Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Department

Music

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

The American composer Jeffrey Perry composed the song cycle Poema de sete faces (Poem of seven faces), for tenor or soprano and piano, based on the poem of the same name by Carlos Drummond de Andrade, one of the greatest Brazilian modernist poets of the 20th century. Both Drummond’s poem and Perry’s music were written to be open to multiple interpretations. Together, the possibilities for their interpretation are even broader. This dissertation discusses the art that emerges at the intersection of the poem and the music from the perspective of the singer. I present a biography and an overview of the style of both the composer Jeffrey Perry and poet Carlos Drummond, along with a comprehensive analysis of the song cycle Poema de sete faces in order to demonstrate both how each artist’s perspective shapes their work, and how the intersection of their styles expands the interpretive possibilities of both the poem and the music. The song cycle analysis considers many aspects of each artist’s work while following the drama of Drummond’s autobiographical character, the gauche. The layers Perry’s music adds, enhance the subtexts made visible through the poem’s interaction with the music. An IPA pronunciation guide and suggestions of performance were offered to future performers.

Date

6-1-2018

Committee Chair

Jesse, Dennis

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.4605

Share

COinS