Microsoft Word - Revised Thesis.docx The Music of Phillip Houghton: Interpreting the Influence of Visual Art Works in his Compositions Ian C. Ahles BMus (Hons) Queensland Conservatorium of Music Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of: Master of Music Research September, 2018 i Abstract Phillip Houghton (April 26, 1954 – September 30, 2017) was “one of Australia’s greatest guitar figures and composers” (Slava Grigoryan as cited by Cerabona, 2018). Houghton had been trained in visual arts before studying music, and influences from the visual art and references to visual stimuli played a major role in his compositions. This study discusses the process of developing a meaningful interpretation, performance and presentation of Houghton’s compositions with a focus on the visual art influences referenced in his music. This research project unfolds through three case studies, spanning a period of a year and a half. Each case study draws repertoire that I selected for the respective concert programmes in which I focused on the works by Phillip Houghton. The selection was made by instrumentation, namely, works for solo guitar, works for ensemble guitar, and mixed chamber ensemble works including the guitar. These three different programs were presented live on June/2016, November/2016, and June/2017 respectively. During this period, I had the opportunity to communicate with Phillip Houghton in person, which added further insight and personal dimension to both the technical and interpretative aspects of his compositions. The exegesis also contains a video with selections from the three performances. Each case study is discussed in a specific chapter, in which I also provide analyses on the relevant aspects of the works, the artworks that inspired them, and the process of developing a musical interpretation and a visual display. This design was developed to allow the reader to focus on each stage of a progression as it follows: 1) basic background of the pieces in the given program, 2) identification of the art works referenced by Houghton and my impressions from such works, 3) followed by musical analyses that serve to determine the correlations between the referenced artworks and the musical features, and finally 4) a discussion on strategies to bring the emerged understanding into interpretative and performative decisions. Each of Chapters 4, 5 and 6 follow the same progression, and reflect the contents of the three concerts mentioned above. ii Statement of Originality This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. (Signed)_____________________________ Name of Student iii Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................i Statement of Originality ............................................................................................ii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………..iii Table of Figures……………………………………………………………………....vi List of video performances…………………………………………………………...ix Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 Phillip Houghton Biography ........................................................................................... 3 Meeting Phillip Houghton ............................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2: Literature Review ....................................................................................9 Chapter 3: Methods .................................................................................................11 Presentation Development through Action Research and Reflection............................. 13 Analysis as a Step Towards Interpretation. .................................................................... 15 Use of Narrative and Visual Stimuli to Inform a Performance. ..................................... 16 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 4: Case Study 1 ..........................................................................................18 Introduction………………………………………………………………………….18 Related Artworks .....................................................................................................21 Stélé ........................................................................................................................................ 21 iv God of the Northern Forest. .................................................................................................... 27 Goldfish Suite ......................................................................................................................... 30 Kinkachoo, I love you ............................................................................................................. 32 Fantasia…as a Jade Unicorn Might in the Rain..................................................................... 33 Analyses ..................................................................................................................34 Stélé [1. Stélé, 2. Dervish, 3. Bronze Appollo, 4. Web] ................................................... 34 God of the Northern Forest ........................................................................................... 38 Case Study 1: Interpretation and Presentation .......................................................42 Stélé ............................................................................................................................... 42 God of the Northern Forest ........................................................................................... 43 Chapter 5: Case Study 2:. ........................................................................................45 Introduction………………………………………………………………………….45 Related Artworks .....................................................................................................47 Opals ............................................................................................................................. 47 Brolga ............................................................................................................................ 49 Wave Radiance .............................................................................................................. 49 The Mantis and the Moon ............................................................................................. 50 A Suite of Six Trios ........................................................................................................ 50 Analyses..................................................................................................................53 Wave Radiance .............................................................................................................. 53 Opals [Black Opal, Water Opal, White Opal] ................................................................ 57 Interpretation and Presentation ..............................................................................68 v Wave Radiance .............................................................................................................. 68 Opals ...................................................................................................................................... 69 Chapter 6: Case Study 3 ..........................................................................................70 Introduction ............................................................................................................70 Related Artworks .....................................................................................................72 From the Dreaming ....................................................................................................... 72 In Amber ....................................................................................................................... 74 The Light on the Edge ................................................................................................... 75 Analyses ..................................................................................................................76 From the Dreaming ....................................................................................................... 76 1. Cave Painting. ..................................................................................................................... 76 2. Wildflower........................................................................................................................... 79 3. Gecko .................................................................................................................................. 81 Interpretation and Presentation ..............................................................................84 From the Dreaming ....................................................................................................... 84 In Amber ....................................................................................................................... 84 The Light on the Edge. .................................................................................................. 85 Presentation with VJ and audio reactive imaging software. .......................................... 85 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................87 Bibliography and References ..................................................................................89 Appendix A…………………………………………………………………………...93 vi Table of Figures Fig. 1. Yellow Goldfish excerpt Fig. 2. Villa-Lobos rhythmic lifting Fig. 3. Green Goldfish Fig. 4. Case Study programme Fig. 5. Stélé of Demokleides (Anon. 4th century, B.C.) Fig. 6. The Jockey of Artemision. (Anon. 140-150 B.C.) Fig. 7. Piraeous Apoollo (Anon. 6th century B.C) Fig. 8. Stélé cover art. (Houghton, 1989) Fig. 9. Red Moon over River Styx Fig. 10. Ruins Fig. 11. Equus Baying at Red Moon Fig. 12. In the Flame of the Muse Fig. 13. While the Muses Dance A Brighter Fig. 14. His Wife Waits for him on the Other side Fig. 15. Red, Ancient Figures Fig. 16. Moon with Twisted Tree Fig. 17. God of the Northern Forest (Klee, 1922) Fig. 18. Alternate God of the Northern Forest cover art (Houghton 1993) Fig. 20. Of a River Bank/Forest, Across a River. Fig. 21. The Goldfish Suite (Houghton, 1979) Fig. 22. Music in Dark Water Fig. 23. Beach (1978) Fig. 25. Poets Festival ’78 (1978) Fig. 28. Opalescence Fig. 29. Lovers Make Blue Fig. 30. Warrior Dreams a Forest Fig. 31. Fern Forest Fig. 32. Pivotal sonority Fig. 33. A section theme vii Fig. 34. Transposed theme Fig. 35. Climax Fig. 36. Consonant repeated sonority Fig. 37. Dervish Form Fig. 38. Bronze Apollo introduction Fig. 39. Bronze Apollo rapid change in tempo and timbre Fig. 40. Bronze Apollo arpeggios Fig. 41. Enharmonic spelling of pivotal sonority from movement 1, Stélé Fig. 42. Introductory section featuring repeated Dm/F sonority Fig. 43. D note pedal above the melody Fig. 44. Ostinato featuring low F and high D pedals Fig. 45. Combination of opening section sonorities with more recent thematic material Fig. 46. Open and stopped notes unison notes rolled in sonority Fig. 47. Stélé introduction Fig. 48. Echo of Anvil Fig. 49. Circe Invidiosa (Waterhouse, 1892) Fig. 50. River Surface at Night – Wave Radiance (Houghton, 1992) Fig. 51. The Mantis and the Moon (Houghton, 1977) Fig. 52. Excuse me, but a giant Arrow Head has Landed on our Planet (Houghton, year unknown) Fig. 53. A New Note Arrives on their World (Houghton, year unknown) Fig. 54. Wave Radiance Introduction Fig. 55. Dynamic and timbral gradation in Wave Radiance Score Fig. 56. Graphical of dynamic and timbre across time in Wave Radiance Fig. 57. Return of introductory sonority Fig. 58. Two note motif Fig. 59. Spectrogram representation of Grygorian Brothers recording of Wave Radiance Fig. 60. Guitar 2 ostinato. Fig. 61. A section development Fig. 62. Each guitar part has its own ostinato Fig. 63. Interplay between guitars 1 and 3, and guitars 2 and 4 viii Fig. 64. B section final development Fig. 65. Modulated ostinato Fig. 66. Two beat pulse and interruptions Fig. 67. Rock music based section with blues bends Fig. 68. Transition between A and B Fig. 69. Unstable chord as interruption in place of change in pulse or meter Fig. 70. Antecedence and consequence Fig. 71. Arpeggiated sonorities leading to change in material Fig. 72. Cross-rhythms repeated across repeated sixteenth-notes Fig. 73. Highlighted doubling between Guitars III and IV Fig, 74. All parts sharing the same rhythm Fig. 75. Eighth-note texture Fig. 76. Untitled – Dreamscape (Houghton, 1991/92) Fig. 77. Untitled - Of a Flooding Desert (Houghton, year unknown) Fig. 78. Untitled - Red Desert (Houghton, year unknown) Fig. 79. Houghton Drawing at a River (Houghton, 1991) Fig. 80. Untitled - Multi Coloured Orb (Houghton, year unknown) Fig. 81. Untitled - Blue, Yellow, Black (Houghton, year unkown). Fig. 82. Didjeridu riff Fig. 83. Descending Sequence Fig. 84. Descending Sequence with decrescendo in guitar Fig. 85. Opening guitar sonority Fig. 86. Concluding with opening guitar sonority combined with suspension Fig. 87. D Dorian and Phrygian alternation Fig. 88. Added chromaticism relaxing into D Dorian Fig. 89. Diatonic cluster combined with high tessitura Fig. 90. Guitar and flute matching tessituras Fig. 91. Call and response followed by harmonised rhythmic unison Fig. 92. 5/4 groove Fig. 93. Slowing flute sequence ix Fig. 94. Four voices playing a unison E7 Fig. 95. Agitato, staccato and rests List of Video Performances 1. Stélé - Stélé 2. Bronze Apollo 3. God of the Northern Forest 4. Wave Radiance 5. Opals - Black Opal 6. White Opal 7. From the Dreaming – Cave Painting 8. Wildflower x Acknowledgements This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of Phillip Houghton (1954-2017), who provided the inspiration for this writing, was available to answer any questions I had, and provided me with notes and articles he had collected over the years. And, especially for the joy that his creative output provided as an artist, listener, viewer, and thinker that he has given us. To Evangelos (Kara) Karavitis. As the executor of Phillip Houghton’s creative output, thank you for granting me permission to use score samples, artworks, and Houghton’s writings in this dissertation. To Peter Lynch, thank you for the permission to cite your unpublished paper Phillip Houghton – Australian Composer. To Daniel Nistico, thank you for sharing your interview with Phillip Houghton to be cited in this dissertation. To my supervisors Dr. Gerardo Dirié and Ms. Karin Schaupp, thank you for all of your guidance, patience, inspiration, and help throughout the Masters process. 