Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2007 Signifyin(g): A Semiotic Analysis of Symphonic Works by William Grant Still, William Levi Dawson, and Florence B. Price Scott David Farrah Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC SIGNIFYIN(G): A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF SYMPHONIC WORKS BY WILLIAM GRANT STILL, WILLIAM LEVI DAWSON, AND FLORENCE B. PRICE By SCOTT DAVID FARRAH A Diss rtation submitt d to th Coll g of Musi. in partial fulfillm nt of th r 0uir m nts for th d gr of Do.tor of Philosophy D gr A1ard d: Spring S m st r, 2007 Copyright 5 2007 S.ott David Farrah All Rights R s rv d Th m mb rs of th Committ approv th Diss rtation of S.ott David Farrah d f nd d on Mar.h 27, 2007. 7an Pip r Cl ndinning Prof ssor Dir .ting Diss rtation Ma8in D. 7on s Outsid Committ M mb r Mi.ha l Bu.hl r Committ M mb r Matth 1 R. Shaft l Committ M mb r Th Offi. of Graduat Studi s has v rifi d and approv d th abov nam d .ommitt m mb rs. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My 9ourn y to th .ompl tion of this diss rtation has b n a long, and som tim s arduous, und rta:ing. I 1as only abl to .ompl t this tas: b .aus of th lov and support that I r . iv d from my fri nds and family, sp .ially that of Sara Kl in 1ho .onstantly n.ourag d m through both my good and most trying tim s. I 1ould li: to than: th m mb rs of my .ommitt , Prof ssors Bu.hl r, Shaft l and 7on s for th ir assistan. in .ompl ting my diss rtation. Sp .ial than:s go to my advisor, Prof ssor 7an Pip r Cl ndinning, for h r guidan. and 8p rt ditorial s:ills, 1ithout 1hi.h th 0uality of this study 1ould b gr atly diminish d. Finally, I 1ould li: to 8t nd my appr .iation to th library staffs of th Univ rsity of Ar:ansas and Emory Univ rsity 1ho provid d m 1ith .opi s of th manus.ript s.or s of th E minor Symphony and th Negro Folk Symphony r sp .tiv ly. Th s t1o s.or s 1 r int gral to my ov rall pro9 .t and having th m r adily availabl 1as a : y part of my s.holarly su.. ss. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tabl s............................................................................................................. vi List of Figur s ........................................................................................................... vii Abstra.t ..................................................................................................................... 8ii 1. CHAPTER ONE: Introdu.tion and Biographi s of Compos rs .......................... 1 Introdu.tion ................................................................................................... 1 William Grant Still........................................................................................ 3 William L vi Da1son ................................................................................... 7 Flor n. B atri. Pri. ................................................................................. 10 Con.lusion..................................................................................................... 14 2. CHAPTER TWO: Th ory D v lopm nt for Bla.: Topi.s in Musi. .................. 15 3. CHAPTER THREE: William Grant Still?s Afro-American Symphony ............... 29 First Mov m nt ............................................................................................. 31 S .ond Mov m nt......................................................................................... 42 Third Mov m nt............................................................................................ 52 Fourth Mov m nt.......................................................................................... A3 4. CHAPTER FOUR: Flor n. Pri. ?s E-minor Symphony................................... 7A First Mov m nt ............................................................................................. 7A S .ond Mov m nt......................................................................................... 90 Third Mov m nt............................................................................................ 103 Fourth Mov m nt.......................................................................................... 114 5. CHAPTER FIVE: William L vi Da1son?s Negro Folk Symphony .................... 127 First Mov m nt ............................................................................................. 129 S .ond Mov m nt......................................................................................... 137 Third Mov m nt............................................................................................ 144 A. CHAPTER SIC: Con.lusions .............................................................................. 