Marco Longhi

(Master 1st in Guitar Performance)

Research Proposal

Introduction

The Aim of the Research

The aim of the present work is to compare the executive differences of two performances of the same piece
realized once before and once after discussing the interpretation itself with the author of the composition.
The chosen musical work is Due Ritratti Italiani (Two Italian Portraits) for solo guitar, produced by Angelo
Gilardino. With respect to this work, there are not available external musicological resources that provide a
description, except for what Gilardino himself refers in the "author's note" pre-release to the score. This
makes this work a good subject for developing a comparative work between what a todays artist is able to
grasp from a musical work and what is the original idea of the composer about the same work.

The meaning of a work of art and the importance of the analysis

In the more general philosophical sense, "interpreting" means going back to the meaning of a sign and the
discipline that occupies it is semiology. One can therefore say that playing a musical piece means being able
to decode the message symbolically expressed in the score in order to encode it and express it through the
performance. Despite this is not the place to discuss in detail about what actually the meaning a musical
piece is (many writings have been devoted to this topic, one of the most important is "The Meaning of
Meaning" by CK Odgen and A. Richards), it is necessary to make some reflections. J.J. Nattiez, in his
"General Musicology and Semiology" states:

"Meaning exists when an object is related to an horizon" (Nattiez, 1989)

This thought, albeit synthetic, clearly states how the meaning of an object cannot be understood, except by
comparing the object with the context in which it is located. Similarly, to grasp the meaning of a single
musical fragment means to compare it with all the other parts of the piece of which is part of, and once this
is done, the interpreter can, more or less consciously compare it with the universe of his own experience,
making that fragment part of it.

The analysis of the Composition

This is not the place to go into a discussion of semiotic methodology, but as it is the basis of the analysis
that will be undertaken in this work, it seems to be worth bringing here a premise on the analytical
methodology that will be used, drawing some of its principles. For Nattiez, the full understanding of a piece
of music must consider every aspect of the reality through which the piece can be contextualized. He
therefore considers three dimensions of the symbolic phenomenon: the poietic dimension, which concerns
the whole of the creative processes through which an individual is able to create an object that, otherwise,
would not exist in reality; the esthesic dimension, in which it is possible to perceive the object through
sensory experience; the trace (also defined as the neutro level of the work), that is, the object through
which the symbolic phenomenon is physically manifested.
Giving such considerations in the musical field, one argues that music analysis must take into account first of
all, the trace (which, for example , could be represented by the music score), second of all, its sound effect
(the esthesic dimension) in order to be able to conclude with the understanding of the set of the processes
that enabled the composer to realize the piece (set of rules, logical or irrational processes).

Starting from these considerations, how do the three dimensions described above in the specific case of
"Two Portraits of Italy" by A. Gilardino appear and what pieces of information do they provide for the
purpose of understanding the work? To answer that question, one can only look at Gilardinian work more
closely and begin to outline some general features. As already mentioned earlier, you can find a first
description of the work in the "Author's Note" (Due Ritratti Italiani, 2014). Here, in summary, the contents:

a) The composer joins his work with the tradition of the "Musical Portrait" of which it is an example
the musical description of the "illustrious characters" by Robert Schumann in Carnaval op.9, as
well as those made by Castelnuovo Tedesco in his Greetings Cards. Through Due Ritratti Italiani,
Gilardino proposes to "portray" the famous guitarist Alberto Mesirca and the famous film director
and writer Marco Tullio Giordana (also guitar amateur);
b) the titles of the two pieces of which the work consists of are taken from the titles of two
Renaissance portraits: Ragazzo con Freccia(Boy with Arrow) by Giorgione and Il Cavaliere di Malta
(The Knight of Malta) by Tiziano. Gilardino explains how he has recognized "an irreducible affinity"
among the dedicators of the work Alberto Mesirca and Marco Tullio Giordana and such paintings;
c) the author states that there are some discrepancies between the virtual durations of the parts and
those that can be actually realized on the guitar;
d) The type of notation used in the edited score simplifies the polyphonic texture, which must be
characterized by laissez vibrer;
e) The fingering is done by the devotee Alberto Mesirca.