1 Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction “Form, structure, content, context, rhythm, harmony, texture, colour, line, balance, motif, symbols, allegory, story, myth, narrative, design, patterns, counterpoint, juxtaposition, development, placement, timing, dynamic, speed, space, layers, hues, tones, opaque, transparent, gradiation, gestures, modulation, undulation, accents… and a lot more… I could be talking about painting or music: the brush or the sound.” (Houghton as cited in Nistico, pp.14, 2016). Phillip Houghton thought of light and sound in terms of the speed and resonance of vibrational frequencies of energy, with light being fast, higher-band frequencies, and sound being slow, lower-band frequencies. He also notes that we can see some light, such as a rainbow, but high vibrational light frequencies such as gamma and x-ray cannot be perceived by the naked eye. We can hear quite a large range of pitch, but if they are too high like a dog whistle, or too low as in a low-pitched whale song, these too are imperceivable. (Houghton as cited in Nistico, pp.14, 2016). These analogies are not only there to fit into a physical description of light and sound. Houghton’s philosophy about influences interacting goes to the core of his creative output regardless of the medium. “Now and then, I try to paint what I hear, hear what I paint, or write stories and poems.” “It’s all about the medium of choice, and the particular skills and desires of the individual to ‘voice’ their ideas… whatever field they may work in. To try to describe this voice, I came up with the word ‘mythod’ meaning our own personal myth or story, our experience, our memory and history, our dreams and imagination, and how we each need to speak it.” (Houghton as cited in Nistico, pp.15, 2016). Within this exegesis are three case studies that investigate the music of Phillip Houghton and the visual influences in them, all detailing a process leading to an informed interpretation. These selections based on instrumentation focus on solo guitar music ensemble guitar music, and mixed ensemble music featuring guitar. The thinking behind this is that different tonal 2 colour mixes between these configurations are similar to different paints, pens, pencils and other materials that a visual artist may use. As mentioned in the Abstract, each case study is structured in a way that mimics my approach to learning and researching repertoire as a performer. In 1) the Introduction section, there is some background information about the piece, such as publication dates, an idea of where in the composer’s output the repertoire belongs, and some relevant programmatic information, including influences cited by Houghton not related to visual art. 2) The Related Artwork sections are the area of primary interest for this exegesis. In these sections, I seek to relate both Houghton’s and my reactions to the artworks presented. When Houghton had specified certain paintings related to certain compositions, I attempted to portray the connections my imagination attached to them. I later saw my own evocations between some Houghton paintings and compositions, which I shared in the Related Artwork sections, and also incorporated into the interpretations. 3) The Analysis sections focus on the musically descriptive elements of the music compositions. There are elements of programmatic and visual description tied to musical ideas and devices where appropriate. However, it should be noted that these connections are often metaphorical, and do not necessarily align with specific notated areas in the scores. I have also used graphic descriptions to allude to the shape of various elements of certain pieces, including a visual representation of the structure of Dervish, as well as a graphic notation and acousmograph depiction of Wave Radiance. These visual illustrations are used only for the compositions that display a significant connection to them. Finally, 4) the Interpretation and Presentation sections delve even further into the metaphorical depictions that I developed into a narrative under the guidance of my guitar teacher Ms. Karin Schaupp. These narratives became the associative mental images that sustained meaning during my performances. This section also covers the development of various projections of images used for display during performance. Like my approach to learning and researching repertoire, this design will hopefully allow a reader to cross-reference the different sections, and also develop new and interesting connections for their own portrayal of Houghton’s music. I perceived Houghton’s 3 descriptions, metaphors and images to allow performers and by extension, their audience, tap into their own imaginations and meanings into his music. I feel that this design allows for descriptive data to coincide with the readers impressions of the various imagery, metaphors, descriptions depicted within the exegesis. Phillip Houghton Biography Phillip Houghton was born in Melbourne on the 26th of April in 1954 and passed away in the same city on the 30th of September 2017. He trained as a visual artist at the Prahran Technical College, before dropping out after three months. He later undertook classical guitar lessons with Sebastian Jorgensen, and also began teaching himself composition. He received early encouragement from John Champ, Peter Mummé and Helen Gifford. He accepted a position at the Montsalvat Artist Colony in Melbourne as artist in residence and guitar tutor from 1977 to 1981. Between the years 1977 and 1980 he also pursued a career as a classical guitarist, touring extensively and later recorded by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which unfortunately (with the exception of a selection of trios with Roger Treble and Sebastian Jorgensen) was never broadcast due to a severe rattle in Houghton’s guitar. At the age of 26 he decided to abandon the performance aspect of his career to focus on composition. Houghton’s early output between 1976 and 1982, included the solo works The Passing (19), The Romantic (1975), Study in Patience (1975), Long Deep Waltz (1976), Red Goldfish (1977), Jade Unicorn (1979), and Iliad (1980). His own description of these works is of a progressive evolution of his composition style from struggling to learn notation while writing out improvisation, development of the use of space, movement, silence and time, development of longer, more substantial melodic lines, and use of modulation, cross-string sustain in scales, and chords, suspended harmony, bends and damping techniques. Houghton also considered Iliad to be the major breakthrough of that period, citing the development in “intricate ‘line’ constructions’; artificial harmonies; ‘volatile’ harmony; unusual right and left-hand techniques; massive ‘leaps’ to tones and colours.” (Houghton, as cited in Lynch. 1994). 4 Early output in ensemble music included The Mantis and the Moon (1975-76) for guitar duo, which eventually became the first movement of Three duets in 1990, Relic and Initiation from Six Trios (1981-82) for guitar trio, and In Amber (1982) for guitar and string quartet. In these compositions, Houghton explores motoric rhythms, “swift ‘note clashes’ and more adventurous modulations and moods.” (Houghton, 1994), and with In Amber, “giving equal weight to each instrument – to create a balanced mashing of voices and rhythms,” while “shifting intervals and chords give it a ‘hazy’ key centre.” (Houghton, as cited in Lynch 1994). In Houghton’s words, “After [composing] Iliad and The Ancients, life caught up with me… I didn’t write another solo for eight years” (Houghton as cited in Lynch, 1994). Houghton’s life experiences during this time translate into Houghton’s his music, in particular, a seven-month stint as a labourer on a gas pipeline from Alice Springs to Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory 1987. Memories of this period of his life were the impetus behind the work From the Dreaming for flute and guitar composed in 1992. The Black Rose Prelude, composed in 1988, began a very prolific period of composition lasting until around 1995. This was the period in which his most well-known, longest formed, and most performed works were written. It was in this time when Houghton composed his first large substantial solo, Stélé, and God of the Northern Forest, now almost canonic in the guitar repertory. Houghton was perhaps even more prolific with ensemble music in this time, penning Lament and Alchemy to complete the Three Duets with The Mantis and the Moon, and Opals for guitar quartet. Two Night Movements, and From the Dreaming, were another artistic breakthrough for Houghton, feeling that the writing for duet with guitar and flute/violin, was “a challenge that freed up my melodic lines”. (Houghton reminisced by Lynch, 1994). His large-scale mixed chamber work, The Light on the Edge for two guitars, harp, percussion, zither, double bass and didjeridu was also composed in this time, and was recorded by Peter Constant and Marion Schaap and friends on the recording titled The Light on the Edge. It was also during this period that Houghton began what he termed a “cottage industry,” Moonstone Music Publications, allowing him to self-publish his works, importantly being facsimiles of his handwritten musical calligraphy. Hand written scores can give a musician greater insight into a work as Elaine Gould states “…some professionals 5 today still say that well-spaced hand copying or a composer’s manuscript, tell us more about the music than the impersonality of a computer-set page ever can.” (Gould, 2011). Fig. 1 Yellow Goldfish excerpt In the opening section to Yellow Goldfish (Fig. 1) from The Goldfish Suite; as well as being a beautifully presented score by a skilled calligrapher, it is incredibly detailed in directions for the player. It is highly descriptive, as one can see, there is a description of the fish’s personality - “At once a mad jester, and a melancholy magician”, some descriptions to fit the state of being of the fish with the tempo information at the start of the score - “whimsical, lazy, musingly, summery,” and, at the bottom, the line “becoming agitated!” giving the player an indication of what is to come that is a little more poetic than “leading towards agitato.” The score is also very prescriptive, in that the player has detailed information on the intended string choice, fingering, and timbres to be produced. On an instrument such as the guitar, these choices greatly affect the sound produced in terms of colour, shading and articulation. Ophelia – a haunted sonata was the last complete new published work of Houghton’s composed in 2004; also during this time, he completed some other well-known works 6 including Kinkachoo – I love you, and Wave Radiance for guitar duo. Houghton is well known for making revisions to his compositions, and from the late 1990’s to 2015, he made what would be the final versions of ten earlier works, including 6 Short Solos, The Goldfish Suite, Brolga, Opals, Nocturne (originally for piano, arranged for guitar quartet), From the Dreaming, In Amber, and The Light on the Edge. Phillip Houghton cites many influences in his music, most prominently, visual art, mythology, and the environment. Meeting Phillip Houghton I met Phillip Houghton in person for the first and only time in 2016, I had arranged to have a lesson with him at his apartment in Sydney. I flew in fairly early in the day and had a look around the suburb as he was quite firm about not meeting any earlier than midday. He greeted me warmly and we had some small talk about cricket and Australian football. Houghton had retained many artefacts over the course of his composing career, including some that he shared with me; these included various papers written about him and his music, paintings, drawings, his own lecture materials and composition sketches, some of which are referenced in this exegesis. I began with Green Goldfish from The Goldfish Suite and was incredibly nervous when it came time to play for him. I did not perform at the intended standard. One of the first things that he suggested to do was to “lower the stakes,” to reduce it all down to a technical level, think less about mistakes and the interpretation, and to practice slowly more often. He felt that I was still “sight reading,” and should look more at my hand positions for cleaner shifts. He was very observant with physical movement, noted there was excessive tension in my right hand, and also mentioned that when I got to a tricky passage my right leg would move out and put me off balance. He suggested that I use the natural body motion to play with more freedom, to use my chest more than my left-hand thumb for pressure on the strings in the left hand. He also mentioned that relaxation begins in the jaw, and that tension there will translate to the rest of the body. 7 Houghton suggested utilising a technique he referred to as “rhythmic lifting,” which was explained as holding the finger on a note until a rhythmic moment within the phrase, allowing for much cleaner phrasing. He gave me an example of the final run in the Villa- Lobos Etude No. 1 (Fig. 2), Fig. 2 Villa-Lobos rhythmic lifting Houghton even wrote the rhythmic lifting into Green Goldfish (Fig. 3). Fig. 3 Green Goldfish Note the rests in bars 18 and 20, instructing the player to release the 4th finger C# and B respectively to change across to another string. Lwto ) = So mysfor.ous , ir far', o us ) ,;'L o[tf o,*,as 1, Cl'nete rn xaP ( J- O rul/ L, (- =*h"^b) oLo eccel- ( St*ttn-) f oste.r. poco o +2 Ph;LLip Ho u3htow @ tqlt - 7g / zoos a- Foe rltr r tJ o.ilt F\f (.u s;- ) Poco rrt) =60 horng a.'rm lL A. =f' ^ F;, ,/ (,il P P Poco m o vibr @ 3 2 o 9 U -*/ ,,}, P .-(si-) IJ 7. I nP L na o- n (Si^) -\ 6 6 bb t'-) LrJ 7U 7 / rrl+as.\ W:,) rLt 6e '#1*' zl rnf roco EALI@ l (&') fi Hoon @- P J.= 8+lgz kntel - hold P#+;tly end of bar IJ tcc€nl is soFl; rnor" lik"tt leaning in fo"trlrc note & foco .t,t 2 nf #?,+t CW-Se- l^ . (t) .Llrl/tit L) PocoUe'tAL. @ +,nPo nf I =-f ol )' l'*' ^z-. T.ol l_c reSc Sfune- Ttt E- C,roLpftsH SUlrL GREEN GOLDF'S H Na/efcolou,/ ftuw S{^*J re)fiaa,ncL ev Q), + -a.j' otl/- IJ rI u 'r* : e"[ ta'sfo An d,a,nte ) =7b L;k a ricl,r, " "r"o^y "h ock f loTj (rollr "/ror^ ouf " & ri ch. ral'lner tlan,. f"sr) Le"r,-,;n3 tnors- o1i foful, 9 @A \--l/ \\-___-/,h 7 r--''':-_ :1o'a, yorut po,.o nP -, ' nf tqsto Al,L4ro LV Lw^irr,ouS, ( ter vib'aft) 4 m L\-' ( 11ovv sifkT IJ t ro?po shn o oW Lw )= , L;Ke ls2 w *tev lm THE kot-DFlsH SUrTE @ Ph;llip Hor3hto'" t\r,rsic Prblicahons 117t - 78 / 2ooz 8 This information was revelatory in seeing how pervasive Houghton’s many influences made their way into his works. In this regard, it was from his teaching approach, greatly influencing my technical preparation of his compositions. This knowledge made me aware of the breadth of influence within his music, and how naturally he incorporated them, also informing the process of analysing the works in the study. 