OUR PATH TO HEARING WEBERN Donivan Johnson The Southwest Contemporary Music Festival and Conference November 11-16, 1990 Southwest Texas State University San Marcos, TexasIt is clear that understanding melodies is a matter of following with both hearing and reason things as they come to be, in respect of all their distinctions: for it is ina Process of coming to be that melody consists, as do all the other parts of music. Comprehension of music comes from two things, Perception and memory: for we have to Perceive what is coming to be and remember what has come to be. There is no other way of following the contents of music. - AristoxenesOpus 3/1, Five Songs (Ex. 1) This is a song for you alone: of childish longing, of pious tears... Through morning gardens it sings, lightly winged. This song is meant to move but you alone. - Stefan George Whether we are alone or with companions, as performers or listeners, we are all on our path to hearing the music of Anton Webern. We desire to hear and understand this art. If we let musical thought take precedence over thought about music, our journey will be ‘lightly winged.* How did Webern hear his music? More importantly, how do we hear his music? The application of certain principles of Music Learning Theory, as researched and described by Edwin Gordon (1), will, hopefully, lead us forward on our path. What is Music Learning Theory? According to Gordon: Music Learning Theory is the analysis and synthesis of the sequential manner in which we learn when we learn music. (p. 335) In Music Learning Theory, the fundamental consideration is learning music itself, not learning about music. (p. 20 The basis of Music Learning Theory is audiation. (p.7)Audiation takes place‘when one hears and comprehends music silently, that is, when the sound of the music is not physically present. (p. 7 In his lectures (2) Webern frequently used the word comprehensibility: Schoenberg uses the wonderful word “Comprehensibility" (it constantly occurs in Goethe!). (p. 43 The highest principle in all presentation of an idea is the law of comprehensibility. (p. 17 What's the easiest way to ensure comprehensibility? Repetition. All formal construction is built up on it, all musical forms are based upon this principle. (p. 22 It is my belief that there is a vital relationship between comprehensibility, which is the task of the composer, and audiation, which is the task of the performer and listener. Opus 3/1, Five Songs (Bx. 1) © If Music Learning Theory is the analysis and synthesis of the sequential manner in which we learn when we learn music, and if audiation is the basis of Music Learning Theory, how do we audiate the music of Webern? How do we hear and comprehend this music when the sound is not physically present?Music Learning Theory is sequential; one level of learning serves as a readiness for the next level. If these sequences are ignored, little or no learning will take place. Therefore, we must, ask ourselves what musical readiness should we bring to the music of Webern in order to give it meaning? Before we attempt to audiate music that is multi tonal, multi metric, multi temporal, etc., what audiational readiness should we have? We should bring a sense of objective tonality in which we audiate the resting tone of that tonality: major, harmonic minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and, perhaps by extension, pitch-class sets. We should also bring a sense of objective meter in which we audiate macro beats, micro beats, and melodic rhythm: duple triple, or combined. In the music of Webern most, if not all, tonalities and meters will be subjective; there may not be consensus on what is audiated. Opus 3/1, Five Songs vocal part (Ex. 1) Some may hear the end of the first phrase as a form of Lydian or as one form of the all-interval tetrachord. what about the meter of this song? There may be consensus thatthe meter is basically triple; perhaps some audiate it differently. It is not important that we all agree. What. is important, indeed crucial, is that we are engaging ourselves in the process of audiation, We are attempting to give meaning (i.e. syntax) to this music. The above example is a simple, singable melody and we must bring a great deal of readiness to it in order to give it meaning. What about the following? Opus 9/V, Six Bagatelles (Ex. 2 Schoenberg wrote: These pieces will only be understood by those who share the faith that music can say things which can only be expressed by music...Does the musician know how to play these pieces, does the listener know how to receive them? Can faithful musicians and listeners fail to surrender themselves to one another? (3) How do we ‘receive’ this bagatelle? What possible syntactical