Luận án Tiến sĩ Âm nhạc Nghệ thuật: "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" của Steve Dobrogosz - Góc nhìn của người chỉ huy

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE STEVE DOBROGOSZ’S WHEN LILACS LAST IN THE DOORYARD BLOOM’D: A CONDUCTOR’S PERSPECTIVE A DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS By WILLIAM OMAR GEORGE-TWYMAN Norman, Oklahoma 2020 STEVE DOBROGOSZ’S WHEN LILACS LAST IN THE DOORYARD BLOOM’D: A CONDUCTOR’S PERSPECTIVE A DOCUMENT APPROVED FOR THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC BY THE COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF Dr. Richard Zielinski, Chair Dr. Sarah Ellis Dr. Eugene Enrico Dr.

Judith Pender Dr. Jonathan Shames © Copyright by WILLIAM OMAR GEORGE-TWYMAN 2020 All Rights Reserved. DEDICATION For my parents Barbara and Rogers Chenevert: I told you when I was eight years old that I was going to grow up to be a doctor. I guess I should’ve been more specific.

iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The completion of a doctorate in any field is a momentous achievement, and it cannot be done by one person. There are several people that have made it possible for me to get here, and I wish to express all of my gratitude to them. Special thanks go to Dr. Richard Zielinski and Dr.

David Howard for being helpful and gracious to me throughout coursework and never letting me get away with not being the very best at what I did. My deepest thanks to Steve Dobrogosz for allowing me to pepper him with questions about his work and for being understanding when I just fell off of the map for two years in the middle of research. This piece is amazing and I’m glad I’ve gotten to study it so closely. I’ve been fortunate to come from an incredible tradition of music education, and I’d like to thank every choral conducting teacher I’ve ever had.

Kathleen Leos and Albert Webb at Bishop Lynch High School, Dr. Gary Anderson at Transylvania University, Henry Leck and Dr. Eric Stark at Butler University, and Drs. Alex Blachly, Mark Doerries, Tom Merrill, Nancy Menk, and Carmen Helena-Tellez at the University of Notre Dame have all had me in their studios at some point in time, and each of them gave me invaluable skills and the drive to continue to learn.

There are two people who stayed on my case the entire length of this project, constantly motivating me to “get done already” so that I could get going with actually making art. Bradley Olesen and Dr. Jonathan Palant have been incredible mentors, but, most importantly, they’re great friends, and I value them. v The faculty and staff at Booker T.

Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts have been absolutely the best support system and working cohort that I could hope to be a part of. I appreciate their confidence in me as I took way too long to finish this up. It would be a grave error not to mention my family for their unyielding patience as I dragged my laptop everywhere I went in the hopes that I could “grab a spare minute to write”. This document is also for Nita, Kevin, Abbie, Sassi, Ana, Sophie, Skylar, and Henry.

Most importantly though, the heart and soul of this research and the reason that I was able to keep a clear head and sharp focus has always been and will always be my husband Christopher. He’s been here since the first day of doctoral classes, and nobody had more faith in me than he. My eternal gratitude to you, dearest. vi ABSTRACT Swedish composer Steve Dobrogosz (b.

1956) is primarily known for his jazz piano and songwriting career, having been an influential figure in the Stockholm musical scene since the 1980’s. Eventually he began to explore traditional notated composition and, following the international success of his Mass (1992) for choir, piano, and strings, Dobrogosz’s compositional style became more refined while retaining its exploratory nature. His compositions currently number in the thousands, including significant choral/orchestral works like the Requiem (2001), Christmas Cantata (2003), Stabat Mater (2012), and When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d (2000). Dobrogosz is a master of creating full, luxuriant sonic textures that require careful treatment of text.

This document is an analysis of Steve Dobrogosz’s choral/orchestral setting of Walt Whitman’s pastoral elegy When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d. Contained within the paper are sections covering biographical information of the both the composer and the poet Walt Whitman, Dobrogosz's compositional approach and style, and a detailed musical analysis of each of the six movements that dissects form/thematic structure, tonality, texture, thematic construction, meter/rhythm, and harmony. The analysis pays particular attention to the synthesis of Walt Whitman’s unmetered free verse and Dobrogosz’s lyrical melodic constructions, illustrating Dobrogosz’s masterful handling of complicated poetic material. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION.

