on the lenses. A lidless popcorn popper is placed in the center of the stage. As the popcorn flies, the musicians play what they see as the popcorn appears on the musical staves on their glasses. The piece begins with the musicians waiting to play their instruments. Tension builds waiting for the first kernel to pop. Then as the popcorn starts popping faster, a climax arises with the popcorn flying everywhere. Then the piece dies down, and no one knows when the last kernel will

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 70 Moran, interview, 2011.

21!

pop. The musicians are instructed to maintain a straight face and serious demeanor throughout. The absurdity of the popcorn contrasts with the seriousness of the musicians, resulting in a visual and musical exhibition. Moran described the musical effect of the work as an ultra-complex “Darmstadt piece”71 in that it would be nearly impossible to notate and impossible to duplicate in performance. In a way, this could be viewed as a comical answer to serial or other highly complex music that could take years to learn yet essentially sounds like an improvisation. Moran claims that the piece is no such reaction, saying with a wry smile, “no backlash, just popcorn.”72

Drone Pieces Moran’s style shifted in the 1970s toward drone compositions, chamber, and orchestral works. Moran continues to this day to write for ensembles of varying instruments. It is not unusual to find pieces written for “variable ensemble”73 or children’s chorus, string orchestra, brass ensemble, six percussionists, and a harp. His drone pieces move and develop slowly over a long period of time. While the drones are not necessarily based on a harmonic pedal point, often long sustained tones serve a bass line for the work. At times, proportional notation will be placed above the drone allowing for a freer interpretation and a slow expansive result. Glenn Watkins’

term “non-pulsed minimalism” could be applied here in that an “ebb and flow of sound masses” is positioned on top of a slow moving non-pulsed series of drone pitches.74 For

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 71 A designation associated primarily with the serial music written in the 1950s by Nono, Maderna, Stockhausen, and Boulez, and promoted by them in the 1950s at the Darmstadt summer courses. Moran often uses this phrase when referring to extremely difficult and complex music.

72 Moran, interview, 2011.

73 Moran Website, “Chronological Index.”

74 Glenn Watkins, Soundings: Music in the Twentieth Century, (New York: Schirmer Books, 1988), 576. ! 22!

instance, the composition Salagrama can easily last over thirty minutes (Figure 3.1) and the drone pitches are based on Kepler’s idea of the Music of the Spheres.75 Moran’s Buddha goes to Bayreuth (2011), a recent drone composition, is a stunning 40 minutes in length.

Dance Pieces Many of Moran’s pieces were written specifically for dance while choreography has been added to others. His compositions have been paired with dance since early in his career when the Bavarian State Opera choreographed his Silver and the Circle of Messages in 1972. The Waltz Project — a collection of solo piano pieces, was later choreographed by Peter Martins and the New York City Ballet,77 and the Phyllis Lamhut

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 75 Dan Moore, Liner Notes to Cabinet of Curiosities.

76 All figures, unless specified otherwise, are Copyright © by Charlotte Benson Music Publishers and Used by Permission. ! 77 NYC Ballet, “The Waltz Project,” NYC Ballet http://www.nycballet.com/ballets/w/the-waltz- project.aspx (accessed November 28, 2012). ! 23!

Dance Company among others.78 Numerous other dance companies and ballets have commissioned or choreographed his works including the Scottish Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theater, Toronto Dance Theater, and the Royal Ballet.79 Moran has developed a style that works easily for choreographers. Dance works or ballets will often require a set amount of time for each piece. Moran will then compose individual repeatable sections. Using this technique he found it was easy to tailor a performance to the needs of the dancers by allowing them to collaborate with the musicians to determine for themselves the number of times each section should be repeated. Choreographers can then select which sections they like best, those that fit with appropriate choreography, and time considerations. Rather than having portions of a composition cut from a performance due to the previously mentioned reasons, Moran’s entire composition will be performed, though perhaps some sections heard more than others.

Opera and Choral Works Moran has written multiple operas, including commissions from the Houston Grand Opera and the Minnesota Opera. He has had an in interest in opera since he was young. He feels that opera is an all-encompassing artistic experience and states: “Opera includes drama, music, humor, sex, and violence, all of the elements that make up movies and television in modern entertainment.”80 When asked if opera represents the real Moran, he replies:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 78 “Robert Moran,” WQXR, http://www.wqxr.org/#!/people/robert-moran/ (accessed November 28, 2012). ! 79 Moran Website, “Chronological Index.”

80 Moran, interview, 2011.

24!

Oh yes, when I was a little kid I was taken to the opera, and I didn’t need to know or want to know what the words meant. Operas were my fairy tales. It [opera] was always popular. It’s goofy and fun and passionate. Now, in the USA, we see a decent amount of opera on TV.81

Moran often dismisses the question when asked about his compositional process. He states that he does not think of it as a process, rather he just creates. When composing choral or operatic works Moran notes that “when the libretto is already in place, the structure is in place.”82 Moran remarked that once he gets a libretto, he is often immediately hearing musical ideas and visualizing characters.83 Frequently for Moran, plots and musical direction will just occur naturally. On occasion he will map out some sketches, but it depends on the piece.84 The topics of Moran’s operas range from serious to humorous: fairy tales as in The Juniper Tree and Desert of Roses (based upon the Story of Beauty and the Beast), horror stories like The Dracula Diary, social issues in Night Passage, and even a plot-less opera titled Remember Him to Me.85 One of Moran’s newest operas was written in 2010 for Dan Moore and Iowa Percussion. Bats in the Belfry is subtitled “an opera in five acts and four murders for four solo voices and large percussion.” This is another piece with unusual instrumentation, which calls for percussion ensemble accompaniment rather than a typical pit orchestra.

Graphic Scores

Moran turned primarily toward graphic notation beginning in the mid-1960s and moved away from it near the end of the decade, but still employs it today when needed.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 81 Smith, New Voices, 201.

82 Moran, interview, 2011.

83 Smith, New Voices, 200.

84 Ibid.

85 Robert Moran, “Remember Him to Me,” Robert Moran, http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/Remember%20Him.htm, (accessed December 9, 2011).! ! 25!

Moran composed a multitude of graphic scores during that time and some of these works helped him gain international notoriety by acquiring publishing contracts with Universal Edition and Schott and Sons. This style of notation began as a way to free both composers and musicians of the bounds of conventional notation. Early graphic score pioneer Earle Brown began with ideas of combining visual art and musical interpretation.86 However, the concept of graphic notation inherently leaves the composer with far less control over the composition. While serial compositions adhere to exact details over every musical element, graphic notation is nearly the complete opposite granting control to the performer. The performers are now in some sense becoming co-composers. While traditional notation gives, in a sense, only one correct option in performance (i.e., playing the right notes versus the wrong notes), graphic notation allows for more multiple correct solutions. Haubenstock-Ramati states, “Notation necessitates composition as opposed to improvisation.”87 But, at the same time since there is no standardized way of interpreting graphic scores, improvisation and interpretation are naturally at the forefront of any performance. This concept of improvisation or spontaneous performance can be misconceived as a haphazard or undisciplined art form — just as some may assume that modern artists such as Jackson Pollock are merely splattering paint. However, this concept does not

necessarily free the performer from preparation or artistic considerations. A quite opposite approach is needed in order to create a compelling and inspiring performance. Moran recalls John Cage’s point on the subject:

“It’s what Cage always talked about, when he talked about being responsible for your own actions…because you can hear if it’s just someone diddling around on a

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 86 Julian-Jones, D.M.A. diss., 23.

87 John C. O’Neill, “Recent Trends in Percussion Notation,” Percussive Notes 18:1 (1980): 20. ! 26!

clarinet. That’s not the piece, it sticks out, it’s very clear you’re not listening to other people.88

Different types, or rather different methods, of graphic notation have also developed including Earle Brown’s concepts of mobility taken from artist Alexander

Calder’s mobiles.89 Brown’s compositions can be thought of as navigating through a three dimensional mobile where the piece may realign itself and change during the performance.90 Herbert Brün utilized what is called graphic analog, which is actually just a “slice” of the process of a pictorial representation.91 In actuality, each graphic score will most likely be different than the next depending on the composer’s intentions and goals. A common idea often emerges regarding all notation is that the score is not music, rather it only represents the music. The true music is what the performer performs and the listener hears, and not what is printed on the page. That can also be true of graphic scores, Brün notes:

The graphic displays turn into scores as soon as an interpreter translates their structural characteristics into the instructional code of another medium (music, movement, etc.) and following his translation recreates the simulated process by analogy."92

When interpreting notation Sylvia Smith writes, “Notation is defined by its function and not by its appearance. The fact that a note-head may be replaced by a bird or a rose does not changes its essential function.”93 With any performance art there are elements and practices that must be adhered to in order to present effective and engaging performances. These include preparation and !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 88 Moran, interview, 2011.

89 Stuart Smith and Sylvia Smith, “Visual Music,” 84.

90 Ibid, 87.

91 Ibid.

92 Ibid.

93 Sylvia Smith, “Scribing Sound,” Percussive Notes Research Edition 23:3 (1985): 35. ! 27!

practice. Graphic works and complex serial pieces, they are often just as complicated musically, only in different ways. The term realization is used to describe an individual interpretation of a graphic score. In order for actual music to be made, the performer must interpret the symbols, graphics, pictographs, circles, dots, squiggles, and everything in between and then transform or realize them into audible musical content. Graphic notation became a medium that Moran needed at the time and he began first with proportional notation. While studying at Mills College with Berio, he was asked to write a piece for a non-standard ensemble comprised of chamber orchestra with speaking and singing choruses. With this type of diverse tonal palette, Moran was able to hear intricate colors and textures in his head, but was unable to achieve the desired results through traditional notation. Likewise, members of the ensemble and chorus could not read the challenging manuscript with limited rehearsal time. Berio then introduced Moran to proportional notation and “it just went click, I got it.”94 Percussionist and composer Michael Udow states that notational systems can “extend the sonic possibilities rather than set acoustical limitations” and that “a good composer will find the best way to notate desired sounds.”95 This type of notation allowed Moran to draw out sound from the musicians without intricate and complex notation. Musicians were now able to competently interpret the music.96 Though the majority of his compositions since that era moved away from

graphic notation, he will still occasionally write in that style. His most recent graphic composition is Cabinet of Curiosities (2010). Some of his early and more noteworthy graphic pieces include Four Visions for flute, harp, and string quartet, Interiors for variable ensemble, Elegant Journey with Stopping Points of Interest for variable chamber !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 94 Moran, interview, 2011.

