análise das canções ellwood derr

8/17/2019 Análise Das Canções Ellwood Derr

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A PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF ELLWOOD DERR'S

/

NEVER S W NOTHER BUTTERFLY

by

Courtney Jade Sherman

A Research Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

May 2008


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A PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF ELLWOOD DERR'S

I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY

by

Cour tney Jade Sherman

has been approved

Apri l 2008

Gradua te Supe rv i so ry Commi t tee :

Jerry Doan, Chair

Robert W. Oldani

Robert Baref ie ld

Robert Mil ls

Dale Dreyfoos

ACCEPTED BY THE GRADUATE COLLEGE


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ABSTRACT

This research paper examines Ellwood Derr's i" Never Saw

Another Butterfly, a song cycle for soprano, alto saxo phon e, and

piano. The cycle consists of five songs wit h po etry by children w ho

were incarcerated in the Terezin ghetto for Jews, deported to

Ausch witz, and all of whom died by October 19 44. The present w riter

reviewed literature concerning historical information about Terezin,

Czech Republic. In a ddition to her research, she engaged in a musical

examination of the work, result ing in a commentary on the musical

elements of the song cycle and how they express the text.

Methodology included the performance of a lecture recital of the work,

during which historical information and a performance analysis of the

song cycle were provided before a performance of the work was

prese nted. Research, analysis, and performan ce experiences revea led

that Ellwood Derr composed this song cycle as a chamber work for

three performers, and he utilized several musical devices with which to

com mun icate the emotion of the texts. Furtherm ore, the recurrence of

musical devices and other cyclical elements support the conclusion

tha t this w ork f its the d efinition of a song cycle.

in


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION 1

MUSICAL COMMENTARY ON I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY 8

A PERFORMANCE GU IDE 34

CONCLUSIONS 60

SOURCES CONSULTED 66

APPENDIX A: COPYRIGHT PERM ISSION 67

IV


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Introduction

This research paper exa mines Ell wood Derr's

I Never Saw

Another Butterfly,

a song cycle for soprano, alto saxo phon e, and

piano. The cycle consists of five songs w ith p oetry by children w ho

were incarcerated in the Terezin g hetto for Jews, deported to

Ausch witz, and all of whom died by October 194 4. In addit ion to

research, the present writer engaged in a musical examination of the

work, result ing in a commentary on the musical elements of the song

cycle and how they express the tex t. Methodology included the

performance of a lecture recital on the work, during which historical

information and a performance analysis of the song cycle were

provided. Research, analysis, and performance experiences revealed

that Ellwood Derr composed this song cycle as a chamber work for

three performers, and he utilized several musical devices and an

unusual instrumentation with which to communicate the emotion of

the texts . Furtherm ore, the recurrence of musical devices and other

cyclical elements supports the conclusion that this work fits the

definition of a song cycle.

Histor ical Information

Terezfn is located sixty kilometers northwest of present day

Prague, Czech Republic. Joseph I I established the wa lled garrison in

1780,

which he named Theresienstadt after his mother, Empress Maria


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3

for the arr ival of thousands m ore condemned Jews. During the he ight

of its ope ration, Terezin housed 60,000 people. At that cap acity, each

person was allowed 1.6 square meters of ground space in which to

move . This included the streets. The average workload was eighty to

one hundred hours per week.

3

The Terezin gh etto was established as an a utonom ous

community; however, all the laws were established and str ict ly

enforced by the Germa ns. For instance, the act of smu ggling a letter

to relatives on the outside was punishable by han ging . There was a

Council of Elders comprised of Jewish leaders, who were responsible

for things such as cultural activities and food distr ibu tion. They were

also charged with preparing the list of those Jews who were to be

depo rted. W hether the Elders knew they w ere sending the ir fellow

inmates to their deaths remains unknown. Although the Nazis were

concerned about maintaining the image of the Terezin camp to the

outside world, they had no intention of keeping any of the Jews alive

to see the end of the war.

4

3

Jana Renee Friesova,

Fortress of my Youth,

translated by Elinor

Morrisby and Ladislav Rosendorf (Madison: The University of Wisconsin

Press, 2002), vi i i- ix, 2.

4

Volavkova, xv i -xv i i i .


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4

The ghetto at Terezin became home to many intellectuals and

artists. The despair of captivity produced an abundance of artwo rk,

po etry , and music. In add ition to the Council of Elders, the

Ad ministration of Free Time A ctivities (Freizeitgestaltung) was

established. Those employed by this Administration were excused

from manual labor. Such employ me nt was a blessing, for the art ists

were perm itted to practice their art. A handful of comp osit ions writte n

in the Terezin ghetto survived . Among them is Viktor U llmann's opera

Der Kaiser von Atlantis.

5

In Decem ber 1942 , Friedl Dicker-Brandeis came to Tere zin. She

was one of a group of artists who taught art classes in the ghetto. In

the ghetto, however, she painted l it t le, choosing to save the supplies

for the children, who experienced art therapy at the hands of their

caring and dedicated teacher. She focused her energy on creating an

environment for the children that would allow them to express

thems elves safely. Brandeis was deported to Auschwitz on October 6,

1944.

She died in Birken au.

6

It is because of prisoners like Vik tor

Ullmann and Friedl Dicker-Brandeis that the surviving memories of

5

Joza Karas , Music in Terezin 1941-1945 (New York: Beaufort

Books Publishers, 1985), 202.

6

Volavkova, xx.


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5

Terezin include works of art, such as musical compositions and the

poetry and drawings of children.

EEEwood Derr

Ellwood Derr was born in 193 2. He gradu ated from the Eastman

School of Music where he received a Bachelor of Music degree with

honors in com position and Ge rma n. He received a Master of Music

degree from th e Unive rsity of Illinois . After his first year as a docto ral

student in comp osit ion, he left the Un iversity of Il l inois to study

mus icology at the University of Mun ich. Co ncu rrently, he studied

composition with Carl Orff at the Staatliche Hochschule fur Musik.

While in G erman y, he was a scholar of the Alexander von Hum boldt

Stiftu ng . He finished his DMA at Illinois after com pleting study in

Germany.

As the founder and continuo harpsichordist, Derr performed with

the New Purcell Society in Mu nich. The ens em ble, which included

singers and ins trume ntalists, focused on stylist ically oriented

performances of Baroque music. Upon taking an appointme nt at the

University of Michigan in 1962, Derr continued his performances of

Baroque music.

Much of Derr's scholarly work and performing experience focused

on music of the eighteenth century, which informed his teaching of


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6

courses related to the counterpoint and performance practices of the

classical period. His research focused on com pose rs' borrow ing

practices, performance practice issues, and Johann Sebastian Bach as

com pos ition teache r. Derr has published articles in leading jou rna ls in

the United States and Europe, including an essay on Johann Christian

Bach and Mozart, which appeared in the Mozart-Jahrbuch 1997. Derr

discovered the autograph manuscript of Claude Debussy's Piano Trio in

G, a work that was thou ght to be lost. Derr restored twe nty -f ive

mea sures in the piano and violin pa rts of the finale. The trio was

published by the G. Henle Verlag of Munich, and now appears on many

recordings.

7

Poetry by the children of Terezin supplies the text for Derr's

musical representation of the Jewish ghetto and its young captives.

The poems were used with permission of the State Jewish Museum of

Prague, Czech Republic. The functional title for Derr's song cycle is I

Never Saw Another Butterfly. It is the composer's reque st th at the full

t i t le be printed whenever possible:

7

h t tp : / /www.music.umich.edu/a lumni_donors/documents/Derr .pdf.

(Accessed February 28, 2008)

http://www.music.umich.edu/alumni_donors/documents/Derr.pdfhttp://www.music.umich.edu/alumni_donors/documents/Derr.pdfhttp://www.music.umich.edu/alumni_donors/documents/Derr.pdf


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7

" / Never Saw Another Butterfly Song Cycle for Soprano voice,

Alto Saxo phone , and Piano. On the Poems by children who were

incarcerated in the Nazi ghetto for Jews in Terezin,

Czechoslovakia (1942-1944) and who died in Auschwitz before

the end of October 1944."

