Similarities between two dissimilar American piano sonatas ... · EXAMPLE 23: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement III, mm. 31-35 • • • • • • .49 . 7 ABSTRACT

Similarities between two dissimilar Americanpiano sonatas of the 1960s: The second piano

sonatas of Robert Muczynski and Robert Starer.

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Authors Fosheim, Karen Marie.

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Similarities between two dissimilar American piano sonatas of the 1960s: The second piano sonatas of Robert Muczynski and Robert Starer

Fosheim, Karen Marie, A.Mus.D.

The Universi~ of Arizona, 1994

V·M·I 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor. MI 48106

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TWO DISSIMILAR AMERICAN PIANO SONATAS OF THE 1960S: THE SECOND PIANO SONATAS

OF ROBERT MUCZYNSKI AND ROBERT STARER

by

Karen Marie Fosheim

A Document Submitted to the Faculty of the

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS WITH A MAJOR IN PERFORMANCE

In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

1 9 9 4

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE

As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have

read the document prepared by~Ka~r~e~n~Ma~r~~~'e~F~o~s~h=e~i=m~ __________________ __

entitled Similarities Between Two Dissimilar American Piano Sonatas

of the 1960s: The Second Piano Sonatas of Robert Muczvnski

and Robert Starer

and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the requirements

.0 ! i ) ~~/,/,

Date fMy Date

Final approval and acceptance of this document is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copy of the document to the Graduate College.

I hereby certify that I have read this document prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the requirement.

Director

3

STATEMENT BY AUTHOR

This document has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library.

Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgement the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author.

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4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. LIST OF EXAMPLES •• 5

II. INTRODUCTION. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .8 A Background of the Sonata in America • 10 The American Piano Sonata in the Twentieth Century.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

III. ANALYSIS OF THE SECOND PIANO SONATAS OF ROBERT MUCZYNSKI AND ROBERT STARER. • • • • • • • • .21

Robert Muczynski • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 Robert Starer • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .23 Formal structure • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 25 Harmonic Devices • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 27 Melodic Characteristics • • • • • • • • • • • • .31 Rhythmic Structures •••••••••••• , _ ~35 Keyboard Usage and Performance Considerations • ~4~

IV. CONCLUSIONS .52

.. V. APPENDIX A: Formal Structures •••••••••••• 57

VI. APPENDIX B: Robert Muczynski: Written Interview • • .59

VII. REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

EXAMPLE 1:

EXAMPLE 2:

EXAMPLE 3:

5

LIST OF EXAMPLES

Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement I, mm. 13-14 •••••••••• 28

Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 26-29 • 28

Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 1-2 •••• 29

EXAMPLE 4: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Onus 22, Movement I, mm. 1-3 • • • • • • • • .29

EXAMPLE 5: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement I, mm. 193-95 • • • • • • • • • 30

EXAMPLE 6: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement III, mm. 60-63 • • • • • ..31

EXAMPLE 7: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement I, mm. 7-8 • • • • • • • • .31

EXAMPLE 8A: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement I, mm. 1-4, Graph of melodic movement • • • • • • • 32

EXAMPLE 8B: Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 1-5, Graph of melodic movement. • • • • .32

EXAMPLE 9: Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 1-11 • .33

EXAMPLE 10: Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 80A-C • 35

EXAMPLE 11: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement I, mm. 27-32 • • • • • • • .37

EXAMPLE 12A: Source rhythm for Starer, Sonata No.2, (mm. 93-94) •••••• • 37

EXAMPLE 12B: Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 93-94 • 38

EXAMPLE 13: Robert Muczynski; Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement IV, mm. 1-3 • • • • 39

EXAMPLE 14: Robert starer, Sonata No. 2, mm. 25A-D . . · 40

EXAMPLE 15: Robert Starer, Sonata No. 2, mm. 1-11, Graph of meter changes . · 41

EXAMPLE 16: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Movement I, mm. 148-49 . . . . . . . . · 41

6

LIST OF EXAMPLES--continued

EXAMPLE 17A: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement III, mm. 1-3 • • • • • • 42

EXAMPLE ~7B: Robert Muczynski, Second sonata. Opus 22, Movement III, mm. 53-59 • • • 0 • 42

EXAMPLE 18: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement II, mm. 1-12 • • • • •• • .43

EY_~~LE 19: Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 136-44 ••• 44

EXAMPLE 20A: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement I, mm. 69-71 • • • • • • 45

EXAMPLE 20B: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement I, mm. 86-89 • • • • • • 46

Ex&~LE 21: Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, Mm. 45-48 ••• 46

EXAMPLE 22: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Oous 22, Movement II, mm. 37-45 • • • • • • • • • 47

EXAMPLE 23: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Movement III, mm. 31-35 • • • • • • .49

7

ABSTRACT

Two significant American composers, Robert Muczynski

(b.1929) and Robert Starer (b.1924), composed piano sonatas in

the years 1964-66, despite the tendency of other composers of

the time to utilize less traditional structures. The second

Sonatas of Muczynski and Starer are intricately conceived,

finely crafted, and worthy examples of mid-century trends in

~~erican composition. They give evidence of the continuing

viability of the sonata form.

This study will examine the

between two works that utilized,

stylistic similarities

paradoxically, differing

methods of ccmpositional technique. These men chose different

composi tional languages, yet they chose the same formal

structure to organize their work. This study will focus on

those features that are style-determinant. I believe that

many of the common stylistic trai ts present in the second

piano Sonatas of Robert Muczynski and Robert Starer may be a

result their common environment, as contemporary trends common

to the culture of composers can have a significant influence

on the style of their works.

8

INTRODUCTION

Musicologists frequently examine not only the life and

works of a composer but also the cuI tural and personal

circumstances which surround his/her life. The current

twentieth-century trend toward historically accurate

performance practices reflects that line of thought. An

examination of a work within the framework of its particular

time, place, and culture allows for a truer understanding of

a composer's intent. A performance of music from any time

period, including works composed in the present era, requires

an awareness of the composer's socio-cultural milieu in order

to render an accurate interpretation.

From a purely aesthetic perspective, the musical work certainly has only itself as an objective. It is subject only to the law of aesthetics, to the intrinsic laws of music. But from an ethical and sociological perspective, the musical work enters into a relationship with the very goal and good of humanity. • • To neglect this perspective would be to cut the work of art from its natural links with the life of a person and of a society, and to forgo understanding it in its total meaning and significance. (Supicic 344-45)

In the area of musical structure, the sonata form itself

is a product of the society from which it grew. As

9

instrumental music was rising in popularity, the sonata form

appeared as a means of organizing and controlling musical

material within its expansive structure. Prior to the

development of the sonata form, instrumental music was mostly

utilized for church, court, or didactic purposes.

The sonata as a compositional form has retained its

importance for two hundred years. However, its role has

changed over time. In the classical period, most composers

used the sonata form as a framework within which to organize

and work out their ideas, as it was generally considered to be

the most prestigious method of creating a large and complex

composition. Composers of the mid-nineteenth century

stretched the harmonic relationships within the form to its

limits. Many of the composers of the twentieth century have

used the sonata form as a vehicle to prove that their

compositional techniques could survive and thrive within the

confines and/or demands of such a formal structure.

Al though the importance of the sonata form seems to have

waned somewhat since its popularity in the Classical Period,

many of the major composers for the piano continued to use the

sonata as a vehicle for some of their finest writing. The

piano sonatas of Schumann, Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, and

Rachmaninoff contain some of their most memorable musical

moments. While they composed very few sonatas as compared to

composers of the past era, these works are of a very large

scale and of great significance in the piano repertoire.

10

The dawn of the twentieth century saw the sonata again

being used as an important tool for compositional unity as

well as personal self-expression. Alban Berg, the pupil and

disciple of Arnold Schoenberg, wrote his Piano Sonata, 00. 1

in 1901. This work is often referred to as the premiere piano

sonata of the twentieth century as it shows the limits of

tonality being stretched. While lacking in the traditional

key relationships thought to be so vital in sonata form, it

still contains the exposition, development, and recapitulation

of thematic areas so essential to the form. Alexander

Scriabin • s personal and musical search into mystical and

esoteric thought can be traced through his ten sonatas.

Sergei Prokofieff used his nine piano sonatas as a means to

portray his national pride in the face of revolution.

A BACKGROUND OF THE SONATA IN AMERICA

Al though the piano sonata has retained a significant

position in the piano repertoire since its development almost

two centuries ago, in the united States, as in Europe, sonata

production in the nineteenth century was limited due to the

emphasis on shorter forms. It has often been noted that the

United States, a relatively young nation, was in the process

of defining itself. At least until around 1900, the forms

used needed to be relatively simple, as the resident composers

were not yet ready to commit their art to the complexities of

a form such as the sonata.

