Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Major Papers Graduate School 2002 A conductor's study of George Rochberg's three psalm settings David Lawrence Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_majorpapers Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Lawrence, David, "A conductor's study of George Rochberg's three psalm settings" (2002). LSU Major Papers. 51. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_majorpapers/51 This Major Paper 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 Major Papers by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A CONDUCTOR’S STUDY OF GEORGE ROCHBERG’S THREE PSALM SETTINGS A Monograph 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 School of Music By David Alan Lawrence B.M.E., Abilene Christian University, 1987 M.M., University of Washington, 1994 August 2002 ©Copyright 2002 David Alan Lawrence All rights reserved. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................vi LIST OF EXAMPLES ............................................................................................................vii ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND BIOGRAPHY............................................................1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................1 George Rochberg: A Brief Biography..............................................................................2 CHAPTER 2. INTRODUCTION TO THE THREE PSALMS ..............................................15 General Background.......................................................................................................15 Background of the Structure...........................................................................................16 CHAPTER 3. PSALM 23 ........................................................................................................20 Text.................................................................................................................................20 Form ...............................................................................................................................23 Pitch Content ..................................................................................................................23 Horizontal and Vertical Characteristics..........................................................................29 CHAPTER 4. PSALM 43 ........................................................................................................40 Text.................................................................................................................................40 Form ...............................................................................................................................43 Pitch Content ..................................................................................................................43 Horizontal and Vertical Characteristics..........................................................................50 CHAPTER 5. PSALM 150 ......................................................................................................67 Text.................................................................................................................................67 Form ...............................................................................................................................69 Pitch Content ..................................................................................................................69 Horizontal and Vertical Characteristics..........................................................................74 CHAPTER 6. REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS ....................101 Pitch Issues ...................................................................................................................102 Temporal Issues............................................................................................................107 Diction ..........................................................................................................................111 Overall Interpretive Considerations .............................................................................117 Psalm 23 ..............................................................................................................118 Psalm 43 ..............................................................................................................119 Psalm 150 ............................................................................................................120 Conclusion....................................................................................................................123 iii WORKS CITED....................................................................................................................125 APPENDIX A: ROCHBERG’S CHORAL MUSIC.............................................................127 APPENDIX B: COMPLETE MATRIXES...........................................................................128 APPENDIX C: INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET TRANSLITERATION.....131 APPENDIX D: CROSS VOICING IN EACH SETTING....................................................134 APPENDIX E: PERMISSION TO REPRINT IN A DISSERTATION ...............................135 VITA......................................................................................................................................139 iv LIST OF TABLES 1. Detail Form of Psalm 23 ..................................................................................................24 2. Detail Form of Psalm 43 ..................................................................................................44 3. Detail Form of Psalm 150 ................................................................................................70 v LIST OF FIGURES 1. Row used in Schönberg’s Phantasy for Violin and Piano, Op. 47. ..................................16 2. Overall Form of Psalm 23. ................................................................................................23 3. Row used in Psalm 23. ......................................................................................................27 4. Mirror inversion in Psalm 23. ...........................................................................................27 5. Interval content of row used in Psalm 23..........................................................................29 6. Whole-tone scales used in Psalm 23 row..........................................................................29 7. Overall Form of Psalm 43. ................................................................................................43 8. Row used in Psalm 43. ......................................................................................................48 9. Mirror inversion of the row used in Psalm 43...................................................................48 10. Intervals in the row used in Psalm 43. ..............................................................................48 11. Overall form of Psalm 150................................................................................................69 12. Row used in Psalm 150 .....................................................................................................69 13. Mirror inversion in the Psalm 150 row .............................................................................74 14. Triplet rhythm treatments used in Psalm 43....................................................................108 15. Suggested rhythm change for ve-ma-g’lay......................................................................115 16. Range for Psalm 23 .........................................................................................................119 17. Range for Psalm 43 .........................................................................................................120 18. Range for Psalm 150 .......................................................................................................122 vi LIST OF EXAMPLES 1. Psalm 23, measures 19–20 ................................................................................................28 2. Psalm 23, measures 1–6 ....................................................................................................30 3. Psalm 23, measures 6–10 ..................................................................................................31 4. Psalm 23, measures 10–14 ................................................................................................32 5. Psalm 23, measures 15–18 ................................................................................................33 6. Psalm 23, measures 19–23