meaning can we give it? How do we audiate harmony, meter, tone color, etc. that may be constantly changing? Once again, we must ask ourselves what readiness audiational readiness, do we bring to Opus 9? What level of learning do we expect of our students if we want them to perform or analyze this music?What did Webern expect of his listeners? Hans Moldenhauer has written that: He (Webern) was convinced that if his music were correctly projected it would elicit favourable response from the audience, and he felt it was unnecessary for the listener to have prior knowledge in order to understand his music. “This belief was expressed on 14 January 1937 in a letter to Nicolas Slonimsky, who had recently published the diminutive fourth movement from the Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op.10, on the Children's Page of the Christian Science Monitor. Delighted, Webern wrote: "I am deeply touched that my music appears on the Children's Page. If only grown-ups were like children, free from prejudice against everything new." (4) In 1945 Webern said: In fifty years at the most, everyone will experience this music as their innate music; yes, even for children it will be accessible...people will sing it. (5) Opus 10/tV, Five Pieces (aural example oniy) According to the principles of Music Learning Theory, we should not attempt to take meaning from musical notation; we can only bring meaning (audiation) to the notation of the music we perform or study. Luigi Dallapiccola wrote this passage in his diary:The music of Webern is too new to reveal all its characteristic timbres when one simply reads it. (6 Aristoxenes, born about 350 BCE, reminds us: -+.the man who has written down the Phrygian 'melos' is not necessarily the one who understands best what the Phrygian 'melos' really is... it is clear that notation cannot be the limit of the science in question. (7 Traditional music theory, at least in my experience, is taught based on the theory of notation; it is not taught based on principles of the sequential manner in which we learn when we learn music. For example, we may teach one sharp before two, two before three, etc. We learn to sequence based on notation as if it were ‘the limit of the science in question.’ What is one sharp? Is it G major @ minor, a Dorian, b Phrygian, C Lydian, D Mixolydian? The sharp, what is written, is irrelevant. What tonality we are audiating is relevant. We attempt to teach rhythm and meter in a similar manner; we base it on the theory of notation and ask our students to take meaning from the notation: whole note, half note, quarter note, etc. Even worse, we teach measure signatures, commonly referred to as time signatures, with no regard to the process of audiation. Music Learning Theory is an opening of the musical mind; it is evolutionary not revolutionary, The music ofWebern poses considerable problems and challenges to the performer and listener. Almost every score of Webern presents visual (notational) obstacles; these will remain if we attempt to extract meaning solely from what is on the written page. If we compare the following two excerpts, a relationship is heard: Opus 27/111, Piano Variations mm, 56-62 Opus 27/1 mm. 1-7 (Ex. 3) The ability to hear and comprehend this relationship when the sound is not physically present is audiation, It is interesting, from a compositional standpoint, that Movement III was written first; thus, the opening of Movement I evolved from the ending of Movement IIT. Let us extend our inguiry, our path, with a longer, more complete example: Opus 28/II, String Quartet (aural example only) What we just heard in the reprise of this Scherzo was acadence on D major as if we were listening to Haydn or Mozart. This passage should move us profoundly if we are not merely trying to count notes of the twelve-tone set. Let us hear this Movement again and listen for the cadence point in the first section and attempt to audiate toward the D major cadence in the reprise: Opus 28/II, String Quartet (aural example only) Music Learning Theory has significant implications for music instruction. For example, the way twelve-tone music is introduced, whether it is Webern or another composer, violates nearly every rule of sequential learning. Theoretical Understanding, the highest level, is applied long before students have experienced Aural/Oral instruction. The result, all to often, is confusion and chaos on the part of the student. Because “Wie bin ich froh" is one of Webern's most anthologized works, there are many graduate music majors who have "analyzed" this song without ever having listened to it; if listening was done first, any syntactical meaning was probably taken from the notation and not brought to the