95 Michael Udow, “Visual Correspondence Between Notation Systems and Instrument Configurations.” Percussive Notes Research Edition 18:2 (1981): 16.

96 Moran, interview, 2011.

28!

ensemble, and Bombardments No. 2 for percussion ensemble. When asked why he moved away from purely graphic notation, Moran recalls:

It just happened and then you move on to the next… I did enough of the graphics and that moved into tonal sort of drone pieces, slow things that kept shifting and didn’t need that notation any more. It was moving into something that needed to be clearer in its repetition of sound than this. Equally valid, but it was time to put on a different costume.97

Moran collaborated with early graphic composers like Christian Wolff, Morton Feldman, and John Cage employing multiple approaches when composing graphic scores. One such technique is purely artistic without reference to musical symbols or notation (Figure 3.2). Scores that do not employ musical symbols often look more like a work of art than a musical composition. This allows for freedom of interpretation and performance. Another method is musical symbol distortion. Here musical symbols, staves, clefs, notes, rhythms, etc. are utilized, but in very non-traditional ways (Figure 3.3). His graphic scores may or may not contain performance notes. Dan Moore writes:

Some [graphic compositions] are designed to evoke a particular attitude, feeling, idea, or location, and offer no specific instructions, instrumentation, or form. Others have quite specific directions as to how to proceed through the work, including instrument choices or groupings, a key giving precise instructions as to what each graphic notation represents, and a plan for developing the form.98

Percussion Ensemble Compositions The majority of Moran’s percussion pieces were written either at the beginning or later in his career, with a large gap from roughly 1970 to 1994, then another hiatus from 1996 to 2006 simply because “nobody asked for them.”99 Moran had composed five percussion works before 1971: Eclectic Boogies (1962), Variations for Six (1963), Bombardments No. 2 (1964), Bank of America Chandelier (1968), and Borrby Boogies

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 97 Moran, interview, 2011.

98 Moore, Liner Notes to Cabinet of Curiosities.

99 Moran, phone interview, 2012. 29!

(1970). While these works were specifically written for percussion ensemble, many of his other graphic scores were written for a “variable ensemble” of unspecified instruments and lend themselves perfectly to percussion.

Figure 3.2. The Hapsburg Kunstkammer from Cabinet of Curiosities

Figure 3.3. Circles in Wood from Cabinet of Curiosities 30!

Moran wrote only two works for percussion ensemble between 1971 and 2006. However, these two pieces came from notable commissioning parties. His first percussion composition after 24 years was Rocky Road to Kansas (1994). This 34-minute composition was commissioned by the ARGO record label and has been used by dance companies in Toronto and Philadelphia.100 The second, Obrigado, occurred shortly after in 1996. The 2000s marked a period of great productivity for Moran in the genre of percussion ensemble, mainly due to the collaborations between Dan Moore and Iowa Percussion. Kboco (2006) was commissioned by University of Iowa dance professor Armando Duarte. The premiere took place at the University of Iowa and performed by Iowa Percussion. This piece is intended for choreography, but can also be performed as a stand-alone work for percussion ensemble. To date, the collaboration between Iowa Percussion and Moran has resulted in six new works: Kboco (2006), Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs (2008), By Any Other Name (2008), Meister Ekhard and the Point of No Return (2008), Cabinet of Curiosities (2008), and Bats in the Belfry (2010), and two CD releases for Innova Records. From serious operas and orchestral pieces, huge city pieces, and avant-garde theatre works to intimate chamber works and solo compositions, he has composed in nearly every genre for seemingly every instrumental combination. Walter Simmons, a music critic for Fanfare magazine, put it best when he wrote, “Moran has passed through most of the ‘isms’ that have comprised the contemporary music landscape of the past 50 years.”101 Moran has arrived at a style described by Dan Moore as “beautiful and rhythmic with an undertone of dry humor. It is pure Moran.”102

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 100 Moran Website, “Chronological Index.”

101 Dan Moore, Liner Notes to Cabinet of Curiosities: The Graphic Percussion Scores of Robert Moran, Dan Moore and Iowa Percussion, Innova 792, CD, 2011.

102 Ibid. 31!

CHAPTER IV

OBRIGADO

“How would I know? I just composed the thing.”103

Chapters IV-VII contain analyses of four of Moran’s compositions for percussion ensemble. Each of these works contains a different style of composition. Obrigado and By Any Other Name utilize traditional notation, Bombardments No. 2 is a fully graphic score, and Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs utilizes a combination of both traditional and proportional notation. These works also reflect various time periods of Moran’s compositions from the mid-1960s, 1990s, and more recently from the 2000s. Three of the selections have been recorded and commercially released. Obrigado and Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs appear on Mantra104 and Bombardments No. 2 on Cabinet of Curiosities.105 Obrigado was commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra in 1995 for the 25th anniversary of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Leonard Slatkin conducted the premiere performance given by the percussion section of the NSO in March of 1996. This work is inspired by two trips to Rio de Janeiro that Moran took in 1990 and 1992. While in Brazil, he presented lectures and met with multiple folk-music ensembles. Obrigado, Portuguese for thank you, is inspired by the complex rhythmic patterns found in Brazilian folk music. Obrigado is scored for a stand-alone percussion quartet. An optional piano part, though not essential to the integrity of the overall composition, augments the harmonic and rhythmic texture. Moran notes that Obrigado “works well without the piano, but is so

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 103 Robert Moran, email correspondence with Lucas Bernier, Feb. 23, 2012. ! 104 Robert Moran, Mantra, Innova 714, CD, 2008. ! 105 Robert Moran, Cabinet of Curiosities, Innova 792, CD, 2011. ! 32!

much more fun with it.”106 The instrumentation for each of the four percussionists utilizes small multi-percussion setups (Table 4.1). The 1996 premiere did not include the piano part. Iowa Percussion is credited with the first performance of the full work with piano.107

Player Instruments Percussion I vibraphone, 3 wood blocks, 3 timbales Percussion II vibraphone, tam-tam, chimes Percussion III marimba (4.3 octave), 3 temple blocks Percussion IV timpani (B, E, F#), bass drum Piano (optional) piano Table 4.1. Obrigado, Instrumentation

Form and Harmony Obrigado has thirteen repeated sections. The overall number of repeats for each section is undetermined and left to the musicians to decide, although Moran does instruct the performers to begin at Section 1 and traverse through the work in a sequential fashion without jumping back to a previous section. The number of repeats should also fluctuate from section to section. This work is written in the style of his dance pieces incorporating the idea of open-ended repeats. Despite the number of repeats for each section, the overall thematic form can be considered in two ways. The first is a simple ternary form (ABA), which classifies broader thematic sections (rather than individual sections) as formal landmarks (Table 4.2).

Section # Section Letter 1, 2, 3 A 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 B 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 A Table 4.2. Obrigado, Ternary Form

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 106 Moran, email correspondence, Feb. 23, 2012.

107 The premiere of the full version of Obrigado took place on October 28, 2007 in Iowa City, IA, by the University of Iowa Percussion Ensemble directed by Dan Moore.!!! 33!

Table 4.3 shows a segmented breakdown of each individual section. With this methodology, a modified rondo form can be applied.

Section # Section Letter Rondo Form 1 A A 2 A1 3 B B 4 B2 5 B3 6 C C 7 C1 8 D D 9 A4 A 10 A5 11 A6 12 E E 13 A7 A Table 4.3 Obrigado, Modified Rondo Form

While each A section is slightly varied in some fashion, the overall character and harmonic content remains the same, making the A sections remarkably recognizable and providing thematic stability. For example, A and A4 are nearly identical, but A4 is varied rhythmically (Figures 4.1 and 4.2). Likewise, sections with the same classification letter contain similar identifiable content, but may be presented with different variations.

Figure 4.1. Obrigado, Section 1 34!

Figure 4.2. Obrigado, Section 9

Obrigado, like many of Moran’s works, is based around tonal centers. The work is primarily rooted in E major, but also moves to related keys (E minor and G major) during the middle sections. Harmonic chord progressions at the phrase level are present and align with common harmonic practices. As expected, Moran’s harmonies make use of non-chord tones, and with often random or misplaced notes. These tones provide not only dissonance, but also foreshadow other chords. Though many of these harmonic workings can be analyzed and described in various levels of detail, Moran was not specifically concerned with applying compositional devices. When asked about the harmonic content in Obrigado, Moran laughs:

Ha, Ha. How would I know? I just composed the thing for the percussion in the National Orchestra, [Washington] D.C., and the 25th Anniversary of the Kennedy Center. I just felt that a tonal center with a few notes that “do not fit” can make it structurally weak enough to fall into the next center. I guess this is done internally since I do it all the time. I write out the sound cluster or a group of notes in a tonality, make sure that a few simply don't fit and use those pitches to move on into the next set. It's sort of like a game I have with myself.108

The final section returns to the primary tonal center of E major, and the work ends with a direct dominant-tonic authentic cadence. This cadence provides finality and a bit of humor. Throughout Obrigado, Moran implies, avoids, and distorts the traditional !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 108 Moran, email correspondence, February, 2012.

35!

dominant-tonic relationship, and uses a strong cadence that brings the piece quickly to a close — perhaps with a laugh and a knowing wink (Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3. Obrigado, Section 13

Rhythm Moran states that many of the rhythms in Obrigado were inspired by the complex

patterns heard in Brazilian folk music.109 However, other than syncopation, exact references to those particular rhythms are not evidently apparent, leaving the rhythmic content relatively simple and uncomplicated. Typical of many of Moran’s pieces is the use of unison figures and rhythms. Unison rhythms will be placed in two or three parts while the remaining part(s) move in and out of unison, sometimes occupying the rests between the other players and sometimes emphasizing them, as shown previously in Figure 4.1. In Section 1, the timpani highlight beats 1 and 2.5 in the first measure, but quickly shifts to unison

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 109 Robert Moran, Obrigado (Philadelphia: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers: 1995). 36! rhythms with player III in the second measure. Unison rhythms also shift from players I- II-III in measure one to I-II and III-IV in measure two. For rhythmic contrast Moran often uses eighth-note triplets against the straight eighth notes. These do not appear, however, until the A theme returns in Section 9. Roughly the last third of the piece contains triplet figures, which distinguishes the last A section from the first A section. Moran frequently incorporates silence as an effective contrast to rhythmically active patterns. Section 6 is a typical example of Moran’s use of space where all players play in unison. The syncopated placement and isolated attacks may result in a somewhat challenging section for ensemble execution and phrasing (Figure 4.4).

