MESTRADO COMPOSIÇÃO E TEORIA MUSICAL A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha 06/2017 A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha MESTRADO M COMPOSIÇÃO E TEORIA MUSICAL A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Composição e Teoria Musical Professor Orientador Professor Doutor Eugénio Amorim Professora Coorientadora Professora Doutora Daniela Coimbra 06/2017 A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha Dedico este trabalho a todos os homens e todas as mulheres de boa vontade. A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha Agradecimentos À minha filha Luz, que me dá a felicidade de ser sua mãe, pelo incentivo. Aos meus pais Ana e Luís, pelo apoio incondicional. A Ermelinda de Jesus, pela ajuda sempre disponível. À Fátima, à Joana e à Mariana, pela amizade profunda. Ao José Bernardo e aos avós Teresa e António José, pelo auxílio. Ao Pedro Fesch, pela compreensão e pela aposta na formação dos professores em quem confia. A António Correia, pela presença constante. A Fernanda Silva e Paulo Moreira, pela ajuda nas visitas à biblioteca e pelos dois dedos de conversa. A António Salgado e Cláudia Marisa, e alunos da classe de canto, pela entrega na produção e na encenação. A Pedro Monteiro, pela generosidade na colaboração como maestro. A Dimitris Andrikopoulos, pela forma consistente com que fortalece os alunos de composição. A Luís Antunes Pena e Rui Dias, pela abertura a novas cores do som. A Yolanda Espiña, pelo estímulo filosófico. A Miguel Ribeiro-Pereira, pelo fraterno desafio intelectual e humano que coloca aos alunos. A David Miguel, pela revisão e sugestões, que foram valiosíssimas. Por fim, a Eugénio Amorim e Daniela Coimbra, pela orientação serena e inspiradora, sem a qual esta aventura não teria sido possível. A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha Resumo O projeto musical de onde esta dissertação provém pretende apresentar uma nova visão, composicional e hermenêutica, do Cântico dos Cânticos, um texto do Antigo Testamento, no âmbito da tendência estilística conhecida predominantemente, até agora, como Nova Simplicidade. Uma obra foi construída com sucesso, utilizando as abordagens associadas à Nova Simplicidade. O texto que se segue constitui a componente teórica do projeto. A parte prática (partitura, tapes e patch) está incluída, a ser levada a cena no Museu da Misericórida, numa parceria com a Pós-Graduação em Ópera e Estudos Músico-Teatrais da ESMAE - P. Porto. Palavras-chave Cântico dos Cânticos, composição, Nova Simplicidade. A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha Abstract The musical project from which this dissertation stems is intended to present a new vision, compositional and hermeneutic, of the Song of Songs, a text of the Old Testament, in the scope of the stylistic approach broadly known, until now, as New Simplicity. An oeuvre was successfully built, using the approaches linked to New Simplicity. The following text is the theoretical component of the project. The practical part (score, tapes and patch) is enclosed, to be performed in the Museu da Misericórdia, through a partnership with the Postgraduate Course in Opera and Musical Theatre Studies of ESMAE - P.Porto. Keywords Song of Songs, composition, New Simplicity. A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha Index Dedicatória ........................................................................................... i Agradecimentos ................................................................................... iii Resumo ................................................................................................ v Abstract ................................................................................................ vi Index .................................................................................................... vii Figure Index ......................................................................................... ix Introduction .......................................................................................... 1 1. CHAPTER I. New Simplicity – historical roots and state of the art ......................................................................................... 3 1.1. New Simplicity as a movement and a stylistic approach .... 3 1.2. Emergence of New Simplicity as a concept ........................ 4 1.3. Positioning of Carl Dahlhaus regarding New Simplicity ...... 6 2. CHAPTER II. First group of composers associated to the New Simplicity trend .................................................................. 13 2.1. Germany ............................................................................. 13 2.2. Influence of Schönberg on the New Simplicity trend .......... 15 2.3. On Rihm .............................................................................. 17 3. CHAPTER III. Second group of composers associated to the New Simplicity trend ............................................................ 23 3.1. Album releases of unprecedented success ........................ 23 3.2. On Górecki .......................................................................... 26 3.3. On Tavener ......................................................................... 28 3.4. On Pärt ............................................................................... 30 4. CHAPTER IV. On the importance of emotional impact and pleasure in music, and immediate perception of the musical phenomenon, throughout history ............................................... 35 4.1. On the Florentine Camerata ............................................... 35 A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha 4.2. On the visions of the impact of music in the human being throughout history ...................................................................... 36 5. CHAPTER V. On tonality and structure ................................. 41 6. VI. Scores .............................................................................. 43 7. CHAPTER VII. Overview of the technical approaches chosen for the work ................................................................... 171 8. CHAPTER VIII. Conclusions. Remarks on the plausibility of the keyword New Simplicity – strengths, weaknesses and possibilities ................................................................................ 181 Bibliography .............................................................................. 187 A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha Figure Index Figure 1 ............................................................................................... 175 Figure 2 ................................................................................................ 175 Figure 3 ................................................................................................ 177 Figure 4 ................................................................................................ 178 Figure 5 ................................................................................................ 178 Figure 6 ................................................................................................ 179 A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha Introduction During my major, a number of creative positionings was presented throughout the intensive work led by our teachers. After the completion of the major, I had an enriched vision of the several aesthetical currents that thrive in composition. Of all the trends that were studied, New Simplicity had the strongest impact on me, both intellectually and emotionally. It was, therefore, a mature, pondered choice that presented itself to me when a path had to be taken in a clearer definition of a creative strategy in my masters degree. Whether or not this trend is yet to receive another designation, the creativity and strength that emanates from the composers whose portrait I carve in these pages is the example I wish to follow, in humble consideration of my capacities. 1 A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha 2 A perspective of New Simplicity in contemporary composition: Song of Songs as a case study. Isabel Maria Pereira Barata da Rocha CHAPTER I. New Simplicity – historical roots and state of the art 1.1. New Simplicity