Scholarly Abstractions: The Function of Poetry in Choral Music

Collins, Drew S.  Poetic Structural Devices as a Consideration When Analyzing and Interpreting Choral Scores. Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation.  University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, 2011.

       This study focuses on the connection between poetry, choral composition, and choral performance, specifically how an understanding of the constructive elements of poetry can influence the interpretation of a choral score. The focus is on secular, English-language, accentual-syllabic poetry written in the United States and set to music by composers from the United States; free verse is not included in this document.
       Most studies of the interconnectedness of poetry and choral music have focused on either the meaning of the text or on “text painting.” By contrast, this study focuses on poetic constructive devices such as meter, form, and punctuation, and the implications such devices can have for choral performance, especially in regard to tempo, phrasing, articulation, and dynamics. Understanding these implications and incorporating them into one’s preparation of a choral score can lend insight into the compositional process, and can also aid the conductor in achieving an interpretation of the score that serves the intentions and interests of both poet and composer.

 

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