Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2004 Commercialism, Accessibility, Popularity, and Originality in American High-Art Music: Richard Danielpour, a Case Study Ruth Ruggels Akers Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC COMMERCIALISM, ACCESSIBILITY, POPULARITY, AND ORIGINALITY IN AMERICAN HIGH-ART MUSIC: RICHARD DANIELPOUR, A CASE STUDY By RUTH RUGGLES AKERS A Dissertation submitted to the School of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy Fall Semester, 2004 Copyright © 2004 Ruth Ruggles Akers All Rights Reserved i The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Ruth Ruggles Akers defended on 29 October 2004. ______________________________ Denise Von Glahn Professor Directing Dissertation ______________________________ Neil Jumonville Outside Committee Member ______________________________ Charles Brewer Committee Member ______________________________ Carolyn Bridger Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks to my major professor Denise Von Glahn for asking excellent questions and for her unceasing efforts to tighten my prose. Thanks also to the other members of my committee for the hours they have devoted to my project. Many thanks to Richard Danielpour for his willingness to discuss his music and answer my countless questions. I also wish to express my gratitude to Philippe Drevet for the many ways his musicianship and our friendship have shaped my life, including his help with renewing my acquaintance with Richard Danielpour. Thank you, Christopher O’Riley, for your intervention that made the first phone call a reality. Thanks to Schirmer Music Publications, editor Debra Horne, and composer agent Norman Ryan for their assistance with information, cassettes of premieres, and perusal scores. Thanks also to Christopher McGlumphy for the time he spent laboriously copying the Schirmer file of Danielpour’s press clippings for me. I am grateful to those who were so willing to share their knowledge and/or love of Richard Danielpour: Sony producer Steven Epstein, pianist Lorin Hollander, violinist Andrés Cárdenes, among others, and Richard’s family, Mehri Danielpour Weil and Debbie Danielpour Chapel. I am also grateful to many of my own family members who were sources of information, editorial suggestions, and encouragement—especially my sisters, Dr. Lois Bartelme and Elizabeth Paul, for their expertise in English and in emotional counseling through the occasionally frustrating experience of completing this dissertation. I particularly want to thank my children, Bob, Ryan, and Lisa Dawn, for their belief in me. Bob was also my computer doctor, the creator of the music examples in the text, and my electronic formatting guru. Special thanks to my husband, Les, for making it possible for me to pursue this quest for so many years! Finally, thank you, Lord, for being my Source of joy, energy, and strength. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................. v List of Musical Examples .............................................................................................. vi Abstract .......................................................................................................................... x 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 2. CHILDHOOD INFLUENCES AND EARLY EDUCATION ................................ 22 3. GRADUATE STUDIES, EARLY WORKS, AND IMPORTANT CONTACTS ......................................................................... 32 4. TEACHING, TRAVELING, AND COMPOSING ................................................. 60 5. PIANO WORKS ...................................................................................................... 73 6. VOCAL AND CHORAL WORKS ......................................................................... 98 7. CHAMBER WORKS .............................................................................................. 131 8. ORCHESTRAL WORKS ........................................................................................ 161 9. INFLUENCES FROM THE PAST ......................................................................... 186 10. POSTLUDE ............................................................................................................. 213 APPENDICES A: Table of Danielpour Compositions in Alphabetical Order ....................................... 222 B: Complete Danielpour Discography .......................................................................... 232 C: Copyright Permission Letters..................................................................................... 235 D: Human Subject Approval Letter .............................................................................. 240 E: Informed Consent Form .......................................................................................... 242 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................... 244 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ......................................................................................... 261 iv LIST OF TABLES 1. An American Requiem ....................................................................................... 108 2. Danielpour Compositions in Alphabetical Order .............................................. 222 v LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES 3.1 Danielpour, Piano Sonata, mm. 1-4 ....................................................................... 46 3.2 Danielpour, Piano Sonata, mm. 28-30 .................................................................. 47 3.3 Danielpour, Piano Sonata, mm. 130-34 ................................................................ 48 3.4 Danielpour, First Light, mm. 282-4 ..................................................................... 55 3.5 Randall Thompson, Alleluia, mm. 1-4 ................................................................. 55 3.6 Danielpour, First Light, mm. 1-3 ......................................................................... 56 3.7 Danielpour, First Light, mm. 182-4 ..................................................................... 57 3.8 Danielpour, First Light, mm. 132-4 ...................................................................... 58 5.1 Danielpour, Quintet for Piano and Strings, “Annunciation,” mm. 1-3 ................. 77 5.2 Danielpour, Quintet for Piano and Strings, “Annunciation,” mm. 17-8 ............... 79 5.3 Danielpour, Quintet for Piano and Strings, “Apotheosis,” mm. 1-3 .................... 80 5.4 Danielpour, The Enchanted Garden, “From the Underground,” mm. 37-38 ....... 81 5.5 Danielpour, The Enchanted Garden, “Night,” mm. 1-4 ....................................... 82 5.6 Danielpour, The Enchanted Garden, “Mardi Gras,” mm. 1-3 .............................. 83 5.7 Danielpour, The Enchanted Garden, “From the Underground,” mm. 1-3 ........... 83 5.8 Danielpour, The Enchanted Garden, “Mardi Gras,” mm. 7-8 ............................... 84 5.9 Danielpour, The Enchanted Garden, “Mardi Gras,” mm. 45-7 ............................ 86 5.10 Danielpour, The Enchanted Garden, “Childhood Memory,” mm. 33-4 .............. 88 vi 5.11 Danielpour, Piano Concerto No. 2, “Prophecy,” mm. 109-11 .............................. 90 5.12 Danielpour, The Enchanted Garden, “Mardi Gras,” m. 13 .................................. 90 5.13 Danielpour, Piano Concerto No. 3, Theme, mm. 1-2 ........................................... 93 5.14 Danielpour, Piano Concerto No. 3, “Virgo,” mm. 458-9 ..................................... 95 5.15 Danielpour, Piano Concerto No. 3, “Scorpio,” mm. 407-10 ................................ 96 6.1 Danielpour, Elegies, “Vigil,” mm. 1-2 ................................................................. 104 6.2 Danielpour, Elegies, “Vigil,” mm. 24-27 ............................................................. 104 6.3 Danielpour, Elegies, “Lacrimosa,” mm. 158-63 ................................................... 105 6.4 Danielpour, An American Requiem, Pie Jesu, mm. 133-42 .................................. 110 6.5 Danielpour, An American Requiem, Introit, mm. 1-6 ........................................... 111 6.6 Danielpour, An American Requiem, Sanctus, mm. 1-7 ........................................ 113 6.7 Danielpour, An American Requiem, “Can’t you see,” mm. 1-7 ........................... 114 6.8 Danielpour, An American Requiem, “Lay this body down,” mm. 92-8 ................ 115 6.9 Danielpour, An American Requiem, Agnus Dei, mm. 12-14 ................................ 115 6.10 Danielpour, An American Requiem, “Sea winds, blown,” mm. 82-6 ................... 116 6.11 Benjamin Britten, War Requiem, Sanctus, 6 mm. before No. 84 ........................ 118 6.12 Britten, War Requiem, “Pleni sunt caeli,” 5 mm. before No. 86 ............................ 119 6.13 Danielpour, An American Requiem, “Pleni sunt coeli,” mm. 62-4 ....................... 120 6.14 Danielpour, An American Requiem, “Hosanna,” mm. 71-4 ................................. 121 6.15 Danielpour, An American Requiem, “Sea winds, blown,” mm. 98-101 ............... 124 6.16 Danielpour,