In the description above, at points c and d Gilardino provides a first description of the score (to use Nattiezs
terminology, the trace). He gives a great description outlining the presence of a polyphonic texture and he
also introduces some practical problems that the same writing implies. Therefore, this consideration implies
an immediate projection of the neutro level to the esthesic level, which provide a detail of what type of
sound effect will be obtained from certain score data.
To find out more in detail what results can offer a neutro level investigation and what implications it may
have on the other levels, a slice of analysis is provided below.

Considering, by way of example, the first bars of "Ragazzo con Freccia" characterized, as explained by the
composer, by a polyphonic texture:

Ex.1)

Considering the counterpoint texture, it is possible to recognize those virtual melodic parts, described by
the composer.

Ex.2)
through the changing of the heads of the notes, it is possible to recognize the movement of the parts, which
are developed moving by steps or jumps not superior to the third (The seventh major interval present in
bars 1 and 2 can be and should be considered as inversion of the second minor). Considering, for instance,
the virtual line marked with a circle and cross it is understood that each note, in order to be able to bind
with the next one, needs to have a duration equal to twice the value indicated in the score (see Ex.1). It is
not coincidence that the author speaks of lassez vibrer: through this effect it would be possible to perceive
the parts' proper motion. Indeed, Alberto Mesirca (fingering curator) used as much as possible the open
strings of the instrument to create more resonances. You can listen to the underlying music fragment in
reference recording n.1. Below the fingering:

Ex.3)

Although this fingering exploits widely the resonances of the instrument, it is noted that, at some points,
some melodic lines are interrupted: for example, in the third bar is it possible to see how the E, played on
the first string, is blocked by the A, played on the same string. To work around this problem, you can look for
a different fingering. The following is an alternative (of which you can listen to the recording in reference
recording n.2.

Ex. 4):

You see how, through this second solution, you can resonate the sounds of each voice for as long as
necessary. Through this fingering, a resonance effect is given to emphasize the correct conduction of the
parts.

Through this example it was possible to demonstrate how through the analysis of the neutral level we could
collect information about the sound result of the song (the esthetic level) and, no less, through the
observation of the track one could understand a Gilardinian compositional process (polytechnic level) about
how he developed polyphonic fabric.

Returning to the author's note, now focus on the point a, at which the composer declares the will to
musically portray his friends Alberto Mesirca and Marco Tullio Giordana and point b, in which he denotes a
non-descriptive affinity among the dedicators of the work and the portraits of the two Venetian masters. If
is true that the purpose of the composer is to describe the personality of the two famous characters, he
chooses not only one, but two channels to do so: the music (composed by him) and the painting art
(operated by Tiziano and Giorgione ). It should be borne in mind that, at a neutro level, it will be useful to
consider both the traces. This will involve an investigation not only of music, but also of paintings. Only in
this way it will be possible to find out whether the affinity between the musical and the pictorial portrait is
also visible to the interpreter.
 Research Questions

The questions which this work will try to answer are:

a) What interpretative results does the analysis take and what interpretative differences emerge
between the first execution of the piece and the second performed after direct comparison with the
composers idea?
b) Was it possible to establish a relation between the musical diptych and the pictorial works to which
it refers? If yes, how can this connection be described and what consequences it led to the musical
interpretation?

The method

Below, it is explained how the analysis will take place. The aim of the analysis is to examine both the musical
content of the work (the score) and the extra-musical material (the Venetian portraits associated with the
work). So, in a first phase, will be examined the two contents separately and then, in a second phase, the
obtained data will be compared.