I Never Saw Another Butterfly was composed in 1966 and

published by Dorn Productions in 197 7. Derr compo sed the work as a

chamber cantata for three performers, directing that it be performed in

its en tirety. To relegate the saxophone and piano to instrume ntal

background or to omit one or more movements in performance would

be contrary to the composer's concept. At the front of the score, Derr

has dedicated J Never S aw Another Butterfly "to the everlasting

memory of the children who suffered and made these poems and to all

others who shared their fate."


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Musical Commentary on I Never Saw Another Butterfly

Prologue: Terezin [Th eres iens tadt ]

The work begins with a recitative movement t it led "Prologue:

Terezin [Theresienstadt]." This poem vividly describes the desolation

of a young child who has experienced the terror of a Nazi ghetto and

now has only memories of a happier childhood—a boy who is no longer

a child, for he has learned hate and fear. This movement is scored for

voice and piano, with the alto saxophone entering as a continuation of

th e final note for the voice . The song expresses a series of comp lex

and intense emotions, which are depicted musically with extremes in

dynamic range. The voice begins pp, while the piano begins ppp—una

corda, only if necessary. The firs t sonority to be sounded is fou r

octaves of C#'s (the fou r lowest on the piano keybo ard). The soprano

begins the recitative on C*

4

.

8

The pitch and dynam ic level of the voice

crea te a speec h-like sense of despair. The piano and voice increase in

pitch and in dynamics, culminating on the word "fea r." Here, the

soprano sings ffff

on

A

6

. The piano starts softly on octav e C

#

's. Next,

the G* is added. On the wo rd "fea r," the pitches D and A are added .

These two pitches form an open fif th sonority and when added to the

8

The present w riter uses the oc tave indication system t ha t is stand ard

in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Journal of Singing,

according to which A1-G1 represents the lowest octave on the

keyboard.


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9

already existing fifth of C# and G

#

, an alarming dissonance is created.

With both lines of the piano sounding on high pitches in the treble clef,

and the soprano achieving a scream-like sound on the ffffA

6

on an [i]

vowel,

an intense effect is created for the word "fear," as can be seen

in Example 1.

ffff

fear.

Example 1 . Ellwood Derr, "Prologue: Terezm [Theresienstadt],"/

Never Saw Another Butterfly, score 6.

9

© 1977 Dorn Productions,

international copyright secured, all r ights reserved.

Immediately following, the dissonance is released, and the open fif ths

return in a series of softer dynamics that move dow nward in a

9

There are no bar l ines in "Prologue: Terezin [Theresienstadt]." The

present writer refers to musical elements according to the system in

which they occur, labeling each system as "score one," "score two," et

cetera.


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10

stepwise fashion, each marked subito. Further, the vocal line lowers in

pitch,

returning to the original pitch level, centered around C*

4

.

The poetry continues in a new direction, recalling the past, and

hoping that the former l i fe wil l retu rn. The word "la ug h" is given

significa nt trea tm en t. The melodic m otion of an E# resolving to an F#

follow ed by a D# resolving to an E over a pedal of an open fifth

containing the pitches C

#

and G

#

, as well as a distinctive dotted

rhy thm highlight this word , as seen in Example 2. As with the w ord

"fear," the musical devices breathe l ife into the word "laugh."

#—n»

tenuto

f^S

==F

A child a - gain, and sta rt to laugh and play.

n

zc

m f

- •

Example 2 . Ellwood Derr, "Prologue: Terezin [Theresienstad.t]," J

Never Saw Another Butterfly, score 7. © 1977 Dorn Produc tions,



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11

Following a tenuto on the word "play," the soprano continues the

recitative over the open f i f th . The next sound from the piano

simplif ies the texture by returning to the octave C

#

's heard in the

beginn ing of the son g. Since the re are no bar lines until the

saxophone entrance on the f inal system, the chords in the piano serve

to separate the thoughts and shifts of emotion in each line of poetry.

With the exception of a few select places, they are never sounded

simultaneously with the text of the soprano, but rather, between

words, as the soprano sustains a note, or during a rest in the soprano

line.

There are thre e occasions in which the articu lation in the piano

line matches tha t in the vocal line. The first instance is on the s eve nth

score of the son g, on the word "la ug h. " The second is on score nine,

on the word "once," as the open fif th is intensif ied with the addit ion of

the F

x

. The final instance of matching art icu latio n, on scores ten and

eleven,

consists of a group of three iterations of the word "weep," just

before the saxop hone en ters. As seen in Example 3, the f irst

statement of the word "weep" is given a very similar treatment to that

of the word "la ug h, " seen in Example 2 above. The composer has

connected the ideas of laughter and weeping by highlighting these

words with the same dotted f igure, the same tessitura, and by

allowing two of the three instances of matching art iculation to take


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place

on

these words. This emph asizes

the

subtext

of

the poem :

the

laughter

of

children has turned

to

tears.

ffff m o l t o c j l l s r g . dim s i n ' a l f i n e

so

I

cou ld weep ,

^

«r

waop,

»=

* o =

SffffZ

mf

~JEC

~ -

8-

Example

3.

Ellwood Derr, "Prologue: Terezin [Theresienstadt],"

J

Never S aw Another Butterfly score

10-11. © 1977

Dorn Produ ctions,


Largo

Alto

sax

N . B .

- mp, but «

Example

3

cont.


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On the; f inal u tterance of the w ord "w ee p," the voice has

diminished to a point of near inaudibility and has come to rest in the

same range used at the very beginning of the m ovem ent. It is here

that the saxophone enters for the f irst t ime, as a continuation of the

voice.

Since the soprano has ju st utte red several repetitions of the

word "we ep ," the direct ion rnolto vibrato fo r the saxop hone is a

sensit ive way to color the wo rd. The tex t painting and the placement

of the f irst entrance of the saxophone suggest to the audience that

their emotional journey is only beginning.

The But ter f ly

The second movement of this work begins in the very unusual

meter of 4

1 / 2

/4 , but only for one measure. A single measure of 4/4

follows. These two m easures serve to musically embody a butte rf ly.

The piano and alto saxophone begin toge ther, w ithou t the voice. The

tempo instruction for this movement is mod erate, e mo/to flessibile,

quietly, but distractedly. The piano enters pp, with the pedal down,

playing three re petitions of a single pitch. For the first tw o m easures

of this movement, the saxophone is instructed to play into the open

piano, with a dynamic marking of pp mormorando (soft ly murmuring)

The effect of the soft saxophone melding with the colors of the piano

in the absence of te xt evokes the ideas of solitude and distanc e. On


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14

beat four of the second m easure, the piano establishes its repetit ive

figure of on-the-beat grace notes in the bass and offbeat trills in the

treb le. Both lines of the piano part are in treb le clef for the m ajo rity of

thi s son g. The comp oser specifies tha t all grace notes are to be

sounded on the beat. As seen in Example 4 below, the first note in

each grace note pattern is the bass note of the sonority, and should

therefore be slightly empha sized. The pianist is instructed to pedal at

each chord chang e. The trills in the piano part are ma rked w ith

afterbea ts. The composer indicates that tr i lls with afterbeats are to

take the half-step below the main no te. Further, Derr states tha t all

trills are fast, start on the main note, and are half-step trills unless

otherwise indicated.


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15

g=g|

=»=*

?

but - ter - f ly ,

The

last.

t h e

Example 4. Ellwood Derr, "The Butterf ly," I Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m. 4. © 1977 Dorn Productions, international copy right

secured, all rights reserved.

The saxophone also has repeated trill figures in the first ten

measures of this m ovem ent. The tr i l ls are sho rt, and are followed by a

fluttering chromatic gesture: sixty-fourth notes in measure four, and

sixty -fourth -no te tr iplets in measures three and f ive. In the notes to

the performers, the composer states that these fragmented chromatic

scales are no t to be performed strictly in tim e. The first n ote of each

should be slightly long er than the rest. Furthe r, the first note should

be sounded at the indicated dynamic level, while the remaining notes

in the figure should trail off in a diminuendo. The saxophone pattern

is outlined in Example 5.


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A but - ter - (ly.