Yet the familiar apology--familiar throughout the arts--that the country was still too young to do better can be both unwarranted and misleading here. It can be unwarranted because, at least after ~~e Civil War (1861-65), the quality of American sonata output, especially of the duo sonatas, was generally competent by anybody's standards, if not better. It can be misleading because, from before the start of the century, there was more aware:1ess of the current European trends, more interest in the sonata idea, and more actual publication of sonatas than has yet been noted or supposed. (Newman 734)

11

It is important to keep in mind that in its earlier years, the

nation was inhabited by immigrants from other lands, which

included some composers. These diverse musical and artistic

influences helped American culture live up to its title as the

world's "melting pot".

The German Romantic tradition drew many American-born

composers of the nineteenth century to study "where the

Germans themselves went--to Leipzig and the successors of

Mendelssohn • • • to Weimar for summer study with Liszt: to

Munich and Rheinberger: to Berlin and Kiel: and to Dresden or

several other German centers" (Newman 735). The Americans

were not cut off from the mainstream of European musical life.

In fact, if there was anyone problem that beset the American sonata (and other absolute music) during the Romantic Era it was not so much the lack of a two-century tradition per se as the nearly total dependence on European tradi tions and practices. (Newman 735)

From the years 1801-1915 there have been found 160

published sonatas, 54 of which are for solo piano: and 70

unpublished sonatas, 12 of which are for solo piano, by

12

residents of the united states (Newman 739). More are

continually being uncovered showing that there was a

significant amount of interest in the sonata as a structure at

that time. Little remains of these works in the piano concert

repertoire, although occasionally one or more may turn up in

a collected volume for didactic purposes.

It is yet to be discerned whether the quality of these

compositions kept them in obscurity or if the musical fashions

of the American public were a restricting factor. Most public

performances in the united states at the time were replete

with music of the old masters and the works of the curre~t

European musical stars. The American public wanted to hear

works that were composed abroad, as works by American

composers were considered to be of a lesser quality.

Composers in America had difficulty gaining respect without

the support of European Publishers.

In 1884 Willard Burr commented at the Cleveland meeting of the Music Teachers National Association on how important foreign publication continued to be to serious American music. Publication in America, he said, 'not only gives little or no surety of success, but is it not rather in most cases a guarantee that they [the American works] do not possess any real value?' (Newman 737)

Very few of the piano sonatas from the period prior to

1.91.5 have survived to be considered standard piano repertoire.

The four sonatas of Edward MacDowell (1.860-1908) are among the

most prominent remaining in the piano literature. MacDowell,

like most other Americans of the time, studied in Germany, and

his first two piano sonatas were published in Germany by the

1.3

prestigious Brei tkopf and Hartel publishing company. The

latter two were published by A. P. Schmidt in Boston.

MacDowell maintained some bit of notoriety in Europe and

maintained friendships with well-known Europeans such as Franz

Liszt and Edvard Grieg. Despite the strong late German

Romantic influence, these sonatas maintain an unpretentious

simplicity in their nature that is often attributed to their

American origin.

The rather eclectic Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1.884-1.920)

went to Berlin to become a concert pianist, also studying

composition with Humperdinck. Griffes fo~~d it difficult to

subscribe to a single compositional style.

emulating the later German songwriters,

successively toward the impressionism of

"He began by

then veered

Debussy, the

chromaticism of Scriabin, and the primitivism of stravinsky II

(Chase 347). In 1.91.7-1.8, Griffes wrote his Sonata for Piano.

bringing together ~hese va=ious compositional influences in

one complex and ambitious work. It was presented as a sonata

in one movement, yet can be perceived as three distinct yet

connected movements following in the traditional slow-fast-

slow scheme of sonata movements. Enduring as a prominent

fixture in the piano repertoire, lithe essential impact of the

sonata is that of a powerfully creative and consistently

conceived work that will stand as a peak of Neoromantic

expression in American music for piano" (Chase 1.42).

The first true American innovator was considered by many

14

to be Charles Ives (1874-1954). In contrast with many of his

contemporaries, he chose not to receive his education in

Europe, but rather at Yale with Horatio Parker. Ives was well

educated in the European musical tradition and possessed an

acute awareness of the music of the American people. Ives was

often credi ted with being "the one composer who brings

together all the threads of specifically American music and

links them to the European traditionll (Small 144). His model

was the American ideal of freedom and individuality. In the

music, as in American society, each voice has its own mission

and its own character, and makes its essential contribution to

the final cOllplete whole.

In allmling each voice to go its own way he was expressing his ideal of individual freedom, but we should notice that while the relationships between the voices are complex in the extreme. • • they are not chaotic; Ives has them under control. • • Eis ideal of liberty remained firmly within the law, al~~ough ~~e law was to be subtle and flexible to allow for the greatest degree of variety of individual interaction. (Small 144)

Ives wrote two sonatas for the piano expressing these ideals

of individuality and freedom, and through these works, set the

tone for further innovations in the twentieth century.

15

THE AMERICAN PIANO SONATA IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Many American composers of the twentieth century were

iTh,ovators and iconoclasts.

Into the works of the modern American school were woven the chief tendencies of our time-­Nationalism, Neoclassicism, Neoromanticism, Impressionism, Expressionism, expanded tonality, polytonality, atonality, twelve-tone method. And binding all these together was an indefinable quality, a product-of-America flavor that, ranging in mood from mystical exultation to e x u b era n t vitality, was as subtle as it was irresistible. (Machlis 420)

They asserted their individuality, refusing to cater to the

tastes of audiences that often preferred the Romantic melodies

and harmonies of the nineteenth century. Along with Charles

Ives, Ernst Krenek and Elliott Carter expressed their ideas

th~ough atonality and polytonality. Henry Cowell, John Cage,

and George Crumb challenged traditional pianism, asking

pianists to extend their view of piano technique to include

such devices as arm clusters, plucking and strumming of the

strings, and vocalizing into the instrument.

There were also composers who, even in their search for

compositional freedom, chose not to abandon traditional forms

and harmonies, but rather to expand the rules and conventions

governing those procedures. There were the Neoclassicists and

Neoromantics represented most notably by Samuel Barber, Virgil

Thomson, and Roger Sessions. These classifications were not

rigid for composers freely chose the compositional language

which would best fit their needs of expression at any given

16

time.

The piano sonata was an important vehicle for the variety

of compositional methods that were in use during the first

half of the twentieth century. The sonatas of Aaron Copland,

Roger Sessions, and Samuel Barber were highly influential in

setting a standard of both form and quality for the younger

generation of composers that followed. However, composers

after 1950 generally chose other compositional forms:

Sometime in the middle of the 1950s the need to write a piano sonata suddenly evaporated. Composers in America, jarred by the resonances of strange sounds and echoes of new procedures coming from overseas and even from rebels in their own midst, set off in new directions. (Burge 20th C. 195)

Robert Muczynski was asked in a written interview to comment

on the above quote. He replied,

Please hum for me your favorite theme from a David Burge Piano Sonata. Please enlighten me as to where all these WONDERFUL pieces (innovative and experimental) are today. Who plays 'em? Who ever hears them--anywhere?!? WANTS 'em?! (Interview 2)

Nevertheless, two significant American composers, Robert

Muczynski (b. 1929) and Robert Starer (b. 1924), composed

piano sonatas in the years 1964-66. Perhaps Muczynski and

Starer, like other young composers, still felt a need to

embrace the legacies of some of their predecessors. Hence,

they continued to expand, rather than forsake, the use of

traditional materials. They certainly learned lessons from

the formal organization of earlier sonatas as evidenced in

each of their second piano Sonatas.

17

starer and Muczynski are prominent American composers

whose works, like that of many contemporary composers, have

been the subj ect of less critical examination than they

deserve. This study will show that their second Sonatas are

intricately conceived, finely crafted, and worthy examples of

mid-century trends in American composition. I hope that this

study will be of use to performers who wish to better

understand these appealing works and that it will encourage

more performances. Musicologists who study the evolution of

the American compositional style for the piano will benefit

from this examination which pinpoints certain common stYlistic

traits in compositionally disparate works.

I have chosen to study the respected second sonatas of

these two composers not only due to their use of flowing

melodies set against driving rhythms, interesting harmonies,

challenging pianism, and general attractiveness to both the

audience and performer, but, more importantly, because they

proved the continuing viability of the sonata form in the mid­

twentieth century. With these two works, I believe Muczynski

and starer have made important contributions to the piano

literature of this century.

