Renderings. Iowa Research Online. University of Iowa. Zachary David Fischer University of Iowa. Theses and Dissertations.

Transcription

1 University o Iowa Iowa Research Online Theses and Dissertations Summer 2010 Renderings Zachary David Fischer University o Iowa Coyright 2010 Zachary David Fischer This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: htt://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/666 Recommended Citation Fischer, Zachary David. "Renderings." PhD (Doctor o Philosohy) thesis, University o Iowa, htt://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/666. Follow this and additional works at: htt://ir.uiowa.edu/etd Part o the Music Commons

2 RENDERINGS by Zachary David Fischer An Abstract O a thesis submitted in artial ulillment o the requirements or the Doctor o Philosohy degree in Music in the Graduate College o The University o Iowa July 2010 Thesis Suervisor: Proessor David K. Gomer

3 1 In February o 2009 I began collaborating with the oet Margot Lurie on a series o songs or sorano voice and a large chamber ensemble. We worked searately or the ollowing year and a hal, meeting intermittently to exchange ideas and materials. I chose three oems o similar tone and thematic content, each illustrating a dierent "scene" which serves as a metahor revealing a ersective o the human condition. Then I comosed the music to suort the text, reserving its raw clarity by allowing the iece to unold on the surace level through simle harmonies and a rimarily conjunct, seech- like vocal melody, as well as by controlling the density o instrumental textures and the rate at which new itch inormation is introduced. The multile meanings o the title are relected in the work on several reresentational levels: as the vocal melody is rendered (distilled) rom the surrounding harmony, the harmonies themselves render (surrender) their ercetual weight to the text, which is in itsel a rendering (deiction). Abstract Aroved: Thesis Suervisor Title and Deartment Date

4 RENDERINGS by Zachary David Fischer A thesis submitted in artial ulillment o the requirements or the Doctor o Philosohy degree in Music in the Graduate College o The University o Iowa July 2010 Thesis Suervisor: Proessor David K. Gomer

5 Graduate College The University o Iowa Iowa City, Iowa CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL PH.D. THESIS This is to certiy that the Ph. D. thesis o Zachary David Fischer has been aroved by the Examining Committee or the thesis requirement or the Doctor o Philosohy degree in Music at the July 2010 graduation. Thesis Committee: David Gomer, Thesis Suervisor Lawrence Fritts Jennier Iverson Jerry Cain Charlotte Adams

6 To Monica ii

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS INSTRUMENTATION PROGRAM NOTE AND TEXT iv v RENDERINGS 1 Still Lie 1 Figure: Geese 20 A Russian Sel-Portrait 6 iii

8 Flute Oboe Clarinet in Bb Bassoon/Contrabassoon INSTRUMENTATION Horn in F Trumet in Bb Trombone Tuba Percussion 1 Drum Set Bass Drum, Floor Tom, Snare Drum, Wood Blocks (2), Cowbell, Susended Cymbal, Triangle Glockensiel Vibrahone Gong (large) Percussion 2 Marimba Vibrahone Crotales Large Bass Drum Susended Cymbal Timani (2) Piano Violin 1 Violin 2 Viola Violoncello Double Bass iv

9 PROGRAM NOTE AND TEXT In February o 2009 I began collaborating with the oet Margot Lurie on a series o songs or sorano voice and a large chamber ensemble. We worked searately or the ollowing year and a hal, meeting intermittently to exchange ideas and materials. I chose three oems o similar tone and thematic content, each illustrating a dierent "scene" which serves as a metahor revealing a ersective o the human condition. Then I comosed the music to suort the text, erserving its raw clarity by allowing the iece to unold on the surace level through simle harmonies and a rimarily conjunct, seech-like vocal melody, as well as by controlling the density o instrumental textures and the rate at which new itch inormation is introduced. The multile meanings o the title are relected in the work on several reresentational levels: as the vocal melody is rendered (distilled) rom the surrounding harmony, the harmonies themselves render (surrender) their ercetual weight to the text, which is in itsel a rendering (deiction). v

10 Still Lie I went to disgorge the bird rom the cat's jaw. Flayed on its neck-gut, its gargoyle erch held an unidentiiable ul. A glimmer o matter. At its haunches there were summer ears o corn, blood-olished. Hi-bones aused in leaing, one aw still ositioned to urge the bird downward its olyed tongue like tinder oised to lush the cornhusks orange against the butchered mass as i birthing the baby through the mouth Figure: Geese The geese were out, big as myth Their sand-grit knuckles slaing the ashalt. They rased he stumbled - and tracking through the grass He almost elt The iron heat o the neck constricted as i a cry: Reent! A iery brushstroke in the sky. His heart was a target, his heart was a target and he had sewn gold coins into his breast ocket his heart was a target his heart was a void vi