Figure 4.4. Obrigado, Section 6, mm. 1-2

Texture and Thematic Material Texturally, Moran creates contrasts between unison and contrapuntal writing. With an abundance of unison or paired figures, the texture remains fairly dense throughout. The texture typically becomes thin during sections where rests are interspersed among the five players (Figure 4.5). 37!

Figure 4.5. Obrigado, Section 3

The thematic material presented is developed through variations. In reference to Table 4.3, each repeated section such as A1, A2, A3, etc. is altered in some fashion. The main theme presented in the A sections contains an ascending and descending melodic arc in the first measure followed by three syncopated eighth-notes (previous figure 4.1). This later becomes varied by use of triplet rhythms. Moran also uses a unique palette of instruments in Obrigado. In Section 1, the timbales and woodblocks of player I follow closely the same melodic contour as the marimba and vibraphone. This pairing helps to solidify the thematic material not only with pitch, but also with percussive punctuation. With this technique of orchestration, the woodblocks also become melodic instruments. Player III requires temple blocks, which are used in the same manner. At times the temple blocks and wood blocks are also allowed to take over thematic interest that can be heard at the end of Section 4 and Section 11, and are shown in Figure 4.6 and Figure 4.7. These unique orchestrations are strong characteristics in Moran’s percussion writing.

38!

Figure 4.6. Obrigado, Section 4

Figure 4.7. Obrigado, Section 11

Obrigado is a clear example of Moran’s characteristic use of rhythm, harmony, and texture. Elements of syncopation, tonal centers, and timbre combinations utilized in this piece can also be found in many of his later percussion ensemble compositions. Obrigado is appropriate for advanced collegiate ensembles and serious enough for professional groups. 39!

CHAPTER V

BOMBARDMENTS NO. 2! “You just move in with tanks and clear the place out.”110! ! Bombardments No. 2 was composed in 1964 and premiered by the Manhattan School Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Paul Price in 1965. This work is perhaps Moran’s best-known percussion ensemble composition and can be found in collegiate percussion libraries across the country.111 Despite its ubiquitous nature, Bombardments No. 2 is rarely performed today, perhaps because many percussionists and

educators have set it aside due to the challenges of interpreting graphic notation.! Because of Moran’s interest in the visual arts, he has always enjoyed graphic composition because “you can hang them up” as artwork.112 This type of score might be described as Augenmusik, or eye music, where the musical score is initially more symbolic or meaningful to the eye rather than to the ear.113 Bombardments No. 2 is the only fully artistic graphic score to be discussed in this essay. ! At first glance the score is visually impressive. It combines distorted musical elements and modified score-like images with non-musical and completely artistic symbols. Though many of Moran’s graphic scores do not include directions or any navigational suggestions, this work is prefaced with a detailed set of instructions and clear descriptions for each symbol used in the score. !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 110 Moran, interview, 2011.

111 A basic search for the score on WorldCat quickly returned over 70 entries for universities across the United States. ! 112 This quote from Moran is in reference to the fact that many of his graphic scores tend to be artistic as well as musical, so one could literally hang it up on the wall as piece of art.

113 Dart Thurston, "Eye music," In Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/09152, (accessed November 28, 2012). 40!

At the time Moran was composing the piece, he felt that the work made total sense with regard to how the performers should move through the graphics.114 This work was composed at a time when graphic notation was a relatively new tool for composers. Some of the first entirely graphic compositions, those without reference to any musical symbols, occurred in the early 1950s. Earle Brown’s December 1952 was a pioneering work in this medium along with others by Morton Feldman and Christian Wolff.115 Moran noted that percussionists immediately succeeded with graphic notation whereas

other instrumentalists often needed more assistance.116! In the 1960s, Bombardments No. 2 became a standard in the percussion ensemble repertoire. According to Moran, Paul Price required Bombardments No. 2 to be performed as a solo piece for any graduate-level percussion recital at the Manhattan School of Music. Moran gleefully remarked: “It’s like moving into academia with a vengeance. You just move in with tanks and clear the place out. I thought it was interesting that this [Bombardments No. 2] got you partly through graduation.”117 ! ! Graphic Notation and Its Relation to Improvisation! Graphic notation in its simplest definition is a system of notation developed in the 1950s where visual shapes or patterns are used in lieu of, or in combination with, traditional notation.118 In the liner notes of the 2011 Innova recording, Cabinet of

Curiosities: The Graphic Percussion Scores of Robert Moran, Dan Moore noted that: !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

114 Moran, interview, 2011. ! 115 Glenn Watkins, Soundings: Music in the Twentieth Century, (New York: Schirmer Books, 1988), 566.

116 Moran, interview, 2011.

117 Ibid.!! ! 118 Anthony, Pryer, "Graphic Notation" In The Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham, Oxford Music Online, accessed December 2, 2011. 41!

Composers turned to graphic or alternate notation in the early 1950s and 60s as a way to effectively express their ideas. Graphic composers were particularly interested in unlocking the creative energies of classical musicians, who were not typically predisposed to improvisation. As Moran said, “There had to be a way to get these uptight classical musicians to loosen up and let go, and graphic notation seemed to be the way to get them to do it.”119 ! ! In the score of Bombardments No. 2 Moran states, “If a conductor is not used,

performers treat the work as a free improvisation.”120 When performing graphic works as an ensemble, listening is the most important interaction. Performances of Bombardments No. 2 and many other graphic scores can be treated as a dialogue. Moran’s instructions include three basic rules of engagement: agreement, when all players agree on musical style, tempo, harmonic material, and other points; disagreement, when some or all players disagree; and indifference, where performers neither agree nor disagree yet continue to listen and interact with each other. If an ensemble is actively listening and constantly engaging each other with these rules, a graphic composition can become a unique musical journey allowing for creativity and expressivity. ! For the novice performer of graphic notation, Bombardments No. 2 and many other graphically notated scores might initially appear overwhelming and difficult to interpret. When performing a graphic score, many decisions must be made by the performer such as choice of instruments, interpretation of non-standard notation, style, attitude, and tempo, to name only a few. This is a very different experience from a traditionally-notated piece where many of these decisions are already made for the musicians.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

119 Moore, Liner notes to Cabinet of Curiosities.

120 Ibid. 42!

Instrumentation The first challenge for percussionists when learning a new graphic score is determining instrumentation. Many of Moran’s graphic scores are written for a “variable ensemble,” meaning any combination of performers and instruments. This opens the door to infinite possibilities, allowing percussionists a wide sonic palette from which to choose. Selecting instruments is contextual. In some cases, found objects are preferable to traditional instruments and vice versa. Mixing instruments or keeping them in families — such as western or non-western, traditional or non-traditional, electric or acoustic, can provide a cohesive feeling for a graphic composition. In this author’s opinion, two factors should be observed when making these choices: the title of the piece and the visual appearance of the score. If, for example, the score is linear and abstract, perhaps metallic and articulate instruments could be selected. If the score uses circular figures, instruments that impart a warm and legato sound might be considered. Matching the timbre of instruments to the visual appearance of a score is an effective approach. In the end, however, there are no right or wrong interpretations of this music. As John Cage is often quoted as saying, “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.”121 Depending on the piece, selecting an instrumentation of all found objects is a

creative method of allowing individuality into a composition. Care should be taken when selecting instruments, especially when performing with an ensemble. A variety of sounds will make for more sonic interest. In certain situations, avoiding more than one of the same types of instruments is preferred while at other times it can make perfect sense.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 121 This quote is taken from “Ten Rules for Students, Teachers, and Life” complied by Sister Corita Kent and is often attributed to Cage who is mentioned directly in Rule Number 10.

43!

In planning for the recording of Cabinet of Curiosities, Dan Moore spent months planning a singular instrumentation for each track of the recording. He writes, “More than 100 instruments and implements were used to create this recording. Much care was taken to ensure that each track features a unique instrumentation, and only a few standard percussion instruments appear in more than one piece.”122 His efforts did not go unnoticed. In his review of Cabinet of Curiosities, music critic Robert Carl wrote,

This is the sort of thing that can elicit enormous self-indulgence, and end up sounding homogeneous from one piece to another. Let me testify right now that this is not the case here. In fact, this is one of the finest releases I’ve ever heard to take the indeterminacy bull by the horns and make refined, engaging, and varied music from it.123

Utilizing extended techniques on traditional instruments is another option for performance. Creating new or non-traditional sounds on existing instruments is a great way to begin learning graphic notation and exploring new timbres. This can be as simple as using the handle of a marimba mallet to strike the resonators or as unusual as dropping ping pong balls on marimba bars. The main objective is to allow for as many new and creative timbres using existing instruments as possible. Moran’s suggested instrumentation for Bombardments No. 2 contains elements of both traditional instruments and found objects. The performance instructions suggest extended techniques by using “wooden mallets or coin” and “attack made with hand.”124 While the specific instrumentation for Bombardments No. 2 is listed, other instruments may be added to taste (Table 5.1).

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 122 Moore, Liner Notes to Cabinet of Curiosities.

123 Robert Carl, "Interiors II: Uncharted lands. Elegant Journey. Salagrama. Cabinet of Curiosities. Meister Eckhard and the Point of No Return. Electric Boogies. Bombardments." Fanfare: The Magazine For Serious Record Collectors 34:6 (2011): 319-320.

124 Robert Moran, Bombardments No. 2 (New York: C. F. Peters Corporation, 1966). 44!

Player! Instrumentation! Player 1! high hat, 1 pair of bongos, 1 snare drum (without snares), guiro, 3 suspended cymbals, 2 gongs (high, low), 3 timpani, 4 cowbells, marimba! Player 2! triangle, car coil, maraca, 1 snare drum (with snares), 2 brake drums, 2 pairs of bongos, 3 temple blocks, 3 tom-toms, symphonic chimes! Player 3! piano (top removed), celesta, radio, anvil, bass drum, wind chimes (metal and tubular), 3 wood blocks, small metal cricket (toy)! Player 4! triangle, car coil (lower than player 2), 1 pair of bongos, 2 tabla, 2 cowbells, 3 timpani, wooden wind chimes, 2 brake drums, xylophone! Player 5! finger cymbals, claves, 1 drum (low pitch), 3 suspended cymbals, 2 gongs (medium, low), 2 pairs of bongos, 3 roto-toms, 4 temple blocks, vibraphone! Table 5.1. Bombardments No. 2, Instrumentation!