9 Chapter 2: Literature Review To better understand the language of the visual artist, it is important to read through various topics on visual art. A good place to start was the writings of Paul Klee in his Temporis Collection. Klee’s art was directly connected to Houghton’s through the painting God of the Northern Forest which served as the inspiration for Houghton’s solo work of the same name. Paul Klee’s writings about his art theory cite many musical influences, which Houghton notes as an influence in his artwork and music. When talking about Klee’s contemporary, Kandinsky, Houghton had expressed: “I should also say that initially I was trained as an artist and there has always been a connection for me between visuals and sound. I know that the painter Kandinsky was always trying to paint sound and I found that as an artist that was exactly what I was trying to do. Then it came to me that I would prefer to make sounds rather than paint them.” (Houghton cited in Byzantine, 2000). Klee’s writing about Tonality (Klee, location 2831-2919) directly influenced the graphic representation of Houghton’s study of shading, colour, and dynamic Wave Radiance that appears on page 52 of this exegesis. For Klee, tonality meant the movement of tone value, offering an example, that being of white to black. I used this gradient to describe the change in timbre on the guitar from ponticello to tasto. Klee also writes about the addition of colour to shading giving an impression of temperature, which I referenced to the voicing of sonorities in the work. (Klee, Op. Cit.). Renaud Côté-Giguére notes in his writing about the guitar music of Tõru Takemitsu, that performing the notated colour changes in his music means much more than simply moving the right-hand position between bridge and fretboard. He asserts that Takamitsu’s cultural and personal ethos needs to be understood to fully grasp the timbral diversity in Takemitsu’s music. For Côté-Giguére, the music of Takemitsu is closely related to both nature and the ma aesthetic derived from Japanese art. Côté-Giguére states “Ma, meaning both space and time, is fundamental in Japanese art. This aesthetic is often represented as the void between two separate worlds: paintings of faraway trees through the fog or blurry reflections in the water 10 are applications of ma in visual art” (Côté-Giguére, 2017. p. 16). Even with cultural differences, the aesthetic is analogous to what I believe Houghton was trying to achieve. The programme notes in Phillip Houghton’s scores give detailed descriptions of the programmatic material his works are based on. The scores themselves are beautifully handwritten, and as well as having very specific information on tempo fluctuations and tone colour, often have instructions such as those in Opals for guitar quartet suggesting which colours are being portrayed at different points in the music. Jan LaRue’s Style Guides for Style Analysis presents a range of strategies for analysing music within the notion of a “style-analytical routine.” This routine begins with looking at the work as a whole to identify the Large Dimensions, which include major shifts in sound (dynamics, timbre), contrast and frequency of tonality (modality, pitch class etc.) and vertical function, connected thematic ideas, contrasts in meter and tempos and rhythms, and variety in form. Then, moving on to Middle Dimensions, we look at specific phrases, and the ideas within the parts of the piece. And finally, the Small Dimensions, where sub-phrases and motives reside. The descriptions of these features became the data sets from which the analyses were formed. Various biographical and interview sources were also used to develop an insight into the world of Phillip Houghton, these included his website, the Australian Music Centre website, various periodicals and materials given to me by Houghton, with permission for their use approved by the authors. This exegesis, in its design and development, explores a wide range of approaches and source material. The literature review reflects the scope of tools and studies used to distill and refine the various data sets that unfolded throughout the project. However, this exegesis attempts to bridge the divide between describable features and metaphors within Houghton’s music, leading to an actionable understanding of the processes used to create performative interpretations. 11 Chapter 3: Methods The overall project was divided up into three separate case studies (Fig. 4), with a focus on 1) solo guitar repertoire, 2) ensemble guitar music, and 3) mixed chamber repertoire. The repertoire was selected specifically for the programmatic connection to visual artworks and visual stimuli. Case Study No. 1 Case Study No.2 Case Study No. 3 Stélé God of the Northern Forest Kinkachoo, I Love You The Goldfish Suite Fantasia - As a Jade Unicorn Might in the Rain. Opals – Guitar Quartet Brolga – Guitar Duo Wave Radiance – Guitar Duo Three Duets – Guitar Duo Suite of Six Trios – Guitar Trio From the Dreaming – Guitar and Flute In Amber - Guitar and String Quartet (or Quintet) The Light on The Edge – Two Classical Guitars, Harp, Double Bass, Percussion and Environment Sounds Fig. 4. Case Study programme In Case Study 1, Stélé (1989) in four movements, is perhaps Phillip Houghton’s best-known work, references Ancient Greek artefacts. God of the Northern Forest (1989) references both 12 the “dark, brooding, forest” of the Paul Klee painting titled God of the Northern Forest, and also the Eltham Copperhead Butterfly. Kinkachoo, I Love You (1998) employs the same scordatura used in God of the Northern Forest and it is common for the two pieces to be played together within a concert programme. Houghton describes the Kinkachoo as a “mythical bird, once wounded in the spirit-realm, heals and flies into the world” (Houghton, 1998). The Goldfish Suite (1977/78-2003) is a set of four miniatures about a green, red, purple and yellow goldfish. These were composed in 1977/78, and then heavily revised in 2003. Fantasia – As a Jade Unicorn Might in the Rain (1979), is a miniature, originally composed for lute, later transcribed for the guitar. Houghton “imagined, hidden away in a remote jungle, an ancient statue of a jade unicorn which may or may not come to life whenever it rains.” (Houghton, 1995). In Case Study 2, Opals (1994) for guitar quartet explores the colour and movement of light in Australia’s national precious stone, the movements are titled Black Opal, Water Opal, and White Opal. Opals also references two Australian paintings. Opal Spirit by Lyndall Gerlach in 1993, and Circe Invidiosa by John Waterhouse in 1892. Brolga (1994), initially inspired by the painting Spirit of the Plains (1897) by Sydney Long, attempts to express a bird like ‘presence’ in one movement of 5 sections titled 1. Flying in Landing… my what a big beak you have! 2. Feathers/Dance 3. Alone... a bridge of sighs 4. Dusk in the Otherworld…seen through the eyes of pearl 5. Black Silhouettes in Burgundy Light (Houghton, 1994). The suite Three Duets (1976/1994), features The Mantis and the Moon, which Houghton describes as “an existential “Insect/Lunar Comic-Tragedy of Whimsical proportions.” (Houghton, 1994). Finally, I decided on three movements from A suite of six Trios. These were Impromptu…A Dance of Faith, referencing the red figure paintings by Henri Matisse, Relic, and Initiation, described on the score as a “homage to Duchamp: ‘Nosferatu Descending Staircase,’” a play on words of Duchamp’s famous painting Nude Descending a Staircase. Case Study 3 features From the Dreaming for guitar and flute, which concentrates on Houghton’s impressions of central Australia. He has three paintings connected to this work. In Amber for guitar and string ensemble had the working title ‘A fossil in Amber’ where Houghton drew parallels between a fossil frozen or suspended in amberstone and the sound frozen or suspended in string instruments waiting to be brought to life. Finally, The Light on the Edge “expresses feelings generated by the northern tropical coastline” of Australia. 13 Presentation Development through Action Research and Reflection The concept of looking for the connections between visual art and the work of Phillip Houghton began with the programme notes attached to his scores. Very early in my correspondence with him, he provided me with a document with questions he had answered for the guitarist Daniel Nistico. One of the questions asked was “You’ve mentioned that your paintings and music share a close bond. I was wondering if you could expand on that, especially in relation to ‘From the Dreaming,’ and the three paintings that are associated with the piece.” (Nistico. 2016). Part of Houghton’s response to this question was to direct the reader to the paintings section of the website with directions on how to find the paintings in question. For example: “these are found (on my website) at 7 rows down, last in the row, and 12 rows down, last in the row,” (Houghton, as cited in Nistico 2016), before going on to describe one particular drawing in detail. This prompted me to ask “Are any other paintings on your website connected to your compositions? In particular, the pieces I’m performing, Stele, The Goldfish Suite, God of the Northern Forest, Kinkachoo, I love you, and ‘Fantasia… As a Jade Unicorn Might in the Rain. Would you mind giving a few words on how they are connected to the works? And may I use them in slides in my lecture recital?” To which he referred me to several paintings on his website, as well as emailing more illustrations later on. Attending a musical performance engages an audience’s eyes as well as their ears, so the concept to incorporate visual stimuli in the performances seemed to me a very natural one. The option of artistically developing these ideas using Houghton’s works and inspirations alongside developing a musical interpretation intrigued me greatly. With vastly less experience in delivering visual presentations than musical ones, I was less cautious and more experimental with my ideas for visual display. My method was to draw upon what I had believed worked from earlier performances, and then to incorporate new ideas into the next event, as explained over the next three paragraphs. For the visual display while performing in my first recital, I used a range of paintings referred to me by Houghton for each of the works performed. I enlisted assistance to help change slides during the lecture recital. I provided the person changing slides with a copy of my 14 speech, with notes on when to change slides with a description of the slide. I did the same thing with the scores of the pieces I performed. I had arranged the slides to change in the way that I felt best suited the music. These included not only Houghton’s paintings, but also of artworks that inspired certain works, including Paul Klee’s God of the Northern Forest, and the Ancient Greek artefacts that were the inspiration for Stélé. The second lecture recital was similar, in that slides of paintings and artefacts were displayed during performance, this time more based on my reactions than that of the composer. In the guitar quartet Opals, there are annotations for which colours are perceived at which time, as if the musician is turning the opal, and also the movement of these colours as the opals are turned. A student from the Queensland College of Art designed some monochrome digital files of changing shape and shade for me to use for the purpose of performing Opals, for which I coloured in frame by frame in accordance to what was written on the score. Again, there was someone to change the slides as the performance went on, with annotations including the slide number and descriptions. For the third recital, I collaborated with a VJ (video jockey), for the use of projection and audio reactive software. For this recital, I wanted the reaction of the video artist of the music being performed. As I had felt confident to delve more into my own reactions into the second recital, I was intrigued to see how Houghton’s music and art influenced the work of another kind of artist. I supplied him with audio recordings of the recital programme and also showed him to Houghton’s website, where he could view his artworks. I instructed the VJ to showcase Houghton’s artworks in the recital, as well as receiving permission from Houghton to alter his works during the performance. The video artist was also free to use his own imagery. Each of these performances drew upon and advanced upon the ideas used in previous performances. Reflection led to the advancement of the ideas in each instance, and none of these developments were a radical departure on what had come before. 15 Analysis as a Step Towards Interpretation As well as understanding the way musical elements fit together to create a musical work, analysis can be used as a way of interpreting meaning within a musical work. When it comes to analysing works connected to visual stimuli, be that via title, programmatic explanation, score annotations, or even personal connection, one is looking for elements that can be connected with visual language. These elements can be contour, shape, structure, texture, colour, shading, foreground and background. These can also be applied to different terms of scope within a piece of music, be that within a phrase, or a chord voicing at the micro level, and structure and form at the macro level, all of these visual terms can be applied. The initial model for analysis that I applied was based on the ideas suggested by Tobias Pontara, based on philosopher Joseph Margolis’ views on critical plausibility in his 2015 paper “Interpretation, Imputation, Plausibility: Towards a Theoretical Model for Musical Hermeneutics.” Within, he describes two basic requirements as described by Margolis, “(1) it must be consistent or compatible with ‘the describable features’ of a given artwork; and (2) it must conform with ‘relativized canons of interpretations that themselves fall within the tolerance of a historically continuous tradition of interpretation’” (Pontara, 2015). For the first requirement, I used Jan LaRue’s “Guidelines for Style analysis” to develop a “style-analytical routine” to describe the physical musical features in terms of form, major shifts in sound (dynamics, timbre), contrast and frequency of tonality (modality, pitch class etc.) and vertical function, connected thematic ideas, contrasts in meter, tempos and rhythms. For the second requirement, Pontaris goes on to say that ‘there are no absolute standards of such interpretative relevance; instead there are, with regard to any given work of art, a number of distinguishable interpretive canons, a sum of distinct traditions, each related to or grounded in a specific cultural myth (or collection of such myths). During the course of investigating Houghton’s music, I moved more towards using the myth that he had created for his own music in the way that I understood it. Houghton would often connect music with art, mythology, his own experiences, and also other artists (composers). 