The last,

the

N.B. - Even though the firs t note of each group is only a grac e, it is nonetheless the bass note ol each son ority and

should be sligh tly emphasized.

Example 5. Ellwood Derr, "The Butterfly," I Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m m . 3-4. © 1977 Dorn Productions, international copyright

secured,

all rights reserved.

At measure six, the pattern for the saxophone changes and all

three parts crescendo t o forte in measure seven. The saxophone tr i l l

stops m om entarily and is replaced by a three-note grace note f igu re,

which functions as an expanded version of the repeated piano grace

notes. In measu re sev en, all parts have forte trill patterns on the

concert pitches of D

b

(saxophone), E

b

(piano), and F

#

(voice). The

other pitches, voiced in the bass of the piano, are C

#

and D, with a G

in the bass. A bright cluster colors the word "d azz lingly."

The voice continues over a thin texture of a single trill that

begins in the piano and is transferred to the saxophone one measure


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17

later. The soprano sings several wide leaps, including the inte rvals of

a major seventh and a minor tenth. As the text trails off and the voice

ends its phrase, the saxophone trill ends with a partial chromatic scale

constructed of ascending thirty-second note tr iplets, which comes to

rest on a qu arter note F. This qua rter note coincides w ith the fina l

note for the soprano, which is F*. The piano continues the ascending

scale as a segue into the next section, bringing back the piano figure

from measure three (see Example 4 abov e). This t im e, the saxophone

figure is differe nt. There are fou r descending partial chrom atic scales

followed by four ascending. In measures sixteen throu gh eigh teen ,

these f igures are combined . This device suggests the m otion of a

butterf ly as it f lies away. As the soprano utters the word "goo db ye ,"

the saxophone stops. The piano takes over the chrom atic m otion ,

diminuendo and accelerando, ascending in pitch, lightly fading away as

C

8

is approached. In this m easure, the child's thoug ht trails off as the

butterf ly f loats out of sight, never to return.

After a significant rest, the piano shifts registers and begins a

section in 7/8 . The t ime s ignature, however, may be observed f lexibly

because there are two breath marks that serve to punctuate each

sta tem en t, and also dis rup t any sense of me ter. This piano solo gains


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18

dramatic intensity with a sudden shift in register, the addit ion of new

m ateria l, and the chord struc ture. Measures twe nty throug h tw en ty-

three consist of octaves that envelope either a perfect fifth or a

trito ne . The treble and bass sound chords of differing ro ots , usually a

fifth ap art. In mo st cases, eithe r the treble line or the bass line

includes th e f i f th, while the other sounds the tr itone . On a few

occasions, both chords include the perfect

f i f th .

In such instance s, the

two chords are either a tr iton e or a minor second apart. In e ither

case,

grinding dissonance is achieved.

At the end of this brief but powerful piano solo, the saxophone

enters with its material from the opening two measures of the

mo vem ent. In this instance, the notation and musical direction is

differen t. The bottom notes are notated as grace notes, rather tha n

thirty-sec ond notes. If one applies the earlier direction concerning the

grace notes found in the piano, these grace notes should be weighted

in orde r to bring out the bass note of each harm ony . The dyna m ic

marking for the saxophone is fff sempre dim. with further markings of

p,

pp, and a slight crescendo to accompany the chromatic f lourish into

the fast tr i l l at measure twe nty -fou r. At the saxophone entrance in

measure tw en ty-th ree , the piano has jus t f inished its solo, coming to

rest on two separate open fifth sonorities, which have the bass notes


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19

of A-natural and

E-flat,

a tr itone ap art. The pianist holds the dampe r-

pedal down and continues to sound this f inal so nority as the

saxopho ne sounds its trills and flourishes . In Exam ple 6, the

saxophone trills are on the concert pitch of E

b

. The grace note of each

trill is A, creating the same tritone sonority as the one being sounded

in the piano, As the p ianist holds and the voice rests, the sax opho nist

is allowed great l iberty with this iteration of the opening motive.

Although rhythm ic freedom is im plied, the rests must be observed.

The rests serve to disrupt any sense of meter or regularity, and also

punctuate the emo tion. This supports the observation tha t this

chamber piece is not one of clear rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic

struc ture. Rather, every m om ent of this work ex ists for the sake of

the emotion of the text and its effect on the audience.


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lil. .ro

fit

wmpre dim.

p pp

Example 6.

Ellwood Derr, "The Butterfly,"

I Never Saw Another

Butterfly,

m. 23. © 1977 Dorn Productions, interna tional copy right

secured,

ali rights reserved.

The final section of this movement introduces spoken text, a

device that wil l return in the four th m ovem ent. This cannot be

correctly labeled as

Sprechgesang

because the notes do not indicate

pitch or any kind of pitch relationship.

Sprechgesang

is a device found

in contem porary opera. It is a hyb rid of speech and singing , and the

pitches indicated are approx imate . Here, Derr has indicated that this

section is to be spoken. He states furthe r that the notated rhythm s

are to be approximated, and strict adherence to the rhythms need not

be implem ented. The rhythm s are very close to the natural speech

patterns of spoken English.

Throughout the section of spoken text, the piano and the

saxophone return to material from earl ier in the movement, with small


28/75

varianc es. The grace note figure in the piano now encompass thre e

notes rather than two, offering a f i l led-in version of the earlier f igure.

The saxophone returns to its partial chromatic scales, but only

descending scales appear here.

At measure thirty-one, after the delivery of the t it le l ine of

poetry, "Only I never saw another butterf ly," the piano returns to the

texture of the piano solo at measure twenty-one, as seen in

Example 7.

q u a s i a t e m p o

q u a s i a t e m p o

tre corde sempre una corda

Example 7. Ellwood Derr, "The Butterf ly," I Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m. 31 . © 1977 Dorn Productions, international copyright


The piano continues at progressively softer dynamic and pitch levels

for the rest of the movement while the soprano completes the poem in

spoken tex t. The f inal chord reaches A i. Earlier in the mo vem ent, the


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22

piano reached C

8

, thus having sounded both the highest and the

lowest notes on the piano keyb oard. The use of great range on the

piano supports the existence of a great emotional range in the poetry:

the joy of keeping the company of a butterf ly, and the despair of never

seeing one again.

The Old Man

This poem offers a description of the daily observations made by

a child in the Terezm cam p. The child describes an old man w ith a

long beard and one tooth . He is trying to eat hard crum bs, and the

child is sad tha t the re is no soft roll or lentil soup for the m an . W ith

the exception of the final eight measures of the song and one measure

in the m iddle, the piano does not participate in this m ovem ent. It is

largely a duet between saxophon e and soprano. Due to the reduced

texture, this movement invokes a sense of solitude, concerning both

the old man and the child. In that m om ent, the child sees nothing but

the simple l ife of the old man, who concerns himself with the crumbs

he is trying to eat.

The saxophone line consists of a very simple repeated pattern of

qua rter notes in 3/4 t im e. As seen in Examples 8a and 8b, there are

two articulations used. The first, found in measures one through

twenty-four and measures forty-six to the end, allows the f irst beat to


30/75

be acc ented , with a secondary accent on the third beat. This

articulation yields a wa ltz. The alternate art iculation , found between

measures twenty-nine and forty-two, displaces the accent, creating a

strong beat on the second beat of the me asure. This articula tion

disturbs the waltz that was established in the previous section and

strengthens its return by refreshing the original articulation at

measure forty-six.

Soprano

mf

?

E

£

£

^

£

In

Te

re - zin

in the so cal led park

At t

sax

Laz i l y , res igned ly , w i th much ru ba to

mf

3E

*

*

-m -

¥

¥==^

Piano

.

m

L a z i l y , r e s i g n e d l y , w i t h mu ch ru b a t o

3E

Example 8a . Ellwood Derr, "The Old Man," I Never Sa w A nother

Butterfly, m m . 1-3. © 1977 Dorn Productions, international copyright

secured,



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24

cresc. ff

on - ly got one s in - g ic to o th . My

mf c resc . / /

Example 8b . Ellwood D err, "The Old Ma n," / Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m m . 30-3 2. © 1977 Dorn Productions, international

copyright secured, all r ights reserved.