Navigation of the Score Graphic scores allow much more freedom than traditional scores. In Bombardments No. 2, Moran instructs the performer to “start at any point and move in any direction.”125 It could be read like a traditional piece, left to right and down the page, or just the opposite. The possibilities are seemingly endless. For some graphic scores, jumping randomly from point to point may be another option. The beauty of this art form lies in its infinite possibilities and unpredictability. Different navigational paths can be explored with every performance. When performing graphic scores, care should be taken for the music not to sound contrived. A piece that is allowed to develop organically will create a more interesting journey for the listener. Performers can use personal intuition and taste to create a spontaneous performance path through the score. Like any other piece of music, a graphic score must be rehearsed. Practicing different ways of interpreting a graphic score might include setting parameters such as time limits, or providing predetermined formal schemes. Limiting the number and type of instruments that may be used can create opportunities to fully explore a single instrument and challenge performers to be creative.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

125 Moran, Bombardments No. 2. 45!

Both improvisation and composition are at the forefront of a graphic score. In essence, when navigating the notation, the performer becomes a co-composer of the piece by deciding the overall form and musical content spontaneously.

Symbols The visual interpretation of graphic music presents interesting challenges. Each graphic score naturally contains different symbols and each symbol has a different meaning. Learning a graphic piece is often like re-learning how to read music. In comparison to traditional notation, groups of symbols can be considered as a measure, and groups of measures as a phrase. Moran defines these groups of symbols as events. Figure 5.1 shows a singular symbol and Figure 5.2 shows that symbol as part of an event. Just as traditional scores are comprised of numerous phrases and sections, graphic scores, especially Bombardments No. 2, encompasses multiple events.

In the instructions for Bombardments No. 2, Moran frequently uses language such as “note suggests” and “perhaps use of.”126 This gives the performers an idea of possibilities, but nothing necessarily concrete. For example, in Figure 5.1 Moran suggests an instrument of a car coil.127 If a performer does not have a car coil, but still chooses to play that symbol, another instrument must be selected — perhaps a similar sound or something entirely different. Moran often uses solid dots or circles of various sizes. He suggests that the size of the circles should correspond directly with dynamics — larger dots imply louder notes, and smaller dots softer notes. The length of the horizontal lines tied to the dots can govern duration. Pitch level may also be assigned to these dots depending on their position on the page. These are not necessarily fixed or determined pitches, but imply a relative high to low relationship (Figure 5.3).

Analysis of Dan Moore’s Solo Version of Bombardments No. 2 ! Dan Moore recorded a solo version of Bombardments No. 2 for the Innova CD release Cabinet of Curiosities in 2011. Instead of 5 performers playing simultaneously, Moore recorded each part individually. To maintain an improvisatory character, each track was overdubbed as a reaction to the previous track(s). Table 5.2 shows Moore’s !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 126 Robert Moran, Bombardments No. 2 (New York: C. F. Peters Corporation, 1966).

127 Moran states “car coil” although the intended instrument is a large car spring taken from the suspension of an automobile. ! 47! instrumentation. Though it is not exactly what Moran prescribes in the original score, many similarities exist. When asked about the original instrumentation, Moran replied: “I thought it was a great collection, but it is completely open.”128 ! ! Track! Instrumentation! Track 1! Snare drum (snares off), hi-hat, ride and crash cymbals, bongos, almglocken, small gong, water buffalo bell! Track 2! Two guiros, Puerto Rican scraper, three bullfrog scrapers, five high pitched blocks, seashell wind chimes, bamboo wind chimes, rawhide maracas! Track 3! Wind-up toy drumming bear, five nipple gongs, triangle, two cowbells, brass maracas, small splash cymbal, key wind chimes, metal wind chimes! Track 4! Three tom-toms, wind gong, sound tube, two small suspended cymbals! Track 5! Toy piano, crotales, Chinese gong, maracas, old toy music egg! Table 5.2. Bombardments No. 2, Instrumentation for Dan Moore’s solo realization ! !! Variables such as instrumentation, improvisation, and personal interpretation will naturally inspire significantly different performances of this work. Moore’s recording will serve as a constant for this analysis, which will provide insight into performances of this piece and one possible realization of the score. Even with a graphic score and a multi-tracked recording, distinct formal sections are apparent in Moore’s eleven-minute realization. His journey through the score begins with spacious sound effects including that which sounds like a wind-up-cymbal-crashing toy bear. Drums enter around 0:36 foreshadowing their important role later in the work. By 1:01, the toy bear returns as well as other introductory material, closing the first section of the performance. The next section begins at 1:28 with the presence of a steady scraper. Tom-toms and bongos contrast against the opening material with more active and metrically stable figures. As this section progresses, themes are being introduced, and tempos increase and solidify. A hierarchy of instruments also forms with primary thematic instruments being supported by supplementary material. Starting at 2:15, almglocken enter and begin to

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 128 Robert Moran, phone interview, 2012. 48! form a melodic theme, which appears at approximately 2:40. Other timbres such as woodblocks often accent or highlight parts of the theme. A woodblock closes this section at 4:07. In contrast, long spacious tones occupy nearly the next three and a half minutes. This ethereal character is provided mostly by ringing metal instruments such as gongs, cymbals, wind chimes, and bells. Moore is playing in agreement with the other tracks at this point. Staccato attacks on suspended cymbals, struck with drumsticks rather than soft mallets, demarcate the next section. This lasts for roughly thirty seconds before a gong signifies a change to a new section. The next section begins at 7:47 with rapid, bombastic drum figures and staccato interjections — a completely contrasting mood from the ethereal gongs. A steady groove forms, creating a solid foundation for the toy piano at 8:21. Aside from the almglocken, the toy piano is the only other pitched instrument to hold a steady theme, while muted gongs provide a countermelody. This groovy section lasts until 9:00. As the steady beat dissipates, other mallet instruments enter, bongo and tom-tom interjections relate back to earlier in the piece, and shakers and scrapers tie together previously heard music. The final two minutes provides a brief summary or recap of the entire work. However, the hi-hat makes its first appearance and provides a new timbre until legato cymbal hits and scrapes fade out to close the performance. Moore’s journey through the score took the listener in many directions. The instrumentation resembled that of Moran’s; attitudes of agreement, disagreement, and indifference were utilized; improvisation was at the forefront of the performance; and returning thematic material existed allowing for a cohesive formal plan. For those interested in graphic notation, Bombardments No. 2 is an excellent launching point. Moore’s successful solo realization can be used as a model for future performances. With the considerations and methods presented in this chapter, the author hopes for a resurgence of this work back onto the concert stage. 49!

CHAPTER VI BY ANY OTHER NAME “Well, I’ll just write an easy piece for marimba quartet.”129

The marimba quartet By Any Other Name,130 composed in 2008, was written for and dedicated to Dan Moore and Iowa Percussion. During the summer of 2008, the Iowa River flooded the Voxman Music Building, forcing the School of Music to relocate into temporary locations throughout Iowa City. This composition served as a house-warming gift written to ease the tension of the flood and the relocation to new facilities.131 By Any Other Name is written in three contrasting movements. The outer movements are lively and rhythmically intricate while the second movement is slow and introspective. This is a challenging work to perform, though that was certainly not the intention of the composer. Moran notes: “Well, I’ll just write an easy piece for marimba quartet. As I was writing, it seemed like it was reasonable.”132 There are two main challenges: rhythm and harmony. These challenges pertain mostly to the ensemble performance. The individual parts are not extremely demanding, but they do require advanced preparation. Technical complications arise due to some writing that might not be considered idiomatic to the marimba. Un-nested rhythms133 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 129 Moran, interview, 2011. ! $"%!By Any Other Name is scored for three 4.3-octave marimbas and one 5-octave marimba. Though a 5-octave instrument is designated, a 4.5-octave marimba could be used. Simple octave transpositions make it possible to perform using a 4.5-octave instrument without sacrificing musical content. ! 131 Dan Moore, Program Notes, By Any Other Name, University of Iowa New Literature Session Concert, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, November 10, 2011. ! 132 Moran Interview, 2011.

133 The concept of nested and un-nested rhythms is adapted from Joel Lester’s book, The Rhythms of Tonal Music. There he describes evenly grouped patterns (i.e. two eight-notes subdivide into four 16th notes) as nested rhythms. Unsynchronized subdivisions occur when odd groupings such as eighth-note triplets against two eighth-notes are paired together. Therefore any polyrhythmic pattern that does not fit (nest) within the framework of hierarchy could be considered an un-nested rhythm.!! 50!

appear among the four parts frequently causing challenges in ensemble execution. Harmonic dissonances used throughout the piece are subtle. Generally, an interval of a fourth or ninth may be present, creating slight tension within the chord, and this effect can often sound like an error. Understanding these potential pitfalls will aid the performers and director when learning the piece, especially from an ensemble standpoint.

Movement I: Munich Miniature- Var. I The first movement, Munich Miniature- Var. 1, is short, quick, and many subtle compositional nuances may go unnoticed upon first hearing. Moran writes that this movement:

Was inspired by a note written to me, complete with drawings, from the five-year- old son of a friend in Munich, a choral member there. The note, in the most basic of German, told about his kindergarten class and their pet “haus maus,” with only minimal information on “Mimi” the mouse.134

Rhythm and Texture The main rhythmic material is uncomplicated and contains simple rhythms, primarily quarter and eighth notes. The interest lies in syncopation and the use of unison rhythms. Frequently throughout the movement, simple rhythms will be placed in three marimbas while the fourth marimba will have a moving line or will occupy the spaces between the other three. In Figure 6.1, the bass fills in many of the rests of the other three parts. Unison rhythms among all four parts also occur frequently. There is a stark contrast between these block chords, especially when one or two lines emerge suddenly out of the texture (marimba 3 and marimba 4 in Figure 6.1, measure 6).