16 My reference material became what Houghton himself had written about his works in his programs or elsewhere. I moved away from using analysis as description, and more towards using it as a tool for interpretation. While I did use data from the describable features of the works using the La Rue guide, I used data from Houghton’s writings rather than cross referencing with any specific musical tradition. There were also some experimental analysis designs; visual aspects included into some of the works, that came directly from the physical properties of the works. This included shapes created of sections from Audio Timeliner Audio Annotation Tool software (Yorgason, 2016), pitch frequency and intensity displayed as colour with Acousmographe software (Ina GRM. 2003-2013), and also hand drawn graphs, using shading for timbre with height for dynamic, or pairing instruments on foreground or background parts, with colours used to describe the tonal centres. The methodology of La Rue, and Pontaris described above was the process used to extract raw data from scores and recordings. With the assistance of my supervisor Dr. Gerardo Dirié, I developed a process of refining the raw data into the descriptive analyses used within the exegesis. These forms of analysis all combine to enhance a visualisation of the music initiated by the title, program notes, and score annotations. Use of Narrative and Visual Stimuli to Inform a Performance In the course of preparing each presentation, my lessons with Ms. Karin Schaupp were invaluable. She had worked extensively with Houghton on preparing Stélé for the recording on her 1997 recording Soliloquy; and has an intimate knowledge of many of his works through performance, recordings and pedagogy. Schaupp’s pedagogical method for interpretation is informed by acting method; using narrative, imagery, and character development to create an arc throughout a piece of music. This method also allows a performer to maintain a focus on projecting the emotions evoked through these processes. 17 I kept notes about the interpretative decisions made using these methods, and also how successfully or not this worked with the programmatic elements and discoveries in musical developments found through analysis. I also cross-referenced the visual aspects found within the score analysis with the paintings and pictures, to see how I felt they did or did not fit in with my perceptions or pre-conceptions of the works. There were times that I felt that these things combined incredibly well, and others not so well. With either there is still valuable information to be taken from these methods, and scope to reapply and improve upon the works where things didn’t match as easily. With art, there is a freedom to change the way it is perceived. Summary Each of these methodological processes were refined into the four sections that make up each case study, chapter, or concert. 1) Introduction uses the information from Houghton’s scores, artworks, writings and interviews to introduce the compositions being performed in the recitals attached to each case study. 2) Related Artworks introduces Houghton’s artworks that are related to each of his works. It also describes details of the development of my ideas on incorporating art into performances as mentioned in Presentation Development through Action Research and Reflection. 3) Analysis sections present the analysis of certain works from each of the case studies. These were formulated with the methodology explained in Analysis as a Step towards Interpretation, with artistic decisions being made from the analyses being incorporated into the final section of each case study, 4) Interpretation and Presentation. This final section weaves data extracted from analysis with narrative as explained in Use of Narrative and Visual Stimuli to Inform a Performance, and also describes the outcomes of Presentation Development through Action Research and Reflection. 18 Chapter 4: Case Study 1 Introduction The repertoire selected for this Case Study was based on the representation of visual stimuli in the works, as well as representing different periods of Houghton’s output. In the following sections of this Case Study, there will be a) a related artworks section, b) analysis section, and c) interpretation and presentation section. The purpose of this is to show how analysis of narrative, visual stimuli, and understanding of musical elements, structure and form come together to shape an overarching interpretation. This introduction and following related artworks section will cover all the compositions eventually presented for the performance of Houghton’s guitar solo repertoire. In the analysis section and interpretation and presentation section, there will be fewer compositions covered to allow for a more in-depth analysis than would be possible if attempting to cover all of the repertoire. Stélé, composed in 1989, is the most famous of all of Phillip Houghton’s guitar works, it was premiered by John Williams at the Adelaide Arts Festival in 1990. Stélé was composed for a friend of Phillip Houghton’s, Evangelos Karavitis. Houghton had received from Karavitis a book featuring images of ancient Greek artworks, and this, alongside Karavitis’ Greek heritage, was the inspiration to start composing the piece. Houghton stated that the first movement, also titled Stélé took him six months to write, as he struggled with material and form, but that the other three movements came quite quickly, almost in real time. (Houghton, as cited in Byzantine, 2000). A stele is described by Grove Art Online as a “stone or pillar set upright in commemoration of some event or as a marker for a grave. Stelae are frequently carved or inscribed… the word stele is used chiefly in the Mediterranean world.” (Collon et al. 2003). The Stélé of Demokleides is a funeral stele for a hoplite, or citizen-soldier killed at war, and depicts the hoplite on a trireme (or war ship), helmet beside him, with head in hand, as if lost alone at sea. The second movement, Dervish is based on this statue of a boy riding a horse titled the Jockey of Artemision, with the musical form being Houghton’s response to the whirling Dervishes. The third movement, Bronze Apollo, is based on this statue titled Piraeus Apollo, an ancient statue lost in time until the early 20th century. The work has the subtitle Copper, 19 Bronze, Water, Air, Green, Perfume, and is presented in two sections: A – Premonition, and B – Arpeggio. The final movement, Web is depicted as a tying together of the other movements, a culmination and completion of the work as a whole. God of the Northern Forest was composed in 1989 in the midst of a very prolific period of Houghton’s output, being composed shortly after, but before the premiere of his magnum opus Stélé. Between 1982 and 1989, he hadn’t composed any guitar solos. God of the Northern Forest is Phillip Houghton’s portrayal of Paul Klee’s painting of the same name. Dedicated to his former teacher, Sebastian Jorgensen, the piece nods towards Sebastian’s Nordic heritage and upbringing in Eltham, to the north of Melbourne, by adding a reference to the Eltham Copper Butterfly, a species of insect only found in the state of Victoria, Australia. Kinkachoo, I Love You, composed in 1998 has the same tuning as God of the Northern Forest. Houghton has described the two works as companion pieces, with the order of performance being up to the player, but his own preference being for “Kinkachoo” to be performed after God of the Northern Forest.” The programmatic element for Kinkachoo is as follows: “The Kinkachoo, a mythical bird, once wounded in the Spirit-Realm, heals and flies into the world.” (Houghton, 2003). The Goldfish Suite, composed in 1977/78, was performed on Houghton’s concert tours, but the entire suite was not published until 2003, when he made substantial changes to the work, almost completely re-writing two of the movements, and only leaving Red Goldfish in its original form. In order, the movements of the Goldfish Suite are titled as follows: 1. Green Goldfish, 2. Red Goldfish, 3. Purple Goldfish, and 4. Yellow Goldfish. The inspiration of the piece was initiated by the red gold fish in the pond at Montsalvat and reflects “the movement and colour of goldfish.” (Houghton, 2003). Fantasia – As a Jade Unicorn might in the Rain composed in 1979, is one of Phillip Houghton’s earlier compositions. It was originally composed for the lute in lute tablature and was dedicated to his lute teacher Roger Treble. The guitar transcription of this Fantasia came soon after the original lute composition, and to match the tuning of the lute, the 3rd string G of the guitar is tuned down to F# and a capo has been attached to the third fret. He has transposed the score for ease of reading in the guitar transcription as is common for lute 20 transcriptions in the guitar repertoire. For the programmatic element to this piece, Houghton “imagined, hidden away in a remote jungle, an ancient statue of a jade unicorn which may or may not come to life whenever it rains.” (Houghton, 1995). The first publication of Fantasia – As a Jade Unicorn might in the Rain, as well as Red Goldfish was in Six Short Solos, published in 1992. 21 Related Artworks For the first Case Study, here are a combination of both Houghton’s and my own responses to artworks referenced for each work, it will combine both original works by Houghton as well as works that inspired certain compositions Stélé The images that sparked Houghton’s imagination for this work are the following Ancient Greek artefacts. The Stélé of Demokleides (Fig. 5) was the inspiration behind the entire work, but especially the first movement also titled Stélé. Even though it is in itself a striking image, the contextual knowledge of it being a funerary monument does affect the way it is viewed. The soldier depicted has seen battles and storms, and now he sails forever on the seas of time. Fig. 5. Stélé of Demokleides (Anon. 4th century, B.C.) 22 Fig. 6. The Jockey of Artemision. (Anon. 140-150 B.C.) The Jockey of Artemision (Fig. 6) was the initial inspiration for the second movement Dervish. A very striking image of a boy who appears to be calmly riding what appears to be a very fast race horse at full gallop. The image strikes in me a sense of relentlessness that comes through very strongly in the musical translation. Is this image secondary to the piece over the inspiration of the title, that being of whirling dervishes from the Mevlevi Sufi Order? The spinning of the dervishes is no less relentless than a charging horse, even if they do seem as though the intention is quite different. 23 This early bronze statue titled Piraeus Apollo (Fig. 7) was the inspiration for the third movement of Stélé titled Bronze Apollo. In section A, Premonition, Houghton attempted to musically represent “the actual raw bronze being turned, beaten and forged by those ancient hands which made it.” (Houghton, 1994). The statue spent several millennia lost at sea, and in section B Arpeggio, Houghton “imagined the statue having a ‘soul:’ in my realm of fantasy, the statue somehow possessing an awareness being expressed in the movements subtitle Copper, Bronze, Water, Air, Green, Perfume.” (Houghton as cited by Lynch, 1994). Fig. 7. Piraeous Apoollo (Anon. 6th century B.C) This is the image that Houghton used as the cover of the publication of the Stélé score (Fig. 8). The sea plays a large part in the work, and the landscape gives no indication to a specific time or place. The haziness of the image lends itself to a sense of mystery and timelessness. Fig.8. Stélé cover art. (Houghton, 1989) 24 Houghton also felt that the following images correlate with Stélé: Fig. 9 Red Moon over River Styx (Houghton) Fig 10. Ruins (Houghton) Fig. 11. Equus Baying at Red Moon (Houghton) Fig. 12. In the Flame of the Muse (Houghton) 25 Fig. 13. While the Muses Dance A Brighter Fig. 14. His Wife Waits for him on the Other side Flame Burns (Houghton) of River Styx (Houghton) Fig. 15. Red, Ancient Figures (Houghton) Fig. 16. Moon with Twisted Tree (Houghton) 26 It is not difficult to make connections between the artworks when taking into account motifs that reappear in both the images and the titles. With Red Moon over River Styx (Fig. 9) as a starting point, a connection is easily made to the moon themed pieces, Ruins (Fig. 10), Equus Baying at Red Moon (Fig. 11), and, Moon with Twisted Tree (Fig. 16). The reference to the mythological River Styx is continued with His Wife Waits for him on the Other side of River Styx (Fig. 14), with a similarity between the figure in the paintings, and those in Red, Ancient Figures (Fig. 15). The three stars motif in His Wife waits… is repeated in While the Muses Dance A Brighter Flame Burns (Fig. 13), which shares similarities in both title and colour scheme with In the Flame of the Muse (Fig. 12). The biggest connection for me and the work Stélé came from His Wife waits… and Red, Ancient Figures. In Greek mythology, the River Styx refers to the boundary between the living and the dead in Hades, so a connection with ancient Greek artefacts seemed logical. I liked to think of the wife figure being married to the hoplite referenced in the stélé artefact, separated by and eventually reunited in death, adding additional poignancy, particularly to the first movement. 27 God of the Northern Forest Fig. 17. God of the Northern Forest (Klee, 1922) This work was inspired by the Paul Klee work of the same title (Fig. 17) and was also used on the cover of the publication of the score. “A total response to the Paul Klee painting. Written in a frenzy, one incredible evening. I wanted to create huge sounds on the guitar, in a melodic way (not just ‘chainsaw- 28 rasgueado’!) and try to express the vastly contrasting feelings and themes into one cogent piece. Much thought went into it over months, then wham!” (Houghton via Lynch, 1993). Fig 18. Alternate God of the Northern Forest cover art (Houghton 1993) In the event that Houghton was unable to obtain permission from the Klee estate to use God of the Northern Forest on the cover of the score, he painted this alternative (Fig. 18). 29 Fig. 20. Of a River Bank/Forest, Across a River (Houghton) These paintings (Fig. 19, Fig. 20) all have a combination of dark and luminous features. Houghton noted that he felt that the scordatura employed in God of the Northern Forest captured the “resonance” of the Klee painting. Klee’s theory on “tonality” (light and shade, warm and cool colours) combined with these paintings had a profound impact on the way I perceived the different areas of the work. Fig. 19. Of a Forest Floor, Inside a Forest (Houghton) 30 Goldfish Suite Like Stélé and God of the Northern Forest, Houghton also created a painting for the Goldfish Suite (Fig. 21) in 1978/79, with the intention of this being the cover of a possible edition later on, though it was never published Fig. 21. The Goldfish Suite (Houghton, 1979) 31 Houghton also considered the following pictures to be related (Fig. 22, Fig. 23, Fig. 24, Fig. 25). Fig. 22. Music in Dark Water (Houghton) Fig. 23. Beach (Houghton, 1978) Fig. 25. Poets Festival ’78 (Houghton, 1978) Fig. 24. Goldfish Cloud (Houghton) 32 Kinkachoo, I love you For this piece, Houghton did not note that any of his paintings were specifically connected; but felt that the following came close (Fig. 26. Fig. 27, Fig. 28). Fig. 28. Opalescence (Houghton) Fig. 26. When the Sun and Moon Danced, New Colours Entered My Heart (Houghton, 2000) Fig. 27. 