The main theme, found in the soprano line in measures one

through six, returns in its entirety in the piano part in the last

measures of this movement, and is partially recalled in measures

twe nty through twenty- four. The melody contains a dotted rhyth m

against the straight quarter notes of the saxophone. Im m ed iately , the

wa ltz is set askew. As seen in Example 9, the sh ort fermata found in

measures five and six establishes a sense of rubato, which the initial

tempo marking indicates. There is no fermata in the vocal line, which

suggests that they exist in the saxophone part for the purpose of

elonga ting the tem po. Although these fermatas do not return, their


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25

existence at the beginning of the movement encourages the presence

of rubato throughout

q u e e r -

shor t

J C *

m

Example 9 . Ellwood Derr, "The Old Man," I Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m. 5. © 1977 Dorn Productions, intern ation al copy right


The greatest intensity in this song is found in measures twenty-

f ive through fo rty-f iv e. For the soprano, this section is the highest and

loudest In the son g. Further, the soprano encompasses a wide me lodic

range,

spanning from G5 to B

b

4

- This section recalls measures five and

six (see Example 9 above), only this t ime a sense of forward motion is

encouraged, rather than the hesitation from before.

After the vignette is presented and textual emotions peak, the

song comes to a close with a repetit ion of the opening theme by the

piano and the saxophone, with a ritard. e diminuendo, in the final four


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26

mea sures. The move me nt comes to a rest on a dissonance including

the concert pitches of

D

b

/C

and D. The use of such a dissonance

maintains the

tinta

of the work in this song, even though the texture

and mood are l ighter here than in the other songs.

Fear

The fourth movement is the most emotionally charged song of

this w ork. The main emotions are fear, despair, and

pain.

Most of this

mo vem ent involves spoken tex t for the soprano. It is the present

writer 's observation that the use of spoken text is reserved for

m om ents of specif ic, intense emo tion. In the second song, "The

Butterf ly," spoken text is used as the emotion shifts from one of hope

and peace to one of pain, sadness, and confusion.

As stated before, the notes for the soprano in the spoken

sections do not indicate pitch. While it is not necessary to adh ere

str ict ly to the indicated rhythms, they offer patterns that generally

ma tch speech patterns in the English language. In this son g, rhythm ic

perfection need not be the primary concern for the piano and the

saxophon e. This move me nt is the best example of Derr's use of

melodic and rhythmic devices to portray the poetry's emotion and to

describe the scene musically.


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27

This mo vem ent contains only sixteen measures. The quarter

note is slow throughout, marked larghetto to start, but the underlying

pulse provides a sense of propu lsion. There is mu ch interac tion

between the piano and the saxophone as the voice recites the text.

Trills and grace notes appear in abundance here, as they do in "The

Butterfly." Three previously unused musical devices appear in this

song to enhance the text: f lutter tongue in the saxophone lines,

glissando in all three lines, and Sprechgesang in the vocal line. All

three new devices are used in moments of great drama.

Flutter tonguing is used in measure three as the idea of death is

introduced for the f irst t ime, on the text "close in its grip, Death wields

an icy sc yth e." It is used again in measures eight and nine as the

poe try describes ways in which children die in the g he tto. The end of

the f lutter tonguing in measure nine occurs on the highest pitch

written for the saxophone in the entirety of the song cycle.

Simultaneously, the pianist plays at the bottom of the piano keyboard.

The extreme ranges used in these measures contr ibute to the

description of panic.

Glissandi are used in both the treble and the bass of the piano as

well as in the saxophone line beginning in measure five and continuing

throug h m easure six. Further, the soprano changes from speaking the


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28

text to employing Sprechgesang in these two measures.

Sprechgesang is similar to the spoken text in that the rhythms are to

be approxim ated. However, it differs in tha t the pitches indicted are

also to be app roxima ted. While expressing the text in Sprechgesang,

the voice joins the saxophone and piano parts by engaging in

glissandi. By combining the approxim ated high pitches of the

Sprechgesang with the glissandi, an effect of screaming or a tortured

sigh results. These two techniques thicken the tex ture and su pport

the drama of the words "wee p" and "w rith e. " Once again, the wo rd

"weep" receives special attention, just as it did in the f irst movement.

Derr has chosen to reiterate the word "weep" in both instances, even

tho ug h it does not appear tha t way in the original poetry. The

glissandi grow out of the previous two measures of alternating tr i l l and

rapid chro ma tic flourishes in the saxophone and piano. The piano

returns to this idea after the glissandi cease and the song moves into a

new sec tion.

The sixteenth notes leading into measure seven accelerate into

the new tempo. Derr has indicated a new tempo, but has not offered a

specific indication of beats per m inu te. It is the present w riter 's

interpretation that the new tempo should be slightly faster to intensify

the m om ent's emo tions. This section expresses the most gruesom e of


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29

imag es, the dea th of children. The bass sextuplets in the piano p art

em ulate a heartbea t. The piano part has a functional purpose as

well:

maintaining a steady beat and a sense of drive throughout this

section, providing cohesion for the ensemble.

The final section of this movement, measures ten through

sixteen, is marked Grandioso and contains extremes in dynamic

levels— ff (saxophone), fff (piano), and ffff (voice). The pianist reads

three staves and plays several cluster chords for which the composer

has directed the pianist to sound as many minor seconds as possible,

and to play with the palm s of both hands. The saxophone pa rt is

wr itten for near the top of the range for the ins trum ent. The voice is

given determined pitches to sing, but is to remain rhythmically

independent of the piano and the saxophone, and is directed to

produce the notes a piacere unti l the f inal m easure of the song. The

soprano sings two sustained Ce's over the course of four measures,

including the f inal note of the movement, which is marked "as loud as

possible." This section of the te xt tu rns from fear to desperation and

determination to l ive. Nowhere in this movement does the soprano

engage in lyric singing.


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30

The Garden

The last movement of I

Never Saw Another Butterfly

serves to

bring a sense of f inality to the journ ey . The poems chosen for this

song cycle were written by children who perished at Ausch witz. Their

jou rne y ended in dea th. This poem compares a growing boy to the

blossom ing roses of a gard en. When the roses come to full blo om ,

however, the boy wil l no longer be there.

The composer sets this text using similar musical devices as

those found in the second song, "The Bu tterf ly." In that po em , the

child remains , but the bu tterf ly never returns. In "The Garde n," it is

now the child who is gone, never to return.

There are many tr i l ls in the piano part of "The Butterf ly," but

there are none here. In "The Ga rden ," Derr has used

mordents

in the

piano part, which appear in great numb er. The saxophone part does

call for tr i l ls, but there are only three, and they are very short, unlike

the e xtensive tr i l ls in "The Bu tterf ly ." The f irst is on the first note for

the saxophone in measure one, and functions as part of the chromatic

. f lourish leading into measure tw o. The remaining two tr i l ls outl ine the

te xt "a swee t bo y," in measures eleven and twe lve. The use of tr i l ls is

most prevalent with those texts that involve observations of l i fe: both

the child and the butterf ly are alive in measures one through twenty-


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31

nine of "The B utterf ly ." The tr il l figure stops at the l ine "only I never

saw another bu tterf ly ." The chaotic tr i l l in measures four throug h six

in "Fear" also represent a form of life. In "The G ard en ," piano trills are

reduced to m ordents, suggesting the absence of l i fe, or imminent

death.

The extensive use of grace notes in the saxophone part recalls

the repeated patterns of the left hand in the piano part of "The

Bu tterf ly." Here, howeve r, they do not exist in a predictable pa ttern.

The piano and the saxophone play no louder than m f, with the

majority of the dynamic range lying between ppp and p.

The first section of the poem discusses an image of a rose

garden and a little boy walking along the path. The temp o marking is

andante larghetto suggesting a slow walking tem po . The melodic

motive in the saxophone at measure three represents the blossoming

of a rose. This melodic m aterial returns at measures fou rteen a nd

fifteen in the voice on the tex t "blossom comes to blo om ." As the

poetic ma teria shifts to discuss the fate of the little boy , the re is a

tempo change to a tempo piu largo following the pochissimmo

allargando at the end of the previous phrase. As the tran sition is

made from the image of the boy alive to the implication of his death,

the piano mordents disappear. The mordents return briefly, this t ime


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32

preceded by grace notes, as the melodic motive from measure three of

the saxophone line is recalled by the soprano in measure fourteen.