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! 134 Moore, Program Notes, By Any Other Name. ! Munich Miniature - Var. 1 51! Score Robert Moran Edited By Dan Moore Fast q = 126 5 Marimba 1 > > > #œ j 3 j j #œ . œ 3 & c ‰ œ ‰#˙æ #œ ‰ Œ Ó 4 #œ. œ. œ. œ. ‰ œ. #œ ‰ œ œ#œ œ c ‰ ‰#œ #œ œ . œ. Œ #œ. œ. œ. œ. Œ 4 > > > > > > . . ƒ ! Ï ! P f Marimba 2 #œ ‰ j‰ Œ Ó 3 #œ j j ‰ #œ ‰ ‰ 3 & c #œ ‰ ˙æ #œ 4 #œ œ . œ ‰ œ #œ œ œ œ c #œ #œ #œ œ Œ #œ œ œ œ Œ 4 > > > . . . . > > > > > > . . #œ. . œ. . . . . ƒ ! Ï ! P f Marimba 3 j 3 . œ. œ œ 3 & c #œ ‰ œ ‰ ˙æ #œ ‰ Œ Ó 4 #œ ‰ j j ‰ #œ c #œ #œ œ Œ #œ . . 4 > > > #œ œ . œ œ #œ > œ œ œ #œ > > > œ œ œ œ #œ #œ ! Ï . . . . > f > > > . . . . > > ƒ > ! P ƒ Marimba 4 > #œ . > > > > > > > > . . . . . > > ? #œ ‰ ˙ #>œ 3 #œ. . œ #œ. #œ#>œ œ #œ #œ #œ œ j #œ #œ#œ œ œ 3 c ‰ J ‰ Œ Ó 4 J ‰ #œ ‰ #œ J ‰ #œ c #œ ‰ œ. ‰ #œ #œ 4 æ J > ƒ ! Ï ! P f ƒ 7 10 > Figure 6.1. By Any Other> Name, Mvt. I, mm.1-6 . #œ Mrb. 1 3 #œ > j j >œ#œ >œ#œ. #>œ 3 #>œ > J & 4 Œ œ. #œ. œ. œ. Œ œ. #œ. Œ œ#œ ’ ’ ‘ Œ #œ ‰ #œ ‰#œ œ œ œ. #œ. c œ ‰ ‰ 4 œ ‰ Œ c cresc. . . . . 7 p ! The texture alternates between denseƒ and ptransparent orchestration.ƒ Contrast is Mrb. 2 > . > #>œ 3 Œ Œ #œ. Œ Œ #œ ‰ j ‰ j c ‰ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ 3 #œ œ ‰ J Œ c created& 4primarily#œ œ œ œ by r#hythmicœ #œcresc.œ ’activity’ ‘ and dynamics.#œ #œ œIn#œ general,œ œ œ #loudœ .dynamics4 . . . . . > > ...... > > 7 p ƒ p ! ƒ Mrb.correspond 3 with a thicker texture while softer and subtler dynamics allow for a thinner j & 43 Œ Œ #œ Œ ’ ’ ‘ Œ ‰ j ‰ j c ‰ ‰ ‰ 43 ‰#œ Œ c #œ œ œ œ . #œ #œcresc.œ #œ#œ œ #œ œ œ œ#œ œ. œ #œ œ texture. Eighth. . .-note. triplets. are often placed > in a single. œ. part,. œ. . creating. œ. a. two> -against> > ->three> p ƒ > p ! ƒ Mrb. 4 ...... > > . > . #>œ . > > > > > polyrhythm? 3 Œ #œ inœ œrelationœ Œ #œ œ toŒ the#œ œother marimbas.Œ #œ# œHoweœ#œ œver,#œ unison#œ œ. #œ c rhythms#œ. ‰ œ#œ provideœ ‰ œ 3 #forœ#œ œmoreœ#œ œ c 4 cresc.’ ’ ‘ . . . . 4 > > transparencyp of texture, allowing the listenerƒ to graspp the! content withoutƒ being distracted by interlocking patterns. Copyright © Robert Moran 2008

Harmony Like many of Moran’s other works, By Any Other Name is harmonically based around tonal centers. While there are no sharps or flats in the key signature, the first measure indicates the tonal center of F#, but the third-less voicing keeps the harmonies neutral. It is not until measure three that the A# appears indicating a tonality of F# major (previous Figure 6.1). Conventional harmonic motions are present such as dominant to tonic resolutions. For example, in measure five, a C# major chord (V) quickly returns to F# (I) in measure six. Another device used throughout the movement is that of non-chord tones. In measure four, the D# in the bass appears to change the chord to D#m7, but on beat two the F# Munich Miniature - Var. 1 Score 52! Robert Moran Edited By Dan Moore Fast q = 126 5 > Marimba 1 #œ > j 3 j j #>œ . œ 3 quickly returns. Thus,& c the D#‰ œ does‰#˙æ not# changeœ ‰ Œ Ó the tonality,4 #œ. œ. œ.butœ. ‰ ratherœ. #œ adds‰ œ motionœ#œ œ c to the‰ ‰#œ #œ œ . œ. Œ #œ. œ. œ. œ. Œ 4 > > > > > > . . ! ! P f bass line (previous Figureƒ 6.1). This ideaÏ occurs again in measures 8-9. The perfect Marimba 2 c #œ ‰ ‰ j‰ Œ Ó 3 #œ ‰ j j ‰ #œ c ‰ ‰ Œ Œ 3 & #œ ˙æ #œ 4 #œ œ . œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ #œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ 4 > > > . . . . > > > > > > . . #œ. . œ. . . . . fourth interval in measureƒ seven! placesÏ a B natural against! the F#P causingf slight tension, Marimba 3 j 3 #œ. œ. œ œ 3 but it quickly resolves& c to# œA#‰ œon‰ the˙æ off# œbeats.‰ Œ ÓThis B4 serves#œ as ‰a nonj -chordj ‰ #œ tone, butc also#œ #œ œ Œ . . 4 #œ œ . œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ #œ #œ > > > . . . . > > > > . . . . ƒ ! Ï ! P > f > > > > > #>œ . ƒ adds melodicMarimba interest 4 ? (Figure#>œ ‰ 6.2˙ mm. #7>œ-12). #œ. œ. . > >#>œ > >œ > #>œ #>œ > j #œ. #œ. #œ œ. œ. > > c ‰ ‰ Œ Ó 43 ‰ #œ. ‰#œ #œ#œ ‰ #œ c #œ œ #œ ‰ œ ‰ #œ #œ 43 æ J J J J . > ƒ ! Ï ! P f ƒ 7 10 > > . #œ Mrb. 1 3 #œ > j j >œ#œ >œ#œ. #>œ 3 #>œ > J & 4 Œ œ. #œ. œ. œ. Œ œ. #œ. Œ œ#œ ’ ’ ‘ Œ #œ ‰ #œ ‰#œ œ œ œ. #œ. c œ ‰ ‰ 4 œ ‰ Œ c cresc. . . . . 7 p ! ƒ p ƒ Mrb. 2 > . > #>œ 3 Œ Œ #œ. Œ Œ #œ ‰ j ‰ j c ‰ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ 3 #œ œ ‰ J Œ c & 4 #œ œ œ œ #œ #œcresc.œ ’ ’ ‘ #œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ . 4 . . . . . > > ...... > > 7 p ƒ p ! ƒ Mrb. 3 3 3 j & 4 Œ Œ #œ Œ ’ ’ ‘ Œ ‰ j ‰ j c ‰ ‰ ‰ 4 ‰#œ Œ c #œ œ œ œ . #œ #œcresc.œ #œ#œ œ #œ œ œ œ#œ œ. œ #œ œ . . . . . > . œ. . œ. . . œ. . > > > > > p ƒ > p ! ƒ Mrb. 4 ...... > > . > . > . > > > > > ? 3 Œ #œ œ œ œ Œ #œ œ Œ #œ œ Œ #œ#œ œ#œ œ #œ#œ œ. #œ c #œ. ‰ œ#œ#œ œ ‰ œ 3 #œ#œ œ œ#œ œ c 4 cresc.’ ’ ‘ . . . . 4 > > p p ! ƒ Figure 6.2. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 1, mm.ƒ 7-12

Figure 6.3. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 1, mm. 21-26

Upon first listening, it may seem as if G major remains constant, but the E in the bass forces the harmony into E minor in measure 22. This is a common aspect of Moran’s 53!

writing: harmonically, he employs subtle changes such as incorporating the parallel major and minor in close proximity. Moran explores other key centers such as A major and F major, but only briefly. The shift to A major corresponds directly with a new theme in measure 33: marimba 1 contains an ascending three note figure (C#, D, E). This theme is also presented with a slight variation in the following measure (Figure 6.4).

Figure 6.4. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 1, mm. 27-34

Thematic Material Multiple thematic elements appear throughout the movement. One theme is a series of four eighth-notes where the third note leaps above the others (previous Figure 6.1). Another theme that frequently recurs is a simple two-note motif: a pair of eighth notes with a major or minor second descending interval as shown in marimba 1 measures 7-9 in previous Figure 6.2.

54!

Movement 2: Satyagraha Variation Moran uses a quote from Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha as the melodic basis for this movement. In the last scene of that opera, the tenor sings an ascending E Phrygian scale repeatedly for, as Moran says, “something like 30 times. So I decided to turn it around, and have the marimbas play that scale, but downwards! It is all about subtle colors.”135 This main theme is set as a two-bar phrase and is presented 19 times throughout the movement (marimba 4 in Figure 6.5).

Figure 6.5. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 1-6

Only once does Moran break the symmetrical two-measure phrase. In measure 18 he inserts an extra measure that elongates the cycle, creating a three-measure phrase — the only time a three-measure phrase occurs (Figure 6.6). The theme is generally presented in the bass (marimba 4), but throughout the movement it is passed around to all of the voices and doubled in unison or at the octave, shown in Figure 6.6 and in Figure 6.7.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 135 Moore, Program Notes, By Any Other Name. 55!

Figure 6.6. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 16-19

Figure 6.7. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 20-23

Harmony and Texture The harmonic content in this movement is direct and simply stated. As the E Phrygian mode supports the thematic material, the tonal center is correspondingly based around E minor. However, there is a prevailing descending motion innately due to the falling line that creates a D minor chord resolving to E minor. The first beat of every thematic measure establishes this D minor harmony. The second beat of the figure (subdividing the 6/8 meter in two: 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5, 6) is challenging to interpret harmonically. The second beat can be interpreted in two ways. The D minor triad naturally stays throughout the measure and leads directly downward resolving to E minor. Another interpretation is that the second beat could be considered an A minor chord where a C natural is present in measures 12, 19, 27, and 35 (Figure 6.8). 56!

Figure 6.8. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 12-15

Aside from these four measures where the C is present, only the pitch A exists. The note D is also occasionally present along with the C as shown in measure 10 (marimba 2, Figure 6.9). This added pitch creates harmonic color regardless of the specific key center.

Figure 6.9. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 7-11

Transparent textures appear throughout the movement. As most of the counterpoint materializes in a note-for-note or first-species fashion, the texture is thickened by means of rhythm and harmony. For instance, in beat 6 of measure 13, the octave Fs in marimba 1 clash with the Es in marimba 3 and 4, thickening the sonority before the harmony quickly resolves to D minor on the next downbeat (previous Figure 6.8). 57!