2 Moons (Houghton, 1991) 33 Fantasia…as a Jade Unicorn Might in the Rain Much like Kinkachoo, Houghton didn’t acknowledge a specific connection to his artworks, and also cited Two Moons and Opalescence like he did in Kinkachoo, with the following three artworks (Fig. 29, Fig. 30, Fig. 31). Fig. 29. Lovers Make Blue (Houghton) Fig.30. Warrior Dreams a Forest (Houghton) Fig. 31. Fern Forest (Houghton) 34 Analyses This analysis section and the following interpretation and presentation section will focus on two important Houghton compositions, Stélé, in four movements, and God of the Northern Forest, a single movement work. Stélé Analysis The movements of Stélé are presented in a slow-fast-slow-fast structure, with the opening movement (and in fact the entire piece), Stélé, being inspired by the Stélé of Demokleides. Please refer to the earlier sections of this Case Study for the definition, description and photographic representation of the Stélé of Demokleides. Movement 1 – Stélé The sonorities in the introduction set up this first movement of around four minutes duration, and indeed the entire work. Tension is built and then released, until a pivotal sonority, (Fig. 32.) built off a tritone F# and C doubled in octaves combines with an open G and E string is performed. This sonority comes back into use again throughout the work. There are four main sections to this movement lasting for a duration of around four minutes; the introduction, an A section (Fig. 33) featuring episodes of lyrical melancholy and long melodic phrases, a B section which begins with a transposition of the first theme of the A section (Fig. 34). This leads into arpeggiations of similar sonorities to the introduction, before returning to another theme from the A section leading into the climax and coda. The climax (Fig. 35) is based around a diminished 7th arpeggio, which I perceived to be a violent event of some description, be that a storm or a battle due to the depiction of a soldier in a sea vessel. This transitions into a much more stable, consonant repeated sonority (Fig. 36) with harmonics, again representing the melancholy of the hoplite depicted. Fig. 32. Pivotal sonority 35 Fig. 33. A section theme Fig. 34. Transposed theme Fig. 35. Climax Fig. 36. Consonant repeated sonority Movement 2 - Dervish The second movement, Dervish is based on a statue of a boy riding a horse titled the Jockey of Artemision, with the musical form being Houghton’s evocation of the dance and music of the whirling Dervishes. Dervish features a motoric rhythm, with the 12/8 time signature giving the groups of three notes a galloping feel, this movement is relentless through its two and a half minute duration. Interestingly, this movement as well as the third movement Bronze Appollo, both use the extreme ponticello colour of the guitar in the introduction. In the realm of plucked, fretted instruments, the term “metallic” is often used instead of ponticello. So it is fair to suggest that this colour is used to depict the bronze in both of these movements. wrtLtcn ft" a"'L 4el;c"r")- to ApjeLo (aravtti2 N"i 7T r-L( Largo )=sa Cl)tu?' Ph;Lli.g HouShtoru trat 4itr'..---,)Yi@ AnLawEe )=ear.".azy G'ta. ,+[r -\J s'67 , . J.--_-:-) s"bnf p.* ct r . a tcw" @l ^f @ "t sub tosto, doke, 6 Pltllip Hoqht"" Pnu |,\&nsiotro,,4usic Poblub ccl^o t"rl) 'r[ft'-;;-r i ffiLJ-=_) @ @,I nP" @' "?/^f nobo lutto . @ @,1 \-,--- '/ | nP C"IL) ,'l1 --P rlaestog o f or; o5o Te2ante' p;a,4u2rc (2 ff f -,Pv AAagio J--ot >ub ccl^o t"rl) 'r[ft'-;;-r i ffiLJ-=_) @ @,I nP" @' "?/^f nobo lutto . @ @,1 \-,--- '/ | nP C"IL) ,'l1 --P 36 Fig. 37. Dervish Form Fig. 37 shows a visual representation of the form of Dervish, which despite being through composed, shows structural similarities outside of the pitch material. The yellow segments represent areas of a repeated thematic idea, while the segments highlighted by orange identify a transition towards new material. In sections A and B, the red segments marked ‘spinning out’ are added, the structure of both ‘spinning out’ areas are similar between the three light blue segments. The first segment contains rapid arpeggiations of sonorities, utilising open strings, the second features scalic runs, and the third, a transition into the next section. The work is completely through composed with no reprise of any of the material presented, but is made cohesive by this structure, which gives an impression of a spinning motion, and the galloping rhythm the impression of a racing horse. Movement 3 - Bronze Appollo The third movement Bronze Apollo has a duration of four and a half minutes, and is based on the statue of Piraeus Apollo, an ancient statue retrieved from the sea in the early 20th century. The work has the subtitle Copper, Bronze, Water, Air, Green, Perfume, and is presented in two sections: A – Premonition, and B – Arpeggio. Houghton has said of this work, that in Premonition, he “attempted to abstract, musically, the actual raw bronze being turned, beaten and forged by those ancient hands which made it. I tried to capture some kind of tactile “elemental” imprint or impression being made on silence. History records the completed statue spending millenia lost in the sea, and in section B, Arpeggio,” he “imagined the statue having a soul; in” his “realms of fantasy, the statue somehow possessing an awareness” (Houghton, as cited by Lynch, 1994). The movement begins much like the first movement Stélé, with a single sonority (Fig. 38), which is similar to the pivotal chord in the first movement. The A section is highlighted by rapid changes of timbre and tempo (Fig. 39), in the beginning with short phrases, that get longer as the section progresses, each subsequent phrase being based on a different sonority, 37 there is a common use of the bass notes A∫ and B∫ which become a more structural element of the B section. Fig. 38. Bronze Apollo introduction Fig. 39. Bonze Apollo rapid change in tempo and timbre. The B section is based upon arpeggios as the title suggests, much like the arpeggiated figures in much of Houghton’s output, they are sonorities utilising the resonance of the open strings (Fig. 40). Beginning with an oscillation between A∫ and B∫ in the bass, the arpeggios are arranged into three distinct sections, with the pivotal chord from the first movement that appears here in an enharmonic spelling, being the climactic point of each of these sections (Fig. 41). Shifting shapes up and down the fretboard expand on the motif. In the first two sections, the climaxes are treated with opposite timbres, the first being in the molto tasto position, and the second being in the molto ponticello position. The third climactic point is at a lower dynamic than the first, which then leads to the fading sonorities combined with harmonics to end the movement. Fig. 40. Bronze Apollo arpeggios Fig. 41. Enharmonic spelling of pivotal sonority from movement 1, Stélé 6t,*9 rc[f,^,^, 0i'3 SRONZ C O PO LL O 1ob-rifbL" Copp*, DKoNzE, wATEtu, ArR- \ C(KEEN,pLB-Fa1,L" q[LrL Zsect;ont -B ?,eno"'tio- 6 Arpej)Ld JutP \.1 lofu b 0)- no rL-3 bz o4 I,',,to(d,re) pi; a!g- . - r"fr,(W:;Y",) tb; lub P Fh".r) t!: r^ k't" J,,l t"o v a 5z+ -o nonbrofPo ) LtudtuL - ha 4 ,*lltz* b .I moLto Largo lrnto *.q ;k"-u) aaS"bil<. 6t,*9 rc[f,^,^, 0i'3 SRONZ C O PO LL O 1ob-rifbL" Copp*, DKoNzE, wATEtu, ArR- \ C(KEEN,pLB-Fa1,L" q[LrL Zsect;ont -B ?,eno"'tio- 6 Arpej)Ld JutP \.1 lofu b 0)- no rL-3 bz o4 I,',,to(d,re) pi; a!g- . - r"fr,(W:;Y",) tb; lub P Fh".r) t!: r^ k't" J,,l t"o v a 5z+ -o nonbrofPo ) LtudtuL - ha 4 ,*lltz* b .I moLto Largo lrnto *.q ;k"-u) aaS"bil<. , u ol'r. d.lr ?i\t# \ stb tLrtolt".i; ?*r^ '/ mf 230 0\or o.3 4300 to 1.63 (t+ ^+ tr,, *uitr.a" I (^,""t:7*"t:^1 + a o 6 | a t o\a z'+? +3 0 t 2,az ta. bffsJz t'b P s,! P l,+*o ^oLto lnto 2''',4-L" (. tt'*>) RHh@5 O"^t1 @ Pq fff Fooo- --d- - fo.o - -- - rit-- - - bL) 4,, 38 Movement 4 - Web The final movement is yet another relentless work of just over two minutes duration. Houghton describes Web as “a short relentless drone that compresses and weaves elements used in the preceding three movements.” (Houghton, 1990). It is the fastest movement of the suite and has a motoric element similar to that of Dervish, but this time in a simple triple meter, with the use of accents giving it additional momentum. Rock music influences are also clear in this movement with the use of power chords being very prevalent in the introduction. The work is primarily in two sections, the first section being a binary A, B, A, B, and the second section being episodic, with the underlying motoric rhythm continuing, moving through different chords, and voices within the chords. As the piece marches towards its conclusion, the intensity continues to rise with dynamics and sharp accents and staccato, leading to the rapid sixteenth-note figures, and the rising arpeggio at the end, finishing with a G to A5 modal ending. God of the Northern Forest Analysis God of the Northern Forest was composed in 1989 in the midst of a very prolific period of Houghton’s output, being composed shortly after, but before the premiere of his magnum opus Stélé. Between 1982 and 1989, he hadn’t composed any guitar solos. God of the Northern Forest is Phillip Houghton’s portrayal of Paul Klee’s painting of the same name. Dedicated to his former teacher, Sebastian Jorgensen, the piece nods towards Sebastian’s Nordic heritage and upbringing in Eltham, to the north of Melbourne, by adding a reference to the Eltham Copper Butterfly. This short and mysterious guitar solo work is about five and a half minutes long. It features great shifts in dynamic textures, starting with an intense opening, featuring bass and treble textures playing off each in a manner akin to a brass and string section in an orchestra. About one third of the way through the piece, this diffuses into the lighter texture representing the Eltham Copperhead butterfly. After this, Houghton masterfully weaves elements of these two contrasting ideas together, until the more dominant gesture finally takes over again in a reprise of the introduction, leading to a coda. 39 The textural interest in this work comes from the resonance of open strings, in this case, enhanced by the scordatura. Houghton retunes the sixth string of the guitar up a half step from E2 to F2, to create new sonorities, as well as allowing the repeated first inversion Dm chord the maximum resonance of open strings. Houghton also felt that the bass note F captured something of the paintings “resonance.” While tuning a guitar low to high F, A, D, G, B, E would suggest a Lydian mode collection, the piece appears primarily composed in the D Dorian mode. This is due to the melodic line ending phrases in the Dorian cadences of vii to i or ii to i, and also the fact that the repeated sonority is the Dm chord (Fig. 42). Fig. 42. Introductory section featuring repeated Dm/F sonority The tension built by the repeated chord texture and the high tessitura texture is diffused by a decrescendo over a repeated sonority leading into an impassionato and rubato section built around a Dorian melody. The section weaves long phrases featuring a combination of quavers, crotchets and crotchet triplets. Pedal notes form a major part of the structure of the work. For the most part the pedal note is the open string F. The allegretto from bar 27 is where the reference to the Eltham Copper Butterfly begins with the D note pedal in crotchets replicating the beating of wings (Fig. 43). Much like the painting itself, it would be fair to suggest that the he uses these elements as a background colour to paint foreground images over. In the beginning of the “butterfly” section the score is marked to move from a ponticello to a molto tasto position, in the space of three bars. This kind of shading using the colour range is a prominent feature in Houghton’s works. The melody is structured out of a little ascending motif that weaves itself around the D pedal with descending variations. Fig. 43. D note pedal above the melody wtitloL kt L J,l'lieEJ, t. SeLoslrnn, f,oleaseru PHILLIP HOUGHTON I9S' 'lgoa--50 rr4esto50 qoD oF THE NORTHERN FOREST lnspi.e/. 4 d.e p"i"ti^j "f rhesw nme Ey PouL KLee I "E-'---'r meno ,rlolso tasto - , f"ll ca.Ldbila, , ctu ^aore -3- f-3---------]^ I r r e / l.l"u. " d!!a ) 7,-::t-{tttP 3^17 b*"^i_^ *G. kt e ( Lo;t spd- "p )<.f -..----- D ,f ' -^f ' GoL o( t',. NorLlEtL FotaL @ PhirliP HouJlto^ P r"3 r'l"^slona l'lusic Publnations z r-- 3------t r--l----l 3 --:--J =v (^ -.) "gry .} l! ln:"J',.>ap..lta1 ai: @ WATER OPAL n'+ P-^t P !& ' -, '. ^|'*ii..)kJ r g-cj[!!]"'at 6r",tr. ^ 1 - ''' '.''"",",rc"1!2{.fft+'6t-tr'4 {$t, ?r 4/f :21 *"llyts, t" *"'JI ,&* a"o tst ml t"'hf= -i 9t-.'",t^,.'. "!+.i.. "r,L"!b."i"i ct 5 "\t-44.s ,18'.t'tt i' h< |ttL 6 r-.Lr-r ,,d.! r;rre !h1& $. sr'i, t '\-' e3 | a.r!"\rh.t "fo.t h*a,Acr@s@rt ++\<5e^u4, r.e.t L.tf., tf f "\u.t ( LaaNi> sl,\Lrl, !?f"E &. f.a (d13!a "tt;t). 63 section, guitar IV is performing an ascending run of natural harmonics, which is established in the A section, gives an indication of moving to a new area (Fig. 68). Fig. 68. Transition between A and B The B section has the same rhythmic flow of repeated sonorities as the A section, however, this time including notes higher in the register. Rather than being a textural mass from where ideas grow out, the B section features a melodic line in the guitar I part which builds from intervals presented in the introduction of the movement with natural harmonics. Like the A section, there are also “interruptions,” but this time, it comes in the form of the unstable sonority (Fig. 69) from the transition being used, and a pattern of notes in sextuplets joined to long notes, harmonised in minor thirds (inverted major sixths) reminiscent of the interruptive sections of A. The B section is balanced with a repetition of a fifteen bar phrase (interruption is during the 7th bar), the repeat features the melody raised one octave in guitar I with an additional counter melody. At the end of each phrase in the B section, guitar II performs the descending natural harmonics presented in the A section. Fig. 69. Unstable chord as interruption in place of change in pulse or meter tr\" s Po.o rit WATE& OPAL @ *"'t P o n" ", ., or.t ;r-"J/'{"- ,.r.-, -1 , r. v1.i ."v--t, I :..9r,e,[ " k !c/.o'-V ,f -t * ;^ J 41.4.t " +'-'le6*tr-** 4^rri,!...... al,*r Pl,.li.,, tbA-.,;"r. e.L ottv - |,rt..ltJ ",h;,p,.1 t, z 1.r-*.r, -'Ctnzh.l-.si(atz1t, Ls,- w.r*h@s! ("1* Lt.h -ttLl",lt-L ^,L.-r.'s Ci'G. Jur4.J ^ "'t'r.I [."t4 ,"-.JJ- ",*-, J ..,1r) - sr4 . ..& f^"$t^J i' t-{L A4c,n'j.l S,'tt" A,,+-,ot J .OpJ Se;iiil''4trsrJ^q ** Lv l kt""L ,l;A b"r(i-*r.\ -fr-' {,t, .i"".4 1,J.*t+" -t-. -l ,i;,r 4 "t-E!,; 4",+'J^ "L!.. otJ ;' 1""-! . Hz- Pty -'7i*i * at;* "".k . lUhlh'll* ad l"'t" t,;t,i ?v iikz hoj zrp**o,;!. P:e:*l p""L o L{' / e*4J.i) -l 6a,) " 1!