After this iteration of the motive, the mordents disappear for the

remainder of the movement.

Of all the songs in this wo rk, "The G arden" requires the mo st

consistently lyr ical singing. To contrast the dynam ic level of the

saxophone and the piano, Derr has written mf and f for the soprano

for mo st of this song . The final line of te xt calls for sempre

diminuendo; howeve r, the several sma ll diminuendi serve to highlight

syllabic stress or descending pitc h. This song should be sung dolce

and piangendo (weeping, mournfully). The composer wrote "suddenly

very warmly" on two occasions, when the texts reads "l it t le boy."

Further, as a f inal gesture of weeping, he wrote "choking" in measure

sixteen on the word "w i l l . " Here , the poet has anticipa ted the fate of

the ch ildren and has allowed that fate to be framed into words. It is

here,

on the f inal word, that perhaps the most signif icant musical

device for the soprano is used. After a tenuto on the pitch D

4

, the

soprano allows the voice to quickly trail off in dynamic and pitch,

suggesting the death of the child.

In th e f inal m easure of the song cycle, the saxophone and piano

join the soprano in recall ing the approximate pitch and dynamic levels


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33

of the entrances of each instrumen t in the f irst song. Furtherm ore,

although the final sounds are soft and dissonant, the open fifth

son ority of the first song returns here in the pian o. The pianist holds

the damper pedal down unti l the sound fades, allowing the emotion of

the piece to hang suspended over the audience for several seconds.


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A Performance Guide

Ellwood Derr was very successful in musically representing the

lives of children in the Terezin ghetto in the contemporary musical

idiom.

His score is de tailed , and his inte nt is clear. In the prese nt

writer 's opinion, the work takes its performers and their audiences to

em otional depths seldom reached in other song cycles. Furthe rmo re,

it poses challenges to the performers that require a high level of

techn ical ability and a wide artistic range. This chap ter is dedica ted to

the discussion of performance issues and suggestions.

The first song is the only song with an indicated key signature.

The key is three sharps, but neither A major nor F

#

minor is

established as the tonic. Ins tea d, the song unfolds over a pedal C

#

.

The C# pedal returns in the final measures of the song cycle, signaling

the end by recalling the beg inning . The soprano begins low in her

rang e, on C*4- The dynam ic is

pp,

as are many of the dynamic

m arkings for sections in this vocal range. This suggests tha t the

natural blend of head voice and chest voice found in most lyric

sopranos is sufficien t. The soprano need not have a low range he avily

influenced by chest voice in order to successfully perform this work.

The sensit ive and innocent nature of the poetry combined with the

wide range of pitches and dynamics throughout indicate that a


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35

dram atic voice may not be the most approp riate. The tessitura of the

song cycle lies in and beneath the passaggio, requir ing a voice that is

well supported and balanced.

The score does not indicate that the soprano should attempt a

literal imitation of the voice of the children who wrote the poems. To

do so would com promise the em otional effect of the piece. The

soprano should assume the responsibili ty of becoming a s ym pathetic

narrator, reflecting both the innocence and maturity of the poetry.

The soprano serves as a bridge between the audience and the children

and their words.

While it would be tempting to assign a specific role to the

soprano, piano, and alto saxophone, it ought no t be done. At any

given moment, each line musically represents any one of a variety of

characters and em otions, such as a butterf ly, a boy, or fear. For

instance, at the end of "Prologue: Terezin [Theresienstadt]," the

saxophone makes its f irst entrance as a continuation of the voice.

After the soprano ends on the word "weep," the saxophone enters with

molto vibrato, an effect th at ma y suggest we epin g. In the next: so ng,

"The Butterf ly," the saxophone figures suggest the motion of a

butte rf ly. Finally, in the last song , "The Garde n," the saxophone

shares two motives with the voice, as seen in Examples 10a and 10b.


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36

These shared motives suggest that at least for part of this song, the

saxophone represents a little boy.

Example 10a. Ell wood D err, "The G ard en ," I Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m. 3. © 1977 Dorn Produc tions, interna tional co pyrigh t



44/75

Ped.

com? prima

su d d e n l y ve r y wa rm ch o k i n g

legato

Example 10b . Eliwood Derr, "The Garden," I Never Saw Another



Concerning the piano, one can examine measure nineteen of

"The Butterf ly," where the ascending chromatic scale invokes the idea

of a butterf ly gracefully f luttering o ut of sight. In measures seven

through nine in "Fear," the piano represents the frantic beating of a

father's heart. In measures twe nty throug h twe nty -thre e in "The

Bu tterf ly ," the piano solo, in a suddenly darker color, could represent

human speech: a soul crying out in despair and anger.


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38

While Derr does not give explicit instructions concerning the

theatrical role of each participant in this piece, it is clear that each has

an independent but changing voice, and the main subtexts are

transfe rred from one performer to another. This f luidity of emotional

and musical material allows the core emotions of this work to remain

alive as the cycle progresses. It is the duty of the perform ers to

experience the music with a mature heart and understand the

message it was written to convey.

Due to the great emotional intensity of the piece and the diff icult

ensemble nature of the music, the performers must take great care in

preparing this work before performing it for an audience. The

following paragraphs outline suggestions for rehearsal and

perform anc e of this wo rk. Detailed discussion of technical challenges

will be limited to those posed for the soprano.

" P r o l o g u e : T e r e z in [ T h e r e s i e n s t a d t ] "

In "Prologue: Terezin [Theresienstadt]," the soprano sings in a

recitative style for the entirety of the song. The rhythmic execution in

recitative follows tha t of speech patterns. In rehearsing this song , it is

important to follow the written rhythms at f irst, so as to learn the

placement of the piano chords, and to understand the overall rhythmic

flow. The rhythms for the spoken sections in "The Butterf ly" and "Fear"


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39

follow the speech patterns of the English languag e. The same is true

for this song. Great rhythmic l iberty need not be taken in order to

achieve a sense of recitation.

It is important for the soprano to utter the very f irst word,

"Terezfn,"

in the spir it of the dramatic event that is to be explored

throu gho ut the song cycle: the suffering and death of children. As the

song begins low in the range for a soprano, some singers may have

limite d choices in term s of vocal color. In this case, the so prano

should observe the dynamic level, and use the delivery of the text to

express the em otion. One can elongate the [ t ] , [ ts ], or [n] for special

emp hasis. The present writer prefers a slight elongation and

energizing of all three consonants, which achieves a sense of "spitting

out" the word with hatred. On score two, as the energy builds and the

dynam ic level rises, the soprano should approach the C V s in a

speech-like m anner. In the l ines of tex t that follow, the pitch level

rises as the dynamics reach their high points.

In this higher register, the soprano will have less trouble in using

her vocal color as an expressive tool. Upon the first itera tion of the

word "fear," the soprano sings at the loudest dynamic level to be

called for in the en tire song cycle. High in the rang e, and on a closed

vowel, this note has a natural brightness and edge. It is the present


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40

writer 's opinion that beauty of tone should not be the goal, but rather,

intensity of em otion throug h text pa inting. In most voices, the [ i]

vowel on A6 requires a great deal of modification to make the color of

that note pleasing to the ear and vocally consistent with the range just

below. An appropriate art ist ic choice would be to m odify the vowel

slightly less, attempting to keep a purer [ i] , to create a scream-like

effect.

In the f inal l ine of poetry, the soprano reiterates the word

"w ee p" six t ime s. Derr has indicated that both the tempo and the

dynamic level will deflate as the pitch gradually descends back to the

origina l pitch lev el. Althou gh it is not ma rked as suc h, the pres ent

wr iter suggests tha t the soprano also gradually decrease the intensity

of the vibrato so that, by the last iteration of "weep," she is singing

senza vibrato. This approach brings a sense of hollowness to the t ex t.

When the saxophone enters using molto vibrato, the concept of

weeping is rearticula ted, and the saxophone entrance is a subtle

surprise to the audience.