ix CHAPTER ONE. 102 BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR.1 A legend listing the fourteen themes present in Steve Dobrogosz’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d along with their abbreviations .1 A chart showing a plan for Part One of Steve Dobrogosz’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d .2 When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d, Part One, measures 1-8, string parts only .3 Lilacs, Part One, measures 10-18, soprano/alto line .4 Lilacs, Part One, measures 34-36, soprano/alto and strings .5 Lilacs, Part One, measures 73-78, string parts only .6 Lilacs, Part One, measures 94-100, string parts only .7 Lilacs, Part One, measures 108-110, chorus parts only .8 Lilacs, Part One, measures 115-118, chorus parts only .9 Lilacs, Part One, measures 140-145, string parts only .10 Lilacs, Part One, measures 145-152, chorus parts only .11 Lilacs, Part One, measures 189-192, chorus and strings .12 Lilacs, Part One, measures 204-209, chorus parts only .13 Lilacs, Part One, measures 212-217 chorus and strings .1 A chart showing a plan for Part Two of Steve Dobrogosz’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d .2 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 24-27, chorus and strings .3 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 33-37, chorus parts only .4 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 45-50, chorus parts only .5 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 51-57, chorus parts only .6 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 74-81, chorus and string bass .7 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 84-96, chorus parts only .8 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 104-110, solo piano and strings .9 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 115-126, flute, clarinet, and solo piano .10 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 146-149, tenor line only .11 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 150-155, chorus parts only .12 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 157-164, chorus parts only .13 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 171-172, chorus and violin 1 .14 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 211-220, solo piano, chorus, and strings .15 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 239-246, chorus parts only .16 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 274-282, chorus parts only .17 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 283-292, chorus parts only .18 Lilacs, Part Two, measures 312-321, chorus and strings .1 A chart showing a plan for Part Three of Steve Dobrogosz’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d .2 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 1-5, wind parts only .3 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 5-13, solo piano .4 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 35-42, tenor/bass and strings .5 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 44-48, tenor/bass and strings .6 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 62-66, tenor/bass and strings .7 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 83-87, solo trumpet and solo piano .8 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 109-112, full orchestra and chorus .9 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 124-126, soprano/alto and solo piano .10 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 134-143, solo piano and violin 1 .11 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 187-193, tenor/bass and strings .12 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 204-213, chorus and strings .13 Lilacs, Part Three, measures 259-264, timpani, solo piano, chorus, and strings .1 A chart showing a plan for Part Four of Steve Dobrogosz’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d .2 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 22-25, chorus and strings .3 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 56-61, full orchestra and chorus .4 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 84-90, string parts only.5 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 22-25, chorus and strings .6 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 140-144, chorus and strings .7 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 250-261, chorus parts only .8 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 305-311, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, horns .9 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 331-336, string parts only.10 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 345-349, chorus and strings .11 Lilacs, Part Four, measures 376-381, solo piano, chorus, and strings .1 A chart showing a plan for Part Five of Steve Dobrogosz’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d .2 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 14-24, chorus parts only .3 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 25-34, chorus and strings .4 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 44-51, chorus and strings .5 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 68-76, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, and solo piano .6 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 129-136, chorus parts only .7 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 160-164, chorus and strings .8 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 173-184, chorus and strings .9 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 189-196, chorus and strings .10 Lilacs, Part Five, measures 221-228, chorus and strings .1 A chart showing a plan for Part Six of Steve Dobrogosz’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d .2 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 1-7, full orchestra.3 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 28-32, tenor/bass and strings .4 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 44-48, solo piano and tenor/bass .5 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 55-60, tenor/bass and strings .6 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 114-121, chorus and strings .7 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 137-142, chorus and strings .8 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 143-148, flute, oboe and English horn .9 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 185-198, flute, oboe, clarinet, solo piano, and strings .10 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 199-204, chorus parts only .11 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 280-287, soprano/alto and strings.12 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 318-324, chorus and strings .13 Lilacs, Part Six, measures 346-361, solo piano, chorus, and strings .88 xii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION, STEVE DOBROGOSZ, AND WHEN LILACS LAST IN THE DOORYARD BLOOM’D This study is intended to be an analysis of the thematic, melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements of Steve Dobrogosz’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d. By examining these musical elements and their relationships to one another, the author shows how Dobrogosz takes his unique perspective on tonal lyricism1 and filters Whitman’s poetry through it, creating a musical experience that is enjoyable for the audience, educational for the singers, and pedagogically vital to conductors. The first chapter provides biographical information on the composer and the circumstances surrounding the premiere of this piece.

One of the issues that affects the depth of the proposed study is the availability of information about the composer. Though Dobrogosz is fairly well-known in Europe, his biography is sparse when it comes to information directly pertaining to When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d. However, since a comprehensive biography is not strictly necessary for the purposes of this study, the author utilizes existing information from Dobrogosz’s own writings and information from other scholars. Any biographical information that is directly related to inspiration or design of this piece comes from email correspondence with the composer.

Transcripts of those email correspondences are included at the end of the document as supplemental material. 1 Sarin Peck, "Jazz elements in select Finnish and Swedish choral music. 1 The second chapter provides background information on Walt Whitman, the poem Lilacs, and also gives context for his relationship with President Lincoln, the assassination, and the funeral procession that followed. Current research on both poet and poem will support the idea of Lincoln embodying the “Star of America” with which Whitman is enamored.

Dobrogosz weaves thematic material together with the specter of this relationship in mind, and the result is a nuanced composition that captures Whitman’s wide range of emotions. Chapters three through eight dissect each of the six movements, and they delve into the form/thematic structure, tonality, texture, thematic construction, meter/rhythm, and harmony present. Thematic construction is the most important feature in the work, and the analysis shows how each of the twelve significant themes are designed to communicate the beauty of Whitman’s poetry, while at the same time providing musical interest.