This study will examine the

between two works that utilized,

stylistic similarities

paradoxically, differing

methods of compositional technique. These men chose different

compositional languages (Muczynski chose Neoromanticism and

starer , atonality), yet they chose the same basic formal

18

structure for their work. This study, therefore, will focus

on those features that are style-determinant:

style manifests itself in characteristic usages of form, texture, harmony, melody, rhythm, and ethos; and it is presented by creative personalities, conditioned by historical, social and geographical factors, performing resources and conventions. (PascalI 316)

I believe that many of the common stylistic trai ts

present in the second piano Sonatas may be a result of the

composers' common environment. Robert Muczynski and Robert

Starer are united States citizens of the same generation. The

jazz-influenced rhy-~s and the expansiveness of sound are

perhaps indicative of the musical and social climate that

helped to shape works of this time. Nevertheless, my purpose

is not to precisely define what makes a work i'American," but

rather, to better understand and describe the commonalities of

style in mid-century sonatas by American composers, as seen in

these successful pieces.

The sonata form first appeared in the eighteenth century

as a means of unifying drama in a purely instrumental work.

It seems relevant that, at a time in mid-twentieth century

America when the field was inundated with innovative

techniques and new definitions of music, someone would react

by turning to a more traditional formal approach to music.

Therefore, the sonata form, at this point in history, returned

to serve the same musical and social function that it did at

its birth: allowing the composer a means to unify musical

drama while maintaining inventiveness and originality. The

19

two works examined here are innovative in the use of the

stylistic elements within the formal structure of the sonata.

Indeed, these composers make the form fit their individual

expressive needs, rather than allowing the form to dominate.

These works exemplify a reaction against the prevailing

cultural impression that a composer had to have an idea that

was never before used to survive in the competitive world of

professional music. They prove that individuality and self-

expression can be witnessed in many forms.

American composers in the mid-twentieth century were

working within an atmosphere that not only idealized but also

expected absolute innovation and originality. Robert

Muczynski summed up his idea of the plight of the composer in

this letter:

It seems as thougr. music critics of the late 1950s, 160, and 170s appeared to be more concerned with the How rather than the What. They refused to judge the music for what it ~ but rather what they felt it ought to be-and often this was very vague. The most damning condemnation was I sounds 1ike •• 1 If you employed too many consecutive fourths it was Hindemith. If you were percussive it was Bartok or Stravinsky. A b1uesy phrase evoked Gershwin and a tender lyrical statement was Barber. A folk-like tune was Copland, and so on. • • • It is an agonizing situation, but lately I have come to the ccnc1usion that the originality we all thirst for is really something inherent in the personality behind the manipulation of what is available. (Muczynski 2)

The trend towards individuality and originality in the

arts was directly related to the social and political climate

of the time. The 1960s were a time of upheaval in all aspects

of American society. The vietnam War was raging and people

20

were learning that freedom of speech was not only a right but

a necessary tool for handling the American political system.

The country was struggling with the issues of civil Rights,

the equality of all persons, and the importance of

individuality and personal self-expression. American popular

music, influenced by jazz, was becoming a major industry and

a growing force in society. Music was fun, pleasurable,

exciting, and a way of escaping from the increasing tensions

of American life. Music was also used for personal expression

of ideas and ideals. The American people, for the most part,

were on a quest for truth and personal happiness, and, in this

quest, they were returning to the basic ideals of humanism.

Likewise, composers of serious music followed suit. "Artists

cannot help being antennas and are all inescapably human.

They need only take care that contact is maintained between

th'E:!i.r aesthetic endeavors and their larger contemporary lives"

(Reynolds 29).

21

ANALYSIS OF THE SECOND PIANO SONATAS OF

ROBERT MUCZYNSKI AND ROBERT STARER

ROBERT MUCZYNSKI

Composer and pianist Robert Muczynski was born in

Chicago, Illinois, on March 19, 1929. He received both his

bachelor's and master's degrees from DePaul University where

his principal composition teacher was Alexander Tcherepnin.

He also studied piano under Walter Knupfer. In 1958, he made

his New York debut playing a recital of his own piano works.

He directed the piano department at Loras College in Iowa from

1956 to 1959, and from 1965 to 1987 he served on the piano

facul ty at the Uni versi ty of Arizona in Tucson and also

developed the compositional department. He was the recipient

of Ford Foundation Fellowship Grants in the years 1959 and

1961, and in 1982 was nominated for a Pulitzer prize for his

Al to Saxophone Concerto. He has been the recipient of

numerous commissions and his output includes many works for

symphony, piano, chamber ensembles, instrumental concerti and

sonatas, and eight documentary film scores.

His style is earnest, unostentatious, characterized

economical, by spare

and neo-

22

classical textures, a gently restrained lyricism, and, in fast movements, strongly accented, irregular meters, which create a vigorous rhythmic drive. (Simmons 3:284)

When asked about composers he admired, Muczynski replied,

Scarlatti, J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Sibelius, plus a dozen more. Their music is masterfully crafted, deeply meaningful, and remains beautiful without tarnishing. I do not mention the handful of 20th century composers I admire because--as so often happens--you people say I "SOUND LIKE" theirs. (Interview 1)

Muczynski--born, raised, and educated in middle America--

is an American composer in the purest sense. Besides

inheriting the compositional legacy left by older American

composers, he grew up in the midst of twentieth-century

American culture.

There are at least three influences of United States culture on Muczynski's writing. The first two, the influence of jazz and motion picture scores. The third, is more difficult to define. It is probably the result of Muczynski' shaving spent most of his adult life living and working on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. In this context it is significant that his studio overlooks a large expanse of Arizona desert with mountains in the background. The wide vista of Muczynski 's immediate environment is possibly reflected in the open sonorities of his music. Similarly, the ruggedness of desert mountains could be thought to have been represented by strokes of angularity both in terms of melodic line and structure. Very nearly the only element of folk music in Muczynski t s output is the periodic recurrence of melodies that remind most American musicians of western cowboy songs. In short, Muczynski's environment has been the Southwest, and a composer cannot help but be influenced to some degree by his environment. (Hawkins 46-7)

The Second Sonata. Ope 22 was written in 1966 and

published in 1969. This sonata was dedicated to his friend

23

and colleague Richard Faith, who was also on the faculty at

the university of Arizona. This work earned an award as best

contemporary work performed at the Sydney International Piano

competition in Australia in 1992. It is a work in the

Romantic tradition of four contrasting movements. In general,

all movements are characterized by a steady, driving rhythmic

impulse. The sense of excitement is enhanced by a texture

that continually al ternates between a very dense chordal

fabric and a thinner interaction of two voices. Ideas are

restated in varying registers effectively utilizing the full

range of the keyboard and enhancing the effects of contrasts.

Time is often suspended through frequent use of rubatc and

regular changes of meter and tempo. The large formal

structures are based on traditional forms. The melodic

material is based on motives that relate the substance of each

movement. The harmonic structure is not traditionally tonal,

yet Muczynski often alludes to tonality. Any consonance seems

accidental, as the chords grow out of the melodic occurrences.

ROBERT STARER

Robert Starer was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1924. He

trained as a pianist at the VieIL~a State Academy and continued

his musical studies at the Jerusalem Conservatory and

Juilliard School, where he studied composition under Frederic

Jacobi. He served on the faculty of Juilliard from 1949-1974,

earning his American citizenship in 1957, and accepted an

24

appointment as professor of music at Brooklyn College in 1963.

He has been the recipient of two Guggenheim fellowships, a

Fulbright grant, and several other grants and commissions. It

has been noted that nstarer's music is direct in expression

and characterized by chromaticism, modality, and driving

rhythms. His use of silence and dynamics contributes to an

outstanding and balanced sense of drama" (Lewis-Griffith

4:296). He has composed extensively in nearly all genres.

starer's Piano sonata No.2 was composed in 1965 and

published in 1968. The work is in one movement with sharply

contrasting sections of an alternating driving and lyrical

character. The composer works with sounds and silence to

create what is at times a very volatile effect. Sudden

outbursts of sound punctuate the silence, providing a free and

improvised quality. The wild, impetuous sections stand in

sharp contrast with very calm and freely lyrical passages

without bar lines or meter. The composer says of his work

I wrote my second Piano Sonata during a lovely quiet year in Rome (1965). If it has nothing in common with the Classical Sonata in terms of keys, it has much to do with it in the sense of statement, development, conclusion--a form capable of infinite variety: not easily worn out. This sonata is in one movement; the other movements, a slow one, a light one, a dance-like one, are all interspersed between the statement-development­conclusion sections of the main one.