In most instances, the piano part serves to punctuate the text;

however, it is important for the soprano to locate the punctuations.

Many t ime s, they occur while the soprano is sustaining a n ote, or

between w ords. Furthermo re, it is crucial tha t the soprano mark in


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41

her score the instances of matching art iculation . There are only a few

instances (on the words " lau gh ," "on ce," and "we ep ") , so the

performers may choose to conclude that those places are of

impo rtance. As there are no bar l ines (unti l the f inal syste m , when th e

saxophone enters), and thus, no established meter, the soprano and

the pianist must pay close attention to the text, subtext, and

articula tions in each part. As it is stated in th e "No tes to the

Performers" in the front of the score, it is not the intent of the

composer for the pianist to accompany the soprano. All three

performers must rehearse and perform together in a collaborative

effort.

" T h e B u t t e r f l y "

In "The Butterf ly," the saxophone maintains a f lourishing and

flexible nature through out. As a result, the piano is responsible for

establishing the tem po . The piano grace notes land on the beat. This

detail must not be overlooked because the bottom note of each grace

note is slightly stressed for the sake of emphasizing the bass note of

each sonority. The precision of this figure is im po rtan t so the

saxophone can properly place its flourishing figures, and so the

soprano may properly place each beat. W ithin this precision, howe ver,

f lexibil i ty must be achieved.


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42

The soprano enters at a considerably louder dynamic level than

the other two instrum ents. It seems unn atural, but, because of the

involved texture occurring in the saxophone and piano, it is necessary

for the soprano to begin at mf so the text may be heard and

und erstood . At measure seven , the soprano mu st tr i l l on F#

5

at a

dynamic level of forte. For man y lyric soprano voices, a literal trill

may not be possible, especially at this dynamic and pitch level.

Instead, the soprano should increase the intensity of the vibrato in

both amplitude and frequency to give the impression of a

t r i l l .

Derr

indicates that all trills should be fast.

A poco allargando occurs at the end of measure seven, and the

a tempo does not occur until measure eleve n. It is the presen t

writer 's recommendation that the performers observe the adjective

poco to accomm odate the sustained saxophone

t r i l l .

Since the

soprano can breathe between words, she may be tempted to elongate

the phrase to an uncomfortable length for the saxophonist. One

suggestion is that the soprano accentuate the allargando in measure

eight, breathe before "would" in measure nine, and proceed with the

rem ainder of the phrase with a sense of m otion . So doing , she may

observe the poco rit. at measure eleven without distress to the

saxoph onist. In measure twe lve, the soprano should lead the


50/75

"moving ahead slightly" by providing cnsper, shorter consonants.

Then, as she sustains "wa y," the saxophone and the piano can wo rk

together to bring the tempo gradually back so that the original tempo

is re-established at measure sixteen, as indicated in Example 11. The

soprano can help by slightly elongating [p] and [h] on "up h igh."

broadening s l ight ly

mf broadening s l ight ly

Ex am ple 1 1 . Ellwood Derr , "The Butter f ly," J Never Saw Another



a tempo

_ : z g r z r

Example 11 cont.


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44

At measures nineteen and twenty, the piano executes a molto

accelerando on an ascending chrom atic scale. The firs t beat of

measu re twenty is of interest. There is a rest on the dow nbea t, which

should be observed even though it sterns from an acceleration of

tem po . The pedal is down throug hou t the ascending passage, only to

be released as the final C's are soun ded. Because of the fas t tem po

and the e ffect of the sustained pedal, the rest will not be a mom ent of

silence . Rather, it serves to punc tuate the final note of the passag e.

The C's are followed by a rest with a fermata. The follow ing piano solo

m ust take on a different voice. The register shift and the d ynam ic

change serve to achieve this. While there is a meter change to 7/ 8, it

is the interpretation of the present writer that the meter is not of

stron ges t significance in this passage. Ins tea d, the pianist should

focus on each chord as an individu al even t. If the pianist observes the

breath marks, this piano solo can take on life and represent anguished

speech. By observing the tempo m arking of quasi a tempo primo, the

pian ist can establish a general sta rting speed for this section . As a

firm tempo is not indicated, the pianist is free to create an expressive

flow for this monologue . The direction of Iff molto marcato suggests

that the pianist should generate as much sound as is physically

possible.


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45

The saxophone enters at the fermata in measure twenty- three.

While one should allow the final chord in the piano solo to sound for a

brief m om ent, the saxop honist should enter as a sudden interjection

into the thou ght of the piano. By doing so, the saxophone entrance

surprises the audience, and intensifies the em otion . As seen in

Example 6, the saxophonist is instructed to play liberally, resulting in

an exaggerated version of the opening f igure in measure one.

Although the tempo is at the discretion of the art ist, the rests must be

observed. In addit ion , the relationships between the durations of

notes and rests should be no ted . While the saxophone m ay play

freely, the note and rest lengths must remain on a loose continuum of

longest to shortest.

The ensuing material in the piano and saxophone recalls the

beginning. The instrum entalists are responsible for the establishme nt

and the f lexibil i ty of the tem po . The soprano engages in spoken tex t.

Derr has labeled this as "spo ke n" rather than Sprechgesang, so the

soprano m ust deliver this section in her natura l speaking voice . Due

to the dynamic level of the saxophone and piano, a comfortable mf\s -

suff icient for this spoken section. At measure th irty , the tex ture

becomes very th in , and the piano recalls its patterns from the first


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46

song, with its sustained chords tha t punctuate the tex t. Here, the

soprano can lower the dynamic level in order to accomplish the

a piacere direction at measures thir ty and thi rty- tw o. At measure

thirty-four, the pianist is playing very low in the range at pp. The f inal

words of this so ng, "in the gh etto ," can be a near whisper, depending

on the size of the performance hall. To avoid t ir ing the voice, the

soprano should support her speaking voice with similar attention to

breath as she would were she singing. In add it ion, she may wish to

slightly raise the pitch of her speaking voice in order to be heard with

greater ease. In any case, the soprano must give great energy to the

text, especially the consonants, so that, in the event that her volume

is less tha n desirable, the audience will still understand the wo rds. In

a large performing hail, it may be necessary for the soprano to step

forward at t imes when spoken tex t is called for in order to be hea rd.

In some acoustical spaces, moving slightly in front of a proscenium

greatly improves the odds of a singer being heard above th e other

instruments.

T h e Old Ma n

The central so ng, "The Old M an," has a different character than

the songs surrounding it. As a result, special t iming may be observed

in order to allow the performers and the audience a moment to


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47

re-organize em otionally. At the end of "The Bu tterf ly," the song

cycle's t it le l ine has been spoken; the audience may need a moment

for the emo tion to se ttle. Derr included a

fermata

over the bar line at

the end of "The Butterf ly."

The text for "The Old Man" provides an image of an isolated

obse rvation in the ghe tto. Wh ile the mood is cons iderably less intense

in this central song, there remains an overall sense of sadness.

Ultimately, the poet expresses sadness concerning the condition of the

old ma n. A new instrum entation is used in this song. Here, the piano

has minimal involvement, only playing musical material that echoes

tha t of the voice (r igh t hand) or the saxophone ( left han d). Largely,

this song is a duet between the saxophone and the soprano.

There are many challenging melodies the soprano must learn in

this song cycle, but the m elody in "The Old Man " is the m ost diff icult.

In gen eral, the saxophone and the soprano are melodically

independent of one another. Often, they a rr ive on pitches tha t are a

ma jor or minor second apart. Aside from these challenges, some of

the melodic lines for the soprano involve difficult intervals, such as

descending tritones for which a harmonic context is absent, as seen in

Example 12.


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48

mf = —

Hard crusts h« cru m - bics ir his gums. He ;.

Example 12. El lwood Derr , "The Old Man," I Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m m . 25 -29. © 1977 Dorn Productions, international


This piece requires rubato thro ugh out. It is helpful if the

saxophonist and the soprano learn the piece in a str ict rhythm first,

but after becoming more comfortable, they wil l become flexible and

som ewh at independent of one another. Since the saxophone has

straight quarter notes throughout, the soprano may slightly accentuate

her various rhythms, such as the dotted f igure at the beginning, or the

half notes in measures thirteen throu gh twe nty . All the while, the

performers should aim to arr ive at downbeats together.

