Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 3-11-2019 A Conductor's Guide to Alec Roth's "A Time to Dance" Eric Z. Rubinstein Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Education Commons, Music Performance Commons, Music Practice Commons, and the Other Music Commons Recommended Citation Rubinstein, Eric Z., "A Conductor's Guide to Alec Roth's "A Time to Dance"" (2019). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 4822. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/4822 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. A CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE TO ALEC ROTH’S A TIME TO DANCE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music by Eric Z. Rubinstein B.M., State University of New York College at Fredonia M.M., Michigan State University May 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………………………………iv LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………………………………....v ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………………..vi INTRODUCTION Need for This Study ………………………………………………………………......…..1 Delimitations ……………………………………………………………………………...2 Methodology ……………………………………………………………………………...2 CHAPTER 1. BIOGRAPHY OF ALEC ROTH …………………………………………………5 CHAPTER 2. A TIME TO DANCE: GENESIS …………………………………………………..8 Compositional Influence…………………………………………………………………..9 Construction and Performance Expectations…………………………………………….11 CHAPTER 3. A TIME TO DANCE: ANALYSIS OF TEXT……………………………………13 Processional: Times and Seasons………………………………………………………..13 Prologue: Sunrise……………………………..………………………….…………...….13 Part I: Spring Morning …………………………………………………………………..15 Part II: Summer Noon …………………………………………………………………...19 Part III: Autumn Evening ………………………………………………………………..27 Part IV: Winter Night………………………………………………………………….…33 Epilogue: Sunrise………………………………………………………………..……….38 AfterDance: Proper Exercise ……………………………………………………………42 CHAPTER 4. A TIME TO DANCE: ANALYSIS OF MUSIC ………………………………….43 Processional: Times and Seasons …………………………………………….………….44 Prologue: Sunrise………………………………………………………………………...44 Part I: Spring Morning …………………………………………………………………..46 Part II: Summer Noon …………………………………………………………………...57 Part III: Autumn Evening ………………………………………………………………..67 Part IV: Winter Night…………………………………………………………………….74 Epilogue: Sunrise…………………………………………………………..…………….80 AfterDance: Proper Exercise ………………………………………………………....…83 CHAPTER 5. REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS………………….85 A Time to Dance as a Whole ……………………………………………...……………..85 Processional, Prologue, and Part I: Spring Morning …………………………………….89 Part II: Summer Noon …………………………………………………………………...95 Part III: Autumn Evening ………………………………………………………………..96 Part IV: Winter Night, Epilogue, and AfterDance………………….……………………97 ii CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………………...100 BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………………………...101 APPENDIX A. AN INTERVIEW WITH ALEC ROTH …………………………...…............105 APPENDIX B. TEXTS AND SOURCES ……………………………….………………….....111 APPENDIX C. IRB APPROVAL ………………………………………………………….….115 VITA …………………………………………………………………………………………...116 iii LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Processional……………………………....44 Table 4.2. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Rise Up………………………………...…45 Table 4.3. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Awake……………………………………46 Table 4.4. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Infant Joy…………………………………49 Table 4.5. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Dancing on the hill-tops……………….…50 Table 4.6. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Dance there……………………………….51 Table 4.7. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Let them love……………………………..55 Table 4.8. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: In Summer’s heat……………………...…57 Table 4.9. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Thirsty Fly………………………………..62 Table 4.10. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Little Fly………………………………...64 Table 4.11. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Give all the love………………………...65 Table 4.12. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: O Autumn……………………………….67 Table 4.13. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Humdrum……………………………….68 Table 4.14. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Autumnal………………………………..70 Table 4.15. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: The Evening Star………………………..72 Table 4.16. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Snowflakes……………………………...74 Table 4.17. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: A glee for winter………………………..77 Table 4.18. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: Lights out……………………………….78 Table 4.19. