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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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UMI Number: 3304882
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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,
international copyright secured, all r ights reserved.
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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,
international copyright secured, all r ights reserved.
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
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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
secured, all rights reserved.
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
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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,
all rights reserved.
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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
secured, all rights reserved.
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
secured, all rights reserved.
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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
Butterfly, m m . 13-1 6. © 1977 Dorn Productions, international
copyright secured, all r ights reserved.
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
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"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
Butterfly, m m . 14-1 6. © 1977 Dorn Productions, international
copyright secured, all r ights reserved.
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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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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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
copyright secured, all r ights reserved.
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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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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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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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,
all rights reserved.
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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,
all rights reserved.
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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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.
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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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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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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
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