@J f"t" z €9 2,. ."'" ,T tttt t i'- 64 The conclusion to the B section is the same rock riff and percussion section (“earth colours – rocks”) that ended the A section, this time extended slightly with guitar I developing the “blues bend” motif. This riff section then blends seamlessly into the coda (“ethereal wisps, casting spells”), with the thirty-second note phrase ending the riff section beginning the coda. The coda features elements hanging over from the end of the B section with the thirty-second note phrase from guitar I coming in on every fourth bar, and the guitar IV part retaining a simple percussion motif from the B section every second bar. The guitar II part here alludes to a very important rhythmic device used in the final movement White Opal, that being semiquavers being played in groups of three. There is a gradual fade over this section, each of the repeated motifs within each part take over from each other, creating a spatial, extended melodic idea growing out of an overall texture. The movement concludes with fading harmonics on the note E. White Opal contrasts the other two movements with an explosive introduction that diffuses into the familiar design of the ostinato with changing ideas around it. The use of textures in this movement is based around a distributed layer of sixteenth-notes or sextuplets in at least one of the parts at all times until bar 79, when it changes into eighth-notes. The layering over the top of this rhythmic strand occurs in the following ways: Between bars 7 and 17 – guitar IV provides the rhythmic strand, with guitars II and III giving a one bar antecedent phrase, with guitar I providing the consequent phrase over two bars, creating three bar phrases (Fig. 70). From bars 14 to 17, guitar II performs a syncopated line suggesting the change that is about to happen. Overlapping arpeggiated sonorities introduce changes in material, such as the example from bar 18 (Fig. 71). The use of cross-rhythms across different parts in repeating sixteenth notes (Fig. 72), show a four pattern in guitar I with a three pattern in guitar IV. Highlighted doubling, where the doubled parts are only a fragment of the overall ostinato (Fig. 73), where guitar IV creates a textural syncopation with guitar III, utilising rests and the exact same pitches. On only two occasions in the entire movement do all parts share the same rhythm (Fig. 74), and in the lead up to the final climax the texture is moved from sixteenth-notes to eighth-notes (Fig. 75). 65 The structure of the movement is based on sections of building dynamic and textural interest, leading to the crescendo of overlapping sextuplets, as mentioned earlier. The length of these portions moves from larger to smaller as the movement progresses. Fig. 70. Antecedence and consequence Fig. 71. Arpeggiated sonorities leading to change in material N'3 L/H ( CPAL O PHtLttP Ho,GHroN tqq3 F i^oJi.di sn tu (& r!,t'> zo | 4 Aol,eroto coa noLo )= IOO *ifl Lustrz I P""t f ii,"^F"'"-:t--:t-- Ptc[---r @ @a @ oPArs I Phillip floujhto' Pflodas{&e hosi" p,llicatio^s rtt34'ia WH ITE OPAI- ?a3z z loki ereFe f"t ai6wL ,_La(-b:)i-:ir.4 6- -6=lA /6ut&2 dl'-. f"r.J -tr.\ I L'h.F +.!5 !5h'- / ^f6 s al 67Vl ^f 2 ".& ,yb @ :;f-f f 7 VilEI 7; "ff t Po^t P "pVt E t Etl (a@f@A *-?.;) PPP f tV17&t 66 Fig. 72. Cross-rhythms repeated across repeated sixteenth-notes Fig. 73. Highlighted doubling between Guitars III and IV Fig. 74. All parts sharing the same rhythm /rt -l) 187 V|1V7 4t4 J! l': sl.n9 up =('-.t / *"-51,^" . h;,-"\. @e.9.9.9.9'9' F1 /-7f-,' n.D WH ITE OPAI- ?a3z z loki ereFe f"t ai6wL ,_La(-b:)i-:ir.4 6- -6=lA /6ut&2 dl'-. f"r.J -tr.\ I L'h.F +.!5 !5h'- / ^f6 s al 67Vl ^f 2 ".& ,yb @ :;f-f f 7 VilEI 7; "ff t Po^t P "pVt E t Etl (a@f@A *-?.;) PPP f tV17&t /rt -l) 187 V|1V7 4t4 J! l': sl.n9 up =('-.t / *"-51,^" . h;,-"\. @e.9.9.9.9'9' F1 /-7f-,' n.D 67 Fig. 75. Eighth-notes texture WHjTE OPAL Daae + alE &k3a*t, ",4" $.t u-',.n ':2ff'ffi &,LLZ tqig -.t : &aEl idB ! , !.I drt -4.1\4 ^p ^1t -. - - el.-;----\ r,*,.riZ-,li if-r: p"*6tr,a @; =f=,,,{= JtqF & rv *t,Q A 68 Interpretation and Presentation Wave Radiance The biggest difficulty in interpretation came with the piece Wave Radiance. When performing it, I feel it very much like a meditation. The repeated pulse and swelling sonorities convey a feeling of floating. The piece is probably the easiest to play technically, but the player’s attention is needed in many different aspects, in particular how the two players interact with each other. Analysis helped in understanding how the textural interplay was structured. For the majority of the piece, the two parts are in opposing motion in terms regarding timbre and dynamics, but with rhythmic unity until the climax, where the rhythms are displaced. The dynamic and timbral variations are treated very much like harmonic and melodic variation in more traditional styles of music. Understanding how it worked here was important as far as being sensitive to what the other player was performing and timing the shifts correctly. Again, using a narrative to hold the piece together was something that Karin Schaupp encouraged greatly. Houghton’s vision was that of luminous underwater creatures floating in and out of view. I used the idea of the repeated eighth-notes as being some kind of motor of the vehicle the players occupied. The different events were patterns of light outside of the vehicle, some regular, and others stranger. I changed the scene from an underwater one to a straight, flat desert road, from car lights to lightning and unexplainable lights. I annotated the specific points in the score for my performance partner. I could have used the idea of a submarine to maintain Houghton’s idea, but decided to use the idea of a road trip as something both myself and playing partner would have experienced, obviously with fantastical elements added. The concept of using a narrative here, like with Bronze Apollo, was to maintain a focus, and allow this narrative to direct the dynamic and timbral shifts rather than performing them in a mechanical way. I was not as convinced in my own performance using a narrative for this piece as it was for the Bronze Apollo. I felt that simply reacting to the phrases while performing them created the imagery of luminescence and movement in my mind; allowing a feedback loop of sound and mental imagery to direct the dynamic and timbral changes in a natural, non-mechanical way. 69 Opals When analyzing Black Opal, my supervisor, Dr. Gerardo Dirié suggested designing something to move with the colours that Houghton had annotated into the score. Houghton had described these as “exotic colour annotations” that were never intended to be taken too literally, saying that they were more like “poetic suggestions”/playful “triggers” for the imagination. (Houghton, 2004). However, while analyzing the form of the work, they also act as milestones and mark the sections. For my first attempt, I used various shapes and sizes for the different colours mentioned in the annotations. For example, a splinter of yellow is going to be just that. “swirling like oil and water” brings to mind circular shapes. Still pictures weren’t really an option, but having no animation skills, I lined up a several coloured shapes in Powerpoint and scrolled through them in time with a recording. During a section of a particular colour combination, I would have the colours swap between shapes or shapes moved to different locations. By doing this, I had a visual memorisation of the score that was different to phrases and dots on a page. It turned out to be a very effective way of internalising the material in the piece. For the performance, there was too much to go wrong with this approach, so I commissioned an animation. I received some digital graphics files that could be used and coloured in as appropriate. These files were coloured frame by frame, and like in the previous performances, I had an assistant changing slides following an annotated score. As a concept I felt it worked quite well but could have been much better had I worked more closely with the artist over a longer period of time. 70 Chapter 6: Case Study 3 Introduction For this recital, I proceeded without the lecture segment as I found it more important to perform all of the works, even going over time to allow for Two Night Movements to be in the program. In place of the lecture component, there was the work of a local Video Jockey (VJ), who had extensive experience in live events using audio reactive software. From the Dreaming for guitar and flute, is in three movements and references Houghton’s experiences in the Northern Territory outback in 1986. “I finally got to experience Australia’s outback: its red deserts and searing heat; its isolation and stillness; the flora and fauna; and its sudden violent storms. I discovered ancient riverbeds and caves; in the spring, the red carpet of dust was covered in flowers of yellow, orange and purple; and on one memorable day, a small Gecko hitched a ride on my shoulder and in my pocket.” (Houghton as cited in Lynch 1991). The first movement, Cave Painting, references these outback caves, with the physical aspects of ancient rock art and rock formations, and the more intangible feelings of mystery and ‘powerfields.’In Wildflower, Houghton imagines “a single flower in an ever changing panorama and climate of storms, drought, heat and isolation – isolation and endless space.” (Hougton, 1991). And Gecko is a scherzo about the lizard Houghton befriended. In Amber, for guitar and string quartet, was originally composed in 1982. This is yet another of Houghton’s works to include a number of revisions. The final movement Initiation is adapted from the final movement of Suite of Six Trios; and in 2010, a bass part was added to be performed with either guitar and string quintet, or guitar and string orchestra. “The first movement, Dance, is made up of a series of tableaux, with connected motifs and rhythms switching constantly various keys and simple/triple time. The second movement, Dream, is notation of actual music that I heard in a dream. It was written quickly so as to ‘record’ the dream before it vanished. In this sense, the music is much like a ‘sonic memory’ (or ‘dreamscape’) in which drones and melodies entwine and flow organically…. like perfumes in a jungle.” (Houghton, 2015). 71 The Light on the Edge, was composed in 1993 for the Darwin International Guitar Festival, with a final revision made in 2015. There have been two revisions of the instrumentation, in 1995 there was the addition of harp, zither, and environment sounds recorded by composer Peter Mummé to the original line-up of two guitars, double bass, percussion, and didjeridu. The 2015 revision incorporated the zither part into the harp part and made the didjeridu part optional upon hearing a John Williams & Friends rehearsal without it. Having said that, Houghton also notes that “being a drone instrument, the didjeridu greatly influenced the form the music would take. It establishes the basic note of each movement, while the other instruments shift around related keys and ‘blurred notes’ creating other colours.” (Houghton, 2015). The work is in four movements: 1. YIN… the light in the earth 2. RIM… the light on the edge 3. TURQOUISE SEA… glides at night like liquid black opal 4. SPIRALLING BLUE FLAME…the sky is alive “Feelings for the earth, sky, sea, spirit and visions of dawn and dusk horizons, coastlines, red ochre earth and opal colours coaxed this piece into being. The inspiration behind the work is probably best expressed in the following lines, written long before the music: A place between worlds where land and sea touch dreams and reality melt and the Sun and Moon kiss the light on the edge…” (Houghton, 2015). 72 Related Artworks For the third recital, I had decided to enlist a Video Jockey with the intention that he would first immerse himself in Houghton’s music and art work and make a video show that worked in conjunction with the performance. There was no lecture component in this event, so a programme with Houghton’s artworks associated with each corresponding composition was provided. From the Dreaming “I’ll try to describe this drawing (Fig. 76): it dates from 1991/92. The drawing, done with ink pen and lead and coloured pencils, is about time and timelessness. It’s a dream I had, mixing now or later with 13 billion years ago… what was land was sea was land was earth, was space was void… all symbolically ‘layered’ into one image.” (Houghton, as cited in Nistico, 2016). Houghton then goes on to explain in detail the images and how they bond with each other, also saying that he attempted to include all of that in From the Dreaming.” (Houghton, as cited in Nistico, 2016). Fig.76. Untitled – Dreamscape (Houghton, 1991/92) 73 The following outback landscapes were also related to From the Dreaming (Fig. 77, Fig. 78), I feel they match quite well with Houghton’s description of the outback in his programmatic notes supplied on page 76. Fig. 77. Untitled - Of a Flooding Desert (Houghton, year unknown) Fig. 78. Untitled - Red Desert (Houghton, year unknown) 74 In Amber In Amber was inspired by the piece of amber “tree of life pendant” Houghton is wearing in this photo (Fig. 79), made and given to him by master jeweller Tim Benson. “The working title of this work was ‘A Fossil in Amber’ in which I drew parallels between a fossil ‘frozen/suspended’ in amberstone and the sound ‘frozen/suspended’ inside the stringed instruments waiting to be brought to life.” (Houghton, 2015) Fig. 79. Houghton Drawing at a River (Houghton, 1991) For the recital programme, I used the following image (Fig. 80), for no other real reason than it was “speaking” to me as a response to In Amber in terms of sound and concept. Fig. 80. Untitled - Multi coloured Orb (Houghton, year unknown) 75 The Light on the Edge The Light on the Edge is another work that was based on landscape, and its programme notes have already been discussed on page 71. Many of Houghton’s artworks fit these descriptions, yet it was this painting (Fig.81), that I associated the most with the composition and particularly with this description, “Feelings for the earth, sky, sea, spirit and visions of dawn and dusk horizons, coastlines, red ochre earth and opal colours coaxed this piece into being” (Houghton 2015). Fig. 81. Untitled - Blue, Yellow, Black (Houghton, year unkown) 76 Analyses From the Dreaming From the Dreaming was composed in 1991 for the Byzantine/Mallon Duo in with a revision made in 1997. Phillip Houghton’s programme notes state “The music of FROM THE DREAMING was inspired by a 7 month visit to Australia’s central and northern outback regions in 1986. It left powerful impressions on me – the searing heat, the isolation, and stillness, ancient river beds and caves, sudden violent electrical storms, and the red carpet of dust sprinkled with flowers of vibrant yellow, orange and purple. The outback is an eiree2 (sic) world of iridescent colour, a fantastic spirit world both savage and beautiful where everything means something and nothing, and where the stars at night are only inches from your eyes.” (Houghton, 1991). This three-movement work has a duration of approximately twelve minutes and is structured in a fast-slow-fast alternation: 1. Cave Painting, 2. Wildflower and 3. Gecko 1. Cave Painting. This first movement is around four and a half minutes long. It begins with a burst of colour with a rapid D Lydian mode scale run in the flute, ending on a small motif based on the interval of a major second. The structure of this movement is based upon the repetition and development of the accompanying guitar part. The flute part, while using recurring motifs, is through composed. Houghton uses various echo techniques to give an impression of a cavernous space throughout the movement. These include, in the introduction, the repetition of the two-note motif mentioned earlier. The guitar part in the A section also uses repeated notes of a different timbre with the open string D3, fretted D3, and open D2. This motif allows notes to ring on while other notes are played. Houghton did mention that this “riff” (Fig. 82) was an 2 Phillip Houghton often used word play and combination words in his score, I believe this spelling to be intentional. 