UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: 12-Aug-2010 I, I-Chun Chiang , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Doctor of Musical Arts in Viola It is entitled: A Historical Technique from a Modern Perspective: The Transcription Scordatura in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 364 Student Signature: I-Chun Chiang This work and its defense approved by: Committee Chair: Catharine Carroll, DMA Catharine Carroll, DMA 8/18/2010 1,010 A Historical Technique from a Modern Perspective: The Transcription Scordatura in Mozart’s Sinfonia C oncertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 364 A document submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in the Division of Performance Studies of the College-Conservatory of Music August 2010 by I-Chun Chiang B.F.A., National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 1999 M.M., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2002 Committee Chair: Catharine Lee Carroll, D.M.A. A Historical Technique from a Modern Perspective: The Transcription Scordatura in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 364 Abstract In 1779, Mozart fused the complex orchestral writing of the Mannheim School with a popular Parisian genre in his sinfonia concertante for violin, viola and orchestra in E-flat major, K. 364. In accordance with the trends of his era, he cast the solo viola part in the friendly key of D major and he directed the strings tuned a semi-tone higher to brighten the sound, a technique known as scordatura . In the 19 th century, however, the rise of the conservatory system increased and standardized playing ability, and by the dawn of the 20 th century, many violists preferred to play the sinfonia concertante in the key of E-flat major rather than follow Mozart’s scordatura request. But if times change once, they can also change again. In the 1950s, the emergence of the historical performance practice movement shed new light on Mozart’s origina l instruction and today, the contemporary violist faces important questions. How should they regard Mozart’s tuning directive? Is scordatura simply a historical elective that fits best with period instruments? Do violists who ignore scordatura requests attribute their decision to personal artistic viewpoint or to a lack of knowledge about scordatura ? Does scordatura make a difference in how the piece comes across to an audience? iii The purpose of this paper is to investigate scordatura in the standard viola literature, to compare its effects and its advantages, and to re-examine Mozart’s scordatura request in his sinfonia concertante. The methodology will include a survey with audio examples to assess the impact of scordatura on a concert-going audience and will interview with a wide variety of performers, young professional violists, and luthiers to determine current attitudes toward scordatura . The document will culminate in a performance guide of Mozart’s sinfonia concertante based on conducted field tests and modern viewpoints on what is now considered an “old” technique. iv v Acknowledgments Many great performers, teachers, and colleagues contributed to this document. The first order of gratitude goes to my advisor, CCM Professor of Viola Dr. Catharine Carroll who not only inspired me to delve into the difficult subject of scordatura tuning, but guided me through the entire process. At the same time, I profoundly appreciate my two readers, CCM Professors Masao Kawasaki and Lee Fiser for their time and their insights. Special recognition, too, goes to concert violists Nobuko Imai and Paul Coletti for their kindness and generosity in answering the scordatura questionnaires. As they will soon read, my dear colleagues in the CCM Viola Studio played a big role in this paper, particularly Amy Cluggish, Henry Haffner, Miks Silis, and Cara Simpson. And, if there is one person who has read this paper more than twice, it is likely fellow CCM doctoral candidate Patrick Hanudel, whose English skills and editing suggestions have allowed me to present my research and my ideas clearly and succinctly. A round of thanks must extend to the free music composition and notation software by MuseScore , the members of the Cincinnati Taiwanese Presbyterian Ministry, and my wonderful friends for their fantastic support. Last but not least, I want to call attention to my family: my father Dr. Chwan-Yi Chiang, my mother Mei-Lien Chuang, and my husband Tai-Min Liu. Thank you for your unconditional love and patience...you mean the world to me. vi Contents Glossary ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................2 2. A Quest for Resonance ........................................................................................................6 Scordatura for the Violin .........................................................................................7 Scordatura for the Cello ........................................................................................10 Scordatura for the Viola ........................................................................................12 3. The Transcription Scordatura in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364 ........................21 Arguments For and Against ...................................................................................21 Transcription Scordatura in Mozart’s K. 364 ........................................................24 The Tertis Edition ..................................................................................................27 4. A Practical Guide to Scordatura in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364 ....................30 A New Genre .........................................................................................................30 Scordatura’s Effects in Mozart’s K. 364 , including Audio Demonstrations ........37 5. The Mozart Scordatura Field Test .....................................................................................44 6. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................53 Appendix A: An audience survey at a performance of Mozart ’s sinfonia concertante, K. 364 ..................................................................................................................................................55 Appendix B: A list of selected viola scordatura works ..........................................................56 Appendix C: The Mozart scordatura field test: Questionnaire ..............................................57 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................58 vii Glossary Pitch names: A pitch name will be indicated by a letter of the Latin alphabet in italics. For example, the highest string in a violin is e'' . The lowest string in a cello is C. Tunings for violin, viola, and cello: The four open strings of an instrument’s tuning will be indicated by a compound four-letter word in italics. For example, a viola’s standard tuning is c-g-d'-a'. m.: A letter than refers to measure numbers in the captions of the music examples. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction During the Baroque era, the modern string orchestra began to take shape and its SATB design, modeled after choral groups, produced a homogenous sound that proved to be the perfect backdrop to operas, concertos, and even parties. But while every member of the orchestra contributes equally to the final product, some have been doted on more than others. The violin, for one, boasts a treble singing tone and technical athleticism that quickly made it a favorite solo instrument, and the cello gives off a dark melancholy sound that late Classical and early Romantic composers could scarcely resist. By contrast, the viola and the double bass have relied on a handful of solo literature and chamber pieces, and with the recent emergence of the bass in jazz and rock bands, the viola often resembles the forgotten stepchild of the string family. One of its first big appearances, however, came courtesy of a violist and versatile musician who understood its expressive possibilities —Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In 1779, Mozart completed his sinfonia concertante in E-flat major for violin, viola and orchestra for a tour of Europe, a choice of genre perhaps intended to please audiences in Paris, a city that preferred the lighter concertante over the solo concerto. Yet the young composer wrote unusually virtuosic parts for both the violin and the viola, and he employed a common Baroque technique to help the violist amplify over the solo violinist and the orchestra. This device, known as scordatura (Italian for “mistuning”), requires the string player in question to manipulate his or her strings to sound a particular interval higher or lower. In Mozart’s sinfonia concertante, the solo violinist and the orchestra play in the key of the piece (E-flat major), and the solo violist plays in an easier key on open strings (D major), producing a more facile execution of 2 passagework and a brighter timbre. In this vein, the viola becomes not a weaker foil to the already brilliant violin, but an equal