The Technical and Interpretative Challenges in the Marimba Works of Peter Klatzow: A Performer's Analysis

Date
2015-12
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Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Peter Klatzow (1945-) is one of the few renowned South African composers to have gained international recognition for his works. This is primarily due to his marimba pieces that are constantly prescribed for international competitions and that have formed a part of the standard repertoire for advanced and ambitious marimbists. One of the principal motivations for why these works are regularly sought-after by panel and performer alike is due to the technical demands and challenges that they possess. These technical issues are predominantly based on the performer‟s physical restrictions, their lack of tactile proximity with the instrument, and the marimba‟s resonant limitations. Not only are Klatzow‟s works technically very demanding, but also quite often challenging to interpret. These interpretational issues, however, generally result from the use of ambiguous notation. This study therefore aims to enlighten marimbists with a thorough analysis of, and possible solutions to, the technical and interpretational challenges that frequently manifest themselves in Klatzow‟s marimba works. The study can also be used by composers as a guide and reference to the possibilities and limitations of the marimba. This study is of an empirical nature, applying musical analysis within the field of performance practice. The procedures of analysis include the processes of identification, classification, practical experimentation, comparison and evaluation of each technical challenge. This was done through the practical examination of Klatzow‟s most well-known and performed works, including: Figures in a Landscape (1984), Concerto for Marimba (1985), Dances of Earth and Fire (1987), Inyanga (1996), Song for Stephanie (1999), Six Concert Etudes for Marimba (2010), Variations on the Theme of Paganini (2010), Lightscapes (2012), and his Concerto for Two Marimbas (2013). Together with the performance analysis, this study also includes a brief biography of Klatzow, an examination and discussion of the notational discrepancies identified in Lightscapes, and technical exercises that were remodelled and created in light of the issues identified in Klatzow‟s works.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Peter Klatzow (1945-), beroemde Suid-Afrikaanse komponis, is een van min wat internasionale erkenning vir sy werk ontvang het. Dit is hoofsaaklik danksy die feit dat sy marimbastukke voortdurend vir internasionale kompetisies voorgeskryf word en deel vorm van die standaardrepertoire vir gevorderde en ambisieuse marimba-spelers. Een van die vernaamste redes waarom hierdie werke gereeld in aanvraag deur panele en kunstenaars is, is die tegniese eise en uitdagings wat dit stel. Hierdie kwessies is oorwegend gegrond op die kunstenaar se fisiese beperkings, die gebrek aan taktiele nabyheid aan die instrument, en die marimba se resonansiebeperkings. Klatzow se werke is nie net tegnies baie veeleisend nie, maar dikwels ook moeilik om te interpreteer. Hierdie interpretasiekwessies spruit egter in die algemeen uit die gebruik van dubbelsinnige notasie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om insig aan marimba-spelers te bied deur ʼn deeglike ontleding van, en moontlike oplossings vir, die tegniese en interpretasie-uitdagings te bied wat gereeld in Klatzow se marimbawerke na vore kom. Dit kan ook deur komponiste gebruik word as ʼn gids en verwysing na die moontlikhede en beperkings van die marimba. Die diskoers van hierdie studie is van ʼn empiriese aard, waarin musiekontleding op die gebied van uitvoerpraktyk toegepas is. Die ontledingsprosedures het die prosesse van identifikasie, klassifikasie, praktiese eksperimentering, vergelyking en evaluering van elke tegniese uitdaging ingesluit. Dit is gedoen deur ʼn praktiese ondersoek van Klatzow se bekendste en mees uitgevoerde werke, wat insluit: Figures in a Landscape (1984), Concerto for Marimba (1985), Dances of Earth and Fire (1987), Inyanga (1996), Song for Stephanie (1999), Six Concert Etudes for Marimba (2010), Variations on the Theme of Paganini (2010), Lightscapes (2012) en sy Concerto for Two Marimbas (2013). Benewens die uitvoerontleding sluit hierdie studie ook ʼn kort biografie en agtergrond van Klatzow in, ʼn ondersoek na en bespreking van die notasie-teenstrydighede wat in Lightscapes geïdentifiseer is, en tegniese oefeninge wat verwerk en geskep is op grond van die kwessies wat in Klatzow se werke geïdentifiseer is.
Description
Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
Keywords
Peter Klatzow, UCTD
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