SUN (1966): EIGHT POEMS IN ONE MOVEMENT FOR SOLO VOICE AND ORCHESTRA BY NED ROREM: BACKGROUND, ANALYSIS, AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE Soohee Jung, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2012 APPROVED: Jeffrey Snider, Major Professor and Chair, Division of Vocal Studies Paula Homer, Committee Member Elvia Puccinelli, Committee Member Lynn Eustis, Director of Graduate Studies, College of Music James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Jung, Soohee. Sun (1966): Eight Poems in One Movement for Solo Voice and Orchestra by Ned Rorem: Background, Analysis, and Performance Guide. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), May 2012, 71 pp., 17 musical examples, 2 figures, bibliography, 39 titles. The purpose of the document is to present Ned Rorem’s Sun (1966): Eight Poems in One Movement for Solo Voice and Orchestra. The eight songs are “To the Sun,” “Sun of the Sleepless,” “Dawn,” “Day,” “Catafalque,” “Full Many a Glorious Morning,” “Sundown Lights,” and “From What Can I Tell My Bones?” The document is divided into four main chapters: 1) Background; 2) Poet and Poem Background; 3) Musical Analysis; 4) Performance Guide. Chapter 1 contains biographical information on Ned Rorem, and basic information of the work, Sun. Here, a relationship between the eight songs is presented. Chapter 2 discusses biography of poet and background of the poem. The poetry is examined to determine the theme and to identify imagery, and metaphor. Chapter 3 offers detailed musical analysis for each of the eight songs and interludes. Chapter 4 provides performance guide which offers assistance in forming personal interpretation and brief specifies to singers who wish to perform this work. Appendix A includes tonality, difficulty, tempo, form, theme, range, and orchestration of each song and interlude. This study serves as a reference guide for performers of Sun. Copyright 2012 by Soohee Jung ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank Dr. Snider for providing the opportunity to attain a doctoral at UNT, and I would thank Dr. Puccinelli for her guidance in the eight poems. Also, I am indebted to my colleagues and friends, Laurissa, Liz, Elliot and Joe, as my primary readers for my document. Leaving my country to embark on a doctorate and thus completely change the direction of my life has been one of my greatest challenges. Even though I left my family and friends, they continued to help and encourage me. I finally wish to thank my father and brother for their incredible love and support. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...........................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................................vi LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES................................................................................................vii Chapters 1. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1 2. BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................3 Biography of Ned Rorem.........................................................................................3 The Creation of Sun.................................................................................................5 3. POET AND POEM BACKGROUND................................................................................8 King Ikhnaton (free translation by Ned Rorem): “To the Sun”...............................8 George Gordon Byron: “Sun of the Sleepless”......................................................10 Paul Goodman: “Dawn”.......................................................................................12 William Blake: “Day”............................................................................................14 Robin Morgan: “Catafalque”.................................................................................16 William Shakespeare: “Full Many a Glorious Morning”......................................18 Walt Whitman: “Sundown Lights”........................................................................19 Theodore Roethke: “What Can I Tell My Bones?”...............................................21 4. MUSICAL ANALYSIS....................................................................................................24 “To the Sun”..........................................................................................................24 “Sun of the Sleepless”...........................................................................................28 Interlude.............................................................................................................31 “Dawn”................................................................................................................31 “Day”.....................................................................................................................33 Interlude.................................................................................................................34 “Catafalque”.........................................................................................................35 Interlude.................................................................................................................38 “Full Many a Glorious Morning”.....................................................................38 Interlude.................................................................................................................41 “Sundown Light”................................................................................................42 Interlude.................................................................................................................44 “From What Can I Tell My Bones?”.....................................................................44 iv Coda.......................................................................................................................47 5. PERFORMANCE GUIDE...............................................................................................49 “To the Sun”..........................................................................................................49 “Sun of the Sleepless”............................................................................................51 “Dawn”...............................................................................................................52 “Day”.....................................................................................................................53 “Catafalque”..........................................................................................................53 “Full Many a Glorious Morning”..........................................................................55 “Sundown Lights”.................................................................................................55 “From What Can I Tell My Bones?”......................................................................56 6. CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................58 APPENDIX A: OVERVIEW OF SUN .......................................................................................60 APPENDIX B: ORCHESTRATION TABLE................................................................................66 APPENDIX C: PERMISSION......................................................................................................68 BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................................................................................69 v LIST OF FIGURES Page 1. Text Setting in “Sun of the Sleepless.”..............................................................................28 2. Key Changes of “Sun of the Sleepless.”............................................................................29 vi LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Page 1. Beginning of the vocal line in “To the Sun” mm. 5-8.......................................................24 2. Transition from A to B, in “To the Sun” mm. 21-23.........................................................25 3. The B section in “To the Sun” mm. 24-26 ................................................................26 4. The climax, in “To the Sun” mm.50-52 .....................................................................27 5. Beginning of the A" section in “Sun of the Sleepless,” mm. 22-24...........................29 6. Last four measures of “Sun of the Sleepless” mm.29-32 ..........................................30 7. Beginning of “Dawn” mm.1-4 ..................................................................................32 8. A large arch shape of “Day” mm.12-13 ......................................................................34 9. Imitation of eight notes “Catafalque” mm.17-20 ........................................................36 10. A transition between A and B sections “Catafalque” mm. 29-32 ...............................37 11. Ascending arppegio of “Full Many a Glorious Morning” mm. 3-6 ...........................39 12. Beginning of the B section of “Full Many a Glorious Morning” mm. 28-30 .............40 13. Middle of the Interlude, after “Full Many a Glorious Morning” mm. 11-13 .............42 14. Beginning of “Sundown