mh bozza paper - · pdf file! 3!!!...
TRANSCRIPT
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Musical Parody in Bozza’s “Ballade” by
William Kent Brown
FIMP 304
Dr. Clater
4/16/20
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Outline
I. This section will contain an introduction to the topic.
A. There is an interesting background of musical parody.
B. Eugene Bozza has an interesting biography.
C. Bozza’s “Ballade” will be briefly introduced.
II. There is extensive musical parody in Bozza’s “Ballade”.
A. Page one contains two notable excerpts.
1. Saint-‐Saens #3 (Q) M. 3-‐7, 18-‐20
2. Till Eulenspiegel (36-‐38) M. 25-‐26
B. Page two contains three notable excerpts.
1. Mahler 3 (13) M. 62-‐63
2. Scheherazade (E) M. 68-‐71
3. Bolero (10) M. 75-‐97
C. Page three contains several notable excerpts.
1. Hungarian March (4) M. 108-‐109
2. Firebird (10) 109
3. William Tell (C) M. 110-‐120
4. Petrushka (112 P. 6) M. 120-‐122)
5. Ride of the Valkyries (2) M. 131-‐133
6. La Mer (15) M. 136-‐138
7. Firebird (12) M. 139-‐140
III. In Conclusion, Bozza nods towards several famous trombone orchestral
excerpts in his piece, “Ballade” for trombone and piano.
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Musical parody is an interesting topic for debate and discussion. The ethical
implications of this issue could potentially cause strife and angst between
composers. There are, however, several ways that one can “parody” musical
material. No one person owns any rhythmic idea, any one note, or any sequence of
notes. Composers often re-‐use their own melodies and songs in different
compositions. Some noteworthy composers to do this include Bach, Mahler,
Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. One can also use musical parody to steal from a
composer, to mock them, or to honor them. Eugene Bozza was a master of honoring
composers through musical parody.
Composer Eugene Bozza lived from 1905-‐1991. He taught at the Paris
Conservatoire for an extended period of time during his life. During his time at the
Paris Conservatoire, the school began to draw worldwide fame for its compositions.
In the whole scope of music, Bozza is a relatively unknown composer. However, his
works for woodwinds and brass are a part of the standard solo literature. The
reason for this is that the highly skilled Bozza wrote very idiomatically for each
particular instrument. He also had an intriguing compositional style that was
shaped largely by his musical influences. “Bozza was influenced by one or more
specific composers in each style: J.S. Bach for the Baroque, Claude Debussy for
Impressionism, Darius Milhaud for jazz, and both Milhaud and Igor Stravinsky for
Neoclassicism” (Faas 4). Bozza’s compositional palette is a delightful combination of
Baroque, Impressionistic, jazz, and Neoclassicism.
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“Ballade” was composed in the year 1944 for the annual composition
competition at the Paris Conservatoire. “Bozza’s Ballade was written for a
trombonist with an excellent high register who was adept in counting complex
rhythms” (English 10). The concept of musical borrowing is seen in Bozza’s
“Ballade” for trombone and piano, as the composer “nods” towards many famous
and well-‐known orchestral excerpts for the trombone.
On the first page of the solo, there are two fairly clear “nods” to famous
trombone licks. The first of which happens in mm. 3-‐7 and 18-‐20. This phrase,
(labeled 1.1 in the score) particularly the four-‐note motive that begins it, is a
rhythmic nod to the trombone solo at letter Q in the 1st movement of Saint-‐Saens’
Symphony #3 (the “Organ Symphony”). This solo is meant to display peace, mystery,
and thoughtfulness. Bozza used this motive to begin his work for solo trombone in a
reserved, mysterious manner. The second nod (1.2) of the first page is in mm. 25-‐26.
Referring to Richard Strauss’ “Till Eulenspiegel,” this parody or nod is both rhythmic
and directional. Stretching from 3 measures before rehearsal 37 in “Till” to 4
measures after rehearsal 37, this excerpt shows the growing energy in each
respective work.