While the primary theme is repeated throughout the movement, Moran places subtle colors and textures in the remaining parts. Non-thematic voices are often used as supporting characters, accentuating and punctuating the E Phrygian mode. The contrapuntal activity helps to outline the primary motif. Moran tends to place an ascending line directly against the theme or immediately following the theme for melodic contrast (marimba 3 in Figure 6.7, measure 23; and marimba 1 in Figure 6.10). The dynamic level reaches a maximum volume of mezzo-forte only once, while the remaining 42 measures are marked mezzo-piano or softer.

Figure 6.10. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 2, mm. 37-38

Rhythm Rhythmic content in this movement is straightforward. The meter is 6/8 and the

rhythmic lilt subdivides the measure into two beats. A feeling of forward motion is present with a strong push leading towards the downbeats of each measure. The pulse changes to a superimposed 3/4-meter briefly in measures 14-18, 24, and 37. While the thematic material remains constant, the supporting marimbas accentuate this three-beat feel (previous Figure 6.8).

58!

Movement 3: Libations Although Moran calls the third movement a “drinking song or just some basic party music,” this movement is by far the most demanding of the entire composition.136 It contains the most notes, the fastest tempo, and most complex rhythms.

Thematic Material The basic thematic material in this movement is relatively simple. Beginning in measure one, marimba 1 states the melody, which can be condensed into a simple four- measure quarter note motif of A, G, F# | E, C#, F# | G, G, F# | B, A, E (Figure 6.11). Throughout the movement, slight variations of this four-measure theme occur during the third and fourth measures.

Figure 6.11. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 3, mm. 1-5

One such variation occurs in measure 17. The descending motion of the A, G, F# melody is prominent, but here it is presented in eighth-note triplets as seen in Figure 6.12, measure 18. Other themes are introduced throughout this movement and varied in a similar fashion.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 136 Moore, Program Notes, By Any Other Name. 59!

Figure 6.12. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 3, mm. 15-19

The overall form is not conventional, but the A section returns throughout the movement with slight variations. Table 6.1 reveals a modified rondo form.

Theme Measures

A 1-8 A 9-16

A 17-20

B 21-32

A 33-40

C 41-48

D 49-64

A 65-72

E 73-80

F 81-84 A 85-92

Coda/Ending 93-96

Table 6.1. By Any Other Name, Modified Rondo Form

60!

Rhythm and Texture Similarities in rhythm are evident between the first and last movements. Libations is much more saturated and less syncopated than Munich Miniatures- Var.1 though many of the same rhythms appear. Moran presents unison rhythms contrasted with intricate counterpoint. The rhythms for each marimba are individually quite simple and consist mainly of quarter notes, eighth notes, and eighth-note triplets. However, rhythmic interplay exists when all four parts are combined. The main challenge is that one player may be playing triplet groupings against the other three playing straight eighth notes. These un-nested rhythms appear frequently and almost immediately from the first measure, resulting in a relatively dense texture throughout. The culmination of rhythmic activity of the entire marimba quartet takes place during the final section beginning in measure 85 (Figure 6.13). Though no new rhythms are introduced, there is a constant stream of eighth-note triplets. The triplet line is passed between each marimba and at times may be doubled. Texturally, there is juxtaposition between dense and more transparent textures based on rhythmic content. Since one or more voices usually carry an eighth-note triplet figure against straight eighth notes, a polyrhythm is created, thickening the texture. Likewise, the pitches of these triplet figures are often arpeggiated chords or groupings of wider intervals that are not always evenly spaced, which adds a denser harmony and thicker texture. In contrast, a thinness of texture results from simpler and unison rhythmic lines (Figure 6.14).

61!

Figure 6.13. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 3, mm. 85-96

Figure 6.14. By Any Other Name, Mvt. 3, mm. 45-49

Harmony Moran’s use of harmony in this movement is based on a simple chord progression. He does, however, employ variations and extended harmonies that are typical of his writing. While it is impossible to say that the harmony is the melody, it can 62!

be implied that the chord progression does serve as a landmark and recognizable feature when listening to the piece. In the initial A theme, a chord progression appears: D, Em7, D | A, A, D | G, A7, D | A, A, A (previous Figure 6.11). This pattern remains fairly consistent throughout every A section with only slight variation. While this movement is the most demanding to perform, it has a lighthearted nature. The movement uses recurring motifs and unexpected harmonic motion. The juxtaposition of complex and simple rhythms carefully manipulates the texture throughout the movement. By Any Other Name is a quirky mix of contemporary and classical writing. Upon first hearing, many subtle details pass by too quickly to notice. Moran displays total compositional control through harmony, thematic development, rhythm, textural variations, and at times a playful melody. Moran creates an intriguing palette that is both engaging for the untrained audience member as well as the veteran percussionist. By Any Other Name appears as one of his more serious compositions, though one would not surmise that by his inspirations or descriptions of the work. Though many musical elements are similar between this work and his others for percussion ensemble, the restricted instrumentation results in an engaging and thoughtful composition.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 63!

CHAPTER VII

STIRLING: IT’S RAINING CATS AND DOGS

“That’s splendid – we’ll use them all...”137

Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs was commissioned in 2007 by Moran’s neighbors Patricia and Michael Scullin. Stirling is the name of the Scullin’s black poodle that Moran would often babysit. The premiere performance occurred in 2008 and was performed by Iowa Percussion. During the composing process, Moran asked the ensemble members to make a list of their three favorite percussion instruments. Upon receiving the list Moran said, “That’s splendid – we’ll use them all, along with the 18 players on numerous other instruments.”138

Group Instrumentation Number of Players A 4 marimbas (4.3 octave), glockenspiel, 3 thunder sheets, 1 4 didgeridoo, 1 prayer bowl, 1 wine glass B 2 vibraphones, celeste, triangle, 1 timpano (20/23”), bongos, wind 3 chimes, 1 wine glass C 2 vibraphones, 3 timpani (32”, 29”, 20/23”), 3 suspended 3 cymbals, tambourine, ocean drum, 1 prayer bowl, bongos D Prepared piano, bass drum, chimes, 1 timpano (20/23”) toy piano, 4 wind chimes, 1 prayer bowl, bongos E 2 marimbas (4.3 octave), three tam-tams, tambourine, 3 Thai 4 gongs (G#, C#, A), xylophone, pod rattle, 3 wine glasses Extras Rain sticks 2 Tape Rain sound-scape 0 Table 7.1. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Instrumentation

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 137 Moran, Liner Notes to Mantra. ! 138 Ibid.

64!

This work exhibits a myriad of Moran’s compositional techniques. Included in Stirling are elements of his city pieces, graphic and proportional scores, tonal centers, rhythmic complexity, and non-standard instrumentation. Though written for a large ensemble, the players are divided into five small groups. In essence, each group plays their own individual chamber work. However, the music for each group is related by various elements forming a cohesive and thoroughly crafted composition. Moran refers to Stirling as “more of a musical landscape in rain than a traditional percussion ensemble work.”139 In addition to the five small groups, a pre- recorded rain sound-scape plays for the duration of the piece and two or more players with rain sticks are instructed to navigate around the stage and throughout the audience. Moran notes that the pre-recorded rain should not be a “background sound,” but rather a constant from which each group should enter and exit. The conductor’s score does not contain all of the individual parts, but only provides a visual guide showing when to cue the five groups in and out. Though Moran notes that the length of the piece should be a maximum of 16 minutes, the conductor ultimately determines the length of the work. Each page is visually divided in half to maintain uniformity of duration for each page. Moran instructs the conductor not to use a stopwatch or timing device and to take a more creative role rather than simply a timekeeper (Figure 7.1). The score provides little information other than tempo and the relative time of each cue. As each group enters, the overlapping entrances phase in and out among multiple groups creating intricate textures and thematic material. Due to the nature of the composition, performances of this piece will inherently be different each time. However, musical elements, ideas, and thematic material will remain consistently intact. For the

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 139 Moran, Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs (Philadelphia: Charlotte Benson Music, 2008).

65! purpose of this document, the recording from the CD Mantra140 will be reviewed as a consistent and unchangeable reference.

Figure 7.1. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Score Pages 1-2

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 140 Robert Moran, Mantra, Innova 714, CD, 2008. 66!

Analysis Similar to Obrigado, each group performs a number of repeated sections, but will continue playing the given section from cue-in until cue-out. Various themes and tonal centers create landmarks of stability throughout the composition. This work utilizes two main tonal centers: B minor (B, D, F#, E) and G major (G, B, D, C#) both with added 4. A third contrasting harmonic emphasis is on A (A, C#, E, G#), but occurs less frequently. Table 7.2 designates primary themes along with sections and tonal centers.

Theme Section Tonal Center Group A, E 1 B, D, F#, E Group B, C 2 A, C#, E, G# Group A 4 A, C#, E, G (natural) Group E 4 G, B, D, F#, C# Group B 4 G, B, D, C# Group A 6 B, D, F#, C#, E Group E 7 G, B, D, F#, C# Group A 8 G, B, D, C#, A Group B, A 9, 10 D, F#, A, B Group E 13 B, F#, C#, E Group E 14 C# Table 7.2. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Themes, Groups, and Tonal Centers

Thematic material, or rather melodic pitched content often alternates with spacious interludes and supporting material. In Section 1, Groups A and E enter with a melodic theme played by marimbas and xylophone (Figure 7.2 and 7.3).

Following these two sections with the initial thematic material, Group B enters with supporting figures in the same tonal center. In general, while two groups often have the melodic theme, others complement with spacious and less active material. This activity may also have pitched instruments (most always in the same tonal center) that serve as a complementary figure to the main theme (Figure 7.4). 67!

Figure 7.2. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group A-Section 1

Figure 7.3. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group E-Section 1

Figure 7.4. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group B-Section 1 68!

Pitched percussion instruments do not always contain all of the thematic interest. Bongos and timpani become a focal point in Group C-Section 3. Although the instruments are not keyboard percussion, the timpani are pitched within the same tonality to G, C#, F#. The short, staccato rhythmic figures contain the thematic interest as the remaining Groups D and E stop. Also, each line contains a different number of measures. In similar fashion, while each global section may overlap the others, at times each instrument within individual sections may also overlap other instruments (Figure 7.5).

Figure 7.5. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group C-Section 3

While much of this melodic material remains staccato and rhythmically steady, various other themes present a contrast in texture with longer, legato tones. Group B- Section 4, for example, enters with long rolls in the timpani, setting a base for tied whole notes in the vibraphones (Figure 7.6). The next melodic entrance occurs in Group E-Section 7. This quarter note based theme foreshadows a similar aesthetic in Moran’s marimba quartet By Any Other Name. The tonal center has moved back to G, B, D, F#, C# (Figure 7.7).141

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 141 In Figure 7.7, Marimba 1 should play a C# in measure 3, beat 1. 69!

