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Confluences Folk wisdom in contemporary music Christian Ferlaino Doctor of Philosophy Reid School of Music Edinburgh College of Art School of Humanities and Social Sciences The University of Edinburgh 2018 Declaration I hereby declare that I am the only author of this thesis. Contributions of others are indicated clearly, with reference to the literature or acknowledged otherwise. The work contained in this text has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. (Christian Ferlaino) i ii Abstract This thesis explores ways of adopting elements of Calabrian folk music in compositions of contemporary music beyond the mere adoption of melodies and instruments. Through this work, I aim to create a practice for contemporary improvisation and composition that is deeply imbued with elements derived from the music theory, the sonic environment and the performance practices of Calabria. The work described in this dissertation consists of two components: ethnomusicological research and a practice-based enquiry. This research focuses mainly on three aspects of Calabrian folk music: generative principles, the tuning system and processes of bagpipes, and soundscapes created by animal bells. These aspects guided both the ethnomusicological enquiry and the creative exploration. They are first described and analysed in their original context: folk music was studied in the field, amid and within the tradition bearers; research was conducted from a cultural and musicological perspective within the methodological and ethical framework of ethnomusicology. The data emerging from the ethnomusicological investigations informed the creative enquiry carried out through practice-led research. The outcomes of my investigation into Calabrian music became the core principles of my compositions of contemporary music. Generative principles were explored from the perspectives of both composition and improvisation They informed primarily a series of pieces for saxophone solo and a composition for chamber ensemble. The tuning system and processes of Calabrian bagpipes were investigated in compositions centred on pitch and extended harmonic spaces. They informed two compositions for string quartet and a piece for saxophone quartet. Soundscapes informed the composition of a piece of spatial music for goat bells that adopts indeterminacy methods for structuring the performance. The creative work, attached to this thesis as a portfolio of compositions, is analysed through self-reflective methods and in relation to the work of other contemporary music practitioners. My enquiry of the folk sources contributes to the field of ethnomusicology with new insight into Calabrian music. The creative processes and the techniques developed throughout this research also have implications for the broader field of contemporary music, as they offer a perspective on new ways of engaging creatively with folk materials. iii iv Lay Summary This thesis discusses the use of structural and cultural elements of Calabrian folk music as a resource for the composition of contemporary music. My work aims to create a practice for contemporary music that is deeply imbued with elements derived from the music theory, the sonic environment and the performance practices of Calabria. This objective is achieved both through analytical and practical research: the outcomes of research into Calabrian music inform the composition of original music. This thesis describes all the stages of such research, from the investigation into folk music to the application of its outcomes to the composition of new music. I researched music in Calabria, in Southern Italy, through ethnographic and ethnomusicological methods: I interviewed musicians, recorded music and participated in and observed occasions in which music plays a central role. In my studies of Calabrian music, I also drew on my experience as a musician trained in that folk tradition. I used the outcomes of that research as the fundamental musical materials of the music I composed throughout the doctorate. I composed six pieces of contemporary music which involve improvisation together with written and indeterminate scores. These pieces explore the following topics: the generative principles of Calabrian dance music; the peculiarities of the local bagpipes, especially regarding the instruments’ tuning system and repertoire; the cultural significance attributed by shepherds to the sound of goat bells. This research shows how a thorough understanding of folk music can inspire a creative exploration into contemporary music. v vi Acknowledgements First of all, I would like to express my sincere and immense gratitude to my supervisors, Raymond MacDonald and Peter Nelson. Raymond has provided support and insight with great enthusiasm and inexhaustible encouragement. Peter has offered extremely valuable suggestions, always opening up new territories for me to explore. Their constant guidance was paramount for completing this research. A huge thanks to my parents, who have always supported my choices and have encouraged me to pursue my aspirations. Thanks to Alessio Bressi, Andrea Bressi, and the members of Felici & Conflenti, research mates and fellow folk musicians, for the continuous exchange of information and for providing support in organising research campaigns. A special thanks to Vincenzo La Vena, who introduced me to ethnomusicological research and continues to offer new stimuli for investigating further. I am grateful to my colleagues and friends from Edinburgh College of Art, with whom I shared much of my time during the doctorate, supporting each other with inputs, suggestions, and reflections. Love and gratitude to the gang at the Foffice, friends with whom I shared too much to be described in these few words: Marie Claude Codsi, Diljeet Bachu, Tomke Kossen-Veenhuis. Thanks to Joy Vamvakari and Shelly Coyne for the constant support. A special thanks to Foffice mate Rafael Subia Valdez, for the passionate discussions about music and the long listening sessions. This work is dedicated to Sophia Forck, for me the most important discovery of this research. vii viii Table of Contents Declaration ................................................................................................................... i Abstract ...................................................................................................................... iii Lay Summary .............................................................................................................. v Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. vii Table of Contents ...................................................................................................... ix List of Figures.......................................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 Folk music as a resource for contemporary music....................................... 1 1.2 Motivation ...................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Research questions ...................................................................................... 5 1.4 Thesis overview ............................................................................................ 7 1.5 Transcribing vernacular names .................................................................... 8 Chapter 2 Folk Music Enquiry ............................................................................... 9 2.1 Ethnographic methods .................................................................................. 9 2.2 Auto-ethnography ....................................................................................... 13 2.3 Decoding and analysing sound .................................................................. 14 2.4 Music analysis ............................................................................................. 16 2.5 Variation, improvisation, extemporisation ................................................... 18 2.6 Data collection............................................................................................. 21 2.7 Summary ..................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 3 Calabrian music .................................................................................. 25 3.1 State of research in Calabria ...................................................................... 26 3.2 Economy of means