The parodies continue on the second page of the solo. The first three lines of
the second page are a cadenza of sorts. Within this cadenza is a nod to a portion of
the longest trombone solo in orchestral literature: Mahler’s 3rd Symphony,
Movement 1, from rehearsal 13-‐15. From mm. 62-‐63 in Bozza, the composer takes
melodic ideas from Mahler and uses them to draw the cadenza to a conclusion.
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The trombone solo in the first movement of Mahler's "Symphony No. 3"
between rehearsal numbers 13 and 17 is unique in style, phrasing, and
importance to the overall musical picture. Although handed to the first
trombone by Mahler, it uses exclusively the instrument's middle and low
register. There can be no doubt about the coloring and timbre the composer
had in mind. (Fadle)
Bozza uses the melodic ideas in the same way that Mahler did: in the middle to low
registers, relying on the burly timbre of the trombone to carry the solo. The second
excerpt found on this page is a more direct quote from Rimsky-‐Korsakov’s
“Scheherazade.” In “Scheherazade,” rehearsal E-‐F of the 2nd trombone part show
direct correlation with Bozza mm. 68-‐71 (2.2). The unifying elements, in this case,
are rhythmic and melodic in nature. This strong, directional, rhythmic function
shows strength and authority in both works.
The last excerpt on page two is from mm. 75-‐97. This passage holds many
similarities to the trombone solo from Ravel’s “Bolero” (beginning at 2 mm. after
rehearsal 10, and ending at rehearsal 11). This excerpt, “Bolero”, is required on
nearly all trombone orchestral auditions. Bozza obviously views this excerpt as
crucial to the orchestral trombonist, giving it an entire section of the piece.
Bolero, consisting of 18 pieces, has only two Spanish-‐Arabian themes, each of
which is repeated nine times with changing combinations of musical
instruments on the bolero rhythm. As repetition of the themes proceeds, the
orchestral sounds gradually become thicker in accordance with changes in
the combinations of musical instruments. (Asada & Ohgushi 241)
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Megumi Kanda, principal trombone of the Milwaukee Symphony, describes “Bolero”
as “A dancing competition between all the members of the orchestra. Each
orchestral instrument gets its turn to dance (or play the theme)” (Kanda). Bozza
decides to use these ideas to mimic a lot of the attributes of “Bolero.” Utilizing
techniques such as the glissando and a constant piano ostinato, Bozza creates an
atmosphere reminiscent of “Bolero” itself. The second page of Bozza’s “Ballade” has
three very interesting orchestral nods that bring contrasting moods to the piece.
Bozza begins the third and final page with a few quick nods. First, in mm.
108-‐109, he uses a rapid passage with two syncopated notes near the beginning.
This passage looks and sounds similar to the “Hungarian March” from Brahms’
“Damnation of Faust” (rehearsal 4-‐5). This is another common audition excerpt,
depicting a death march through the music. Immediately afterwards, in Bozza
measure 109, the five-‐note pattern on beats 2-‐3.5 is similar to a passage in
Stravinsky’s “Firebird” (3 measures after rehearsal 10). Bozza continues to parody
in mm. 110-‐120.1, with a lean towards various elements of the “William Tell
Overture” by Rossini (beginning at rehearsal C). The rapid 16th-‐note ascending
pattern, the 8th notes in thirds 16 m. after rehearsal C, and the chromatic lines all
show elements of similarity between the two. In m. 120-‐122.1 of Bozza, there is a
rhythmic idea similar to that at rehearsal 112 of Stravinsky’s “Petrushka.” The
pattern of three 16ths and an eighth note are prevalent here.