In this work the performer is allowed a certain amount of freedom: there are repeated chords and repeated figures in crescendo­accelerando and in decrescendo-ritardando, in which the exact number of repetitions is determined by the mood of the moment, by his sense of drama. I give him maximal and minimal limitations. Beyond them he is free; .when he feels the peak has been

25

reached, or the music has died down sufficiently, then he should stop. (Desto 7106)

starer pays a great deal of attention to the establishment of

moods within each section, and the contrasts of sound are an

important aspect of the work. The rhythms are intsnse, the

melodies free, the extreme ranges of the keyboard are explored

fully, and the dynamics and tempos are erratic and

spontaneous.

starer comes from a very different background than the

American-born Muczynski. Althcugh his influences are truly

international in scope, he also inherited the compositional

legacy common to his generation of Americans through his years

of study and teaching in the united states. He was also very

much influenced by the popular culture of his newly adopted

country.

One important aspect of starer's musical style is the influence of jazz which he had never heard in folk form before coming to the united states. This idiom is incorporated into many of his more recent compositions. starer says 'the young like to hear jazz in serious music.' (Lewis 20-21)

FORMAL STRUCT"u"RE

The first movement of Muczynski' s Sonata is an Allegro in

sonata form. The second movement is a scherzo featuring a

western-type folk song with an ostinato accompaniment. The

third movement is a slow movement featuring thematic

transformation of its main melodic material. The final

movement is in A-B-A form featuring imitation, fugato-style,

26

which concludes with a frantic coda. The attached Appendix

contains an analysis of all movements.

The thematic material in starer's one movement Sonata No.

~ al ternates between fast, rhythmic material and lyrical,

unmetered sections. Fragments of the opening material appear

interspersed throughout as a unifying device. Many of the

themes appear to be closely related and based on the same

motivic material, which serves to strengthen unification of

the structure. The elements of exposition of themes,

development of thematic material, and recapitulation are

present, al though all the themes are not presented in the

recapitulation, and then, not in their original order. The

work ends with an extensive coda in which fragments of the

themes are presented in rapid order. A complete analysis of

the work is offered in Appendix A.

The formal structures in both the Muczynski and starer

sonatas are determined by contrast of themes, textures, and

meters rather than by the traditional harmonic relationships.

It is not possible, of course: to t~se such traditional

harmonic relationships in a work that is not tonally based.

Works of the twentieth century, therefore, have to rely on

these other means to organize, separate, and provide the

tension and drama originally created by movement away from the

tonic key.

with non-tonal sonata forms, of course, tonal polarization and resolution disappeared completely; what remains is the thematic structure along with contrasting textures--one contrast between the

27

relative simplicity of the outer section and the more intense center, and another within the exposition to distinguish the first and second themes. (Rosen, Sonata Forms 330)

In both these works, drama is heightened wi thin the t..lleme area

using thematic transformation. As the theme returns later in

its original state the tension is released, bringing the drama

to a sui table close and providing a sense of finality.

Furthermore, the themes may become more complex as the piece

evolves.

HARMONIC DEVICES

As many composers of the twentieth century, Muczynski and

Starer have a tendency to avoid the use of intervals that

suggest triadic harmony, such as the third, fifth, and octave.

Instead, there are many seconds, fo~~s, si~~s, sevenths,

and ninths ("dissonant" intervals). "Our era is interested in

the dissonance rather than in the resolution. The greater

amount of dissonance in contemporary music reflects the

heightened tension and drive of contemporary life" (Mach1is

22).

The harmonies of both composers are based on the

intervals of the seventh and ninth. Muczynski, in Example 1,

uses the seventh and ninth chords alternately, filling them in

with a fourth. The effect, suggesting quarta1 harmony, is

reinforced by the left hand, which plays a series of perfect

fourth intervals.

28

Example 1: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Mvt. I, mIn. 13-1.4 =-e. ;,J. .... 1- ~. ,,, ..... ... ~ .... $.::: .:~ .: ::

,_ .. ,-

.. a.g. Z. ·'.i • ..,,;. .~_ ~~ ~.r ,,:_;.,1. ~~ _~...,I . ~ _ 1'-~. ___

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, In~.

In a similar manner, Starer thickens the texture by using

the seventh and ninth (e~~armonically) together, often adding

the fourth along wi th a second in the middle of the pi tch

stack as shown in Example 2. Despite the avoidance of triadic

harmony, the resulting chords create an interval of a third

from the bottom pitch, with two perfect fifths clustered in

the middle of the chord. This ie one of Starer1s rare hints

at tertian harmony, although it is almost totally obscured by

the presence of the other intervals. The bass line reinforces

the effect of the fifth through the appearances of consecutive

melodic fifths: the first, diminished and the remainder,

perfect. The fresh sense of twentieth century harmony is

pervasive by the second measure of the example as we witness

the presence of the perfect fifth, major sixth, major seventh,

and augmented octave played simultaneously I creating a cluster

of sound.

Example 2: Robert Starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 26-29 11 I

CI .. '1.

p

, 1 I

, I ~

.. .. 'I:JT .. '1- .. .. pt ~ -... .,...,......-: ~

ec) Copyright 1968 by MCA MUSIC PUBLISHING, A Division of MCA INC. International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

29

The addition of the second in the middle of the first chord in

Example 2 emphasizes the close relationship that the seventh

and ninth have to the interval of the second, as well as ~~e

terse quality of these chords.

Both composers place importance on the use of the

interval of the second throughout, even in accompanimental

figures, as demonstrated in Example 3.

Example 3: Robert starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 1-2

I I

(cl Copyright 1968 by MCA MUSIC PUBLISHING, A Division of MCA INC International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved •

Similarly, Muczynski uses the idea of the accompanimental

minor second. Example 4 shows the movement between an E

natural and E flat, stressing from the onset of the piece the

ambiguity of tonality.

Example 4: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Mvt. I, mm. 1-3

All egro :138 !,;;. ~ l- I,.~

. - r I I t

fsostemdO i.. I I.. I

q!!:~ ~~ ~ P+te 'i:!t~ qTb~ ______ __

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

Muczynski usually avoids the direct statement of harmonic

devices, yet he often alludes to expected cadential figures,

obscuring one or more of the chordal structures. For

instance, the final cadence in the opening movement shows a

30

strong C sharp to F sharp movement in the bass, implying a V-I

cadential figure (Example 5). However, the right hand plays

a G natural against the bass C sharp, creating a diminished

fifth (rather than t.~e traditional perfect fifth in a dominant

triad) and the resulting chord resolves to an F sharp triad

with which contains both the major third (A sharp) and the

minor third (A natural). Thus, the move towards the

tonicization of F sharp has been alluded to: although obscured

with major/minor ambiguity.

Example 5: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Mvt. I, mm. 193-95

~::>. ~ i! .... :> .. ::>. I. • .

- ! . !

I ff marca:tisszmo sf! ::> ~

- ""J .- 11- #-!-. ; 1e

I L.....-....J ::> - ~-o.

1-JP ~ ~

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

Another technique that Muczynski uses to color the

statement of a tonal center is shown at the conclusion of the

third movement during the final statement of the theme. Here

he has established a cadential bass figure similar to V-I, yet

the bass moves in a diminished fifth (Example 6). This figure

is repeated for ten measures, solidifying the cadential

effect. The final chord creates a cluster around the D pitch,

alluding not to a harmonic center but, rather, a pitch center.

31

Example 6: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Mvt. III, mm. 60-63

,-..d

.". . T' ped. sZ·1l1.ite

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

MELODIC CHARACTERISTICS

t:\ ,

- I =-, P.P ~ / . . /oJ .

As was seen in the harmonic language of both composers,

the intervals of seconds, sevenths, and ninths also figure

prominently in melodic lines. The general outline of the

melodies tend toward the seventh and ninth, although Muczynski

often spells the intervals as either diminished or augmented

octaves. Example 7 shows melodic material from the first

theme group of movement one from Muczynski's Sonata. Within

each group of three tones in the right hand, the material

descends either a diminished or augmented octave

(enharmonically a major seventh or minor ninth). The left

hand step-wise motion ascends a diminished octave from a B

natural to a B flat.

Example 7: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Mvt. I, mm. 7 -8 !,..--c:---..... ~ ~ ~ .:---- . __ _

-::-- ;::v~. ~I""", ~c:; ~ . ...

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

32

Similar movement is found in the opening of Starer1s Sonata,

as shown in Example 3 (see above).

Contrary to the more typical Romantic ideal of a smooth,

flowing melodic line, the melodies of Muczynski and Starer

change direction frequently and contain wide leaps. The graph

in Example SA and B shows the disjunct melodic movement as

seen in the opening of each sonata.

