Collective Difference: The Pan-American Association of Composers

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Example 1.2a. The “2-side” of a son clave in 4/4 Example 1.2b. The “3-side” of a son clave in 4/4 A crossed clave pervades Russell’s “Rhumba.” Instruments do not align on crucial accents, creating a sense of rhythmic imbalance. This instability is especially pronounced in the opening measures shown in Example 1.3. The marimbula opens the work with a two-measure pattern. Maracas enter with their own two-measure pattern in m. 3. The clave enters at m. 4 creating a crossed clave since it sounds one measure out of sync with the marimbula and maracas. Even more curiously, the bongo enters at m. 5 so that it should align with the two-measure patterns of the marimbula and maracas, but instead it opens with one measure of roll before beginning its two-measure gesture. By m. 8 in the figure below it has aligned with the crossed clave. The pattern of the güiro, which enters in measure 31 and exhibits a cinquillo rhythm, similarly crosses the 3-2 clave. Example 1.3. William Russell, Percussion Studies in Cuban Rhythms No. 2, “Rhumba,” mm. 1-10. No. 3, entitled “Tiempo de son” (Tempo of a son), is the most complex of the three pieces but is also replete with distracting cruzao sections. It is possible that Russell was intentionally experimenting with these crossed rhythms; his application of Cowell’s theories on rhythm is discussed later in the chapter. If Russell’s Percussion Studies in Cuban Rhythms does not adhere to the rhythmic guidelines of Afro-Cuban composition, it at least represents, along with his ballet Ogou Badagri and John J. Becker’s Abongo, the enthusiasm for Afro-Caribbean rhythms and 26
instruments that contributed to the development of the percussion ensemble. Perhaps if Russell had been able to consult Amadeo Roldán’s percussion Rítmicas (1930) he would have had a better model for the use of Afro-Cuban musical elements. Unfortunately, these pieces (the final two in a series of six Rítmicas) were not performed publicly until 1939. Roldán (1900-1939) contributed an essay to Henry Cowell’s book American Composers on American Music (1933) that demonstrated his willingness to take part in the Pan-American modernist enterprise: “My aim is first of all to attain a production thoroughly American . . . an art that we can call ours, continental, worthy of being universally accepted not on account of its exotic qualities . . . [but] for its meaning as a contribution of the New World to the universal art.” While recognizing the importance of transforming folklore into a modernist expression, Roldán also likened the use of U.S. jazz in concert music to Afro-Cuban music when he wrote, “the sound of a banjo must not always bring jazz to our mind, nor should the rhythm of our güiro always recall a rumba.” 26 Roldán’s contributions to Cuban musical modernism have been well documented. 27 His participation in the Pan-American enterprise, however, has been less recognized. As director of the West Indies section of the PAAC, Roldán planned his own concerts of Pan-American music in Havana. His activities on behalf of the organization are discussed in Chapter 2. Critics and scholars have noted that the last two Rítmicas are studies on the Cuban son and rumba, respectively, and, indeed, Roldán scored the last two of his six Rítmicas for an ensemble entirely of Afro-Cuban percussion: four sets of claves, cowbell, maracas, quijada, güiro, bongos, timbales, bombo, and marimbula (usually performed today with a double bass pizzicato). Both pieces demonstrate Roldán’s mastery of the rhythms of popular Afro-Cuban music and his willingness to fragment and reconstruct them. The result was a national Cuban music that resonated far beyond the island republic. 26 Amadeo Roldán, “The Artistic Position of the American Composer,” in American Composers on American Music: A Symposium, ed. Henry Cowell (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1933; reprint New York: Frederick Ungar, 1962). 27 See Zoila Gomez, Amadeo Roldán (Havana: Editorial arte y literatura, 1977) and Maria Antonieta Henríquez and José Piñero Díaz, Amadeo Roldán: Testimonios (Havana: Letras Cubanas, 2001). 27
Page 1 and 2: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF
Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to exp
Page 5 and 6: TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .
Page 7 and 8: LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE I.1. Pan-Ame
Page 9 and 10: LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES EXAMPLE 1.