notation through audiational readiness.Opus 25/1, Three Songs {aural example only) If Music Learning Theory is evolutionary, so is the music of Webern. One way to introduce the art of Webern is by way of Bach - the transcription from The Musical Offering: Fuga, excerpt (aural example only: When this is done, we are "linking the miniature universe of Webern to the cosmos of our musical tradition." (8 When the twelve-tone method is to be introduced, listeners should be exposed to Webern's first known work: Opus Posth., Kindersttick (aural example only) Six presentations of the prime set are heard: Opus Posth., Kinderstick {aural example only) I would like to share with you what I believe to be one of the most important relationships between Music LearningTheory and the music of Webern: the function of silence For decades the silences and rests have been commented on and analyzed. These "analyses" are more metaphorical than impirical; if they are empirical, emphasis is placed on the written score rather than the heard result. Webern, as did all great composers, understood profoundly the power of silence. It is my belief that these silences are more significant than what has been generally thought to be the case. When we audiate we are not giving meaning to what we are currently hearing; this is aural perception. We audiate what we previously have heard and what we will hear. Aristoxenes put it this way: Comprehension of music comes from two things, perception and memory: for we have to perceive what is coming to be and remember what has come to be. There is no other way of following the contents of music. This was the process we used when we audiated toward the D Major cadence from Opus 28/III. When a person is taught to audiate at the most basic level of discrimination learning, they are taught to breathe before singing a response. This is known as the audiational breath. the rest (silence) in Webern is an example of the audiational breath that facilitates the comrehensibility of the music. These are breathing places, not merely caesuras. Let us return, for a moment, to the opening measures of the Piano 10Variations. The audiation of this passage will be greatly enhanced if we, along with Webern, breathe during the rests: Opus 27/1, Piano Variations (aural example only) It has been said, quite rightly, that "the best way to study Webern's music is indeed to perform it and listen to it, Let us do so." (9) The analytical literature of the last fifty years has failed, for the most part, to lead us forward on our path to hearing and understanding the music of Webern. In many cases, the literature has slammed the door on audiation. It is hoped that this brief, all too brief, inquiry into the comprehensibility of Webern's music will lead others forward on their path. We will conclude with the Second Movement of Opus 21. Stravinsky, who in 1955 characterized Webern's music as “dazzling diamonds," remarked a decade later that: Webern has the power to move, and no moment in contemporary music has haunted me more than the coda of the Symphony. (10) Opus 21/11, symphony (aural example only) theme; seven variations; coda 110. NOTES Edwin Gordon, Learning Sequences in Music (Chicago: G.1.A., 1988). Anton Webern, The Path to the New Music, edited by Willi Reich, translated by Leo Black (Bryn Mawr: Theordore Presser, 1963). Arnold Schoenberg, "Foreward," Six Bagatelles, Opus 9 (vienna: Universal Edition, 1924). Hans and Rosaleen Moldenhauer, Anton Webern: A Chronicle of His Life and Work (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978), p. 471. Cesar Bresgen, “Webern's Last Months in Mittersill," Anton Webern: Perspectives, compiled by Hans Moldenhauer, edited by Denar irvine (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1966), p. 114. Luigi Dallapiccola, "Meeting With Anton Webern,” Tempo, 99 (1972), p. 3. “Aristoxenes,” Greek Musical Writings Il: Harmonic and Acoustic Theory, Andrew Barker, Editor (New York: Cambridge, 1589), p. 156. Peter Yates, Twentieth Century Music (New York: Random House, 1967), p. 196. Bruce Carr, “Report from Buffalo: The Third International Webern Festival," Current Musicology, 5 (1967), p. 119. Lukas Foss was Co-Director of this history-making Festival. Igor Stravinsky, "A Decade Later," AWP (see note 5), PP. xxvi-xxvii.EXAMPLE 1Gesang, FlisDend. td. oo) zert fn EXAMPLE 1 abere OMSUET EEF LID, Op. 3 Conrrigen 2#21-by Deiveral Bession Cenreaehe Paoewed ST Riphte Ronerred {ead by peracanton af Dropasn smarieas Made Bikcettere errata sale Bose Ceti agen EXAMPLE 2 avery car aucureias, 6p. 9 (lvsraghe 2920 by Belson Eddsten 4.6., Rien Sepstaht $26 0 tettennct eset 4. saath tence ‘Dae’ Oy permeation of Yeropac dmertcas tusse ‘Diatrabvtory Compernt