After a few lines of original material, Bozza integrates elements of arguably
the most famous trombone orchestral excerpt of all time: “The Ride of the Valkyries”
by Richard Wagner. This excerpt, like “Bolero” and “Hungarian March,” is asked on
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nearly every trombone orchestral audition. This excerpt obviously depicts German
WWII ideals of power and war. Measures 131-‐133 of Bozza use the popular dotted
triplet rhythm popularized by “The Ride.” The combination of ascending triplets and
growing dynamics begin to draw this piece to a close. There are two main excerpts
from “The Ride”-‐ the minor excerpt (rehearsal 2), and the major excerpt (rehearsal
6). Bozza chooses to parody the major excerpt, to attempt to end this piece on a
more positive note. Mm. 136-‐138 house a parody from Debussy’s “La Mer.” Centered
on rehearsal 15 of “La Mer,” Bozza uses the rhythmic ideas to create his own music.
The main idea that he uses is the 16th-‐dotted 8th rhythm. This particular rhythmic
idea is called the Scottish snap. “The ‘Scottish snap’ is the trademark of many
Scottish melodies. This is a rhythm figure that features a short note on the beat
followed by a longer note, such as a sixteenth note to a dotted eighth note. The snap
can be heard in many pipe melodies and marches” (Scottish Folk Music).
Bozza ends this conglomeration with a parody of another part of Stravinsky’s
“Firebird.” Bozza draws from rehearsal 12-‐14 of “Firebird.” This makes for an
interesting ending to the piece. It is almost as if Bozza is saying, “I got you! The
whole thing has been a joke or a play.” The trombone glissando is something that no
other instrument in the orchestra can emulate. Bozza included many orchestral
parodies or nods in the third page of his “Ballade” to wrap up the piece effectively.
Why did Bozza use all of these orchestral excerpts? Why did he not write his
own original music? Bozza took it upon himself to compose a piece that would stand
apart from the rest of the pieces in the competition. By choosing to parody all of
these famous orchestral excerpts, Bozza appeals to trombonists all over the world.
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Because of the programmatic nature of each section, it is enjoyable to perform. This
piece truly shows off the artistry of the trombone and the versatility of the
performer. The differing musical styles combine to create a true masterpiece.
Eugene Bozza was a visionary. His influence at the Paris Conservatoire was
monumental to its success and longevity. Bozza’s “Ballade” is a challenge to perform
because of the individual idiosyncrasies that each excerpt demands. A good tool in
learning this selection would be to study the individual orchestral excerpts. Once
the excerpts are learned, the techniques learned therein can be transferred to
Bozza’s “Ballade.” Bozza used musical parody to create a solo like no one had ever
seen before.
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Works Cited
Asada, Miki, and Kengo Ohgushi. "Perceptual Analyses of Ravel's "Bolero"," Music
Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal 8.3 (1991): 241-‐49. JSTOR. Web. 16
Apr. 2012.
English, Brian. "Philosophical Implications on Trombone Performance and Pedagogy
in Andre Lafosse's Curriculum at the Paris Conservatory .” UNT Digital
Library. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.
<http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4780/>.
Faas, Jason P. A Study of Compositional Technique and Influence in Three Bass
Trombone Pieces by Eugene Bozza. Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska-‐
Lincoln, 2007. Print.
Fadle, Heinz. "Orchestral Excerpts for the Tenor Trombonist: Mahler Symphony No.
3." Online Trombone Journal (2010). www.trombone.org. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.trombone.org/orchexcerpts/exc-‐mahler3.asp>.
Kanda, Megumi. "Trombone Lesson #2." Personal interview. 25 Aug. 2009.
"Scottish Folk Music." McGraw-‐Hill. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.
http://spotlightonmusic.macmillanmh.com/n/teachers/articles/folk-‐and-‐
traditional-‐styles/scottish-‐folk-‐music>.
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Musical Examples for Comparison
Saint-‐Saens #3
Till Eulenspiegel
Mahler 3
Scheherazade
11
Bolero
Hungarian March
Firebird (10)
12
William Tell
Petrushka
13
Ride of the Valkyries
La Mer
Firebird (12)