Analysis of the Keller and Conte Settings of the Ave Maria
Introduction
The Ave Maria (Hail Mary) is one of the most fundamental prayers of the Catholic faith. In its original form, the Ave Maria consisted of two statements of praise for the Virgin Mary, originally made by the Angel Gabriel and St. Elizabeth. This text, which makes up the first half of the modern Ave Maria, gained popularity as a devotional prayer around the year 1000. The remainder of the text was added about 500 years later by the Council of Trent, in order to imply that “we should piously and suppliantly have recourse to her in order that by her intercession she may reconcile God with us sinners and obtain for us the blessing we need for this present life and for the life which has no end” (New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia).
The timeless nature of religious texts such as the Ave Maria has made them popular texts for composers to set to music. Two examples of this are the late twentieth century settings of the Ave Maria by Mark Keller (1984) and David Conte (1991). Both works were written for Chanticleer, a San Francisco-based all-male a cappella vocal ensemble. The two settings feature a combination of traditional and contemporary elements. However, despite this common ground, the two composers take very distinct approaches to setting the text: Conte’s approach is more sensual, while Keller’s is more intellectual. As a result, Conte’s setting is the more sensually pleasant of the two, but Keller’s would be more appropriate for use in a religious or devotional service.
Ave Maria, by Mark Keller
Mark Keller’s compositional style in the Ave Maria is influenced by both traditional and modern elements. Its harmonic structure is contemporary in nature, featuring unresolved, unstable intervals, such as seconds, fourths and sevenths, as well as a mix of homophony and polyphony. However, its more traditional influences are also quite obvious. Its melody is taken from the millennium-old Gregorian chant setting of the Ave Maria. In keeping with the Gregorian tradition, the vocal range utilized is relatively low and narrow, spanning the two octaves from the second G below middle C to the first G above middle C. The arch-like phrasing typical of Gregorian chant is also preserved.
In his setting, Keller makes a conscious effort to convey the meaning of the text. For example, he places heavy emphasis on the two references to the Virgin Mary, by setting each such reference polyphonically and repeating it twice. He also sets Jesus’ name on one of the only purely tertian sonorities in the piece. In addition, he sets the word “peccatoribus” (sinner) on what is perhaps the most dissonant chord of the work. Furthermore, the last line of the text, which mentions death, is set very low in the vocalists’ registers, resulting in a dark sound. Finally, on the last word of the text, “amen” (meaning “agreed”), the entire ensemble meets on the same note — “agreeing,” in a sense, on the final pitch.
Ave Maria, by David Conte
In his setting of the Ave Maria, David Conte makes use of a number of modern compositional techniques. He utilizes a vocal range of three octaves — from the second F below middle C to the second F above middle C — a wide range for an all-male ensemble. He also makes use of a wide range of dynamic levels throughout the work. In addition, the piece is characterized by a modern harmonic structure, frequently featuring unresolved, unstable sonorities, such as seconds, fourths and sevenths, over a basically tertian foundation. Its texture is primarily homophonic, with occasional use of polyphony.
It could be said that as a whole, Conte’s work seems to reflect the primary idea of the Ave Maria text — praising Mary — through its use of consonant harmonies and a wide range of dynamic and vocal ranges. However, it is clear that Conte had no intention of reflecting the meaning of each phrase of text in his setting. The most important words of the text include the names of Mary and Jesus, and the words for Lord and God. However, rather than emphasizing these words, Conte chooses to accentuate unimportant, even inappropriate, portions of the text. One example of this is the buildup to the word “fructus” (fruit). Even though it is one of the loudest-sung words in the piece, this word is arguably no more significant than any other. Another example is the climax at the piece’s conclusion, which involves a major tertian sonority spanning two and one-half octaves at a high dynamic level. However, the text that is set at this glorious moment is the end of a line related to death, an unpleasant topic for most people, and thus, an unlikely candidate to be set on such an aurally pleasant sonority.
Keller’s setting of the Ave Maria would be suitable for use in a religious or devotional service. Despite its contemporary characteristics, such as its modern harmonic structure, Keller’s work possesses two important qualities that emphasize its roots in the early Catholic Church. One such quality is its use of a traditional Gregorian chant melody, along with its associated arch-like phrasing. The other quality is Keller’s obvious effort to impart his interpretation of the text’s meaning to the listener. To accomplish this, Keller utilizes a variety of contrasting musical elements such as harmony, texture, register, and dynamics.
Conte’s Ave Maria setting would be far less appropriate for use in a religious service. In his work, Conte makes a complete break from the musical tradition associated with the text. In addition, he does not make any effort to convey the meaning of the text through the use of musical devices. In fact, the phrasing, dynamics and harmonies Conte uses in his work are so unrelated to the text that it seems he could have written this piece without even knowing the meaning of the text he was setting. These characteristics make it clear that Conte intended his setting as art music more than religious music.
Beauty
In general, beauty can be defined as the quality that either "gives pleasure to the senses" or "pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit" (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). The former definition implies a more sensual meaning of beauty, while the latter implies a more intellectual meaning. As an art form, music possesses the ability to transcend the intellectual process and provoke emotional responses. Consequently, it is more appropriate to use the former definition to judge what constitutes musical beauty.
Based on this definition, Conte’s setting of the Ave Maria is arguably the more beautiful of the two. One reason why this is the case is that its basically tertian harmonic foundation creates a sound which is pleasant to the ears of Western listeners. In addition, Conte’s melody is inventive, featuring stepwise motion as well as leaps as wide as the major seventh. Furthermore, the lack of correlation between the melody and the text causes a sense of melodic spontaneity, leaving the listener wondering what Conte will do next. Finally, Conte’s use of wide dynamic and vocal ranges facilitates the glorious climax at the piece’s conclusion, which is certain to send goose bumps down the spine of even the most discriminating critic.
Keller’s Ave Maria setting is not as sensually beautiful as Conte’s. One reason this is the case is that it features few tertian sonorities, resulting in a sound that is dissonant to the ears of Western listeners. In addition, the use of the melody from the original Gregorian chant in the uppermost voice makes the piece melodically predictable to anyone familiar with the chant. The limited dynamic and vocal ranges that Keller utilizes also make the piece somewhat anticlimactic. In these ways, it is clear that Keller was willing to deprive his music’s listeners of sensual pleasures in his pursuit of more intellectual pleasures.
Conclusion
Upon first glance, it would stand to reason that the settings of the Ave Maria composed by Mark Keller and David Conte should have much in common. They were, after all, composed within a few years of one another, both for the same American vocal ensemble. However, upon further investigation, it becomes obvious that Keller and Conte had very different goals for their respective works. As religious music, Keller’s setting aims to preserve the devotional connotation of the Ave Maria prayer. On the other hand, as art music, Conte’s setting is the more sensually beautiful work. Regardless, it is indubitable that both types of music have their place in the vocal repertory.
Works Cited
“Beauty.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Retrieved 28 February 2003. <http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=beauty>
“Hail Mary.” New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 28 February 2003. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07110b.htm>