A performance-based research on the Fourteen Stations of the Cross by Alan Ridout
Claassen, Magdalena (2015-12)
Thesis (M Mus)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Stations of the Cross is an ancient Roman Catholic devotional ritual. True to the conviction of the Roman Catholic Church that art has the ability to communicate theological ideas, works of art that depict the passion of Christ stand central when this ritual is performed. Very rarely this story is told through music.
In this thesis, which was inspired by my performance of The Fourteen Stations of the Cross (a suite for organ) by Alan Ridout, I analysed this work with the specific objective to establish how this composition relates the story and communicates it to the audience. My intention was to apply the knowledge that I gained through my investigation to render an insightful and spiritually rewarding performance.
The specific line of analysis of the work was prompted by Ridout’s note that this work was a set of variations that concludes with the theme. Considerations taken into account were whether he started with an identifiable theme from the religious repertoire, or whether the result of the developing theme was realised in the last Station.
Despite the specific association of the Stations of the Cross devotion with the Roman Catholic faith, Ridout composed his work on commission for the Anglican Canterbury Cathedral. I also investigat-ed the possibility of the liturgical use of musical renderings of the Fourteen Stations of the Cross in Protestant churches.
Ridout also states in his composer’s note that the work was suggested by the sculptured relief works which can be seen in the Altenberg Cathedral, Westphalia, Germany. I identified Emil Sutor as the artist of Der Kreuzweg and studied photographs of these images. I also questioned why these par-ticular images were the source of Ridout’s inspiration.
I searched for similarities in the style of expression of the two artists with the objective to combine their works in performance, the organ music with a simultaneous PowerPoint presentation of these images. As the goal of the Stations of the Cross is to communicate spiritual and theological con-cepts, I was interested in the first place in the response of the devotees who will be my audience. With the knowledge that I acquired by practising this work as well as by reading relevant literature I hope to contribute information that will provide insight to future performers of this work.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Stasies van die Kruis is ’n Rooms-Katolieke ritueel. Getrou aan die kerk se sienswyse oor die vermoë van kuns om teologiese begrippe oor te dra, staan die uitbeelding van die lyding van Christus in kunsvorm sentraal in die ritueel. Hierdie verhaal word selde deur musiek uitgebeeld.
In hierdie tesis, wat gebore is uit my uitvoering van The Fourteen Stations of the Cross (’n suite vir orrel) van Alan Ridout, het ek die werk geanaliseer met die spesifieke doelwit om vas te stel hoe die werk die verhaal aan die gehoor kommunikeer. Die kennis wat ek verwerf het in my ondersoek was met die oog daarop om die werk met die bes moontlike insig te kan uitvoer en ’n geestelike ervaring vir my gehoor te bewerkstellig.
Ridout dui op die manuskrip aan dat hierdie werk ’n stel variasies is waarvan die tema net in die laaste, die veertiende stasie in die geheel gehoor word. My analise is hierdeur gelei om twee moont-likhede te ondersoek, naamlik of hy met ’n bestaande tema uit die religieuse repertoire begin het, en of die ontwikkelende tema aan die einde gestalte vind.
Die Stasies van die Kruis word in wese met die Rooms-Katolieke denominasie geassosieer, maar Ridout het hierdie werk in opdrag van die Anglikaanse kerk van die Canterbury Katedraal gekom-poneer. Ek het dus ook ondersoek of daar ’n moontlikheid is om die musiek van die Stasies van die kruis in Protestantse konteks te gebruik.
Ridout het op die manuskrip aangedui dat die werk gesuggereer is deur die reliëfbeeldhouwerke wat hy in die Altenberg-katedraal, Wesfale, Duitsland gesien het. Die werke is geïdentifiseer as Der Kreuzweg van Emil Sutor. Met die bestudering van foto’s van die beelde het die vraag ontstaan waarom hierdie beelde en nie enige ander stasiekunswerke nie tot Ridout gespreek het.
Ek het ondersoek of daar ooreenkomste in die manier van uitdrukking van die twee kunstenaars is, met die oogmerk om dit gekombineerd aan te bied, as ’n orreluitvoering met ’n PowerPoint-aanbieding van die beelde. Aangesien die doelwit van die uitvoering was om geestelike en teolo-giese konsepte te kommunikeer, was ek ook in die eerste plek geïnteresseerd daarin hoe die werk deur my gehoor van gelowiges ontvang sou word. Met die kennis wat ek verwerf het deur die werk te speel, sowel as deur toepaslike literatuur te lees, hoop ek om inligting te verskaf wat sal bydra tot insig vir toekomstige uitvoerings van hierdie werk.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97817
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This item appears in the following collections: Masters Degrees (Music)127