Semiology conceives music as a set of sound elements whose combination is regulated, similar to verbal
language, through a syntax. Semiotic analysis, therefore, is based on the fragmentation of the musical set
into units which are not capable of further divisions. Such fragmentation occurs through the comparison of
each unit with all the others. When two identical units are detected, the conditions of existence in their
respective contexts are checked. Such fragmentation implies that all units are listed and grouped according
to the affinity that each one manifests with respect to other similar ones. Once this examination is
completed, it is possible to proceed by describing the results obtained verbally. These descriptions have the
purpose of clarifying the functions of the various musical elements.

Considering, for example, the introduction of "Ragazzo con Freccia", previously examined in the
Introduction.

Ex.1)

If it is assumed that the fragment considered is written in counterpoint texture, it must be possible to
recognize the melodic lines which compose it. According to the rules of the counterpoint, they always
should proceed by stepwise. So, it is thus possible to trace the melodic lines profiles, highlighted in the
example with different heads of the notes.
Ex.2)

At this point it is necessary to understand how the composer was able to realize the whole musical phrase.
In order to understand it, bar 1 is analyzed: It is possible to argue how this fragment is developed through
an apparent monody, which conceals two melodic lines. They can be rewritten as follows:

Ex.5)
It is evident that the first voice, doesnt move on a stepwise interval , but rather its turning, which can make
you think of the presence of a third voice. This fact, however, is immediately disproved when the
development of the two melodic fragments is observed in the third bar: in fact, the melodic fragment E - F is
maintained but varied according to the stepwise motion. In this same bar (n.3) we can see how the hidden
second melodic line of the first measure B - A is now explicated and flourished. In the end, you see the
addition of a third voice in the upper part.

Through this brief analysis, it was shown how it is possible to break down the musical whole to have
access to his structures.

As regards to the analysis of the two Venetian portraits (Giorgione's "Ragazzo con Freccia" and Titian's "Il
Cavaliere di Malta") we will proceed according to a similar method. E. Panofsky, in his "Meanings in the
visual arts" (1955) describes a methodology of visual text analysis on three levels: pre-iconographic analysis,
iconographic analysis and iconological analysis. The first level is to recognize forms, colors, objects etc
They constitute the so-called "artistic motifs"; the second level involves the connection of artistic motifs (or
combinations of multiple motifs) which concepts and themes can be related. This connection constitutes
what is called "image" (one examples are allegories); the third level is the place of the investigation of what
Panofsky calls "intrinsic meaning" and iconology constitutes the "tool" through which it is possible to
decode the symbolic meaning. Even in this case it is the interpreter that, once aware of the data obtained
from the previous levels, will be able to determine the intrinsic meaning of the work by using his instinct.
Panofsky himself declares:

To grasp these principles we need a mental faculty comparable to that of a diagnostician a faculty which I
cannot describe better than by the rather discredited term "synthetic intuition," and which may be better
developed in a talented layman than in an erudite scholar (Panofsky, 1955)

The meeting point between the musical and the visual investigation will be nothing but a comparison, using
the terms of Panofsky, between the intrinsic meanings of the two artworks.

In conclusion, all the data emerging from the analyzes will be overcome in the musical interpretation, and
then, this interpretation will be compared with the composer.

Artistic Outcome

The results of the datas analysis will constitute the projectual basis to realize a recording of "Two Italian
Portraits". This recording will be on CD, so it will be possible to insert a booklet where to show and explain
the Opera with the relative extra-musical contents.

Pratical planning

Analytical investigations will be carried out by the end of November 2017. In this way it will be possible to
produce a first recording of the piece and set up a meeting with the composer at his residence in Italy in
order to discuss and compare the analysis and my idea of interpretation with him.
After the meeting with the composer it will be possible to produce the research presentation and proceed
with the second recording of the work in December 2017

Bibliography

Due Ritratti Italiani. (2014). Ancona (Italia): Berben edizioni musicali.

Nattiez, J. J. (1989). Musicologia Generale e Semiologia. Torino (Italia): Edizioni di Torino.

Panofsky, E. (1955). Meanings in the Visual Arts. New York: Anchor books edition.