77 impression of a didjeridu, which he describes as producing “…a drone that can become infused with rhythm. It creates a horizontal line of great momentum.” (Houghton, 2016). Fig.82. Didjeridu riff The interruptions to this riff are groupings of sextuplets that are copied by the flute, which upon its repetition turns into an overlapping part between the two instruments, leading to a descending sequence in both parts. This descending sequence (Fig. 83) is a preview of the next section, also featuring cascading arpeggio figures utilising open strings and descending fretted notes in the guitar and phrasing utilising fast rhythms and held notes in the flute. Here, the idea of cavernous space is created with sforzando and a ff marking, each new sonority being followed immediately by decrescendo in the guitar part (Fig. 84). An increase in tempo and dynamic leads into the climax of this first movement, featuring block chords and rasgueado in the guitar, and rapid sextuplets in the flute. The movement then diffuses with natural harmonics and reduction of tempo and dynamic. Fig. 83. descending sequence N"1 CAVL PNINTINq ?o9z 2 A.^- gLiss (I;"gen st;d'e) Ntt' ha.-5 ! '--uU LrL LtV L, v @o@ @@@ 'ffia raEY-- "-P 6jl;n) 1 An4qnLc, c;rln moto J=88 .? |JVt)LrJr'-, o@ a) t ' (rtr,r,: * notes - teb notee"rin3onL )VrnJ q fingui^) nbor. ./ @ 3 LJL 28 rwiflso.[iHe b;r of J- k.f r4, scnpaa fr--9'2-I ('rfr;':,)\ "'.,^.f ."-.' / 2r .ar , I *l t)^ rzPr n+ 4r+ @ @ Nat har^s @ witL ener!1 .,'eler)tiel\" ! u V U U U L LtL u V lJ L U L IJ I' I 30 J (l a J f,i l!,r."!!^i oi,t !'g I"r f',j -nf @[-TZT=I= @...dJ6 "'d] o[f. l=l =l =3 nfni:1-iP (L"i**inj" Jcco'Xrs, e | ' -tz-33313'-' -'.e -e rrurr- #r" is ,d,ovo N"1 CAVE PAINNNG yaSe- 3 E=H,4 r-3-r\ + 3,2 , I r-7-lf3-tt + + rt f + + 4 f ,f np f-P uin-LrniffiFl 4 tr 3 + nP ----- n(- --T--- i7- '' nf :----- Z-gJ-3oz o f\/ o;t- 78 Fig. 84. Descending Sequence with decrescendo in guitar Harmonically, the movement works upon a fixed bass of the note D in the guitar, an approach also used by the didjeridu in the work The Light on the Edge. The first sonority performed by the guitar (Fig. 85) is what the final sonority resolves to in the conclusion (Fig. 86). It could be described as a polychord, with the lower part containing the notes D, A, D, and the higher C, E, E. The use of drone in the guitar part allows for great freedom in the use of chromaticism in the flute part, which Houghton exploits, creating many exotic colours, that are enhanced further when the guitar part also exploits some chromaticism while still retaining the D fixed bass. Fig. 85. Opening guitar sonority Fig. 86. Concluding with opening guitar sonority combined with suspension N"l CAVE PAINTING pa3e- 5 G-G a ff \- s7z iF H-,rb 72 ff t) t? =7 t{,t2plu moFlon J=IOO .-.. r.tJ loco a-.-. -3_.r\s loco . .. Q-cceL \l te6€#L3-J iTJ-,.t- op n fi-'"l *, Writtc'. fr, G.rhort Plntfo" (ft,) ort{ Jdicr. B7zo,.-t lne- (Gt ). who qave if; ,^lo'{l, pvt',,t\Qrc ',i S.ites*3- ! nr^rhrr!, G?r^',') , fu',e z:-L nll FROII THE DRE AT,IINC tn bhrex- novern€nfs, h, FIrt $ Cbu!^(h"t^" 'lh;s work is Aed"cnLe{, h ^) ?a,re^tg "-.,L m5 chiLdren , ord-'to thz BTzant;n /AolI*Duo .N'l CAVE ?AI NTiN A aternpo Adgio )=72 nistevio1o Phi ll;p Horrqhton t?? lO revised nq7 et ly (s+-;gs @ 0 *.r @) bq fL (!'c ft gt, @=D Vo;r fft (,;,T,$) dr"ftbnrA L ',ID utenL I r-TAnD.oura' \,F .otL / b1l!};ig; -tam v nr 6r*.-::*;{r?{,+rf7l -8,t+fH&?81, nf >, f4 :f fJE ^f ^P* rl ol-r qti!^9 L === -#4 7J 14,J#{4 -#1 l bJ=- P (" bass) + r5 re J ,),! (vtbr ) t!.-- )-n 'bU' l (ilJ >-l I)b{4- t',b) 7 | - V P 7l (n bcn)-tanv @ Ph;ll;p Ho,s ghf on p nq I floonsro"ta t\4u.r io lublicq+ions . ?lzns+ refialn f*'^ ^olki^2 illeg.t fLotocopias "( q4,; *ork , I I t q o-.1 I I .hat- @ attT7^o I A: - ht\Ll r rtniFF#a#(*''3) meno moeeo )= 72 I pub;ho *ranluillo N"l CAvE PAlr.rrtNG ?oye 6 AcLira;to t8 8t \ I = = = == =" !t-* f.l-'-mP _ag74J Le*o ft 85 €b" -ll) tt h il*^}l* AFtrf+ltt 82 8t 84 L- , €Hr-:-, t d t'-Q--'- I b nttlt P - a lrl P I e )7 P tttl - llt i iy? rP lt rr: It @a d o- n r j cttt rrrrt*sto po& ^@+) t, l: --1 --. o+ a .+. -a- ?2 f roll \ tr'yro) 79 2. Wildflower Wildflower, of approximately five minutes of duration, is the longest movement of this work. Primarily in triple meter, this movement has a floating, ethereal quality enhanced by the clever use of dynamic and tessitura used to emphasise Houghton’s evocation of colour: to the brilliant red dessert background and vivid foreground of the wildflower. I must note here that this analysis is including the cut that Houghton suggests between bars 29 and 49. A key feature of this movement is the flexible tonality, with the introduction fluidly shifting between D Phrygian and D Dorian in the introduction (Fig 87). The use of G#, C#, E∫, B∫ is added from bars 11 and 24, suggesting possibilities of various A and D minor configurations before settling back into the D Dorian to conclude the A section (Fig. 88). The phrasing here is flowing eighth-notes and half-notes producing the majority of the rhythms, which get busier with eighth-notes and later sixteenth-notes as the chromaticism adds tension. The section diffuses with sixteenth-notes. While being busier rhythmically, it is presented in unisons and diatonic thirds, bringing a sense of calm with rallentando and decrescendo. Fig. 87. D Dorian and Phrygian alternation FROA IHE DREAA{ING Phillip Houghton te?l revise!- 0)7 fL gL @=D And,anLe hon tro77o J= go nP r. tranauiLLo t ='r'rf r?rf r5 r ? @ Ph ill;p Ftor3hto," ff tmr Plensc r*fro^-- l.-,r" ^ok',^5 N'2 \^/LL dfLow er this rnov€ mt,,,,l ca/,, bL c.rf , at {trtz lr's .re*ia,* of Vlr" 7l*1e.rs , b7 loinilg +hc end o( bar 29 lo t4ne, sfa.zt of + L r q? 14 o on5 to ne tl usi , Pvblicati ens. illeg"/- ylvoro c " pies "f tl^; worl4 r#-. 6)l ltD.I ^f br ^Pr 2 5 + 5 '3 lzcffi?,+ ) flg l Lc!-.] xcLt J J r d A c lll tcfr L I t,* r ..d) €xTresgittor rrbqbo {tcfi-4 -\ 44e ahnF, - $ . l8 t? dnr Lcz+ J J^\i€ 24tJ: J 3+ tr t"g. I a 80 Fig. 88. Added chromaticism relaxing into D Dorian The form of the work is through composed, with changes in material marked by changes in tempo. From the beginning of the movement until bar 121, the increased tempo moves the piece forward. Starting at 80 bpm, it then jumps to 88 bpm, accelerates into 126 bpm, 144 bpm and 200 bpm, before slowing down to conclude the movement with a F7/C chord. The second section at bar 46 is the first example of the use of tessitura and dynamics as a colouristic device. The guitar part features a repeated sonority at a mp dynamic, and has a natural harmonic A note supporting a diatonic cluster of E, F and G. The flute part is marked delicato and is in a p dynamic, but the repeated F6 and G6 motif (Fig. 89) is written in a register described as “clear and brilliant” in Samuel Adams’ The Study of Orchestration (Adler, 2002). The requirement of playing in a delicate fashion in a brilliant register does create a challenge for the flutist, but the resulting combination with the guitar has a haunting transparent quality. Fig. 89. Diatonic cluster combined with high tessitura rae z srbf 0006 (harrrrrc./slu) _i ^7YTP =T---' @J,^n RH harm 2? 32 taryhetto J'=6? {L ests 3t, Solo 2t 22 23 2+ o n ? 7 >J +) #iq -f.. LJgl -- 4- mf 7tr ,47,^F^e.sfzf--'7 sub npe J ..--,--.2 sfz",'--' ,6'sub nf I 6^r + nc- P ? I>-' atnmpo rall 30 3r harr,t*-/slu, alL nobzs llrisbe"". op*t ffiffiffi^-r d ng + d*vtrrratical4l +,i ? ),^ (nft?r, f'* 'LL t=-P "bffH _?=l?l '$1 mf-nP 3+ 3S 4+oflry.J-Ji- r5) wl --'- tt mf =-^fL 7nff\ \ ../Oi +uff+ '"p,1 nrr^,rLQfir" l / 7 nc?.hrrm A- Pi, )svbnl botfu Lnsbs.cres.. - . yassionatclT_ cen,-- - dq--acUeL 7>==("t'f) N'2 ?"3" 3 fass}a.rti'i9 | 5+ f- G-t @14 t-3-t> ra'll'7 Jraorr.or.lo 2- +(,Andnwb-- )=88st-,g tor.d r^rill nau, liFt.;) u ^f-fff -1}r :fFLjoeEo > FL +1 GT - warnlT , cantabit/a 6t r'r"l*. l+' ft 55 +" I J= rzo oco aCcOL - - eo _- 52 Ael;caLo,ltke o'Jt= aa o 5t rall.rs, atto gj"'e leatle cnPhas'r-s lo ! t J^ *fraopcn E },4 (-l[ )r t)^ ).t (WrL"r"ctta") ("o[,rc''po)l Ls^ t r ) l)^ 58 s? ^P -d _=^l t"f ,f n t! r Lbnf F' f7 f ' uri:hty'- b+ notesfgu,wrc\ 57 g'on (szrgrc) 81 From bar 60, the guitar accompaniment changes from a bass note followed by block chord on beats one and two to flowing eighth-note arpeggiated sonorities. The tessitura of both instruments align throughout this section (Fig. 90), alternating between the middle register and high register on both instruments (the guitar has a constant D2 or E2 bass throughout, with the high register notes combining with open bass notes). From bars 96 to 107, the flute stays in the high range after doubling the guitar during the crescendo to another tempo shift. The guitar continues to alternate its ranges, this time with the instruction to shift the right- hand position back and forth between tasto to ponticello. The flute range lowers before fading out and handing the guitar part the climax of the movement, a rapid descending sequence with crescendo, accelerando, and movement to ponticello. Fig. 90. Guitar and flute matching tessituras The conclusion of the movement is a series of vignettes beginning with an echo of the last part of the guitar sequence, followed by a descending flute sequence in eighth-notes with repeated arpeggiated sonority in the guitar, and then a flute solo over three bars. Each of these has a reduction in tempo and a decay to silence. The final ten bars evoke the introduction as the movement fades with the decay of a guitar sonority. 3. Gecko Gecko is a bright and lively scherzo, with a duration of just over three minutes. This movement is episodic, with the episodes introducing ideas of interrupted phrasing, and a rhythmic accompaniment groove, that is treated in a reductive fashion with the change of meter from 5/4, to 4/4, and then 3/4. The key feature of the opening section of this movement is the interplay between flute and guitar, as they alternate between creating a single part and call and response phrasing (Fig. 91). The use of silence in the opening of this section is very N" 2 tUil'l(lorr,- ?'J.-- + )=tz6 67 - rtuosgo - 68 ,72 70 7t ) n sub cE "'tff t X -rr H -, ll lJ n 82 effective in creating tension, and the two instruments mesh closer and closer together, until a 5/4 groove is established in bar 30. Fig. 91. Call and response followed by harmonised rhythmic unison The 5/4 in the guitar part (Fig. 92) is structured as a 3+3+2+2 grouping of eighth-notes, or a feeling of compound time interspersed with simple time. The guitar part alternates between bass notes and block chords, and arpeggiated sonorities. The flute part begins with broad lines interspersed with little flourishes, much like a small lizard darting from one place to another, and then finishes this section with a flurry of triplets. Harmonically, this section hints at being in the C Lydian mode. Adding more chromaticism as the section reaches its climax, the meter also shifts to 4/4, this time 3+3+2, with a syncopated bass in the guitar. Big rolled chords in a 6/4 meter accompany a flute sequence, first with sixteenth-notes changing across each eighth-note, then repeated single eighth-notes, and then at half the speed with quarter- notes and relaxing to silence (Fig. 93). Fig. 92. 5/4 groove FROA THE DREAIlING Fhillip Hoyghton O P tqctt rev is eJ- t ggz ffiz N,3 GECKO ALegro J = t6O Sch,enzo (t;t*< ^ l;.*rd' !)bright aad. I ;ve 13 / fL sL @--D ++ Pizz- n -a-aaal l2- t3 I ll rl- /4 3 nf + ^*:fa -lt z l lfia .t,v \ lt,rf - 3'f +:-.n ^l'y I '6 7 7 J 7f @ Fh;lliF HorJ hton ?l'er,se vgP,oi* &0" tr nqt Yl oonslonl- (1vsio ^nkin 3 illq"L yhofo coyies ( v bli cnlri ovtS . o( fl"ts ,ork N'3 GzcKo rY" z nf #! d 7 +J**EJ1f.Er doLce 30 Poco meno mo'to' ^ 'i= l++ 3+ v -@i,9% usfa;n) 6@ Vm obes @ rJ S I @ IJ 11 z'@ L, ^lL .JJ &t 83 Fig. 93. Slowing flute sequence The final section builds in a variety of ways. Beginning with the flute and guitar performing an E4 with four separate voices at the start; the guitar utilising a stopped third string and open first string and natural harmonics (Fig. 94). The flute performs short phrases working off this E4 while the guitar exchanges short two-note double stops with harmonics mimicking the higher note in eighth-notes. This builds into an agitato featuring staccato and rests (Fig. 95), which builds into the finale of big open sonorities in the guitar and triplets throughout the flute part. With the flute part finishing on the highest note written for it in the entire work, a D7. Fig. 94. Four voices playing a unison E7 Fig. 95. Agitato, staccato and rests bg;.ero (tgl't o^t yl*2f,tL) No3 GECKO PryE 2 ossra g. flobe LJ_l 1!!!Jt-3-rt=3=t=3=J a, nP a-fu^po J=l6b - ^fr:3-J ob meno rnosSo J=goF s5 {no mosso )=tzo - -rLb - - meroro>Qho- | rq 5b^ be" r,tp -? O.tempo J=rcO :-+Z PP --e'- P ^fn:"l"" PrPPP nf -<.f ,f nf meno noggo )=no NO 3 GECKO pnJL + I[€no moSso s7 a,frnVo J= 160 SP y^tI harns"f -fiP Q)tL rnf- f e sub mp lJ , 4 ,1? e/u ,!^:[tnF:f (f) CL I ^f --rlb- S!-,/ J r rflr tr_ a_Y {7 ?? s( Ar>/il Vv t@ --,-.-z nf Q"ioo n,rh) t:g-lr=b=Ft 3 "-r ni+'r-=trttEltn-, GECKO roJ. 5 =+ V E5 7))) kgXiero , Q, gLi +,1=r r t trf'*,'ffit:tE5r::1:r t 84 Interpretation and Presentation In this section, I will discuss some of the more technical challenges that came up regarding ensemble work, which also apply very much to the repertoire presented in guitar ensemble for Case Study 2. From the Dreaming Preparation for this work included a Masterclass with the visiting Z.o.o duo from the Netherlands. This duo featuring Peter Constant and Marion Schaap had produced the first all Houghton recording titled Light on the Edge, with various guest performers in 1996, and worked very closely with Phillip Houghton in the creation of the recording. We performed the first movement of the work Cave Painting, and the class was quite memorable for its intensity, with particular attention being played to the flute part. From the very first phrase, it was all about getting into the spirit of the piece and I recall my flute partner being told to really exaggerate that first crescendo and accelerando, and to be really aggressive with the staccatos. I recall my strings also being a little on the old side as well, as my projection was not what was required at the Andante con moto at bar 25. A suggestion was made for a different type of string which was very effective, as was employing a more attacking stroke for that section. In Amber For In Amber, finding a string quartet was the most difficult aspect, eventually putting together an ensemble featuring a Masters level cellist, and undergrad violins and viola. we fixed ensemble issues, such as rhythmic disparities, which in the context of Houghton’s use of cross-rhythms, is something that demands close attention in an ensemble setting. Knowing who is playing together where is something that takes up much of the rehearsal time, and rhythmic cohesion between the individual parts and the overall pulse is very challenging. For example, the eighth-note displacement between the violins I and II in the first movement Dance was something that required a good deal of sectional work between those players. Leading and balance was another issue, as the attack on a bowed instrument is much slower than that of a guitar and being amplified brings on a new set of challenges, with tone settings as well as a balanced level being all important. 