ion, bse Oris ead Coeadiae agent Tor telveread tation tagesDiseetbatere Corperetin, aele Ccfsyand Canasta agent for Pagvereed Eictice : AnBerst langsam i. ca0) 1 EXAMPLE 2 Feige ag teesSouthwest Contemporary Music Festival and Conference November Il - 16, 1990 Proposed Schedule of Events Department of Music Southwest Texas State UniversitySunday, November Il, 1990 8pm Contemporary Choral Music (SWT Chorale, John Johnson, Director) Hindemith's There & Back, (SWT Opera, Bert Neely, Director) Evans Auditorium Monday, November 12, 1990 8am - 9am Registration Recital Hall ‘gam - 9:45am "Maiden Voyages” for trumpet, piano, three slide projectors and two channel tape. Sever Tipei, piano, Zack Browning, trumpet, University of Illinois loam - 10:45am "New Flute Music by Women Composers” Laurel Zucker, flute, California State University - ‘Sacramento 2l4 ‘gam - 9:45am Paper: “The Dance of Death* A dramatic Overture in Reverse Presentation on the musical structure of Fredrick Kaufman's ‘opera, “The Dance of Death.” This work is to be performed by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra ‘under the baton of Maestro Lukas Foss. Ofer Ben-Amots, University of Pennsylvania Lukas Foss, respondent 10:00am - 10:45am Paper: “Technology in the Applied Studio" Denis Winter, University of Central ArkansasMonday, November 12th, Continued: {lam - 45pm “Recent Works for Piano and for Saxophone” Or. Clifford Leaman, saxophone, Derek J. Parsons, piano, Furman University lam - l2pm Open Rehearsal: Mr. Foss and SWT ‘Symphony Orchestra and Chorale Evans Auditorium lpm - ipm lunch pm - 2:15pm Contemporary Vocal Music and Techniques: a lecture/performance Isabelle Ganz, New York City 3:00pm - 3:45pm Southwest Brassworks Steven Hager, hom Charles Hurt, trombone Jack Laumer, trumpet Jay Rozen, tuba Southwest Texas State University 4:15pm - 5pm "Forest Knows the Answer" for Seiko Digital Synthesizer Gary Washington, Long Istand University lpm - I:45pm_ Paper: "Our Path to Hearing Webern" Donivan Johnson, Fremont County ‘Schools, Idaho 2:30pm - 3:30pm Performance: "Stained Light” Chamber opera for solo bass in two acts. Michael J. Kallstrom, bass Western Kentucky University 4:15pm - Spm_ Presentation: Bach's "Goldberg Variations” Electronically Realized Description and demonstration of procedures used in developing an electronic realization of Bach's “Goldberg Variations” for live performance. Commentary on the aesthetic and technological problems encountered. Or. Robert Blasch, Longwood College ‘6pm - DinnerMonday, November 12th, Continued: 8pm Performance LHistoire du Soldat Southwest Texas State University Faculty: ist Evans Auditorium Reception following Performance Tuesday, November 13, 1990 8am - 9am Registration Becital Hall 2l4 ‘gam - 9:45am "The Old & The New" gam - 9:45am Presentation: Observations on Contemporary “Pathways, from Music for the Harpsichord Dream Spell Series" Linda Kobler, harpsicord, Compositional problems involved The Juilliard School, in the collaboration of a musician and a sculptor. Charles Bestor, University of Massachusetts loam - 10:45am “Performance & loam - 10:45am Paper: Pedagogy of Contemporary “if L knew Flute Music” music like | know music now, 'd.. Ellen Kaner, flute 7, Confessions of a music University of Mississippi graduate" A discussion of what music is, and has become, today: the problems of and necessity of teaching music in an interdisciplinary context along with non-Western perspectives. Greg Steinke, University of ArizonaTuesday, November I3th, Continued: am - 45am Clarinet Recital, lam - 45am Paper: David Pino, clarinet, "Manifold Southwest Texas State University Compositions on Supercomputers* including performance of compositions Sever Tipei, University of Iilinois by Ralph Turek, University of Akron Byron Yasui, University of Hawaii llam - I2:Spm Isabelle Ganz Master Class: Contemporary Vocal Techniques Room 222 l2pm - Ipm Lunch Ipm - |:45pm Nova Saxophone Quartet {list members] including performance of a composition by David Kechley, Williams College 2pm - 2:45pm Piano Recital David Holzman, pianist, Long Island University 2pm - 3:30pm Open Rehearsal: Mr. Foss and SWT Wind Ensemble Evans Auditorium 3pm - 3:45pm “Contemporary ‘Ant Song by American Women Composers” Deborah Bussineau, piano Ruth Friedberg, soprano Incamate Word College 3pm - 4pm “British Organ Music of the 1970's and 80's" Richard Shirey, organ, University of Akron upacc 4pm - 4:45pm Piano Recital 4:l5pm - Spm Paper: Arthur Gottschalk, pianist, "Form in Flux" Rice University Varied approaches to macro- shape in recent American string quartets. Harold E. Briggs, Indiana UniversityTuesday, November !3th, Continued: 4pm - Spm Open Rehearsal: Mr. Foss and SWT Opera Ensemble