Exploring Cuban Music through the Choral Arrangements of Electo Silva

208 Pages·2017·11.17 MB·English

by  Beth Gibbs

University of Miami
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2010-04-27
Exploring Cuban Music through the Choral
Arrangements of Electo Silva
Beth Gibbs
University of Miami, [email protected]
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UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

EXPLORING CUBAN MUSIC THROUGH THE CHORAL ARRANGEMENTS OF
ELECTO SILVA

By
Beth Gibbs

A DOCTORAL ESSAY

Submitted to the Faculty
of the University of Miami
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts

Coral Gables, Florida

May 2010
©2010
Beth Gibbs
All Rights Reserved
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

A doctoral essay submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Musical Arts

EXPLORING CUBAN MUSIC THROUGH THE CHORAL
ARRANGEMENTS OF ELECTO SILVA

Beth Gibbs

Approved:

___________________ ____________________
Joshua Habermann, D.M.A. Terri A. Scandura, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Dean of the Graduate School
Vocal Performance

___________________ ____________________
Donald Oglesby, D.M. Paul Wilson, Ph.D.
Professor Professor
Vocal Performance Music Theory and Composition

___________________
Raul Murciano, Jr., D.M.A.
Program Director
Media Writing & Production
GIBBS, BETH (D.M.A., Choral Conducting)
Exploring Cuban Music through the Choral (May 2010)
Arrangements of Electo Silva

Abstract of a doctoral essay at the University of Miami.

Doctoral essay supervised by Dr. Joshua Habermann.
No. of pages in text. (197)

A prolific arranger and composer, Electo Silva is an iconic figure in the field of
choral music in Cuba. His collection of traditional Cuban songs entitled 30 canciones
populares cubanas presents an array of influential pieces that have enriched the repertoire
for mixed a cappella choirs. Six titles have been extracted from the catalog of thirty to
more closely examine characteristics of genre and style, composition and structure, and
language and performance practice. Historical background is defined, cultural and
folkloric traditions are explored, and suggestions for performance are offered. The essay
is designed to assist the non-Cuban conductor in creating a successful culturally and
historically accurate performance. English translations, International Phonetic Alphabet
transcriptions, and musical examples are added to assist in the conductor’s research and
preparation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to Canada Cuba Sports and Cultural Festivals for their assistance
regarding and during my travels to Cuba. My deepest gratitude goes to Jonathan Watts,
Ricardo Bello, and especially to my friend Nasly Navarro.
Thank you to Electo Silva and Daria Abreu and to the Orfeón Santiago for their
help and encouragement during my trips to Santiago de Cuba. Their music and their
friendship were truly the inspiration to my research.
Thank you to the conductors and choirs with whom I worked in Havana,
including Alina Orraca and Schola Cantorum Coralina, Sonia McCormack and Vocal
Luna, Corina Campos and Vocal Leo, María Felicia Pérez and Exaudi, and to
musicologists and composers Radamés Giro, Lino Bettancourt, Roberto Valera, and to
Carole Fernández of the Museo Nacional de Música.
Thank you to Vicente Chavarría for his help with the Spanish translations and for
being a great resource for language.
Thank you to Lesbia Varona and the helpful staff at the Cuban Heritage
Collection at the University of Miami for their assistance in the research process.
And lastly, a special thanks to my family for their continued support of my
growth as a musician, a teacher, and a person. This journey would have been impossible
without their love and encouragement.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... v

LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................... vii

Chapter

1 THE INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 1

2 THE CLAVE..................................................................................................... 4

3 THE GUAJIRA................................................................................................. 14

4 THE BOLERO ............................................................................................... 26

5 THE SON ......................................................................................................... 36

6 THE ARRANGER AND HIS CHOIR:
ELECTO SILVA AND THE ORFEÓN SANTIAGO ..................................... 48

7 THE MUSIC ................................................................................................... 53
Variaciones sobre la Guantanamera ......................................................... 55
Juramento .................................................................................................. 57
Negro bembón ............................................................................................ 58
Son de la loma ............................................................................................ 61
El que siembra su maíz .............................................................................. 64
Lágrimas concertadas ................................................................................ 68

8 THE PEDAGOGY ........................................................................................... 71
Variaciones sobre la Guantanamera ......................................................... 72
Juramento .................................................................................................. 75
Negro bembón ............................................................................................ 79
Son de la loma ............................................................................................ 83
El que siembra su maíz .............................................................................. 85
Lágrimas concertadas ................................................................................ 90
Conclusion ................................................................................................. 95