In measures forty-four and forty-f ive, Derr has indicated that the

soprano must sing a sustained B

b

4

in chest voice. Since the p receding

measures involve a descending melody, the B

b

should occur naturally

for the soprano. Due to the vowel [ i] , she may have some troub le


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49

transit ioning into her chest voice. This particular vowel is naturally a

mixed vowel, meaning that it involves a mix of head and chest

registers to create it in its purest possible fo rm . If the soprano has

trouble with this note, the present writer recommends that she take

adva ntage of the preceding [ae] vo we l. This vow el is a chest dom inan t

vowel,

m aking it an easier point of trans it ion. Ano ther suggestion is to

open the [ i] in "beard" slightly toward [e] in order to allow the vocal

regis tration to include more chest voice . Due to De rr's specific

direction for chest voice on this pitch and vowel, it is likely that he

intended for the rough and slightly unstable sound that a soprano

might create at this pitch level.

There is no

fermata

on the bar line at the e nd of "The O ld M an ,"

which may suggest that Derr had a different transit ion in mind

between the third and fourth so ng. "Fear" begins with a loud

argument between the piano and the saxophone, creating a very

intense atmo sphere. A faster transit ion into this song helps provide

the shock and heightened sense of attention required for this poem.

Timing between songs must follow the emotional energy of the poetry.

Pauses between songs in this work will be longer than the pauses in

other song cycles.


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50

Fear

"Fear" is the m ost challenging song in terms of ensem ble. Upon

first glance, the rhythms look extrem ely complex. Although rhythm ic

steadiness and accuracy are not the primary goals of this piece, it is

helpful if the performers learn this song together, practicing it under

tem po and in rhyth m , By doing this, the musicians learn how the

three p arts are interrelated. The present writer suggests tha t the

soprano keep time aloud as the pianist and the saxophonist f it their

parts together. Then , the singer can add the spoken tex t over the

fused piano and saxophone parts. Derr indicates th at the soprano

should recite the tex t in approxim ate rhy thm . The rhythm s mirror the

natural pace and cadence of spoken English. Throughout the learning

process, however, it is helpful to the collaborators if the soprano starts

by recit ing in rhythm.

As in "The Butterf ly," the soprano must accomplish the task of

speaking the words in such a manner that allows the text to be

understood by the audience. In "Fear," it is a much bigger task in tha t

the dynamic levels are higher and the texture is thicker, as indicated in

Example 13.


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51

Example 13 . Ellwood Derr, "Fear," I Never Saw Another Butterfly, m .

4. © 1977 Dorn Productions, international copy right secured , all

rights reserved.

Depending on the acoustical space, the performers may consider a

stage arrangement that allows the soprano to move forward.

Alternatively, the pianist and the saxophonist may lower their dynamic

levels slightly; however, the dynamic levels cannot be lowered too

muc h or the em otional effect will be com prom ised. As there is still

sensitive singing to be done, the soprano cannot afford to expend all

of her rem aining vocal resources on this song. The atmosp here in this

song emulates the panic of a crowd. Therefore, the ambient n o is e -

such as other voices, vehicles, machinery, et cetera—serve to drown

out the speaker. A certain am ount of acoustic struggle between the


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52

three performers may be approp riate. Whichever approach the

performers choose to take, the drama of the text must not be lost.

In measures five and six, the soprano engages in Sprechgesang

on the words "weep and wr ithe ." She is to approx imate pitches high in

her range. If the performe r wishes to recall the treatm en t of the w ord

"weep"

from "Prologue: Terezin [Theresienstadt]," she might choose to

sing the first pitch of each iteration senza vibrato. Based on the

giissando marking following each note, which can be seen in

Example 14, the writer suggests tha t the soprano add vibrato as she

descends from each pitch in order to match the color being created

simultaneously by the piano and the saxophone.

Example 14 . Ellwoocl Derr, "Fear," I N ever Saw Another Butterfly, m .

5. © 1977 Dorn Productions, interna tional cop yrigh t secu red, all

rights reserved.


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53

In the fifth beat of measure six, an

accelerando

occurs,

establishing a new tem po at m easure seven. It is helpful if the

soprano can speak the sixteenth notes on "a father's" at the same

speed as the sextuplet sixteenth notes in the new tem po . In doing so,

the soprano establishes the new tempo, rather than attempting to

discern a tem po from th e piano part. This new section is difficult to

coordinate due to the very low register of the piano and the result ing

difficu lty in hearing a strong b eat pa ttern . It may be necessary for the

pianist to accent the first note of each group to keep the pace steady.

The piano line is marked

secco,

however, meaning that it cannot

become too ove r-stated , or the effect wil l be ruined . The voice is

ma rked to speak "brea thless ly." Here, "breath lessly" l ikely indicates a

sense of urgency and desperation, rather than breathiness of tone. As

stated above, because of the texture and energy of this song, anything

less than a fully supported speaking voice will not suffice.

In the f inal section,

Grandioso,

the soprano sings determined

pitches for the first tim e in this so ng. Up until this po int, she has been

speaking the text; however, now she must remain rhythmically

independent of the instru m ents. This section contains the most

em otiona lly intense m ateria l in this song. The soprano sings in a

wail ing fashion as the instruments create vast sound—the pianist is


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54

instructed to play with the palms of both hands. In the f inal measure

of this song, the soprano re-establishes a tempo with her sixteenth

note on "w e. " The saxophone joins her for the f inal three n otes. The

piano enters in tim e, and the cut off occurs in tim e. Here, there is no

fermata, and despite the tendency to do so, the performers should not

add one . The soprano is instructe d to sing C

6

"as loud as possible."

Beauty of tone is not the primary goal at this moment.

" T h e G a r d e n

"The G arde n" is the final song of the cyc le. This song expresses

the most tender and heartbreaking of the emotions experienced so far:

the realization that a little boy will not live to see his life bloom like

tha t of a f lower. After the intense energy experienced during "Fe ar,"

the performers should take t ime preparing to begin this f inal song.

During the pauses between songs, however, the performers must

remain in character as much as possible so as not to disturb the

energy tha t is suspended in the audience. Arran gem ent of pages is

inevitab le, especially for th e sax ophon ist, and should be executed in a

calm ma nner, in the mood of the wo rk. Derr did not supply a

saxophon e score for this wo rk. It is not a practical approach for a

piece such as this tha t requires a ve ry keen sense of ensem ble. It is

crucial for each of the performers to have access to the music for all of


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55

the parts. This fur the r supp orts Derr's wishes th at this song cycle be

presented as a chamber wo rk. The performers mu st work together as

a musically expressive unit to effectively present this work.

Througho ut this song , the soprano should sing lyr ically and as

expres sively as possible. Derr has given such m arkin gs as dolce and

piangendo th roug hou t. As in "The B utte rf ly / ' the voice generally sings

at a louder dynamic than that of the instruments, possibly to highlight

the p oetry. While the piano maintains a steady rhythm of quarter

notes, the saxophone and soprano rhythmically converse with one

anothe r. As stated above, there are two m otives that are shared. At

the saxophone echo in measure eight, it is appropriate for the

saxophonist to bring out the motive associated with the text "a l i t t le

bo y." When the echo happens again at measure sixtee n, the

saxophone plays p, as if the boy is walking in the distance, nearly out

of sigh t. Sim ultaneo usly, the soprano is to observe Derr's ma rking of

"choking"

on the word

"w i l l . "

One interpretation is tha t this direction

refers to choking on emo tion as the soprano comes to the end of the

poem. An alternate interpretation is that the choking refers to the

child's last gasp for air in the gas cham ber. The soprano m igh t

achieve the choking effect by taking a small gasp after the tied D

5

.

