UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO The Dawning of Musical Aspect in Process A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Music by Alexander Guy Obrecht Committee in Charge: Professor Jann Pasler, Chair Professor Jerry Balzano Professor Marcel H´enaff Professor Jane Stevens Professor Tracy B. Strong 2008 Copyright Alexander Guy Obrecht, 2008 All rights reserved. The dissertation of Alexander Guy Obrecht is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm: Chair University of California, San Diego 2008 iii To my parents. iv Contents Signature Page . iii Dedication . iv Table of Contents . viii List of Figures . xiii List of Tables . xv Acknowledgments. xv Vita.......................................................... xvii Abstract . xviii Introduction . .1 0.1 Doing and Naming . .1 0.2 The dream of singularity . .5 0.3 Multivalence . .9 0.4 Two key demonstrations . 12 0.4.1 The redundancy and selection of a set . 12 v 0.4.2 From emergent sets to consciousness, a quick step . 17 0.4.3 Structure-Preserving Transformations . 20 0.5 Theorizing the implicit . 25 0.6 The Wrap up: Naming is Doing . 30 1 Theory & Perception, an argument for dwelling . 32 1.1 The Primary Relationships . 35 1.2 An Outline of Four Theoretical Positions on the Listening-Theorizing Relationship . 36 1.2.1 Tool and Broken-tool . 36 1.2.2 Lerdahl and the Linguistic model . 43 1.2.3 Radical rejection of empirical validity . 47 1.2.4 Intuitive empathic recognition in the world . 60 1.3 Three musical cases . 75 1.3.1 Celin Dion, Near and Far . 75 1.3.2 Susanna is Waiting . 79 1.3.3 YES, a challenge to predicted response . 84 1.4 Conclusions . 91 1.4.1 Analytical Quality . 91 1.4.2 Analysis and the External-Mind . 94 2 Lewin's loop . 96 2.1 The Implication is Already: Coupling . 97 2.2 The Computational approach . 101 2.3 Language and singularity . 105 2.4 The possibility of simultaneous perceptions . 110 2.5 Crossing and Carrying Forward . 114 2.6 Performance as perception . 122 2.7 The Loop Undone . 128 3 A Musical Bridge, A Selective Crossing . 130 3.1 Putting the Voice . 133 3.2 Getting Inside . 136 3.3 The Odd Couple . 140 3.4 The Odd Couple Ties . 144 3.5 The Couple's Return . 151 3.6 A Trajectory . 153 3.7 The Drop . 155 vi 3.8 The Return . 158 3.9 What holds? . 161 4 Finding Time for Roses, Enactive Perception and Musical Time in Mozart's Garden Aria . 163 4.1 Enacting time . 164 4.2 The Roses . 166 4.3 At last, a moment has come . 169 4.4 Levarie's trajectory . 171 4.5 Allanbrook's punctuating contours, implication and realization 174 4.6 The dance instructor and the demon . 176 4.7 Pushing the problem back to the antecedent . 181 4.8 Mirrored Mirrors . 185 4.9 The Consequent . 188 4.10 Susanna's Transformation . 190 4.11 The erotics of the mirror . 193 4.12 Sinking into darkness . 197 4.13 Mobility found, the B section . 200 4.14 The unusual place of the Epode . 203 4.15 Enfolding the whole . 207 4.16 Conclusion . 209 5 An Other Garden Aria. 215 5.1 In the garden, Mart´ıny Soler's Garden Aria . 216 5.1.1 A Conversation . 216 5.1.2 An Opening . 219 5.1.3 A Measure . 224 5.1.4 A new opening . 229 5.2 Excursis into multivalence: pointing to the aspect-structure . 232 5.2.1 Carried-forward; Moving the aspect-structure . 234 5.3 Concluding phrases . 238 5.4 Temporary conclusions . 246 5.4.1 Multivalence, Performance, and the \right way" . 246 5.4.2 The problem of simple twos growing out of a complexity: a seductive return to the aria . 251 5.5 B: Centering on a displacement . 253 5.6 Coda . 266 5.7 Post-Coda . 268 vii 6 Conclusion: Observations on where things went and where they might go...................................................... 271 6.1 From dwelling to self-selective production . 271 6.1.1 Setting the stage, a reoriented method . 271 6.1.2 three analyses, three observations . 274 6.1.3 Larger conclusions: A systemic change in thought . 278 6.2 Difficulties . 280 6.3 Future applications . 283 Bibliography. 294 viii List of Figures Figure 0.1 Open item . 14 Figure 0.2 New set member produces aspect \squiggle tongue" . 15 Figure 0.3 What other aspects might this set find? What is the call that finds them? . 16 Figure 0.4 Structure preserving transformation. Each transform (i- vi) preserves some aspect of the original via a selective focusing (a center . 22 Figure 1.1 Multivalence tool: example of multiple intervalic and regis- tral processural possibilities. Excerpt from Tales coda, see x1.3.3 (fig. 1.5)............................................ 40 Figure 1.2 Schenkerian reduction . 80 Figure 1.3 Narmourian analysis . 81 Figure 1.4 \tonal" progression? Chardal transcription of coda/conclusion, Yes (Musical group), \Nous somme le soliel", Tales from Topographic Oceans........................................ 85 ix Figure 1.5 \Tales" coda (Anderson-Howe), guitar solo . 87 Figure 1.6 Multivalent processes i (mm. 1{5). 88 Figure 1.7 Multivalent processes ii (mm. 1{5).. 89 Figure 1.8 Whole tone progression with guitar seam tones. 90 Figure 2.1 Duck-rabbit. from Harpers Weekly 1892, 11/19, p.1114. Image copied by Harpers from Fliegende Bl¨atter, October 23, 1892, p. 147 . 111 Figure 2.2 Maiden and mother-in-law, Anonymous German postcard, 1888...................................................... 112 Figure 3.1 Mozart, Violin Sonata n.38 K.403 ii (andante), mm. 1{5. 132 Figure 3.2 Harmonic scheme mm. 1{2. 136 Figure 3.3 Detailed Narmourian analysis (upper voice mm. 1{2). 138 Figure 3.4 Lower voice processes. 139 Figure 3.5 Rhythmic processes (mm. 1{2). 142 Figure 3.6 Violin entry (mm. 2{5). 144 Figure 3.7 Melodic and Rhythmic processes (vln. mm. 2{5). 146 Figure 3.8 Second melodic reading (vln. & pno. mm. 3{5) cf. fig. 3.7.. 149 Figure 3.9 Large Registral Reversal (VR) in the \couple" (mm. 1{2 b.3)....................................................... 150 Figure 3.10 The break is healed over (mm. 4{5). 152 Figure 3.11 Alternate reading (pno. mm. 4{5).. 152 Figure 3.12 A trajectory, (mm. 2{16). 154 x Figure 3.13 Hearing as \tonal 12-tone" (mm. 16{19). 156 Figure 3.14 First pass melodic processes (mm.16{19).. 157 Figure 3.15 Second pass melodic processes (mm.16{19).. 158 Figure 3.16 False recapitulation and minor recapitulation (mm. 36{ 48)........................................................ 159 Figure 3.17 Extension of the Couple in the Recapitulation. 160 Figure 4.1 Vincent van Gogh, White Roses (1890) . ..