DEPICTION THROUGH EVOCATION, REPRESENTATION, AND INTROSPECTION: AN EXAMINATION OF DAVID MASLANKA’S UNACCOMPANIED MARIMBA SOLOS Corey R. Robinson, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 201 8 APPROVED: Mark Ford, Major Professor Warren Henry, Committee Member Christopher Deane, Committee Member John Holt, Chair of the Division of Instrumental Studies Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music John W. Richmond, Dean of the College of Music Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Robinson, Corey R. Depiction through Evocation, Representation, and Introspection: An Examination of David Maslanka’s Unaccompanied Marimba Solos. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), August 2018, 94 pp., 48 figures, bibliography, 46 titles. The primary purpose of this study is to provide connections between a formal motivic analysis and the programmatic content of David Maslanka’s three works for unaccompanied marimba: Variations on Lost Love (1977), My Lady White (1980), and A Solemn Music (2013). A comparison of the compositional process of each of these works is proposed through terms of Maslanka’s use of depiction. Depiction is the action or result of representing through drawing, painting, or other art form, in this case, music. In each work for unaccompanied marimba, Maslanka uses this process of depiction in a unique way. The depictive mediums are categorized as evocative, representative, and introspective and these distinct approaches to depiction lead to three drastically different musical works. The different methods of depicting source materials are the distinguishing characteristics that separate these three works for solo marimba. This document includes a motivic analysis and comparisons of compositional devices used in these three works. A brief overview of Maslanka’s life and works as well as a listing of all of his works that feature percussion instruments are also included. Copyright 2018 by Corey R. Robinson ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First I would like to thank Leigh Howard Stevens, Lauren Vogel Weiss, and Andrew Eldridge. Thank you for spending some time talking with me and sharing information about these works that are so special to each of you. Second, thank you to Mark Ford, Christopher Deane, and Dr. Warren Henry for working with me and guiding me over the past four years. Beyond the incalculable musical guidance you have provided, each of you has monumentally shaped the ways that I think about music, teaching, and how to be successful throughout a career in this profession. Thank you next to my parents. From beginning piano lessons to countless hours listening to my practicing to attending every concert that you could, I thank you for your patience and support. Lastly, I wanted to thank my loving wife, Amy for her unending support and encouragement. Thank you all. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE ....................................................................... 1 Biography ............................................................................................................................ 2 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2. SIGNIFICANCE AND STATE OF RESEARCH .................................................. 7 CHAPTER 3. EVOCATIVE DEPICTION IN VARIATIONS ON LOST LOVE .......................... 10 Use of Evocative Depiction .............................................................................................. 13 Theme ............................................................................................................................... 16 Part I .................................................................................................................................. 19 Part II ................................................................................................................................ 23 Part III ............................................................................................................................... 33 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 40 CHAPTER 4. REPRESENTATIVE DEPICTION IN MY LADY WHITE ................................... 43 Use of Representative Depiction ...................................................................................... 44 Movement I – “Madrigal – My Lady White” ................................................................... 46 Movement II – “Spring. Birds Sing. A Gift of Rings” ............................................. 50 Movement III – “For Pretty Alison” ................................................................................. 56 A Connecting Thread ........................................................................................................ 60 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 61 CHAPTER 5. THE INTROSPECTIVE DEPICTION IN A SOLEMN MUSIC ........................... 62 The Use of Introspective Depiction .................................................................................. 63 Part 1 ................................................................................................................................. 65 Part 2 ................................................................................................................................. 68 Part 3 ................................................................................................................................. 71 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 76 CHAPTER 6. SYNTHESIS OF THIS STUDY ........................................................................... 78 iv APPENDIX: CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF WORK BY DAVID MASLANKA FEATURING PERCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 81 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 91 v LIST OF FIGURES All music examples are used with permission from these copyright holders: “Variations on Lost Love” by David Maslanka © 1983 Marimba Productions, Inc. “My Lady White” by David Maslanka © 1981 Marimba Productions, Inc. “A Solemn Music” by David Maslanka © 2015 by Maslanka Press. Page Figure 3.1: Variations on Lost Love, Theme, mm. 1-5 ................................................................. 17 Figure 3.2: Variations on Lost Love, Theme, mm. 8-12 ............................................................... 18 Figure 3.3: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 13-15 ............................................................... 20 Figure 3.4: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 19-25 ............................................................... 21 Figure 3.5: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 29-30 ............................................................... 21 Figure 3.6: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 36-38 ............................................................... 22 Figure 3.7: Variations on Lost Love, Part I, mm. 52-55 ............................................................... 22 Figure 3.8: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 56-59 .............................................................. 24 Figure 3.9: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 60-62 .............................................................. 25 Figure 3.10: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 68-78 ............................................................ 26 Figure 3.11: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 79-83 ............................................................ 27 Figure 3.12: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 108-114 ........................................................ 28 Figure 3.13: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 115-122 ........................................................ 29 Figure 3.14: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 123-134 ........................................................ 30 Figure 3.15: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 179-182 ........................................................ 32 Figure 3.16: Variations on Lost Love, Part II, mm. 184-188 ........................................................ 32 Figure 3.17: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 189-198 ...................................................... 34 vi Figure 3.18: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 227-235 ...................................................... 35 Figure 3.19: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 282-285 ...................................................... 37 Figure 3.20: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 298-308 ...................................................... 37 Figure 3.21: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 320-329 ...................................................... 38 Figure 3.22: Variations on Lost Love, Part III, mm. 330-333 ...................................................... 39 Figure 4.1: My Lady White, Movement I, mm. 1-7