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: The secret of the sun……………………81 Table 4.20. A Herford Analysis on A Time to Dance: AfterDance: Proper Exercise……………83 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Out of the Wood,” mm. 14-15………………………45 Figure 4.2. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Rise Up,” mm. 1-5…………………………………..46 Figure 4.3. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Awake,” mm. 21-30………………………………...48 Figure 4.4. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Dancing on the hill-tops,” mm. 13-19………………51 Figure 4.5. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Dance there,” mm. 29-36…………………………...53 Figure 4.6. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Nothing is so beautiful,” mm. 20-22………………..54 Figure 4.7. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Let them love,” mm. 10-15…………………………56 Figure 4.8. Georges Bizet, Carmen, “Habanera,” mm. 1-4……………………………………...58 Figure 4.9. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “In summer’s heat,” mm. 3-5………………………...59 Figure 4.10. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “In summer’s heat,” mm. 44-55…………………….60 Figure 4.11. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “A Something,” mm. 21-26………………………...61 Figure 4.12. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Thirsty Fly,” mm. 1-11…………………………….63 Figure 4.13. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Humdrum,” mm. 100-102…………………………69 Figure 4.14. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “The Evening Star,” mm. 17-35…………………….73 Figure 4.15. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Snowflakes,” mm. 1-4……………………………..75 Figure 4.16. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Lights out,” mm. 1-6………………………………79 Figure 4.17. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Processional,” mm. 7-10…………………………..79 Figure 5.1. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Infant Joy,” mm. 9-24……………………………….92 Figure 5.2. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Nothing is so beautiful,” mm. 13-22………………..94 Figure 5.3. Alec Roth, A Time to Dance, “Humdrum,” mm. 43-54……………………………..97 v ABSTRACT The purpose of this monograph is to provide a comprehensive analysis and conductor’s guide for Alec Roth’s masterwork, A Time to Dance. This study will explore the origins of this work, provide rehearsal and performance considerations, and bring greater attention to its composer, Alec Roth. Compared to his English contemporaries, Alec Roth’s (b.1948) music is lesser-known within the British tradition. Roth composes for choir, orchestra, and musical theatre and is also well-known for his contributions to both the guitar and gamelan repertory. His music spans a variety of languages, voicings, orchestrations, and levels of difficulty, as he is also noted for his work with children’s choirs. Roth’s music has been performed by the choirs of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The Sixteen, and Ex Cathedra with whom he premiered A Time to Dance in 2012.1 A Time to Dance demonstrates a diverse poetic and musical landscape, celebrating the “times and seasons of human existence.”2 This study will focus on textual and musical analyses of the work as well as performance consideration for the prospective conductor. It will also provide additional information on the life of the composer and the creation of the work. This paper will, in turn, inform future conductors and build a platform for Alec Roth and his music. 1 “Biography,” Biography, Alec Roth, accessed June 16, 2018, http://www.alecroth.com/about/ 2 John Quinn, “Birmingham Dances to Alec Roth’s tune,” Seen and Heard International, September 15, 2012, accessed June 16, 2018. http://seenandheard-international.com/2012/10/birmingham-dances-to-alec-roths-tune/ vi INTRODUCTION Need for This Study Choral conductors and pedagogues are constantly searching for new, interesting repertoire, and I pose that directors are often drawn to modern music because of its innovative approach. A Time to Dance maintains a musical quality that many would consider traditional, from form, to voice leading, to tonicizations and the like, while incorporating modern elements: atonalities, vocal affects, unexpected metric shifts, and performance staging among others. This study will show that Roth’s work can be called “modern” while still being approachable for ensembles and audiences of all levels. A Time for Dance is an intermediate-level small masterwork written for SATB soloists, SATB mixed choir, baroque orchestra, and auxiliary percussion. Choral and instrumental conductors alike will find this piece to be a true collaborative effort as it highlights all members of the ensemble equitably. Though the entire work is connected by a few central themes, each movement is defined by its own poetry, texture, and character. This study will discuss the work as a whole, but prospective conductors should also feel encouraged to excerpt a movement