11 A Russian Sel-Portrait 1 I draw the shawl around my arms. There is a waltz laying. I am bent over the sewing machine. My ingers are wax-cold, like taers. 2 The needle stos and I am singing My arms are ools o lymh, they are driing I see the horses coming at a gallo. 4 The color o my hair, a aer bag. The cabinets thick wood and newsaer-clotted. Nylon ools at my knees. 5 I kicked and kicked at the church door. 6 My name is Manya But in the new world they will call me Margot, and my grandchildren will have long names, names o angels 7 You ick a ish by its eye. The eye o a good ish is clear as a sleewalker's. 8 I kicked and kicked. I could hear them breathing inside My ace was clay, was stone. My skull a vault o sky. 9 My name is Margot But call me Mara For my lie has been made bitter 10 The needle stos and I am shaking By Margot Lurie. Used by ermission. vii

12 RENDERINGS Score in C Zachary Fischer (2010) Text by Margot Lurie Still Lie Violently (q=72) Flute Oboe Clarinet in Bb Contrabassoon Horn in F Trumet in Bb Trombone Tuba Percussion 1 Percussion 2 Piano Sorano Violin 1 Violin 2 Viola Violoncello Double Bass Drum Set Snares on m Marimba 2010 by Zachary Fischer sm m m izz. izz. 1

13 2 Cbsn. Tt. 8 sz loco take Bassoon 5

14 Tt. 12 m m m I went m to dis -gorge the bird rom the cat's jaw. Flayed m m m m on its neck-gut its izz. izz. izz. izz.

15 4 Tt. 17 m m gar-goyle erch held an un-i-den-ti-i-a-ble ul. m to Glockensiel subito

16 5 22 m take Piccolo m m m Tt. m m m m m m m m m Glockensiel harm. m to Drum Set

17 6 Tt. Very Slowly (q=45) 29 Piccolo m A glim - mer o mat - ter. Drum Set m m mute mute

18 7 Tt. Piu Mosso (q=60) m m m m m m m m to Glockensiel m 7 m m Hurriedly 5 At its haun-ches, there were sum-mer ears o m 5 m m m m take Contrabassoon

19 8 Tt. 6 m corn, m m izz. m m izz. Soken, sotly blood-ol-ished izz. take Flute m izz. izz.

20 9 Cbsn. Tt. Temo Primo (q=72) 40 Flute 6 m m m m m Glockensiel to Drum Set loco m Hi- bones aused in lea-ing one aw still os-i-tioned m m m m m m m m

21 10 Cbsn. Tt. 45 oen oen to urge the bird down loco izz. - ward its m m m oly -ed tongue like tin-der oised izz. izz. izz. m izz. izz. m izz. m m izz. Drum Set

22 Cbsn. Tt. Freely, Faster (q=100) 48 to m Whiser, excitedly lush the corn husks - o range - Contrabassoon 11

23 12 Cbsn. Tt. A temo (q=72) 51 5 m m m m 7 5 m m m m m m m m m

24 1 Cbsn. Tt. 55 m 5 hold ed. until m. 67 to Large Bass Drum

25 14 Cbsn. Tt. 59 m 7 to Glockensiel Piano interior with medium yarn mallets m Large Bass Drum to Marimba 5 5

26 15 Cbsn. 64 take Bassoon Tt. Marimba m m m m m m m Glockensiel a - gainst the but-chered mass m as i

27 16 70 m 6 m Tt. to Timani to Crotales bir-thing the ba - by through the mou - - th

28 17 77 m m Tt.

29 18 Tt mute mute m m m m m m

30 19 Tt. 82 m m sub. m m sub. m m sub. m sub. Timani m mute 5 5 m sub mute attacca

31 Tt. Figure: Geese Moderato (q=72) 85 m m m Crotales m m m Anxiously The geese were out, sz sz sz ont. sz oen oen oen oen to Glockensiel m to Vibrahone m big 20 as

32 Tt. m my Glockensiel Vibrahone th To Drum Set m m m izz. m izz. m

33 22 96 Più Mosso (q=96) Tt. m m sz m sz Forceully their sand- grit knuck-les sla-ing the as - halt. izz. m m izz. m Drum Set Cross-Stick izz. izz. sz m m

34 2 A Temo (q=72) 100 Tt. to Crotales m m Crotales m Susended Cymbal scrae with triangle beater Snare Drum with drum stick 5 Triangle with beater They rased, he stum-bled and track-ing through the grass 5 sul ont. sul ont. sul ont. sul ont. sul ont. nat.

35 24 Tt. 10 m m 5 5 m 6 5 Snare Drum with drum sticks to Large Bass Drum m m to Large Gong he al-most elt the i-ron heat othe neck 5 con-stric -ted as i a m m m m nat. m m m

36 25 Tt. 106 cry 5 Large Bass Drum with medium yarn mallets

37 26 Tt. 109 m Re - ent! Large Gong with sot yarn mallets Susended Cymbal Drum Set with drum sticks

38 Tt. 5 5

39 28 Tt to Glockensiel Marimba to Crotales to Marimba loco loco izz. izz. izz. izz.