Example SA: Melodic movement, Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Mvt. I, mm. 1-4

Example SB: Melodic movement, Robert starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 1-5

Starer1s melodies tend to move more erratically than those of

Muczynski, often leaping an octave or more within a phrase.

The phrase structures favored by Mucz~~ski and Starer are

often non-symmetrical. The phrase length may vary from

statement to statement creating a constant sense of excitement

and unpredictability. The opening of the Starer Sonata, shown

in Example 9, features four phrases. The opening phrase is a

two measure statement, followed by a more conclusive three bar

33

statement. The third phrase, in measure six, is related to

the first in melodic effect and contour, yet is extended an

additional measure, and the fourth phrase is again three bars

long. The asymmetrical effect is compounded by the fact that

·~he meter is constantly changing, and al~~ough ~~e second,

third,

contain

Example

~ ~

and fourth phrases are each three measures,

varying numbers of beats.

9: Robert starer, Sonata No. 2, mm. 1-11

Presto

11 ::: I: I: .. .. .. .. IE .. ..

~T f

I I

A!' » ~

~

~ i I I I I I

~ ~ ~ ~.

-

ec) Copyright 1968 by MCA MUSIC PUBLISHING, A Division of MCA INC. International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

they

Despite ....... ,..,. - ~-­'-.l..&.c.L.L si:iiiilarities

34

in melodic structure,

Muczynski 's melodies tend to sound a bi t fulle~ and lusher

than starer's. Much of this, I believe, is due to the

rhythmic structure which underlies each. starer's melodies

tend to have a halting quality due to the emphasis he places

on short motives, the result being like outbursts of sound.

Muczynski tends to group his melodies in longer, more regular

phrases, often relating the rhythm of each motivically.

The melodies of both composers have emotive and

expressive qualities that are created by the rise and fall of

the melodic lines. The wide leaps result in a searching

quality. A more lyrical melody would rely on a combination of

conjunct and disjunct melodic patterns within the confines of

a regularly recurring phrase length, and would be partly

shaped by the underlying harmonic structure. Although the

melody and harmony of these works are inter-related, the

composers do not use a strong hierarchy of chords such as is

used to create harmonic and melodic tension-release in

traditional tonal works. Therefore, the melodies have a

tendency to be shaped in an interesting way, the climax often

being determined by the largest leaps or most dissonant

chords, or alternatively moving with the rising and falling

line. Example 10 shows how starer has shaped the melodic

interest of this senza misura section. starer, through the

use of dynamic markings, provides a great deal of assistance

to the performer in the interpretation of the melodic contour.

Example 10: Robert starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 80A-C

Quasi lento, sen= mis,,~a

I

-3

f' ... -r'

I",,, .?-

i I -

1-

Ie) Copyright 1968 by MCA MUSIC PUBLISHING, A Division of MCA INC. International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

RHYTHMIC STRUCTURES

35

The speed and vitality of life in the twentieth century

is felt frequently through the strengths of the rhythm in the

music of this age. In fast tempos, as can be seen in the

opening of both sonatas, the rhythm never stops. If one voice

reaches a note of longer duration, the other moves in its

place so that there is always constant motion. In slow or

more serene tempos, the motion is hindered to create a static

effect.

36

Although neither Muczynski nor starer borrow obviously

from Americanisms, as Gershwin and Copland did, their rhythms

are tinged with the same cultural influences that surround all

composers of the American school to one degree or another.

Copland, in Music and Imagi.nation, discusses the importance of

the African American influence on the music of America.

Copland states that a great rhythmical gift has been bestowed

on America through these influences.

What is the nature of this gift? First, a conception of rhythm not as a mental exercise but as something basic to ~he body's rhythmic impulse. This basic impulse is exteriorized with an insistence that knows no measure, ranging from a self-hypnotic monotony to a riotous frenzy of subconsciously controlled ~oundings. Second, an unparalleled ingenuity in the spinning out of unequal metrical units in the unadorned rhythmic line. And lastly, and most significant, a polyrhythmic structure arrived at through the combining of strongly independent blocks of sound. No European music I ever heard has even approached the rhythmic intensities obtained by five diff~ drummers, each separately hammering out his own pattern of sound, so that they enmesh with one another to produce a most complex metrical design. oriental musics contain subtle cross-rhythms of polyrhythmic implication, but we of the Americas learned our rhythmic lessons largely from the Negro. (Copland 84)

Both sonatas contain many examples of jazz-influenced

rhythms and syncopation. Muczynski, in Example ~~, exhibits

the syncopated bass line (measures 28-9) and the Latin-

influenced rhytr..m that had at this time become common in

American jazz and popular music (measures 30-3~).

37

Example 11: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Mvt. I, mm. 27-32

fI

! eJ

i ,.

Allegro moito J: 111\

.->

..... , '

-===== ~f marcaio, non legato

I

poco allarg:

r LT J r .~ j,J 11Z1 Ii'i I ,

• ... ~

.. > .. ~

a tempo

st:m;""e f

(marc.)

~

"

J ~k r-- j,~ ~ ~ -Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer. Inc.

In Example 12B, Starer shows his version of a popular bass-

rhythm of the 1950s and 60s. The source rhythm, as shown in

Example 12A, was used for many popular tunes, such as "Blue

Moon". Starer I S version adds an extra beat to create a

slightly off-balance feel, above which he places chords that

imply ninth, eleventh, and ~~irteen~~ chords, varying the

rhythm of the melodic material to create an improvised effect.

Example 12A: Source rhythm

.-----3--1

Ie •. ~ j • •• i • •

38

Example 12B: Robert starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 93-94

f!

CI

q ..

Andante mosso

~I!~L t..&~~ ~ ~j~

" I r

_'b: ~"!:' ~ .A. ~

I I I'fr I Ci if"

(c) Copyright 1968 by MCA MUSIC PUBLISHING, A Division of MCA INC. International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

Muczynski's rhythm is constantly driving, yet flexible

enough to bend with the frequent tempo fluctuations. Starer

establishes a driving rhythm, then interrupts it with

silences, creating outbursts of rhythmic material which are

similar to his outbursts of melodic material.

Muczynski uses the rhythm of three eighth notes followed

by a dotted quarter or half note (short, short, short, long)

to tie the movements of the work together and create unity

within the whole. This figure is first seen in the opening

bars as the main theme of the first movement (Example 4) and

is also seen as the main theme of the final movement (Example

13). Starer unifies the many contrasting sections of his work

by bringing the machine-like opening back intermittently

throughout the piece.

39

, ~.. ~ M:.. :M ~.

eJ _; •• );wo, • ;::::::::::~ SeTIZa ped. ... P;..".~

Reprinced by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

From the beginning of the twentieth century, composers

began to break down the tyranny of the bar line, exploring

rhythmic displacement, improvisation, and other techniques.

Muczynski and starer are heirs of this trend as evidenced by

the emphasis they place on the importance of rhythmic freedom.

The starer Sonata has several sections composed as unmeasured

and unmetered (senza misura, Example 14) encouraging a great

deal of freedom on t..l-te part of the performer. This freedom is

also wi tnessed in the several instructions such as "Repeat

chord not less than nine times, not more than thirteen."

Starer does not try to manipulate the final outcome

completely, as the overall effect is more important than the

specific details.

Even in the metered sections, starer attempts to obscure

the effect of a bar line through the use of frequently

changing meters. "The twentieth-century composer is apt to

avoid four-measure rhythm. He regards it as too predictable,

hence unadventurous. He prefers to challenge the ear with

non-symmetrical rhythms that keep the listener on his toes"

(Machlis 33).

Example 14: Robert starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 25A-D

~ «J

( CI

f% J~

~ode:-:lto. u~:.a 1111~ura ~--.

~ :~ ) ~: ~:~ .. .. ~. 1;\ -, I ~ ~.~L

-:::~ i ../ : I

P FP ~ ----;- --=p =---... ~ ! I ~

".~,J~ ?'-"" :; 1f·~U~

) ~~-!;- •. a II- I_

f ,:t~

~ • = ~~ '~ "e t1.a.

; ; : ? ;;

--- '--:--7 mf F.P

F.P~ s

5 " § ~ f-; ; --- ~ 7f ~

_ 8-, ~ - ~#~.; = ~~ -,t!..

pp

--

7----' ..

-f===--PP -

l-

(e) Copyright 1968 by ~ICA MUSIC PUBLISHING, A Division of MCA INC. International Copyrignt Secured All Rights Reserved

40

It is rare that starer maintains the same meter for two

measures in a row. Example 15 shows the meters of the first

eleven bars of the work, where there is no pattern to his

metrical usage (See also Example 9 above). The measures seem

to exist only to ease the performer's task of organization.