Figure 7.6. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group B-Section 4

Figure 7.7. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group E-Section 7 70!

When analyzing the middle sections of Stirling (Sections 6-9), many themes begin spiraling around one another due to overlapping entrances among the five groups. The tonal center is constant, resulting in a continuous wave of thematic material. Occasionally between sections, brief interludes occur. For instance, in Group D-Section 6 the prepared piano and toy piano provide a muted staccato sound effect, also in the same tonality linking the sections, but not necessarily containing a primary theme (Figure 7.8).

Figure 7.8. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Group D-Section 6

71!

Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs is a large-scale work for percussion ensemble. There are logistical concerns that may prohibit the programming of this piece. For one, this work requires a minimum of 20 musicians. Also, only music schools with active percussion programs are likely to own the quantity and diversity of instruments needed which in turn requires a large performance space. While Stirling:It’s Raining Cats and Dogs is not a traditional percussion orchestra composition in the same style as Crown of Thorns by David Maslanka or Palace of Nine Perfections by Eric Ewazen, it presents a different set of musical challenges. Timing and coordination are crucial elements for the conductor, who cues each group to enter and exit. Rushing through these events interrupts the meditative feeling of the composition, while dragging can impede the natural flow causing listeners to lose focus. Within each small group, individual parts may not be the most technically demanding, but musical sensitivity and a keen ear is essential. Comfort with improvisatory techniques will also aid in successful performances. In the five years since it was written, Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs has had just one performance to date. Though daunting in size and scope, the multitude of compositional techniques, musical elements, and educational concepts warrants more performances. !

72!

CHAPTER VIII CONCLUSION “Thanks for the compliment. The music is really for you.”142

! American composer Robert Moran has maintained a successful career of over 50 years in contemporary music, and, at age 75, shows no signs of slowing down. He has studied with Luciano Berio and Darius Milhaud and has collaborated with celebrated composers John Cage and Philip Glass. Moran has received commissions from around the world and has released numerous recordings on labels such as Argo, BMG, and Innova Records. The works of Robert Moran can be adventurous, humorous, serious, large-scale, small-scale, or left entirely to the discretion of the performers. Flowing throughout all of his wide-ranging music, however, is his unfailing sense of expressive and emotionally beautiful music that Moran has been quoted as calling “shockingly romantic” and “disgracefully pretty.”143 He follows where his interests lead him, which is usually on to something new, and which makes him delightfully impossible to categorize as a composer. His style has shifted throughout the course of his career to many different forms of composition. Aside from his city pieces and dance works, Moran is not necessarily a

leader or pioneer of specific twentieth-century genres, but could be considered somewhat of a musical chameleon. He experienced Apostel and the development of twelve-tone music, experimented with John Cage and indeterminacy in the 1960s, and participated with Haubenstock-Ramati, Christian Wolff and others in creating graphic scores. His work with Philip Glass resulted in many more opportunities and opera commissions. His

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 142 Moran, email correspondence with Lucas Bernier, July 30, 2012.

143 Cornall, Liner Notes to Mantra. 73!

collaborations with choreographers and dance companies have resulted in significant success. Moran has been able to adapt, adopt, and incorporate many different genres. He is able to reference and seamlessly draw from his diverse background and experiences to create expressive music. Moran has little interest in conforming to a single compositional trend and even less interest in discussing motivations, meanings, or theories of his compositions preferring simply to create what moves him. Moran composes for the art of music and for what he finds to be emotionally inspiring, which might not always be what critics, publishers, or even audiences want from him. Throughout the research process of this document, this author has become even more intrigued with this iconic American composer. The hope for this document is that others will continue to investigate the music of Robert Moran, perform his compositions, and commission new pieces. Moran is humbly dedicated to his art form. Upon the author thanking him for his music and his willingness to be a part of this project, he simply replied: “Thanks for the compliment. The music is really for you.”144

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 144 Moran, email correspondence, 2012. ! 74!

APPENDIX A

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT MORAN’S PERCUSSION COMPOSITIONS

Percussion Ensemble Works

Eclectic Boogies (1962) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: 1976, at Buffalo State University, conducted by James Kasperwitz, Buffalo, NY. Instrumentation: 13 Players: triangle, maraca, temple blocks, 3 cowbells, bongos, 3 suspened cymbals, 3 tom-toms, gong, piano, marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes Notes: Traditional notation. Written as an exercise in serialism at the suggestion of Luciano Berio. Partner piece to Meister Ekhard and the Point of No Return (2010). Recorded on Cabinet of Curiosities, Innova 792.

Variations for Six (1963) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: Never performed. Instrumentation: Variable percussion instrumentation. Notes: Graphic notation.

Bombardments No. 2 (1966) Publisher: C.F. Peters Corporation Premiere: March 18, 1965, Manhattan Percussion Ensemble, Paul Price, Director, New York, NY. Instrumentation: Player 1: hi-hat, 1 pair of bongos, 1 snare drum (without ! snares), guiro, 3 suspended cymbals, 2 gongs (high ! and low), 3 timpani, 4 cowbells, marimba! Player 2: triangle, car coil, maraca, 1 snare drum (with snares), ! 2 brake drums, 2 pairs of bongos, 3 temple blocks, 3 ! tom-toms, symphonic chimes! Player 3: piano (top removed), celesta, radio, anvil, bass drum, ! wind chimes (metal and tubular), 3 wood blocks, ! small metal cricket (toy)! Player 4: triangle, car coil (lower than player 2), 1 pair of ! bongos, 2 tabla, 2 cowbells, 3 timpani, wooden wind ! chimes, 2 brake drums, xylophone! Player 5: finger cymbals, claves, 1 drum (low pitch), 3 ! suspended cymbals, 2 gongs (medium, low), 2 pair ! bongos, 3 roto-toms, 4 temple blocks, vibraphone! Notes: Recorded on Cabinet of Curiosities, Innova 792.

75!

Bank of America Chandelier (1968) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: August 1968, MacDowell Colony, Buffalo Percussion Ensemble. Instrumentation: Written for a hanging glass chandelier with extra instruments to be suspended from the chandelier. 4 players. Notes: The instruments: a construction in the shape of a multi layered chandelier hangs center stage, below it is a small table with the circular score; the four musicians play the chandelier which is made up of pieces of hanging glass, wind chimes, small bells, any other such small and delicate- sounding instruments (great to have the stage very dark with just a light from above the chandelier, casting shadows).

Borrby Boogies (1970) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: 1970, San Francisco, CA. Instrumentation: Variable percussion instrumentation. Notes: There is no full score, but rhythmic parts. The instrumentation is 'open'; any small/large percussion ensemble may be used. The conductor shapes the work as it progresses. Many performances throughout the USA through l989.

Obrigado (1995) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: March 1996, Kennedy Center, National Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin, Director, Washington DC. Instrumentation: Player 1: vibraphone, 3 wood blocks, 3 timbales Player 2: vibraphone, tam-tam, chimes Player 3: marimba (4.3 octave), 3 temple blocks Player 4: timpani (B, E, F#), bass drum Player 5: piano (optional) Notes: Written at the request of the National Orchestra, Washington DC, for the 25th Anniversary of the Kennedy Center. The piano is not required, but in the words of Moran, it is “so much more fun with it.” The premiere was performed without the piano part. The premiere with the piano part was given by Iowa Percussion, Dan Moore, Director, in 2008. Recorded on Mantra Innova 714.

76!

Kboco (2006) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: 2006, Iowa Percussion, Dan Moore, Director, Iowa City, IA. Instrumentation: Player 1: 3 tom-toms, vibraphone, chimes! Player 2: bongos, timpani (1 drum), 3 blocks (medium temple ! blocks), tam-tam ! Player 3: marimba, bongos, 3 toms, glockenspiel ! Player 4: 3 wood blocks, bongos, xylophone, bass drum! Player 5: marimba, 2 suspended cymbals ! Player 6: vibraphone, 3 tom-toms, snare drum! Player 7: piano/prepared piano, celeste Notes: Some instruments may be replaced: for example, timbales for bongos in Player 4, Chinese bangu for snare drum in Player 6, Chinese toms for tom- toms in Player 3. Recorded on Mantra Innova 714.

Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs (2007) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: April 12, 2008, Iowa Percussion, Dan Moore, Director, Iowa City, IA. Instrumentation: Group A: 4 marimbas (4.3 octave), glockenspiel, thunder sheets (1 or more), didgeridoo, 1 prayer bowl, 1 wine glass Group B: 2 vibraphones, celeste, triangle, timpani (could possibly be done with one drum range= B-G), bongos, wind chimes, 1 wine glass Group C: 2 vibraphones, 3 timpani (32, 29, 23), 3 suspended cymbals, tambourine, ocean drum, 1 prayer bowl, bongos Group D: prepared piano, toy piano bass drum, chimes, timpani (23), wind chimes, 1 prayer bowl, bongos Group E: 2 marimbas, 3 tam-tams, tambourine, thai gongs (G#, C#, A), xylophone, seed pods, 3 wine glasses Notes: Combination of five different percussion ensembles, performing at the same time overlapping one another. Conductor required. Recorded on Mantra Innova 714.

By Any Other Name (2008) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers, available from Cricket City Music and Media (www.dan-moore.com) Premiere: Dec. 14, 2008, Iowa Percussion, Dan Moore, Director, Iowa City, IA. Instrumentation: 4 marimbas (one 5-octave marimba, three 4.3- octave marimbas) Notes: Could be performed with a 4.5-octave instrument instead of a 5-octave marimba, only some low octave doubling would be lost.

77!

Meister Ekhard and the Point of No Return (2008) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: Dec. 4, 2010, Iowa Percussion, Dan Moore, Director, Iowa City, IA. Instrumentation: 13 Players: triangle, maraca, temple blocks, 3 cowbells, bongos, 3 suspended cymbals, 3 tom-toms, gong, piano, marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes Notes: Proportional notation. Decelerated partner piece to Eclectic Boogies. Recorded on Cabinet of Curiosities, Innova 792.

Cabinet of Curiosities (2010) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers, available from Cricket City Music and Media (www.dan-moore.com) Premiere: Dec. 4, 2010, Iowa Percussion, Dan Moore, Director, Iowa City, IA. Instrumentation: Found objects, mallet instruments, left up to performer(s) Notes: A collection of six graphic scores. Instrumentation, number of performers, and length are all open to interpretation. Recorded on Cabinet of Curiosities, Innova 792.