85 The Light on the Edge The instrumentation for The Light on the Edge was for two guitars, harp, double bass and percussion. As per Ms. Schaupp and Houghton’s suggestion, rehearsals began just with the guitars. This was actually among the easiest rehearsals, considering that I had performed with the other guitarist already, and the guitaristic nature of Houghton’s writing. For the full group rehearsals, however, we had a very tight turn around, and could only start two weeks before the performance, which led to some very intensive weekend rehearsal. Houghton had also mentioned that when John Williams and some of London’s best musicians performed this work that they had used a conductor and strongly recommended that I do as well (Houghton, personal communication). I employed the assistance of a Masters conducting student, who I had worked in with the creation of the Riverside Guitar Ensemble. We went through the score together before undertaking the rehearsals. I was blessed to have very talented and committed musicians to pull this quite difficult work together in such a short time. Presentation with VJ and audio reactive imaging software The VJ with whom I collaborated with was someone I had played in an improvisatory band in previous years. The visual aspect of that band was a major part of it, and he had been getting quite a bit of work in clubs and dance music events using projection, image mapping and audio reactive software. I discussed with him the option of utilising Houghton’s paintings with his image mapping, and he was quite open to it. Again, there were more time constraints than what allowed to get a truly representative version of Houghton’s art with his music. As he was overseas for several months before the concert, again, I only had a few days to meet with him before rehearsing. I did attend one of his events and I really enjoyed the audio reactive animation. I had given him audio of all the music, as well as a list of connected paintings that could be found on Houghton’s website. I had no choice but to trust him to rehearse it on his own, however, he had not yet incorporated the imagery only a few days before the recital. 86 The day before the recital, the recital hall had been booked for a rehearsal. Due to a lack of availability from most of the musicians, I was able to rehearse one duo and used the rest of the time in the space on technical requirements. It was an opportunity to give the VJ time to map the projection to the screen, and it also gave me an opportunity to see some of the imagery that he was to use. I was impressed with the imagery he had incorporated in to Houghton’s artwork. On the day of the recital, I spent most of the day rehearsing for the final performance with the different groups. In the two hours before the recital, I had the venue for sound check and lighting plots. I was very fortunate to have the help of Karin Schaupp to assist with the balance of the amplifiers and acoustic instruments as well as the PA feed of the environmental sounds used with The Light on the Edge. Overall, while it was a very challenging event to put together, I believe it was successful. Some lessons learned were aspects of rehearsal scheduling, and the delegation of tasks. It was a worthwhile and meaningful tribute to Phillip Houghton, made even more poignant by his passing only months after this event. 87 Conclusion Taking on this project has led to artistic outcomes that I could not fathom before. The combination of analysis, interpretation of Houghton’s programmatic annotations, technical focus in practise and presentation, visualisation and use of narrative demanded my complete attention. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to engage with Phillip Houghton, and he challenged many of my pre-conceptions. He always encouraged me to think of the way I viewed his music, what images they brought to my mind. His gift to the world is a body of work that stimulates every area of the imagination for performer and audience. There is a duality in Phillip Houghton’s work, the completed score is a work of precision, carefully hand written, and attention to every detail. The scores are much more prescriptive than the output of most composers, and he continued editing his works for a long time after their release or premiere. When I had a lesson with him, he was very interested in rhythmic precision, and laying a solid technical foundation for a performance before getting too caught up in interpretive details. This may give an impression of stifling a performer’s creativity due to such technical specificity. But while technical interpretive decisions relating to tempo, rubato, timbre, and note grouping have a very obvious function in expressive phrasing, I was looking for a deeper understanding for creating an evocative performance. Houghton’s scores are also more descriptive than those of most other composers. And it is in these descriptions or epigrammatic annotations in the score and program notes which are incredibly important to the work. Where the written musical notes have that specificity, the textual descriptions are broad, and whether incidentally or by design, this creates a very individualised stimuli to a player’s imagination. The influences he cited for his works are always multi-faceted. When there is a specific backdrop such as a painting like God of the Northern Forest or ancient Greek artefact such as Stélé, he also likes to provide further influences, such as the Eltham Copper Butterfly in God of the Northern Forest and the whirling dervishes into Stélé. An understanding of one area of the source material never really gives the full story, and the way an individual player combines these diverse influences will create a different visualisation or narrative sustaining each performance. 88 Within this exegesis are my explorations to holistically understand the visual, mythical and metaphorical meanings within Houghton’s scores and to bring these out through performance and sound. Due to the dualistic nature of technical specificity and Houghton’s interest in sparking the imagination through his “mythod,” I resorted to various methodologies suited for the different aspects of the study. Score analysis was used to look at the technical requirements of a composition, while at the same time looking for semiotic descriptors of Houghton’s programmes and the referenced artworks. Through experiments I found shapes and colours that were represented visually in a spectrogram, graphic depiction of a score, or shape in reference to structure. While many of these facets could be shaped and sculpted by technical decisions, the deeper meaning and portrayal was informed by the way in which the findings of the study activated my imagination while performing. Through the narrative design taught by Karin Schaupp, to the evocation of meditation leading to a feedback loop of mental imagery, sound, and a performers reaction to them, it was possible to really feel the emotional context to experience as if really seeing colour, shape and form while performing. This study allowed me to understand and establish a process that helped me go beyond mere technicalities. By diligently polishing all the instrumental technical demands from the compositions, I was then able to focus entirely on their implied methods, narratives and visual stimuli. My refocusing on these foundational aspects helped me to direct them to give my playing correlated shape, character, and emphasis on their meanings, thus animating the works and the performance. This process can be expanded, revised and calibrated to continue my approaching repertoire with fresh and creative perspectives. 89 Bibliography and References Adler, S. (2002). The Study of Orchestration (3rd Ed.). New York: NY. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Anon. (140-150 B.C.). Artemision Jockey [Bronze statue]. National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece. Anon. (6th century B.C). Bronze Statue of Apollo [Copper statue]. Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, Attica, Greece. Anon. (4th century, B.C.). Grave Stele of Demokleides [marble statue]. National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece. Bent, I.D. Hermeneutics. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed June 10, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/12871 Byzantine, J. (2000). Australian Guitar Composers, Classical Guitar Vol. 19, No. 1. Campbell.J, Moyers. B. 1988. The Power of Myth. New York: NY. Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Cerebona, R (2018). Two guitar duos form an international collaboration. The Canberra Times. 16 August, 2018. Accessed Jan 25, 2019, https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/two-guitar-duos-form- an-international-collaboration-20180806-p4zvr0.html Cumming, N. (2016). Semiotics. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed June 10, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/49388 Collon. D, Strudwick. N, Lyttleton. M, Wiedehage. P, Blair. S. S, Benson. E.P. (2003) Stele. Grove Art Online. Oxford Art On.ine. Oxford University press, accessed June 17, 2018, https://doi- org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T081249 Gould, E. (2011). Behind Bars. London, England: Faber Music Ltd. Grygorian Brothers. (2014). This Time [CD]. Australia: Which Way Music. Heile, B., Wilson, C., & Curry, B. (2012). Resituating the icon: David osmond-smith's contribution to music semiotics. Twentieth Century Music, 9(1-2), 177-200. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/docview/1346130035?acc ountid=14543 Houghton, P. (1991). 2 Moons. 90 Houghton, P. (1993). Alternative artwork for God of the Northern Forest publication. Houghton, P. (2016). Answers for Ian Ahles. Houghton, P (1989). Artwork for Stélé publication. Houghton, P. (1978). Beach. Houghton, P. (2013). Biography: Phillip Houghton Houghton, P. Blue, Yellow and Black. Houghton, P. (2014). Brolga. Moonstone Music Publications Houghton, P. (1991/92). Dreamscape [Ink pen, lead and coloured pencil on paper]. Houghton, P. Equus Baying on Red Moon. Houghton, P. (1997). From the Dreaming for Flute and Guitar. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. His Wife Waits for him on the other side of River Styx. Houghton, P. (2015). In Amber. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. In the Flame of the Muse. Houghton, P. (1993). God of the Northern Forest. Melbourne, Aus: William Troedel & Company Pty. Ltd. - Houghton, P. Fern Fores.t Houghton, P. Goldfish Cloud.. Houghton, P. Lovers Make Blue. Houghton, P. (1997). Six Short Solos. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. (1990). Stele. Melbourne : Aus. William Troedel & Company Pty Ltd. Houghton, P. (1998). Kinkachoo, I Love You. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. (1996). Light on the Edge [Recorded by Peter Constant & Marion Schaap; CD]. Melbourne: Move Records (1996). Houghton, P. Moon with Twisted Tree. Houghton P. Multi Coloured Orb. Houghton, P. Music in Dark Water. 91 Houghton. P. Of a Forest Floor, Inside a Forest Floor. Houghton, P. Of a flooding Desert. Houghton, P. Of a River Bank/Forest, Across a River. Houghton, P. (2014). Opals. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. Opalescence. Houghton, P. Red, Ancient Figures. Houghton, P. Red Desert. Houghton, P. Red Moon over River Styx. Houghton, P. (1992). River Surface at Night: Wave Radiance. Houghton, P. Ruins. Houghton, P. Paintings. Retrieved from http://www.philliphoughton.com.au/paintings/ Houghton, P. (1978) Poets Festival ’78. Houghton, P. (1991) Houghton Drawing at a River [Photograph]. Houghton, P (2002). Phillip Houghton. Retrieved from http://www.philliphoughton.com.au/ Houghton, P. (1999). Suite of Six Trios. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. (2003). The Goldfish Suite. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. (1979) The Goldfish Suite Artwork [Pencil and ink on paper]. Houghton, P. (2015). The Light on the Edge. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. (1977). The Mantis and the Moon. Houghton, P. (1990). Three Duets. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. Warriors Dream a Forest. Houghton, P. (2004). Wave Radiance. Moonstone Music Publications. Houghton, P. While the Muses Dance, a Brighter Flame Burns. Houghton, P. (2000). When the Sun and Moon Danced, New Colours Entered My Heart [Pencil on paper] Ina GRM (2003-2013). Acousmographe 3.7.2 [Computer software]. Paris, France: French Ministry of Education Naitonale. 92 LaRue, J. (1970). Guidelines for Style Analysis. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Lynch, J. (1994). Phillip Houghton – Australian Composer (Unpublished Masters paper). Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Klee, P (1922). God of the Northern Forest [Oil on canvass]. Klee, P. Paul Klee (Temporis Collection) [Kindle version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com Koan. (2018). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/koan 5/6/18 Nistico, D. (2016). Phillip Houghton Q&A. Retrieved from http://danielnistico.weebly.com/uploads/3/9/9/1/39910899/houghton_q_a.pdf Pontara, T. (2015). Interpretation, Imputation, Plausibility: Towards a Theoretical Model for Musical Hermeneutics. International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music, 46(1), 3-41. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/24327325 Puri, M.J. (2002). On the Lecture-Recital. Retrieved from http://musicologynow.ams-net.org/2014/02/on-lecture-recital.html Samuels, R. (2016). Semiotics. The Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed June 10, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e607 Schaupp, K. (1997). Soliloquy [CD]. Australia: Warner Music Australia. Shaw-Miller, S. (2002). Visible Deeds of Music: Art and Music from Wagner to Cage. New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University Press. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/lib/griffith/detail.action?docID =10217110 Succession H. Matisse. Matisse, Henri. 1869-1954. Dance. Accessed June 19.2018. Retrieved from https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/digital- collection/01.+Paintings/28411/?lng= Tarasti, E. (2002). Signs of Music. Berlin/Boston, DE: De Gruyter Mouton. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au Temkins. A, Rosenberg. S, Taylor. M, Rachel. A (2000) Twentieth-Century Painting and Sculpture in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Accessed June 19, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/51449.html Waterhouse, J. (1892). Circe Invidiosa [Oil on canvass]. Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia. Yorgason, B. (2016). Audio Timeliner Audio Annotation Tool (Computer Software). 93 Appendix A: May 26, 2016. Answers for Ian Ahles. 94 95 96 97 98 99 100