Page 11 and 12: EXAMPLE 4.5. Amadeo Roldán, “Sig
Page 13 and 14: INTRODUCTION Friendly cultural and
Page 15 and 16: of America, and [to] stimulate comp
Page 17 and 18: United States, because of its wonde
Page 19 and 20: Figure I.1. Pan-American Exposition
Page 21 and 22: the New Music Quarterly Recordings
Page 23 and 24: CHAPTER 1 1930s PAN-AMERICAN PERCUS
Page 25 and 26: publication composed for percussion
Page 27 and 28: of scientific and technological adv
Page 29 and 30: In his Tecumseh, or the Battle of t
Page 31 and 32: percussion ensemble, eight pianos a
Page 33 and 34: in those popular dance genres. The
Page 35 and 36: concertmaster of the New York Philh
Page 37: Example 1.1. William Russell, Percu
Page 41 and 42: Example 1.4. Amadeo Roldán, Rítmi
Page 43 and 44: Rítmica No. 5 separates rhythmic e
Page 45 and 46: Paris, “there is nothing more con
Page 47 and 48: of decadence and collapse.” 44 Ne
Page 49 and 50: Example 1.7. Ionisation, mm. 9-12 S
Page 51 and 52: Example 1.8b. Edgard Varèse, Ionis
Page 53 and 54: Example 1.9b. Amadeo Roldán, Rítm
Page 55 and 56: coquettes neither with academies no
Page 57 and 58: Rhythms and general direction of pi
Page 59 and 60: No. 1 conducted by Fritz Reiner wit
Page 61 and 62: against-three cross-rhythm (Example
Page 63 and 64: knowledge of it. Certainly, the sam
Page 65 and 66: with both Roldán and Caturla in th
Page 67: fortissimo 83 and are immediately f
Page 70 and 71: wrote in 1932, “I am convinced th
Page 72 and 73: subject of his early percussion wor
Page 74 and 75: societies, the PAAC presented at le
Page 76 and 77: their own PAAC concerts in Havana a
Page 78 and 79: in Berlin was unsuccessful in Cowel
Page 80 and 81: This music congress never took plac
Page 82 and 83: most likely in the hope that he wou
Page 84 and 85: from Fabini - and Cotapos did not e
Page 86 and 87: sponsored by the League of Composer
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neither Cuban nor American, nor eve
Page 90 and 91:
Figure 2.1. Concert program, Carneg
Page 92 and 93:
Figure 2.3. Concert program, Slonim
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and somewhat soporific.” 39 With
Page 96 and 97:
Figure 2.4. Concert program, New Sc
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composers of the Pan American, amon
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voz, who stated unequivocally of Ge
Page 102 and 103:
Caturla’s insightful description
Page 104 and 105:
modern American music to these citi
Page 106 and 107:
organizer and financier, and Slonim
Page 108 and 109:
Paris, June 6 and 11, 1931 Paris in
Page 110 and 111:
Example 3.1. Adolph Weiss, American
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elated to Cowell, “the final gong
Page 114 and 115:
however, attributed to the work a m
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of American popular culture in the
Page 118 and 119:
Example 3.4. Wallingford Riegger, T
Page 120 and 121:
musicians seem to turn their invent
Page 122 and 123:
July,” with its quotations from t
Page 124 and 125:
as a medium. Slonimsky described To
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a generation of older composers inc
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the twelve-tone system. Roldán’s
Page 130 and 131:
sponsored many concerts of new Fren
Page 132 and 133:
Figure 3.2. Concert program. Madrid
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in collaboration with Cowell’s Ne
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which I gave the names of Ives, Rug
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Figure 3.5. Concert program. Budape
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talent.” 81 In January 1933 Varè
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The evening consisted of Ruggles’
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on four Latin American PAAC members
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having been governed by Spain (1764
Page 148 and 149:
God’s America, Spanish America.
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Blues and Son: Pan-American Literar
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example is “I, Too, Sing America,
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cultural expressions that defined a
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the repeated lines “tú no sabe i
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Example 4.2. Alejandro García Catu
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Example 4.3. Amadeo Roldán, “Neg
Page 162 and 163:
Example 4.6. Amadeo Roldán, “Sig
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in Havana. Mexican composers Cháve
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Revueltas . . . asked me if I had o
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Example 4.11. Silvestre Revueltas,
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applying Marxist social theory to t
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present in the preceding stanza, le
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Figure 4.1. Carlos Chávez, “Nort
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A slave—under the whip, Beaten an
Page 178 and 179:
may be mistaken for Blacks). Each s
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however, the logo was changed to re
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as well as other musical heritages.
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Henry Brant, Two Sarabandes Adolph
Page 186 and 187:
Charles Weidman assisted by José L
Page 188 and 189:
JUNE 6, 1932 Hause des Rundfunks, B
Page 190 and 191:
Claude Debussy, La fille aux cheveu
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Alejandro García Caturla, La Rumba
Page 194 and 195:
Paul Dambly, A Paris June 26, 1931.
Page 196 and 197:
Oscar Bie, Stuttgarter Neues Tagebl
Page 198 and 199:
BIBLIOGRAPHY Aharonián, Coriún.
Page 200 and 201:
___, ed. Yearbook for Inter-America
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García Canclini, Nestor. Hybrid Cu
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Kuss, Malena. "Leitmotive de Charle
Page 206 and 207:
“Nuts! to Europe: Swell Stuff by
Page 208 and 209:
___. “The Newest American Compose
Page 210 and 211:
Unruh, Vicky. Latin American Vangua
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Collective Difference: The Pan-American Association of Composers

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