Example 15: Meter changes, Robert starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 1-11

6 8

3 8

5 8

4 8

3 8

5 8

6 8

3 8

5 8

3 8

5 8

41

Through frequently changing meters, numerous tempo

changes, and use of rubato, Muczynski also gives reign to

rhythmic freedom, albeit within a strictly controlled

environment. Although both composers attempt to obscure the

bar line and sense of meter, Muczynski, through the use of

specific notation, retains more compositional control than

starer. Muczynski also frequently uses asymmetric meters and

frequently changes the rhythmic structure of a theme in its

reappearance. For example, the first theme of the opening

movement originally appears in 5/4 (See Example 4 above), but,

at its return in the recapitulation, it is in 3/2 (Example

16). Examples 17A and 17B show similar treatment of a theme

in the third movement.

Example 16: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Mvt. I, mm. 148-49

.pe=zie",l .... il tema marc.

Ijj">j , ,

P'&. ~ II::~. ,~ I = sost. bj; DIP I - _ Pf" '1 L PF"

::> > Reprinted by PermiSSion of G. Schirmer, Inc.

42

Example 17A: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Mvt. III, mm. 1-3

calltabil~ COIL ~.~prt1sSi,mt! -; fI , ~

I e; ~Io~' ... ~ .... IDT~. ..... ~

I .. ' I tr~· I' 'I ~i :771' I 'i ~ I I I ':i-1 cresco p molto leg(l/r) ==-

-.... ::= ~~

DJ:[ _

lfr ~;= !nr py ~- -~, b;b; ,.

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

Example 17B: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Mvt. III, mm.53-59

.\.~ Tempo menD mosso_ ."::94

espresso I 1'\ -I ~ - ..

I eJ L.fJ"-a It r~-u , rj-~ I f" ~-r:r ~ p sempre legato

.:... pp ...-t"- P ~ .A-

.... ' ~ .... 1,....-00" .... ~ ... ~

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

Both Sonatas contain ostinatos that evade bar line

boundaries. The six note ostinato pattern in Example 18 does

not coincide wi th the phrase or rhythmic structure of the

melody. The playful asymmetry of the voices and the implied

3/4 meter enhance the scherzo-like quality of this movement.

43

Example 18: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Mvt. II, mIll. 1-12

-

so"tenuto I~

l.h. sempre stacc.,sen::a ped.

.....

, i

.f,.... !

-

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

In a similar manner, Starer;s Sonata No.2 contains a

double ostinato as shown in Example 19. This is one of the

rare moments that the meter remains stable in this work. The

two measure figure in the left hand is offset by a seven note

pattern in the right hand. After several measures the left

hand breaks off the pattern wi th the addi tion of melodic

tones, but the right hand ostinato remains constant. The

effect of the seven eighth notes moving across the meter of

five is very unsettling and creates the effect of twc

asymmetrical meters happening simultaneously.

44

Example 19: Robert starer, Sonata No.2, mm. 136-44

b~ 8-

Il Allegro b .. ;r ... .0-

eJ

~ 0: bbL bb~ ,. bb~ ,.

eJ tI CJ n' tI - - 4-

q~ b~ 8~. q:e b~ 8-:

q~ I: b.& _' .IL bL ~6. ,... ~ .0- +- ,... -

eJ

Il b~~"! b~~ .. bb.a!: ;,

eJ ... ... + v - -b~ 8?Ti b~ 8~

b ... q. b£ b~ q~ b'" Il - ,... ~ ~ ,... ~

eJ

Ibb~ Il bb~ .... >- " ~ tJ ' . .... .., I " -I ... - --(cl Copyright 1968 by MCA M'JSIC POBLZSHING, A Division of MCA INC.

International Copyright Secured All rtights Reserved

KEYBOARD USAGE AND ~ERFORMANCE CONSIDr~ATIONS

Textural contrasts appear to be important to both of

these composers, although their general tendency is toward

achieving clarity of texture.

In pulling away from the emotional exuberance of the Postromantic era, composers turned also against the sumptuous texture that was its ultimate manifestation. • • Composers broke up the thick chordal fabric of the late Romantic style; they shifted from opulent tone mass to pure line, from sensuous harmony and iridescent color to sinewy melody and transparency of texture. (Machlis 38-9)

45

Both compositions tend toward a two voice texture, although

Muczynski is more likely to double the octave to thicken the

sound.

Contrast is also provided through the use of the full

. range of the keyboard. Since bot..'t]. composers are fine pianists

themselves, they effectively manipulate the instrument to

achieve its full potential of sounds and colorations.

Registral extremes are utilized often for this effect. Starer

is very free in his registral usage, often making drastic

changes of register in mid-phrase, while Muczynski tends to

add registrational variations upon the repeat of a phrase or

melodic unit, as he does when the second theme material from

the opening movement is presented at a lower octave in the

recapitulation (Example 20 A and B). This, in effect, paired

with the rhythmic variation used, is one way in which

Muczynski provides new interest through thematic

transformation.

Example 2 OA: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata r Opus 22, Mvt. I, mIn. 69-71

Andante con espressione J:e:,.I1 __ -:---,.._

I

P 1JU)lta legaio

~I -=====-

~-"'"]' - - ~

Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer. Inc.

46

Example 20B: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Oous 22, Mvt. I, mIn. 86-89

a tC111:TJO (an,dante)

~ 8-~;S;:~:;;·~i~r.~·=~,LO::.'.1 10 .. ···:~~ .. :'~A"":' .. :.:~ "- ...

i ~ .. p sempre legato

marc. 1 11_1 1.1 L-t--I

o

~------------~------------i

rit, I ••

q-e-.- -t· Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

In contrast, starer will leap across several octaves within

one phrase. Example 23 shows the return of the opening

material (see Example 10 above) as it appears later in the

exposition. To provide contrast to t..lJ.e earlier appearance, he

makes this one much more expansive through the use of octave

displacement.

Example 21: Robert starer, Sonata No 2 mm 45-48 . , .

I ,

1'1 I I

CI "!' ;..

, , f I I 1

f I I I

fr. ..... .. • -c1

- ~~

I I I I I CI I

I i , , q~ ... - --..

"!' CI,,!, I I (cl Copyright 1968 by MCA MUSIC PUBLISHING, A DiviSion of MCA INC. International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

47

Coloristic effects created by pedals frequently have a

strong effect on textures in terms of depth, clarity, and

contrast. Through the use of the sostenuto pedal and damper

pedal there are a great many opportunities to blend sound and

create interesting effects. Frequently, rich sonorities and

flowing passages rely on the use of the sostenuto pedal in

combination with the damper pedal to obtain the desired effect

(Example 22). The· sostenuto pedal may be depressed and held

for the four bar phrase in order to assist in the sustaining

of the held bass note. This is especially important for those

pianists who have difficul ty reaching the interval of the

ninth, and allows all pianists to concentrate on shaping ~~e

line in the tenor. The damper pedal also needs to be utilized

here in order to blend and shape the interacting harmonies of

the upper two lines.

Example 22: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata. Opus 22, Mvt. II, nun. 37-45

ll.'~

1\1

~

'-.' 'j"- Wi -- 1 ---:'1"- I -"I :"-I-J "-I

I~.--====!

- Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

A similar technique is created in the third movement of

the Muczynski Sonata, as the slow sonorities that are so heavy

48

and ponderous in the opening of this movement give way to a

more ethereal, transparent texture. The use of the "una

corda" pedal in combination with the damper pedal helps to

blur sonorities and darken the timbre; the pianist can then

create an atmosphere where a singular melody rings out above

a wash of sound.

Articulations and attacks are extremely influential on

textural masses. Frequently, each voice within a two voice

texture has a different articulation. The second movement of

the Muczynski Sonata is an excellent example of this charming

texture (see Example 18 above). The right hand melody is to

be played legato, while the accompanimental figure in the left

hand is staccato and light.

Dynamics also offer much contrast, often changing from

note to note. A highly emotional environment is created,

especially in the slower sections, through the use of

whispering pianissimos, intense crescendos, and thundering

fortissimos. This climactic building can be seen in Example

23, as Muczynski transforms the character of the opening theme

within the space of five measures from a soft, simple

restatement to a forte, dramatic variation of the main theme.

This transformation is achieved not only through the use of

dynamics, but also through extension of a narrow keyboard

range to a full use of all registers, and through the

thickening density of the chords.

Example 23: Robert Muczynski, Second Sonata, Opus 22, Mvt. III, mm. 31-35

Tempo primo inqu£eto

. , =-----p cresc.

tenuto allarg:

1 - b.a _ !:1..-- ...

------ r I

. , ~

,

.A b ... ft

.-1.- '"" .