155 iv BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................... 159 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .................................................................................... 170 v LIST OF TABLES 2.1 Univ rs of Bla.: Topi.s.............................................................................. 19 3.1 Formal Outlin , Still First Mov m nt........................................................... 32 3.2 Formal Outlin , Still S .ond Mov m nt....................................................... 43 3.3 32-bar popular song form, Still S .ond Mov m nt ...................................... 45 3.4 Formal Outlin , Still Third Mov m nt ......................................................... 54 3.5 Formal Outlin , Still Fourth Mov m nt........................................................ A4 4.1 Formal Outlin , Pri. First Mov m nt ......................................................... 77 4.2 Formal Outlin , Pri. S .ond Mov m nt..................................................... 91 4.3 Formal Outlin , V rs -R frain form, Pri. S .ond Mov m nt.................... 9A 4.4 Formal Outlin , Pri. Third Mov m nt D7ubaE............................................ 105 4.5 Formal Outlin , Pri. Fourth Mov m nt...................................................... 114 5.1 Formal Outlin , Da1son First Mov m nt .................................................... 129 5.2 Formal Outlin , Da1son S .ond Mov m nt................................................ 138 5.3 Formal Outlin , Da1son Third Mov m nt................................................... 145 vi LIST OF FIGURES 2.1 Call and R spons , DGo do1n, Mos sE ........................................................ 20 2.2 R p tition, DSom tim s I F l Li: a Moth rl ss Chil E............................. 21 2.3 Riff, Sammy Nesti.o?s Hay Burner, mm 99-105 ......................................... 22 2.4 Blu s S.al .................................................................................................... 23 2.5 Oth r Blu s S.al Constru.tions................................................................... 24 2.A Elision, S.humann, DNachtlied,E Op. 9A, No. 1............................................ 25 2.7 Syn.opation, from Run Mary Run................................................................. 2A 2.8 Gapp d and P ntatoni. S.al s....................................................................... 27 2.9 P ntatoni. S.al s........................................................................................... 28 3.1 Constru.tion of E8t nd d Chords................................................................. 29 3.2 Illustration of Ia7 and V7/ IV .......................................................................... 30 3.3 Chromati. mov m nt from Ab ma9or to G ma9or......................................... 33 3.4 DBlu sE Th m , Still First Mov m nt........................................................... 34 3.5 Standard t1 lv -bar Blu s Progr ssion......................................................... 35 3.A Still?s DBlu s th m E 1ith t1 lv -bar Blu s Progr ssion............................. 35 3.7 Voi. -l ading s: t.h, Still First Mov m nt, mm. 1-29 ................................ 3A 3.8 Sarg ant?s 7aHH Cad n. s.............................................................................. 38 3.9 S .ondary th m , Still First Mov m nt, mm 45-52 ..................................... 39 vii 3.10 Voi. -l ading s: t.h, Still First Mov m nt, mm 44-52 ............................... 39 3.11 D v lopm ntal Th m , Still First Mov m nt, mm 74-81 ............................ 41 3.12 D v lopm ntal Th m Variation, Still First Mov m nt, mm 82-85 ............ 41 3.13 Voi. -l ading s: t.h, Still S .ond Mov m nt, mm 1-4A............................. 47 3.14 Chord Progr ssion, Still S .ond Mov m nt, mm 1-A................................... 48 3.15 Triton Substitutions..................................................................................... 49 3.1A Blu s th m and Introdu.tory Th m , Still S .ond Mov m nt ................... 51 3.17 Blu s Th m and S .ondary Th m , Still S .ond Mov m nt ..................... 51 3.18 Primary Th m (a), Still Third Mov m nt, mm 7-15................................... 55 3.19 Voi. -l ading s: t.h, Still Third Mov m nt, mm 8-15................................ 5A 3.20 (S .ondary (b)) Th m , Still Third Mov m nt, mm 1A-23 .......................... 57 3.21 Voi. -l ading s: t.h, Still Third Mov m nt, mm 1A-23.............................. 58 3.22 D v lopm nt of Primary Th m , Still Third Mov m nt, mm 47-58............ 59 3.23 Voi. -l ading s: t.h, D v lopm nt, Still Third Mov m nt, mm 47-58...... A0 3.24 Voi. -l ading s: t.h, Final A, Still Third Mov m nt, mm