Room 216 pm Dinner 8pm Lecture, Lukas Foss Evans Auditorium Wednesday, November 14, 1990 8am - 9am Registration Regital_Hall 24 Gam - 9:45am Trombone Recital gam - 9:45am “Minimalism” Pau! Hunt, trombone, A retrospective and Bowling Green State University Prospective Definition. Robert Shankovich, 'oam - 10:45am Piano Recital Duquesne University André Villeneuve, piano Montreal Conservatory of Music loam - llam Mr. Foss meets with ‘SWT Composition Students Room 210 liam - 2pm Open Rehearsal: Mr. Foss and SWT Symphony Orchestra & Chorale Evans Auditorium apm Lunch with Mr. Foss :30pm - 2:18pm Recital for Saxophone 130 - 2:15pm "Principles of and Piano Electroacoustic ‘Arthur Woodbury, saxophone Orchestration” Robert Helps, piano Alan Belkin, University of South Florida University of Montreal 1:30 - 2:30pm Piano Master Class: Mr. Foss and SWT Students Room 222Wednesday, November |4th, Continued: 2:45pm - 3:30pm “Istands* for flute & tape Michael Manion, flute, Mills College 2:45pm - 3:30pm Lecture/Recital: “The Influence of Ragtime on 20th Century Piano Music” A brief survey of the history and development of ragtime, followed by its influence on classical compositions by Debussy, Melhaud, Stawinsky, Tansman, Hindemith, Thompson, Ines, Bolcon, and Allright. Charles Vinson, Southwest Texas State University Room 222 3:45 - 4:45pm “Uwharrie Clarinet Percussion Duo” Andrea Splittberger-Rosen, clarinet Robert Rosen, percussion University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 8pm SWT Symphony Orchestra, Howard Hudiburg, Director SWT Chorale, John Paul Johnson, Director Evans Auditorium Thursday, November 15, 1990 8am - 9am Registration gam - 9:45am “Arachne'’s Dream” gam - 9:45 Paper: for double bass “Experimental Ken Metz, double bass, Austin Music Making in the Classroom” Joan O. Epstein, Eckerd College 1015 - 1:00am “Of Mice & Men" for vibraphone & computer Bruce Mahin, Radford University loam - 10:45am Paper: “imagery in the Music Curriculum: a Tool for Learning via the Right Hemisphere” John Shipp, University of the OzarksThursday, November [5th, Continued: 4LSam - 2pm Cello Recital Mary Anne Bruner, cello Southwest Texas State University lapm - pm lunch pm - 2pm Southwest Texas State University Contemporary Music Ensemble Russell Riepe & Jay Rozen, Southwest Texas State University 2:30pm - 3:15pm "Chaco" For electric guitar (as a midi controller), Mexican clay flute, Rainstick, digital sound processor, and live digital recording, Reed Holmes, University of Texas at San Antonio ‘2pm - 3:30pm Open Rehearsal: Mr. Foss and SWT Wind Ensemble Evans Auditorium 3:30pm - 4:15pm Tuba Recital Jay Rozen, Tuba, Southwest Texas State University 4:30pm - 5:30pm Trinkle Brass Works 2:30pm - 3:15pm Paper: Steve Trinkle, trumpet “Giving Voice 10 Genie Burkett, piano/marimba the Composer's Intention”: Hans Sturm, bass ‘A Choral Conductor's Verona, Wisconsin Perspective. Nina Gilbert, Wabash College 4pm - Spm Organ Recital Anthony Williams, organ, Fisk University UPACC 6pm DinnerThursday, November [5th, Continued: ‘8pm SWT Wind Ensemble, John Stansberry, Director including performance of a composition by [list name] New Music for Percussion, Genero Gonzalez, Director including performance of a composition by Reed Holmes, University of Texas, San Antonio Evans Auditor Friday, November 16, 1990 8am - 9am Registration Recital Hall 214 9am - 9:45am “Imaginary Portrait #1 gam - l0am Mr. Foss meets and “Giancing Compositions by Blows"in a dialogue with Kevin Jones, New York City students & faculty l0am - 10:45am "New Music for Oboe" Theresa Delaplain, Oboe, Ozark Chamber Players Robert Mueller, piano, Ronda Mains, flute, University of Arkansas 0am - llam Collaboration Between Music and Dance: (?) “August Heat" and "Vesper Light” Music by Haeyon Kim, University of Texas Choreographed by LeAnne Smith, Southwest Texas State University “Rain Stick” Music by Haeyon Kim, University of Texas Choreographed by Pat Stone, Southwest Texas State University Assisted by Mary Ganzon, Southwest Texas Stale University Evans Auditorium ISam - 2pm lecture/recital: “The Piano Music of Halsey Stevens" Jeanette Constance Wong, California Baptist CollegeFriday, November |6th, Continued: 2:15pm - 2pm luncheon Music faculty and participants Southwest Texas State University Opera: Lukas Foss’ "Introductions & Goodbyes” Dr. Bert Neely, Director, ‘San Marcos Room 2:15pm - 3pm Piano Recital Barry Hannigan, piano, Bucknell University 315 - 4:18 Triptych “A Contemporary Chamber Music for Winds and Percussion" ‘Ann Bingham, clarinet Edwin Bingham, saxophone, piccolo, & flute Steve Hall, percussion Cumberland College 8pm - 9:i5pm LSU New Music Ensemble Dinos Constantinides, Director, Louisiana State University