( v f

) ~ to] 1

~~: .. : .

I 'I r J -••

f

--10

~ q~­·· ... 11ifL

>L ~ --777

~"" 1 'I ", I I

'. O....:~ __ .,

""J

~¥s i1 a tempo, ma poco me:w 71w~so

~ __ ~A~-~-~ ____ -J~~ ______ ~

(maestoso) ~

b .. ~ k- ~£ -- .~ :e 1-" .A ~~A~~ t,;b; ~p;:= z=

. - ... .

" .... ~ 5! ".

q~ = brilIante --.;;;, ~3 'r , P"'f ;n' f

t.- ~bi 12 ....... :>

~= -/1 I 1 l.... 1 ,

1 ......

..!- - I

Z2:- - . ~ :It ~_... P-- -------------- >-Reprinted by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

49

Example 14 (see above) from the first "senza misura"

section of the Starer Sonata shows travel through a wide

t::ontrast of dynamic range occurring very quickly. These

changes reinforce the idea of "outbursts" of sound discussed

previously and are achieved both by the use of rapid

crescendos and diminuendos, and by sudden changes of dynamic

level. Both techniques are seen in the second line of this

example. Within a very short span of time the dynamics move

from pianissimo to forte, and then back to pianissimo.

There are many technical challenges facing a performer of

these works. Large stretches with filled-in pitches require

50

fairly large, strong hands. There are moments that require

great technical facility, such as the alternating hand passage

at the opening of the starer Sonata (Example 9 above) and the

rapid passagework in the coda of the final movement of the

Muczynski Sonata. The insistent wide leaps need to be quick

and accurate.

However, in addition to the extensive technical

difficulties, per~aps the greatest challenge to the performer

is achieving unification of the many contrasting sections that

make up these works. The performer needs to understand the

overall connection between the seemingly fragmented sections

so common in twentieth-century works in order to properly

interpret them.

Thorough analysis is useful in the performance of music

of all periods, but its need is perhaps most marked in the

music of the twentieth century. If one examines the music of

earlier periods, contrasting sections are common, but

transitions between sections are generally prepared and

smoothly executed. The unifying factors in such music are the

inherent logic of tonal relationships and the balanced formal

structures. However, in twentieth century music, as evidenced

by the sonatas of Mucz}~ski and starer, it is more common for

contrasts between varied elements to be abrupt, for

repetitions to be asymmetrical, for statements to appear

suddenly and unprepared. However, performers must understand

that unity is achieved through the composers' ability to put

51

that which appears capricious and arbitrary within the logical

constraints of a disciplined and expansive formal structure.

52

CONCLUSIONS

The sonata form has been an important compositional tool

for two ha~dred years. The form has adapted and changed to

fit the changing compositional and stylistic trends that have

come and gone, yet the same basic structure has survived. The

exposition, characterized by presentation of contrasting

thematic material, has developed from the simple tonic­

dominant or tonic-relative major relationships utilized in

earlier models to include more adventurous chromatic

al terations of later composers. The use of the sonata form in

non-tonal styles has forced abandonment of key relationships

entirely, and the form is dependent upon changes of thematic

material, dynamics, and textures to signify formal divisions.

Similarly, the development section, showing the

versatility of musical material as it is re-worked through

various manipulations, and the recapitulation section,

presenting the thematic material one last time, have retained

their essential functions and purposes over time. Again, key

relationships are not determinants of formal structure in

works which are based on non-tonal compositional practices.

53

Instead, formal organization is based upon the contrasting

charc:'.::ters of thematic material.

Just as it was in its initial usage, the sonata form is

an effective means of organization for current compositional

trends. Robert Muczynski and Robert starer demonstrate in

their second Sonatas that the sonata form can be utilized

effectively within contemporary idioms.

The results of the analysis demonstrate that these two

sonatas have similar stylistic effects, despite the dissimilar

compositional techniques. Perhaps extra-musical influences

helped to shape these two works into a style which we

recognize as "twentieth-century American." Throughout the

twentieth century, the world has become increasingly :more

capable of rapid interaction; truly making ours a global

community. However, strong nationalistic characteristics

persist, much as there are regional speech dialects and

customs. Similarly , compositional techniques may vary between

composers of the same generation, yet contemporary trends

common to the culture of the composers can have a significant

unifying influence on the resultant style of their works.

Muczynski and starer are unquestionably part of the

American School--composers born and/or educated here who share

a common culture--but, does that fact make these sonatas

"American music?" Are the similarities noted in this study

rooted in an "American" style? It may not be possible to

define "American" style, although many have tried. Certainly,

54

the Afro-Caribbean rhythmic qualities found in jazz, much of

it developed by African Americans, have been an important

factor and influence on both the serious and popular music of

t..ltis century. Aaron Copland, making an attempt to identify an

American style of music, comes to the conclusion that rhythm

is the aspect that sets American composers apart from others

around the world.

Confining ourselves to serious music, there seems to me no doubt that if we are to lay claim to thinking inventively in the music of the Americas our principal stake must be a rhythmic one.

For some years now rhythm has been thought to be a special province of the music of both Americas. Roy Harris pointed this out a long time ago when he wrote: "our rhythmic sense is less symmetrical than the European rhythmic sense. European musicians are trained to think of rhythm in its largest common denominator, while we are born with a feeling for its smallest units. • • We do not employ conventional rhythms as a sophistical gesture: we carJlot avoid them. • ." (Copland 83)

Copland explained that the European notion of rhythm is to

think of it as part of a phrase. American musicians are more

likely to see rhythms in their smallest sense, not confined by

a phrase structure. Copland felt that this rhythmic sense,

along with the influences of nearby Latin America and of

polyrhythmic drumming derived from Africa, has made a profound

impact on art music in the United states. In their second

Sonatas, Robert Muczynski and Robert Starer exhibit a strong

tendency toward jazz-influenced rhythm, polyrhythm and

rhythmic freedom, and percussive sounds. At least as defined

by Copland, one could say that they are composing in an

American style. At the very least, one can see the influence

55

that the diverse American cultural experience has had on the

Second Sonatas of these two composers.

To be sure, overt nationalistic tones are frequently

considered "American". However, many composers (among them,

George Gershwin and Henry Cowell) have gone yet further in

their definitions, suggesting that, just like a patchwork

quilt, "American music" is a multi-colored, lively tradition

that encompasses a variety of musical languages, bound

together by some common threads of cultural background and an

independent American spirit.

The music of the American School follows no single formula. Rather, it reflects the contradictory tendencies in our national character: our jaunty humor, and our sentimentality; our idealism and our worship of material success; our rugged individualism, and our wish to look and think like everybody else; our visionary daring, and our practicality; our ready emotionalism, and our capacity for intellectual pursuits. All of these and more are abundantly present in a music tr~thas bigness of gesture, vitality, and all the exuberance of youth. (Machlis 378)

American composers have subscribed to the use of American

folk music and jazz, have rejected it in favor of

internationalism, or have stood somewhere in the middle of the

first two positions. I believe that Muczynski and starer fall

in this last category: One can easily hypothesize that, at a

minimum, environmental and social factors may have played a

role in the composition of their Second Sonatas, as well as

their stylistic features.

In any case, these sonatas are excellent contributions

from these composers to American piano literature, rife as

56

they are with ingenuity and craftsmanship. These two works

claim their place in the intertwined musical and social world

of mid-twentieth century America. The Sonatas will survive

over time due to their refreshing individuality and innovation

as exhibited through the best of the composers' considerable

talents, effectively drawing upon recent compositional trends,

as well as borrowing the useful aspects of a long musical

tradition.

