An Ethnoarchaeomusicological Investigation of Highland Guatemalan Maya Dance-Plays
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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2004 An Ethnoarchaeomusicological Investigation of Highland Guatemalan Maya Dance-Plays Mark Harold Howell The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3680 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] AN ETHNOARCHAEOMUSICOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF HIGHLAND GUATEMALAN MAYA DANCE-PLAYS by MARK HAROLD HOWELL A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3144161 Copyright 2004 by Howell, Mark Harold All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3144161 Copyright 2004 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © 2 0 0 4 MARK HAROLD HOWELL All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Music in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. [Signature] Date Chair of Examining Committee [Signature] £> f Date Dr. David Olan Executive Officer Dr. Stephen Blum Dr. John Beatty Dr. Bo Lawergren Dr. Peter Manuel Dr. Tim Pugh __________ Prof. Henrietta Yurchenco Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract AN ETHNOARCHAEOMUSICOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF HIGHLAND GUATEMALAN MAYA DANCE-PLAYS by Mark Harold Howell Adviser: Dr. Stephen Blum Instrumental music played on two valveless trumpets and a wooden slit-drum currently accompanies the highland Guatemalan Maya dance-play Rab ’inal Achi. These two instrument types are known from the Prehispanic record and have been associated with the play since its first mention in the mid-nineteenth century. The script of the Rab ’inal Achi is considered by many scholars to have Prehispanic roots. The possibility that its accompanying music also originated in Precolumbian times is the impetus behind my study. To explore this possibility I apply ethnoarchaeomusicological research methods, incorporating data supplied by iconology- iconography, ethnographic analogy, history, archaeology, and music analysis. Ethnoarchaeomusicological methods are also applied to three other dance-plays currently performed in highland Guatemala, the Tz ’unum, the Baile del Venado, and the Baile de Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V los Moros y Cristianos. Like the Rab ’inal Achi, the Baile de los Moros y Cristianos is documented as using the same instrumentation, a duct flute and skin drum, since its emergence in highland Guatemala (during the Colonial period), and as it is an example of a Spanish-introduced dance-play type its performance components can be compared to those in the indigenous Rab ’inal Achi. The storylines and choreography of the four dance-plays are reviewed, and the prototypes of their instruments traced. In addition, music aspects of the Rab ’inal Achi and Baile de los Moros y Cristianos, including form, rhythm, and tonality, are listed and compared. Audio excerpts from these latter two bailes are on a compact disc, located in the back pocket accompanying this document. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgments Although the general idea for this dissertation was formed years before I began graduate studies, its completion required the involvement of scholars and other informed individuals whose freely contributed insight and support were instrumental in making the final work possible. Stephen Blum, my thesis advisor, is acknowledged first for the faith he has shown in my project and for his patience during the years it took to be realized. For their similar expenditure of time and expertise I likewise recognize the other members of my dissertation committee, John Beatty, Bo Lawergren, Peter Manuel, Tim Pugh, and Henrietta Yurchenco, with special praise given to Henrietta, whose recordings and reports first informed me of Prehispanic Maya music traditions continuing in Guatemala. When I eventually reached that country I witnessed firsthand the sense of community and pride in culture that Henrietta had described for the K’iche’ Maya, with some individuals meriting praise that goes beyond my gratitude for their aid to my project. Maestro Don Jose Leon Coloch Xolop, in particular, I honor for his lifelong dedication to the preservation of the traditions of his ancestors. And like Coloch, the musicians Jose Chul, Libereo, Miguel Sum Meja, Pedro Morales, and Grecencio Quich Quich I regard as living cultural treasures, dedicated artists who opened up to me and patiently considered and thoughtfully answered my questions. K’iche’ of a younger generation who have taken up the cause of cultural revitalization are similarly commended, including Marco Alonzo, Carlos Gonzalez Xitumul, and Sebastian Sarpec. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. I also wish to thank the following professional persons and colleagues who graciously offered me their scholarly counsel: Ruud van Akkeren, Luis Antonio, Megan Berry, Amd Adj Both, Bruce Byland, Ed Carter, Maribel Mateo Hill, Frank Hosticka, David Lubman, Carroll Edward Mace, Barbara Mundy, Charles Nichols, Jeffrey Nussbaum, Linda O’Brien-Rothe, Dale Olsen, Esther Pasztory, Larry Polansky, Susan Rawcliffe, Julia Sanchez, Matthias Stoeckli, Dennis Tedlock, Alan Thrasher, Masahiro Umoto; David Olan and Peg Rivers at the Graduate Center Music Department; Elizabeth Tennenbaum at the Graduate Center English Department; Christina Elson, Mark Katzman, and Charles Spencer at the American Museum of Natural History; Ross Day, Ken Moore, and Leslie Lowe Preston at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Christine Campbell, Matt Delgado, and Charlotte Labbe at the Fordham University (Rose Hill Campus) Interlibrary Loan Office; David Dressing at the Tulane University Latin American Library; and Mark Pottinger and the Graduate Center Music Department’s Dissertation Research Committee, from which I received a financial award for fieldwork. I am especially indebted to friends, who like those above selflessly aided my cause, but who deserve special consideration because they tolerated abuses to our friendship, such as late-night calls, frantic meetings, and redundant questions. They include Constance Olds, Eric Richards, and Liz Wollman. Persons who were in one or both of the above categories, but also more directly involved in technical or hands-on assistance—such as PhotoShop instruction, CD labeling, and copyediting—include Edith Alston, Lannie Byars, and John Howell. I have told them that I would not have been able to put together the parts of this dissertation without their skills and talents, but here I state it formally and in print. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. As with all my creative efforts, I acknowledge the support and love of my parents, Gerald (“ Boots” ) Howell and Millicent Howell. For them, the pursuit of scholarship and art remains the highest of human efforts. With such encouragement I have been emboldened to follow many dreams, including this one. Finally, in a separate and special category, is my wife Stephanie Artz, to whom this work is dedicated. Her editorial skills, bookkeeping, field assistance, and creative ideas were only matched by her untiring support, patience, and unconditional love. It is not an understatement to acknowledge that this dissertation would not have been finished in as timely and loving a way without her personal involvement and encouragement. In conclusion, if there are faults in this document, they are mine. To the extent that they may appear to involve information from one or more of the persons listed above, such mistakes nevertheless reflect my misunderstanding of that information. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 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