The gasp must come across as a dramatic breath rather than a


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56

func tiona l one. Finally, on the last w ord , Derr has indicated a diagona l

line leading to a stem w ith no note head. At this point, the boy has

tak en his last breath in life. For gre at emo tional effect, the soprano

should sing her note senza vibrato, and quickly diminish in sound as

she falls off in pitc h, until she is no longer pho nating or brea thin g. In

the f inal measure, the piano recalls musical material from the f irst

song with the C# pedal. The saxophon e recalls its grace note m otiv e

from the opening measures of "The Bu tterf ly." The original statemen ts

of these motives and their reappearance in the final measure of the

song cycle are found in Examples 15a, 15b, and 15c.

ipf

p o c o a l l a rg .

p mo l to d im.

p o c o a l l a r g .

~? frrf "*f :—"P > r f J - .

:orda

pp s e rnp re d i m i n ue n d o

^M

~ s

Ped.

*

Al lo w s o u n d to

fa c ie b e f o re r e

l e a s i n g p e d a l .

Example l i 5 a . Ellwood Derr, "The Garde n," I Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m . 18. © 1977 Dorn Productions, interna tional copy right

secured,



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57

L a r g o

A l t o

sax

Example 15b . Ellwood Derr, "Prologue: Terezin [Theresiendstadt]," I

Never S aw Another Butterfly, score 1 1 . © 1977 Dorn Productions,

international copyright secured, all rights reserved.

l ibero

fff wmpre dim

tr tr.

PP

Example 15c. Ellwood Derr, "The Butterfly," I Never Saw Another

Butterfly, m. 23. © 1977 Dorn Productions, intern ation al cop yright

secured,


Derr has marked that the pianist should let the sound disappear

before releasing the peda l. In th e present write r's perform ance history


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58

of this wo rk, the audience never applauds at the con clusion. Derr has

done such precise work in communicating the drama and emotion of

these poems that the audience is too moved to react immediately

following the conclusion of "The Garde n." Due to this fact, one m ust

take great care in programm ing this work. In a standard recital

program, the best place for this work may be at the end of the first

half, before interm ission. Depending on the tone of the recital, and

the impression with which the performers wish to leave their audience,

it may not be appropriate to use it as program closer because,

although it leaves the audience thinking, it may leave the audience

feeling too emo tionally unco mfortable. After experiencing this wo rk,

the audience needs an emotional break before moving on to

som ething else. Thu s, placing it ju st before intermis sion is a wise

sugge stion. Further, one must take a long pause before beginning the

wo rk. Usua lly, such a pause is necessary anyway to rea rrange th e

stage for a chamber wo rk. After entering the stage and

acknowledging applause, the performers should take a long breath

before beginning. This work must stand alone.

A second point to consider is that of exiting the stage after the

conclusion of "The Garden." In the present writer 's opinion, the most

effective and appropriate way in which to conclude the performance of


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59

this work is to gradually dim the stage l ights as the pianist sustains

th e final cho rd. W ith a gradua l dim , the Sights approach black in

reasonable t iming w ith the fading of the sound from the last cho rd. At

tha t po int, the performers quietly exit the stage in the dark. After

their exit, the l ights are brought back up abruptly in order to evoke

applause from the a udience. As the audience begins to applaud , the

performe rs enter the stage in order to bow. If the l igh ting effects are

not an op tion , there is an alternative solution. The performers mu st

stay focused and still until the sound from the piano fade s. When it

does, the singer can lead the performers in abruptly breaking the

mood,

which wil l then cue the applause. Whichever option is executed,

it is of utmost importance that the performers remain patient and

focused throughout this process, remembering that applause is not the

primary goal of the performance.


67/75

Conclusions

A song cycle may be defined as a group of songs by one

composer functioning as a cohesive unit. Part of what makes a song

cycle cohesive is the po etry. O ften, thou gh n ot alwa ys, the po etry is

from the sam e source. The songs are arranged in such a way to

express a the m e. Frequ ently, musical ideas from earlier points in the

cycle reappear in various form s. Indiv idua l songs from song cycles

can be excerpted for study or performance; however, it is best if they

are performed as a unit to fully convey the exact intent of the

composer and poet, and so the audience can appreciate the use of

cyclical musical devices.

J Never S aw Another Butterfly f i ts the definit ion of a song cycle.

First, the composer identifies it as such in the work's full title:

n

I Never Saw Another Butterfly Song Cycle for Soprano voice,

Alto Saxoph one, and Piano. On the poems by children wh o were

incarcerated in the Nazi ghetto for Jews in Terezin,

Czechoslovakia (1942-1944) and who died in Auschwitz before

the end of October 1944."

According to the composer's notes in the front of the score, this work

is to be considered a cham ber piece for three in stru m en ts. Also, he

expressly states that under no circumstance should any of these songs

be performed out of context, nor should any of the songs be omitted

from a performance of the work.


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61

Another way in which this work fits the definition of a song cycle

is the p oetry. Although the tex t was not taken from the p oetry of a

single person, the source of the poetry is very specific; the poems

were written by children who lived at Terezin and who died at

Ausc hwitz. Further, the poetry makes a drama tic jou rne y. First, the

concentration camp is introduced, and then observations are made,

beginning with general observations and ending with more specific

em otions. The third song is a small vignette of l ife in the gh etto. The

fou rth song is the fulcrum of the cycle. The recognition of one's fate

and the fear associated with this recognition is the main focus in this

song.

The final song is one of hea rtbreaking acceptance . A you ng boy

is dead, never to be seen again in the garden.

The dramatic journey, the recurring use of musical motives as

discussed in this paper and the cohesive nature of the poetry, fully

define this work as a song cycle. Derr's treatm ent of the tex t is

theatr ical, and the varying styles and emotions of the songs support

the idea that this group of songs was intended to function as a whole.

The preparation and performance of this work is unlike that of any

oth er. First, it is not often tha t a soprano is afforded the o pp ortu nity

to perform w ith a saxophonist in the art song idiom. The similarity in

timbre to the human voice of an alto saxophone creates an interactive


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62

dialogue throu gho ut. The saxophone and the piano provide second

and third vehicles—voices—by which the poetry may be expressed.

Derr 's concept was to create a chamber work for three equal partners,

not a song cycle for soprano with instrum ental backgrou nd. The piano

solo in 'The Butterf ly," the duet between the saxophone and piano in

the

Grandioso

section of "Fear," and the shared motives between the

saxophone and the soprano in "The Garde n" (Example 15) are three of

many instances in which the instruments maintain equality with the

soprano with regards to the expression of the text.

I Neve r Saw Another Butterfly

is one man's musical expression of

poe try by children of the Holocaust. His choice of poe try gene rates a

descriptive and emotional journey, from the hatred for the ghetto in

"Prologue: Terezfn [Theresienstadt]," to the panic of the crowd in

"Fe ar," and the death of a boy in "The G ard en ." His use of musical

devices, such as spoken tex t, dynam ics and ranges of the instrum ents

and the vo ice, aide in creating the drama needed to effectively

il lustrate the em otion associated w ith the poems and their historical

con text. Because the audience must absorb so many mu sical, poetic

and dramatic stimuli, i t is important that the performers take their

t ime with the transit ions between songs.


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It is the duty of the performers to communicate the drama of this

wo rk. This duty is mo st effectively upheld if the perform ers ope rate on

a high level of technical abil i ty, musical sensit ivity, and emotional

capacity. When approaching this work for the f irst t im e, p erformers

are faced with challenges. Among the challenges are the tem po

ma rkings and the inaccessibility of the melodic ma teria l. Wh ile Derr is

very detailed with his tempo markings as a way of describing the

overall sense of motion, he does not offer the number of beats per

m inute as a specific guide when a tempo is init iated. Also, the

performers may struggle with identifying melodies, and it may take

several hearings for one to understand the melodic and harmonic

language of each son g. Due to such challenges, th e perform ers are

required to spend a great deal of effort: and concentration on the

overall flow and intended effect of the piece in order to obtain a full

grasp . Furthe r, such challenges encourage the perform ers and the

audience to focus on the communication and emotion of the texts.

The challenges to the performers and the efforts to overcome them

ensure a connected performance during which audiences are given a

memorable opportunity to experience the impact of the poetry.

One question to ponder is why did Derr choose to use a mature

vehicle with which to express the children's poetry? Neither the


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ciinical nature of the music nor the vocal tone with which the soprano

delivers the tex t evokes chil

análise das canções ellwood derr

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