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Section 51 (2) provides that "Where a manuscript, or a copy. of a thesis or other similar literary work that has not been published is kept in a library of a university or other similar institution or in an archives. the copyright in the thesis or other work is not infringed by the making of a copy of the thesis or other work by or on behalf of the officer in charge of the library or archives if the copy is supplied to a person who satisfies an authorized officer of the library or archives that he requires the copy for the purpose of research or study'. *'Thesis' includes 'treatise', dissertation' and other similar productions. mm m m11 11~ ~0000000614928438~ ~,m i ~i1 1~~ ~llii~ LIBRARY ~--·-....::::._.:.:...-..-23n 'l ..,, ': The Creative Process in Don Banks' Early Chamber Music A Sketch Study of Three Studies for Cello and Piano and Three Episodes for Flute and Piano Volume I Analysis Marcus Hartstein A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Conservatorium of Music University of Sydney 2000 UBRARY /,, 9<>() ·~-;\\ -~~ Abstract When Don Banks returned to London in the summer of 1953 after a year of study in Florence, his formal studies in composition were complete. Having arrived in London in 1950, he had worked for two years with Matyas Seiber in such areas as musical structure, form and analysis, and in 1952 had attended the summer course in Salzburg conducted by Milton Babbitt and devoted to a study of serialism. It was later that year that he undertook his studies with the renowned contrapuntalist Luigi Dallapiccola in Florence. On his return to London, Banks began work on a set of variations for cello and piano, but after writing fifteen pages of sketches he revised his plans, producing instead Three Studies for Cello and Piano. The large number of sketches for the abandoned fragment and the completed work, both of which are serial, allows a detailed analysis of his creative process which demonstrates his increasing confidence as a composer. Banks did not return to the duo medium until more than ten years later, when he completed Three Episodes for Flute and Piano, which is also serial. Analysis of the sketches for this work reveals that his working methods and basic compositional materials bear a striking resemblance to those employed in the composition of Three Studies. In both cases, his reliance on preliminary sketches decreases as composition progresses and he increasingly writes directly into a score. The remarkable similarity between his serial units and rhythmic motives for both works suggests that the relationship between the two works may have been a conscious one. Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Richard Toop for his great wisdom, enthusiasm and humour throughout my candidature and Anna Maslowiec for many hours of expert assistance and guidance with the notation of the musical examples. I am indebted to Mrs Val Banks, without whose consent a detailed examination of the Banks Collection would not have been possible, and to Nelson Cooke for giving freely of his time and allowing access to his collection. My thanks are also due to Lewis Cornwell, Victoria Hartstein, Nicola Young and the library staff both at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the National Library of Australia. 11 . Contents Volume I Analysis Abstract ................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ii Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. v 1 The years before Three Studies for Cello and Piano: A brief biography ........... I 2 Introduction to the sketch pages for Variations for Cello and Piano (1953) and Three Studies for Cello and Piano (1953-54) ............................................ 9 3 The sketches for Variations for Cello and Piano . .. ... ... ... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. 15 4 The preliminary sketches for Three Studies for Cello and Piano and a comparative analysis of the Variations and Studies rows ...................... 45 5 The sketches for Study I ................................................................................. 49 6 The sketches for Study II .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 80 7 The sketches for Study Ill .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 97 8 1954-1964 The years between Three Studies and Three Episodes ............... 115 9 Introduction to the sketch pages for Three Episodes for Flute and Piano . .. 121 10 The preliminary sketch pages for Three Episodes for Flute and Piano .. .. .. 127 11 The sketches for Episode I ........................................................................... 138 12 The sketches for Episode II .......................................................................... 175 13 The sketches for Episode III . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 185 14 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 202 Bibliography ....................................................................................................... 207 111 Volume II Musical Examples and Appendices Musical examples, Chapter 3 (Variations for Cello and Piano) Musical examples, Chapter 4 (Three Studies for Cello and Piano, preliminary sketches and a comparative analysis of the Variations and Studies rows) Musical examples, Chapter 5 (Study I) Musical examples, Chapter 6 (Study II) Musical examples, Chapter 7 (Study III) Musical examples, Chapter 10 (Three Episodes for Flute and Piano, preliminary sketches) Musical examples, Chapter 11 (Episode I) Musical examples, Chapter 12 (Episode II) Musical examples, Chapter 13 (Episode III) Appendices A Banks' sketch pages for Variations for Cello and Piano and Three Studies for Cello and Piano B Banks' sketch pages for Three Episodes for Flute and Piano IV Introduction It has been said of Don Banks ( 1923-80) that he never threw anything away and the vast Banks Collection housed in the National Library of Australia bears testament to this 1 Among the surviving items from a life in music spanning more than forty years are the sketch pages for most of his completed compositions as well as for numerous and often unidentifiable incomplete works. These works, in a variety of genres, reflect his diverse musical interests and studies, which included jazz, counterpoint, serialism and film music. Substantial sketch material exists for Three Studies for Cello and Piano (1953- 54) and Three Episodes for Flute and Piano (1964), the sketch pages for the former including a sizeable series of sketches for a work that never eventuated, Variations for Cello and Piano. Three Studies was his first piece following the completion of his formal studies and Three Episodes his next foray into the duo medium after a decade of accomplishment in a number of genres. The sketches for these two works provide an opportunity to examine in some detail Banks' compositional process at the outset of his career and at the height of his success while a comparative analysis of his methods and materials provides some insight into how this process evolved, if at all, during the intervening period. It is intended that the two volumes of this study be used simultaneously, with the re-creation of Banks' compositional process explained by a combination of textual and notation-based analysis. The sketch pages are reproduced as accurately as possible and any details that remain unclear are accompanied by an italic question mark. All Banks' work is shown in Roman type while my 1 "He was