APPENDIX A: CANCIONES POPULARES CUBANAS .......................................... 98

APPENDIX B: BLOCK QUOTES IN THE ORIGINAL SPANISH ........................ 101

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APPENDIX C: TRANSLATIONS ........................................................................... 104
El arroyo que murmura ................................................................................. 104
Y ¿tú qué has hecho? ..................................................................................... 105
Variaciones sobre la Guantanamera ............................................................. 106
Juramento ...................................................................................................... 107
Negro bembón ................................................................................................ 108
Son de la loma ................................................................................................ 109
El que siembra su maíz .................................................................................. 110
Lágrimas concertadas .................................................................................... 111

APPENDIX D: IPA TRANSCRIPTIONS ................................................................ 112
Variaciones sobre la Guantanamera ............................................................. 113
Juramento ...................................................................................................... 115
Negro bembón ................................................................................................ 116
Son de la loma ................................................................................................ 118
El que siembra su maíz .................................................................................. 120
Lágrimas concertadas .................................................................................... 123

APPENDIX E: CHORAL ARRANGEMENTS BY ELECTO SILVA ................... 125
El arroyo que murmura ................................................................................. 126
Y ¿tú qué has hecho? ..................................................................................... 129
Variaciones sobre la Guantanamera ............................................................. 133
Juramento ...................................................................................................... 147
Negro bembón ................................................................................................ 152
Son de la loma ................................................................................................ 158
El que siembra su maíz .................................................................................. 163
Lágrimas concertadas .................................................................................... 169
Errata ............................................................................................................. 181

APPENDIX F: LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION ................................................... 182

GLOSSARY .............................................................................................................. 183

BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 187

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LIST OF FIGURES

2.1 Son Clave in 2/4 .............................................................................................. 5
2.2 Son Clave in 6/8 ............................................................................................. 5
2.3 Son Clave in 4/4 ............................................................................................. 6
2.4 Son Clave in 12/8 .......................................................................................... 6
2.5 Rumba Clave in 2/4 ......................................................................................... 7
2.6 Rumba Clave in 6/8 ......................................................................................... 8
2.7 Rumba Clave in 4/4 ......................................................................................... 8
2.8 Rumba Clave in 12/8 ....................................................................................... 8
2.9 Composite pattern of Son and Rumba Clave in 4/4 ........................................ 9
2.10 Composite pattern of Son and Rumba Clave in 12/8 ...................................... 9
4.1 Cinquillo ......................................................................................................... 27
4.2 Tresillo ............................................................................................................ 28
4.3 Habanera ........................................................................................................ 29
4.4 Bolero .............................................................................................................. 31
4.5 El Rasgueado .................................................................................................. 33
4.6 El Punteado from Delfín’s Y ¿tú, qué has hecho? .......................................... 33
5.1 Anticipated bass .............................................................................................. 42
5.2 Anticipation shown in the top voice only ....................................................... 42
5.3 Anticipation shown in the lower voice only ................................................... 42
5.4 Anticipation shown in both voices .................................................................. 42
7.1 Verse from El que siembra su maíz ................................................................ 68
8.1 Bass line loop in Variaciones sobre la Guantanamera .................................. 72
8.2 Juramento, measures 25-27 ............................................................................ 78
v
8.3 Alterations made to Juramento, measures 25-27 ............................................ 78
8.4 Juramento, measures 32-35 ............................................................................ 78
8.5 Alterations made to Juramento, measures 32-35 ............................................ 78
8.6 Phonetic and Rhythmic Adjustment in Negro bembón ................................... 82
8.7 Clave ornamentation for the introduction of Negro bembón .......................... 83
8.8 Son de la loma bass line measures 16-23 ........................................................ 84
8.9 Son de la loma bass line measures 30-33 ........................................................ 84
8.10 Verse 1 of El que siembra su maíz as printed ................................................. 87
8.11 Verse 1 of El que siembra su maíz with added repeat .................................... 88
8.12 Tenor solo of Verse 1 of El que siembra su maíz as printed .......................... 89
8.13 Tenor Solo of Verse 1 of El que siembra su maíz with alteration .................. 89
8.14 Transition from the bolero to the son in Lágrimas concertadas ..................... 93
8.15 Lágrimas concertadas, measures 56-59 ......................................................... 94
8.16 Rhythmic changes made to Lágrimas concertadas ........................................ 95

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