Melanie Carter and Dr. Geralyn Giovannetti, Music

Purposes of the Study

My principal goals upon starting this project were first, to prepare myself for graduate level studies, future orchestral playing, and teaching; and second, to help me gain an appreciation and understanding of 20th century music.

I based my project on Luciano Berio’s Sequenza VII for Oboe, a landmark piece in contemporary oboe repertoire that exposed me to the music I had the least experience in. It introduced me to flutter tonguing, double tonguing, circular breathing, spatial rhythmic notation, harmonic fingerings, and other extended techniques indispensable to playing 20th century music. For these reasons, Berio’s Sequenza VII was an ideal piece to prepare me for my future goals in music as well as open my eyes to the world of 20th century music.

My work on this piece turned my views about contemporary music completely around. I learned to enjoy the music for its challenging aspects, new sounds, and creativity. I also began to appreciate both the composer’s and performer’s abilities that made the piece possible.

Procedures and Methods Used

The three methods I initially proposed to help me learn the Sequenza were beneficial, but not always successful. My first plan, for example, was to study selections from the Pro Musica Nova, a book of studies that incorporate 20th century oboe techniques. I had assumed I could learn the techniques from these easier pieces and then apply them to the Sequenza. I discovered, however, that the complications I struggled with came from the techniques themselves, not the application process. The book was a practicing tool, not a teacher.

My second plan corrected my earlier problem by incorporating the knowledge and experience of Dr. Murray Boren, theory and composition faculty at BYU, Dr. Geralyn Giovannetti, Director of Oboe Studies at BYU, and Jacqueline Leclair, a leading interpreter of the Sequenza freelancing in New York. This portion of my project was highly successful because I could ask questions and get feedback from many different perspectives.

My third approach to learning the Sequenza was to attend a variety of lectures and masterclasses. I had my first real contact with 20th century oboe techniques from a lecture given by Stephen Caplan in Santa Barbara, California. His lecture focused on the reasons why we should master extended techniques and the difference it could make on our careers. He also gave demonstrations of the techniques and instructions on how they could be learned.

Jacqueline Leclair’s lectures, both at BYU and at the International Double Reed Society conference in West Virginia, made a huge difference in my project. Her presentation at the conference entitled: “Berio’s Sequenza VII in a NUTSHELL,” included an eleven-page handout viewing the Sequenza from an intellectual perspective. My work with her on this project was the most rewarding and successful of all.

Overall, this project stretched me beyond my expectations. My goal of “mastering” the Sequenza has not yet been reached, but I have learned new practicing techniques, and opened up a world of options for myself in the process.