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"Because there is no basis for comparison": The Self-Accompanying Singer and Roger Reynolds' Sketchbook for The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Pearse, Elizabeth A
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9090-0648
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1540216521914663

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), Bowling Green State University, Contemporary Music.
Roger Reynolds' Sketchbook for The Unbearable Lightness of Being is an unusual work, as it calls for a vocalist to accompany themselves at the piano. Though there are many contemporary singer/keyboard performers, this is not a common practice within the contemporary classical music community. The practice is not without precedent; there is ample historical evidence that self-accompanying was once an accepted and promoted practice within western art music. In contemporary contexts, works calling for a vocalizing pianist have become more prevalent over the last twenty years, but this has not been true for self-accompanying repertoire. Works requiring simultaneous vocalization and keyboard performance place a significant cognitive burden on the performer, and research in multi-tasking and automaticity highlight some of the issues relating to this type of performance. As one of only a few works Reynolds has produced for the combination of voice and piano, Sketchbook’s construction is exemplary of Reynolds’ compositional style. Access to his pre-compositional materials illuminates Reynolds’ unique approach to composition, and his economical use of limited musical material is on display in this work. This document analyzes Sketchbook for both its musical characteristics and for the potential challenges it creates for the self-accompanying singer.
Jane Rodgers, DR (Advisor)
Ronald Scherer, DR (Other)
Katherine Meizel, DR (Committee Member)
Andrew Pelletier, DR (Committee Member)
176 p.
Music; Pedagogy; Performing Arts
Self-Accompanying; Self-accompanying singer; Voice, Singing; Keyboard; Piano; Vocalizing pianist; Roger Reynolds; Joan La Barbara; Sketchbook for The Unbearable Lightness of Being; Vocal Music; 1985

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Pearse, E. A. (2018). "Because there is no basis for comparison": The Self-Accompanying Singer and Roger Reynolds' Sketchbook for The Unbearable Lightness of Being [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1540216521914663

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Pearse, Elizabeth. "Because there is no basis for comparison": The Self-Accompanying Singer and Roger Reynolds' Sketchbook for The Unbearable Lightness of Being. 2018. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1540216521914663.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Pearse, Elizabeth. ""Because there is no basis for comparison": The Self-Accompanying Singer and Roger Reynolds' Sketchbook for The Unbearable Lightness of Being." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1540216521914663

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.