Bats in the Belfry (2010) Publisher: Charotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: Dec. 4, 2010, Iowa Percussion, Dan Moore, Director, Iowa City, IA. Vocalists: Stephen Swanson, Kitty Eberle, Lisa Hearne, Adam Webb Instrumentation: marimba, 3 timbales, xylophone, 3 congas, bass drum, piano, vibraphone, chimes, bass marimba, timpani, bongos (3), 6 timbales (2 players, 3 each), toy piano, glockenspiel, 3 temple blocks, 3 wood blocks, tam-tam, 3 tom-toms, slide whistle, 2 suspended cymbals, sleigh bells, 2 ice bells, almglocken (E and F), wind chimes, anvil, 4 voices Notes: An opera with percussion ensemble pit orchestra

78!

Variable Ensemble Works

Interiors (1964) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: 1965, Charlotte Moorman New Music Festival, New York, NY. Instrumentation: variable ensemble Notes: Graphic score. Recorded on Cabinet of Curiosities, Innova 792.

Elegant Journey with Stopping Points of Interest (1965) Publisher: Schott and Sons (Mainz) Premiere: Spring 1970, Music of Robert Moran Concert, Grace Cathedral, SF New Music Ensemble, San Francisco, CA. Instrumentation: variable chamber ensemble Notes: Graphic score. Written as a birthday gift to Darius Milhaud. Recorded on Cabinet of Curiosities, Innova 792.

Divertissement Number One (1967) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: 1967, San Francisco, CA. Instrumentation: Electric frying pan and any variable ensemble Notes: Performers with large circus sunglasses with musical staves taped on the lenses. As the popcorn pops and flies into the air, performers play the notes they see as the popcorn crosses the lines of their sunglasses.

Waltz in Memoriam Maurice Ravel (1970) Publisher: Peters Edition Premiere: 1978, Chicago Arts Institute, Chicago, IL. Instrumentation: Originally for solo piano, works well for marimba and vibraphone duo. Notes: Originally recorded on Nonesuch Records, 1981. Part of The Waltz Project.

Salagrama (1979) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: 1979, Graz Styrian Festival, Graz, Austria. Instrumentation: Organ, variable percussion instruments — Moran notes that it is most effective with bells, chimes, and gongs. Notes: Written for the restoration of the organ in the Grazer Dom. Recorded on Cabinet of Curiosities, Innova 792. Performed once in the Mt. Holyoke, MA, area with two organs and Chinese percussion.

Rocky Road to Kansas (1994) Publisher: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers Premiere: 1998, Toronto Ballet, Toronto, Canada. Instrumentation: Percussion, keyboards, guitar Notes: Commissioned and recorded by ARGO Records, Argo 444540. 79!

APPENDIX B

CONCERT PROGRAMS

Percussion Music of Robert Moran: Iowa Percussion

80! 81! 82! 83!

84!

New Literature Session PASIC 2011: Iowa Percussion

85!

86!

87!

88! 89! 90! 91!

92!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brooks, Richard James G. “Structural Functions of ‘Musical Gesture’ as Heard in Selected Instrumental Compositions of the Twentieth Century: A Graphic Analytic Method.” Ph.D. diss., New York University, 1981.

Cage, John. Notations. New York: Library of Congress, 1969.

Carl, Robert. "Interiors II: Uncharted lands. Elegant Journey. Salagrama. Cabinet of Curiosities. Meister Eckhard and the Point of No Return. Electric Boogies. Bombardments." Fanfare: The Magazine For Serious Record Collectors 34:6 (2011): 319-320.

Cornall, Andrew and Robert Moran. Liner Notes to Mantra. Innova 714. CD. 2008.

Coyle, Patrick O. “Significant Male Voice Repertory Commissioned by American Gay Men’s Choruses.” D.M.A. diss., University of Cincinatti, 2006.

Davies, Hugh. “Musical Notation Old and New.” In Eye Music, 12-20. London: Arts Council of Great Britain, 1986.

Drew Joanna and Michael Harrison. “Preface.” In Eye Music, 4. London: Arts Council of Great Britain, 1986.

Evarts, John. “The New Musical Notation: A Graphic Art?” Leonardo 1:4 (1968) 405- 412. Accessed through JStor July 27, 2011.

Francois, Jean Charles. “Percussion Sound Sculpture.” Percussive Notes Research Edition 18:3 (1981): 40-70.

Griffiths, Paul. “Sound Code-Image.” In Eye Music, 5-11. London: Arts Council of Great Britain, 1986.

Gruber, Gerold W. “Apostel, Hans Erich.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/subscriber/article/grove/ music/01097 (accessed December 10, 2011).

Julian-Jones, Rachel Carissa. “A survey of multiple percussion notation with an emphasis on timbre staff notation and setup.” D.M.A. diss., University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1999.

Kamstra, Darin J. “Multiple-percussion notation: The effectiveness of three types of staff notation on sight-reading...” D.M.A. diss., University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, 2006.

Karkoschka, Erhard. Notation in New Music. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1972. 93!

Lester, Joel, The Rhythms of Tonal Music. Southern Illinois University Press, 1986.

Moore, Dan. Liner Notes to Cabinet of Curiosities: The Graphic Percussion Scores of Robert Moran. Dan Moore and Iowa Percussion. Innova 792. CD. 2011.

______. Program Notes. By Any Other Name. University of Iowa New Literature Session Concert- Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Indianapolis, IN. November 10, 2011.

Moran, Robert. “Biography.” Robert Moran. http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/biography.htm. (accessed December 10, 2011).

______. Bombardments No. 2. NY: C. F. Peters Corporation, 1966.

______. Cabinet of Curiosities. PA: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers, 2010.

______. Cabinet of Curiosities: The Graphic Percussion Scores of Robert Moran. Dan Moore and Iowa Percussion. Innova 792. CD. 2011.

______. “Chronological Index,” Robert Moran, http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/chronological_index.htm, (accessed December 9, 2011).

______. “Compositions on My Mind 1970.” Soundings January:1 (1972): 43-45.

______. “Desert of Roses.” Robert Moran http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/desert_of_roses.htm. (accessed December 9, 2011.)

______. Email Correspondence with Lucas Bernier. August 28, 2012.

______. Email Correspondence with Lucas Bernier. February 23, 2012.

______. Email Correspondence with Lucas Bernier. November 3, 2012.

______. Interview with Lucas Bernier. St. Paul, MN. September 10, 2011.

______. “Kraft singles.” Opera News 60:6 (1995): 74.

______. Mantra, Innova 714, CD, 2008.

______. Obrigado. PA: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers, 1995.

______. Phone Interview with Lucas Bernier, September 15, 2012.

94!

______. “Remember Him to Me.” Robert Moran. http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/Remember%20Him.htm. (accessed December 9, 2011)

______. Salagrama. PA: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers, 1979.

______. Stirling: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs. PA: Charlotte Benson Music Publishers, 2008.

______. “Towers of the Moon.” Robert Moran. http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/rbtmoran/from_the_towers_of_the_moon .htm. (accessed December 9, 2011).

O’Neill, John C. “Recent Trends in Percussion Notation.” Percussive Notes 18:1 (1980): 20-55.

Pryer, Anthony. "Graphic Notation." In The Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/subscriber/article/opr/t 114/e3008 (accessed December 2, 2011).

“Public Art.” From News and Notes. Umbrella Magazine 5:3 (1982): 74. http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/umbrella/article/viewFile/1034/983 (Accessed October 1, 2012).

Rausch, John R. “Obrigado” from New Percussion Literature and Recordings. Percussive Notes 35:4 (1997): 78-79.

“Robert Moran.” http://www.innova.mu/composers/robert-moran. (accessed January 26, 2012).

“Robert Moran.” WQXR. http://www.wqxr.org/#!/people/robert-moran/ (accessed November 28, 2012).

Rombouts, Luc. "Carillon." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/subscriber/article/grove/ music/04929 (accessed August 29, 2012).

Rubin, Nathan. John Cage and the Twenty-Six Pianos of Mills College: Forces in American Music from 1940 to 1990, a History. Moraga, CA: Sarah's Books, 1994. Ruppenthal, Stephen and David Patterson. "Moran, Robert." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/subscriber/article/grove/ music/19085 (accessed December 10, 2011).

95!

San Francisco State University. “SF State Facts 2011-2012.” San Francisco State University. http://www.sfsu.edu/~puboff/sfsufact/ (accessed August 29, 2012).

Shepherd, Scott Lawrence. “Notational Practices of Percussion Since 1950: An Analysis of Selected Chamber Works.” M.A. Thesis, University of California Los Angeles, 1977.

Simmons, Walter. “Classical Recordings - Moran: "There Appeared an Angel"; "Cortege"; "Elegy for a Young King"; "Mantra"; "Obrigado"; "Stirling: It's Raining Cats and Dogs"; "Kboco"; Processional.” Fanfare, the Magazine for Serious Record Collectors 33:4 (March 2010): 256-257.

Siwe, Thomas. Percussion Ensemble Literature, ed. Thomas Siwe. Champaign, Ill: Media Press, 1998. Viewed electronically through Percussive Arts Society Website, www.pas.org.

Smith, Geoff. “Composing after Cage. Permission Granted.” The Musical Times 139:1864 (1998): 5-8.

Smith, Geoff and Nicole Walker Smith. New Voices, American Composers Talk about Their Music. Portland: Amadeus Press, 1995.

Smith, Stuart. “Avant Garde Percussion.” Percussive Notes 10:1 (1972): 3-4.

Smith, Stuart and Sylvia Smith. “Visual Music.” Perspectives of New Music 20:1/2 (1981)” 75-93.

______. “Musical Notation as Visual Art.” Percussive Notes Research Edition 20:1 (1981): 49-54.

Smith, Sylvia. “Scribing Sound.” Percussive Notes Research Edition 23:3 (1985): 34-51.

Tagg, Barbara. "Fourteen Conductors Speak about American Choral Music." Choral Journal 43, no. 8 (2003): 9-25, http://search.proquest.com/docview/1032333?accountid=14663 (accessed December 10, 2011).

“The Waltz Project.” NYC Ballet. http://www.nycballet.com/ballets/w/the-waltz- project.aspx (accessed November 28, 2012).

Thurston, Dart. "Eye music." In Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/subscriber/article/grove/ music/09152 (accessed November 28, 2012).

96!

Udow, Michael. “An Interview with Karlheinz Stockhausen.” Percussive Notes Research Edition. 23:6 (1985): 4-47.

______. “Visual Correspondence Between Notation Systems and Instrument Configurations.” Percussive Notes Research Edition 18:2 (1981): 15-29.

Watkins, Glenn. Soundings: Music in the Twentieth Century. New York: Schirmer Books, 1988. ! !