40 29 Tt m izz. m subito m subito m subito izz. izz. m subito izz. 5

41 0 Much Slower (q=45) 124 Tt. nat. sul ont. sul ont. m m Ah nat. Ah sul ont. m nat. sul ont. nat. m m

42 1 Tt. 129 take Contrabassoon m Glockensiel m accel. Much Faster (q=100) m Crotales m m m Ah m m m Shouted as a warning A ie-ry brush-stroke in the m m m m

43 2 Temo Primo (q=76) 14 Cbsn. Tt. m to Vibrahone Vibrahone m m sky. subito subito subito subito His heart was a tar - get, His heart was a tar -

44 141 Cbsn. Tt. get and he had sewn gold coins in-to his breast ock - et 6 6 m

45 4 Cbsn. Tt. 147 m mute m m His heart was a tar - get. m m m m m oen mute oen m Contrabassoon oen

46 5 Cbsn. Tt. 154 rall. His heart was a void. take Bassoon m to Triangle, Large Bass Dr. to Crotales sul ont.

47 6 Horn in F Tt. Piano Sorano Forceully (q=60) m m m Crotales m m m Triangle Large Bass Drum To Vibrahone izz. 7 m sz sz To Marimba A Russian Sel-Portrait sz sz m m Bassoon m 6 loco izz.

48 7 Tt. 16 m m m Vibrahone To Large Bass Drum m Marimba m Vigorously loco I draw the shawl a-round my izz. loco izz. izz. izz. izz.

49 8 166 (Ab) (Ab) Tt. m m m m m arms. m There is a waltz lay-ing. I am bento-ver the m sz izz. izz. sz

50 9 170 take Piccolo Piccolo m m Tt. Sotly sew-ing ma chine. - My ing -ers are wax -cold, like ta-ers. to Gong m m

51 40 Tt. 176 take Flute Flute take Piccolo mute Large Bass Drum to Glockensiel Gong with sot yarn mallets The nee-dle stos and I am sing-ing. m m m m m m m m sz Glockensiel m m to Drum Set to Large Bass Drum m loco sul ont. sul ont. sul ont.

52 m Tt. m Drum Set 7 Large Bass Drum to Marimba

53 Tt. oen Cross Stick nat. m m Marimba izz. m My arms are ools o lymh, 7 7 m Forceully m 5 m m m m m they are dri-ing izz. izz. izz. izz. 5 7

54 4 190 Tt. Snares o sz m I see to Timani m m the hor-ses com -ing at a gall 5 - o. izz. izz. izz. 5 5 izz. izz.

55 44 19 Tt. Timani m Lazily The col-or o my hair, a a-er bag. The cab-i-nets thick wood sul ont. sul ont.

56 Tt. 5 m To Vibrahone and news-a-er clot -ted. Ny-lon ools atmy knees. m izz. nat. m izz. m m m m

57 Angrily (q=84) Tt. Vibrahone to Drum Set 5 5 m m I kicked and kicked at the church door izz.

58 47 Tt. Temo rimo (q=60) 205 m 5 sz m m m m m m sz m m m My name is Man-ya but in the new world they will Triangle

59 Tt. Susended Cymbal scrae with triangle beater Triangle call m me Mar- got, and mygrand-child ren will have long names, Soken, suddenly names o an-gels izz. izz. izz. izz.

60 Slightly Faster, with Determination (q=92) Tt.

61 Tt. m Soken, as a mother to a child You ick a ish by its eye. The eye o a

62 Tt. good ish is clear as a slee-walk -er's

63 sz sz sz Tt. 7 m m

64 5 221 m m m Tt. m

65 54 Tt. Più Mosso (q=100) 22 m m I kicked and kicked. m Drum Set Timani m m I could hear them breath-ing in -side. mute m loco

66 55 Tt. 227 molto rit. m m Sotly, with building intensity My ace mute oen oen 7 to Large Bass Drum loco m Largo (q=50) was clay, loco

67 56 21 Tt. Large Bass Drum m m m m m m loco to Marimba m was stone. My skull a vault o sky. 5 6

68 57 Tt. 25 sz m m to Vibrahone Ah Ah sz

69 58 Tt. Anxiously (q=100) rall. 240 sz Sweetly My name m Marimba m m is Mar-got but m Angrily 5 izz. sz izz. sz sz izz. Vibrahone izz. call me Ma-ra or my lie has been made sz sz sz izz.

70 59 Very Slowly (q=50) 245 Tt. sul ont. sz sul ont. sz sul ont. sz Soken sadly m Soken reverently bit-ter The need-le stos and I am shak-ing sul ont. sz sul ont. sz