APPENDIX A Formal structure

ROBERT MUCZYNSKI: SECOND SONATA. OPUS 22

Movement I: Allegro

Allegro, Key center E

57

Exposition Theme 1 Theme 2 (m. 28) Allegro molte, Key center C sharp

moving to B flat Theme 3 (m. 69) Andante con espressione,

Key Center D

Development A (m. 94) embellishment of Theme 1,

Key center E flat B (m. 131) embellishment of Theme 2,

Key center C sharp

Recapitulation Theme 1 (m. 148) Maestoso: Tempo primo,

Key center E flat Theme 3 (m. 173) Andante, Key center D Theme 2 (m. 185) Allegro, Key center F

Movement II: Con mote, ma non tanto

A a Key center B flat a' (m. 25)

B b (m. 37) Key center A c (m. 51) b (m. 65)

A a' , (m. 83) Key center A a I r D (m. 95) Key center B flat

Movement III: Molto Andante

A Key center B

B b (:m. 9) Key center E flat b' (m. 25) Key center E

A a' (m. 31) Key center E a (m. 45) Key center B a' , (m. 53) Key center D

58

Movement IV: Allegro molto

A a Key center F a' (m. 17) a' I (m. 40)

B b (m. 61) Key center C c (m. 82) b' (m. 101)

A a (m. 114) Key center F a' I I (m. 1.23)

Coda (m. 139)

ROBERT STARER: SONATA NO. 2

I. A Presto B (m. 25A) Moderato-senza misura C (m. 26) Allegretto A' (m. 40) Presto 0 (m. 57) Lo stesso tempo E (m. 80A) Quasi lento-senza misura F (m. 93) Andante mosso

II. A I , (m. 109) Presto C· (m. 121) Allegretto B' (m. 127A) G (m. 128) Allegro (related to C)

III. B' , (m. 135A) Moderato-sensa misura G' (m. 136) 0 ' (m. 154) Presto G' , (m. 172) Allegro E' (m. 189) Andante

IV. A (m. 217) Presto includes material related to F (m.234), A (m. 241), 0 (m. 243), F (m. 259), o (1:1.. 268), and B (m. 286)

APPENDIX B

Robert Muczynski: Written Interview, April 4, 1994

What would you consider to be your main compositional influence?

(teachers, composers/compositions, styles, etc.) a< haN= NO ;'J~

td:2~~';!:;·:S;!~;)Z~It:2!,::1:i§ ~::J:~;'Z-1h1lt 1l!lNk "'",, -?"tiM-S' n "st11,u; ttl" 'J MA-p ~ 'hr,l .. < LIM CaNtHi"--8-~!)j~1-1lI LfD~s ~Ab~~~ 1~1; 't.+.J...nv;.k~ .. ~

Is there a particular composer(s) (e~ther living or deceaSed) whose

works you particularly admire? Why? ;X,y.Ja:tti,,;rs. I?gcl., TI ed+'{~

Cbop!:"'; S41i..Lo..5 tp<1. r .. "")""'" ~n.t%·1NM- w!<;r'e /4t1"'v:%.:s~-

1ti·~n;::~r'~1:z;:t;;;;;:t;~~i ~ ~itt.c. s.c--4t,S ~ rff1..... Mpp.t-c..<;-~ ~P-4- ~c..r ~ "SOrJIJp UKblt-t~ How do you regard the role of melody, ha=ony, rhythm, texture,

and/or form? In your works, is there one aspect that takes

precedence over others? .S> Aw aPrlt"l1' t1u"",d -t.W 11~IAlE'~-I"'t'l.S'''c,

~~I ~~-t h~ ~ J~"a.c.4:~~t-1"~~vtiO'h ~ '1<s;c, ;31= $ & e = .. £ u .. i to ~

.&.,..~~ t,4 ... t; tk'=pS'=t C«1d"UA-"'~ 16M H C 10M +-~'1; tJ; BJ IljeAM-~­flAJ((,,&c:. )h(M..(,t"";$,A.i...~: ~s~1tfV • ;trw..{k:a!o.....a1 ~;.

How would you classify your compositional style? How has thislY"'()IlI: dl style evolved over the years? ~dcrC!l.Ot;'iels.5f"h~·--~ t!'n.<p.;1;,.J,.t1 ~1I~Yn1'h trr ii 5cm,qJ Ac.1i4 -liMai'> tis 1 .. rltc'teV j .t";"'; Ian :tc'"s, eo r _ 1 _ 1 )

1AY\fy:L~ )~ 'Goo /7),.1:'1< i't41 it,,± il baw Ib, if! cn elLe:f'..v......, ";.:1;:,, (s%:- ~D'\-I ", ~)

~; ... t" ...... .;:ih SU,C!,.qzC1a ;nu'ts H d't na.,S g1~;;o {\/(J /I'/'1rJMC'r ct. ~S'D/ ~o .sF' ... A~ .lAetI.J, ss 'b~ 1d",n 'j o..~ ~.z.;" .f.. ddk t~SR.. 4 J-tAA~-~~~~J- "-~ 1-~S"i~.

Do you feel that there is a."1 "American" school of musical

composition? If so, what factors have shaped thi~ lj~le? How have

these influences affected your individual idiom? V~ ThUjlo,sO""I'V S4.~ /I..9t ;5' ~ .LASca ±p lv c;.,.../1~ ,'eilM OMj>05M" -- tJ..ll 1p"o< k4"v-t.. t-o

d...o [ 5 .L J.,..., M ...cc -kW<11~A Oe J ""\.,ni,t" y.do,--&:.:ux .. , h,;" J 'g co. (, ri c. ~ "1.o-f.S" .. ·.- '!1 CDURSk" ot( G", is <bA "bn;c,qA .. 8boe{ rq "'"" u'cU C""1',,,c,t;,,,,, • 1$ w .... st:!!· ) rQ" gn 1 J ~"at,.,.1 ~.e." r a'"Gq 41 rr-tfcllV

/h~J.s C ~ooJ.. .,J./Lt~t 5" ;ood..) IIOL&ot- -tk"··· ik.... ~ f~ ..f.~­-tL.t.. ~C/lN\. fr..U:" IS so" ~ ~UtClM.+ ~c.~ i£..ti., \ )-rok-­~t ~ YzI)t(1\V i~4,-+-lu,,-f'h.~ .(~ J-RA.4( ~-r ~ -t~h.. ' [~S ~ ~ l TJ...vr J..~t CMt.. $0 ~,h ~t Lve> k.k ~'Lv'rS!!

59

How much interpretive freedom do you feel the performer should have

4'/;h::':' A:t:;;:::5't ~ZlSi;;:~~ ~:~~.~' 8c..-t' ~ alaUy &1: "0,....., :tks!:V:' rJllm = a1:'Cc (' tV': U ;qlifr~ --"""""- -f:<...a.+~ O./(. ~- IhwC.N~ .. \ -rZ!MPO (~p" J it;~ ~~'l'O't +~1:"= ~coo ~~l= BAr

From your perspective as composer/performer, whatiadvice would YOu~ have for pianists performing your second piano sonata? PPh'i-1~ a....s.{~ 1:

& ~oou:±tt;.., $q,J'Cs llrt .. ;t eLy N 01 td, d,tApm" ~ rlJ &j.... p ate ~ DUiN "..i.,uSS" fa ..f;L7'J)'t 1Lq:t=&nv 4..ttM.G:~< 'Mi='Aom::4,"0">9~S

....,-J ) - IA':- ' I ~ -L I.P~ "P'"' ~~ "T.J,M.. g:.....rnrvv,li 1, \ ... /lAOS' .... )",st: Et=:e 1'>1 1>:-- ~,,~

~mC;s s" A~P,....-t; TJ......,.'FI'..c:~J.. scO"\+ /" ~ " Doe&~J.. ~~i:0:cm-.pO$.(N~I!"':-t<-~~3i+:vi ~!~i·i~)T~~o-J.. ~1C11;fG.~ i:J..c,.. ""'~ .e. " 1- - C .

My s1:udy, of your Second Sonata for Piano. Op. 22 includes a

discussion of other (f"""andmar9 American piano sonatas of the same

period. Do you feel that the culture and generation of which you

are a product had an influence on this composition or other of your

musical composition seemed to be of the utlllost importance, did you

choose to compose in the traditional form of the sonata? What do

you think of David Burge' s COm1:lent "Sometime in the middle of the

1950s the need to write a piano sonata suddenly evaporated.

Composers in Ameri~, jarred by the resonances of strange sounds

and echoes of new procedures coming from overseas and even from

rebels in their own midst, set off in new directions."? (Twentieth­

Century Piano Music, 1990)

~f¥=t:·:::;e~.Et::;/;J!::::,1;r~ ,ji = /~~r:ea~:: f::::;t:;;:7!::::t:}? ~~. u.

- - --u--:..... . 'IJ {M~ ~'i Sm'fp 1'1A'A1 d'DtI'AIIrXVQ ;wrun;;i;"'B -vb Nt I:uit " B ~ CON7tMPO.t~t.,

~~'f.I<I' ~t t.~ 1if'tl.. ~k4l ~~ .. tiD'l.oI Pi/1;lr..tf"CI?'-~-&.t~\J"1. ~+- { . ~ 1t-~l'd-!~1~crt-1\7~ ~ZW\D~)I ~A01"-t

60

61

REFERENCES

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Vol. 3 of A Malabar:

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Hawkins, John Allen. liThe Piano Music of Robert Muczynski: A Performance-Tape and study of His original Works for Piano Solo." D.M.A. Thesis. University of Maryland, 1980.

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written interview, April 4, 1994.

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63

Raynor, Henry. Music and Society Since 1815. London: Barrie and Jenkins, 1976.

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64

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