Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2016 A Performance Guide for Thomas Pasatieri's Bel Canto Songs for Voice and Piano Amy Robin Porter Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Porter, Amy Robin, "A Performance Guide for Thomas Pasatieri's Bel Canto Songs for Voice and Piano" (2016). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1496. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1496 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. A PERFORMANCE GUIDE FOR THOMAS PASATIERI’S BEL CANTO SONGS FOR VOICE AND PIANO A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music by Amy Robin Porter B.M., Louisiana State University, 1998 M.M., Mannes College of Music, 2000 Professional Studies Diploma, Mannes College of Music, 2002 May, 2016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Grateful acknowledgement is given to those whose encouragement and assistance made this document possible: To Dr. Lori Bade, my first and final collegiate voice professor, who has always been my fervent advocate and mentor. Your nurturing leadership and vocal guidance have molded me into the singer and teacher that I am today. I will be forever grateful for your kindness, expert advice, and help. To Dr. Kenneth Fulton. Your meticulous musicianship, dedication to scholarship, and unfailing wit have been an inspiration to me. I am honored by all your encouragement and support. Thank you for all that you have done for me. To my committee members Dr. Loraine Sims, whose humor and wisdom have been so helpful to me, and Dr. Paolo Chirumbolo, for your patience during this long process. To my parents, Mike and Ramona Porter, who have been my greatest of supporters in so many ways, and my brothers Alan and Aron Porter, whose love and laughter have been such an important part of my life. Thank you for always being there for me. To my many wonderful colleagues, friends, and students in Spokane, WA, where I have had the great pleasure to teach at Whitworth and Gonzaga Universities. Thank you all for your patience and support. I am especially grateful for the advice and musical partnership of pianist and friend Mary J. Trotter. Your beautiful playing and thoughtful insight have been a blessing. And finally to composer Dr. Thomas Pasatieri, whose patience and willingness to share his keen insight helped make this project possible. Thank you for your beautiful music and for being such a champion for vocal repertoire and singers. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................. ii LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................................ iv ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................. viii INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTERS 1. THOMAS PASATIERI................................................................................................. 5 Biographical Information......................................................................................... 5 Compositional Style............................................................................................... 21 2. WILLIAM BLAKE..................................................................................................... 30 Biographical Information....................................................................................... 30 Religious and Political Aspects of Work............................................................... 56 Writing Style.......................................................................................................... 60 3. BEL CANTO SONGS ................................................................................................... 67 General I.nformation.............................................................................................. 67 Dedications.............................................................................................................71 Analysis of Songs, with Performance Suggestions................................................76 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................ 137 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................................ 147 APPENDICES A. TEXTS OF BEL CANTO SONGS ............................................................................. 153 B. BLAKE’S ILLUMINATION OF POEMS AND RELATED MATERIAL............. 157 C. TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS PASATIERI........................... 164 D. VOCAL WORKS BY THE COMPOSER................................................................ 176 E. WORKS BY THE POET........................................................................................... 185 F. LETTERS OF PERMISSION....................................................................................195 VITA............................................................................................................................................ 199 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Musical structure of “The Garden of Love,”.................................................................. 79 Figure 2: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 1-2............................................................................ 80 Figure 3: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 6-10.......................................................................... 81 Figure 4: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 10-12........................................................................ 81 Figure 5: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 14-18........................................................................ 82 Figure 6: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 18-21........................................................................ 83 Figure 7: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 22-28........................................................................ 83 Figure 8: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 28-31........................................................................ 84 Figure 9: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 32-34........................................................................ 85 Figure 10: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 36-38...................................................................... 85 Figure 11: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 39-41...................................................................... 86 Figure 12: “The Garden of Love,” Measures 42-45...................................................................... 86 Figure 13: “Laughing Song,” Measures 12-16.............................................................................. 90 Figure 14: Musical structure of “Laughing Song”......................................................................... 90 Figure 15: “Laughing Song,” Measure 1....................................................................................... 91 Figure 16: “Laughing Song,” Measures 17-28.............................................................................. 92 Figure 17: “Laughing Song,” Measures 12-15.............................................................................. 93 Figure 18: “Laughing Song,” Measures 17-23.............................................................................. 93 Figure 19: “Laughing Song,” Measures 22-28.............................................................................. 94 Figure 20: “Laughing Song,” Measures 32-41.............................................................................. 95 Figure 21: “Laughing Song,” Measures 43-51.............................................................................. 96 iv Figure 22: “Laughing Song,” Measures 59-63.............................................................................. 97 Figure 23: Musical structure of “To the Evening Star”............................................................... 101 Figure 24: “To the Evening Star,” Measure 7..............................................................................102 Figure 25: “To the Evening Star,” Measures 28-29..................................................................... 102 Figure 26: “To the Evening Star,” Measures 14-19..................................................................... 103 Figure 27: “To the Evening Star,” Measures 17-22..................................................................... 103 Figure 28: “To the Evening Star,” Measures 37-40..................................................................... 104 Figure 29: “To the Evening Star,” Measures 7-8......................................................................... 105 Figure 30: “To the Evening Star,” Measures 28-30....................................................................