Narrative Strategies in Three Versions of Autumn Leaves by Julian Lage

Resumo

This article investigates three solo performances of Autumn Leaves (D–F) by the American guitarist Julian Lage (1987–), interpreting them from the perspective of storytelling and the Theory of Musical Narrative of Byron Almén (2008). The study expands on previous analyses by incorporating a new recording from 2023 and compares the results with three versions of My Favorite Things (A–C) by Jonathan Kreisberg (1972–), discussed in the author's previous work. The methodology combines narrative analysis at three levels (agential, actantial, and narrative) with observation of acoustic parameters measured in LUFS and LRA, and identification of "support points" — recurring elements that structure performance. The results reveal that Lage constructs his musical narratives through the manipulation of contrasts of texture, register, dynamics and time, and by a rhetorical game between conformity and nonconformity to the form of the standard, which constitutes two main narrative conflicts: (1) the progressive contrast of musical elements and (2) the exploration of the listener's expectations. The three performances present a convex narrative arc, in which the intensity grows until the climax is around two-thirds of the total duration, and resolves into a coda that resumes thematic fragments. Comparatively, Kreisberg's performances exhibit greater formal constancy, less dynamic range, and recurrent melodic support points, while Lage's approach favors more conceptual support points with improvisational freedom. It is concluded that both develop their own narrative strategies, expressing their musical identities through improvisation. The analysis highlights musical storytelling as an expanded and intertextual process, which manifests itself not only in an isolated performance, but throughout Julian Lage's artistic trajectory.