Music Commons^™

On Constructing A Sonic Gangbang: System And Subversion In Gerald Barry’S Chevaux-De-Frise, Mark Fitzgerald

Articles

This paper examines Chevaux-de-frise by Gerald Barry. The work is from a transitional period in Barry's work forming a bridge between the work of the 1980s (most notably The Intelligence Park) and the more polyphonic work of the 1990s. The paper describes Barry's use of canonic devices and his manipulation of found material before making some brief links to later works from Barry's output.

Formal Properties As The Basis For Value In Music, Thomas B. Yee

Global Tides

This paper defends the thesis that value in a piece of music is based in its formal properties rather than its non-formal properties. Two arguments are presented to support this conclusion. The first argument shows that if value in music is to be objective, then it must be grounded in a piece's formal properties rather than its non-formal properties. In the second argument, a number of alternate possibilities for grounding value in music are considered and shown to miss the mark or be inadequate. Finally, a number of possible objections against the arguments and conclusion are considered and possible responses …

Volume 28, Various Authors

Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

About This Issue, Michael E. Ruhling

HAYDN: Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America

No abstract provided.

Edward Elgar’S Extended Tonal Procedures—An Inquiry Into Elgar’S Chromatic Realm, Higo Henrique Rodrigues

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study aims to examine the ways in which English composer Edward Elgar (1857–1934) expanded common-practice tonality; it shows how Elgar employed harmonic structures and syntax in an innovative manner through specific extended-tonal techniques such as the use of chromatic-third relations (both harmonically and as a tonal plan), harmonic substitutions, and local ambiguous sonorities that at times lead to tonal ambiguity. The system that Elgar expanded upon has been called “Classical diatonic tonality”, which was extended when late nineteenth-century composers such as Elgar infused their music with chromaticism. Through an investigation of Elgar’s extended tonal techniques one can come to …

An Analytical Example For Bob, Joseph N. Straus

Publications and Research

In the fall of 1981, I was the greenest, most naïve young music theorist you can possibly imagine. The ink on my doctoral diploma was still wet, and I had just started my first job, at the University of Wisconsin. It was a simpler, less demanding time for music theorists: I had never attended a conference, much less presented at one. But I found myself at the 1981 meeting of the newly formed Society for Music Theory in Los Angeles, giving my first-ever theory paper. I recognized Milton Babbitt, the keynote speaker for the conference, sitting right in front of …

Connecting Analysis And Performance: A Case Study For Developing An Effective Approach, Annie Yih

Gamut: Online Journal of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic

Although theorists and performers both engage in score study, we often say that performers “interpret” and theorists “analyze” because, in general, performers are more interested in interpreting the meaning of the music, which usually involves extracting and projecting the mood, character, or drama in the music, whereas theorists focus on understanding the structure of the music. Recognizing that there is need for connecting the practices of analysis and performance, the author suggests developing an effective approach to this concern. It is proposed that both theorists and performers understand structure as process, and that this particular process expresses the unfolding …

Russian Pitch-Class Set Analysis And The Music Of Webern, Philip A. Ewell

Gamut: Online Journal of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic

Prompted by a live performance of Webern’s Op. 6 in Moscow, in 1965, brother and sister Yuri Kholopov and Valentina Kholopova began to analyze the music of Webern; from 1965 to 1970 they wrote two books thereon. Working from scores and a few writings by Europeans (i.e., Stockhausen, Pousseur, Metzger, Kolneder, and Karkoschka), Valentina Kholopova devised a system of pc set analysis, which Yuri later named “hemitonicism.” She first presented her findings to the Soviet “Union of Composers” in the early 1970s, and then published a follow-up article in 1973. In the present essay, the author explicates this important development …

John Harbison’S Use Of Music Of The Past In Three Selected Compositions, Peter Silberman

Gamut: Online Journal of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic

John Harbison’s music is rich in allusions to music of the past. Many of his compositions incorporate excerpts from pre-existing works or newly written passages in earlier styles, predominantly jazz. This article discusses the interaction of pre-existing and new music in three compositions by Harbison (Twilight Music, the Gatsby Etudes, and November 19, 1828), as well as three modes of borrowing used by Harbison (misreading, pastiche, and quotation). Each analysis examines how Harbison transforms pre-existing tonal material to create a post-tonal work, and shows that Harbison’s integration of tonal and post-tonal materials varies depending on the …

Modal Tonicization In Rock: The Special Case Of The Lydian Scale, Brett Clement

Gamut: Online Journal of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic

This article reexamines modal techniques in rock music, using the “problematic” Lydian mode as a test case. I argue that the Lydian scale plays a larger role in rock music than has been previously acknowledged, particularly in songs of the 1970s and ’80s. First, I outline a hierarchy of pitches and chords in the scale, which will aid in recognition of Lydian patterns in rock. Then, I address existing controversies surrounding Lydian interpretations of chord progressions, which will be viewed in light of three “tonal stability rules” necessary for convincing Lydian centricity. This will lead to a general theory of …

Classical Models, Sonata Theory, Equal Division Of The Octave And Two Nineteenth-Century Symphonic Movements: Comparing Analytical Approaches, Howard Cinnamon

Gamut: Online Journal of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic

The first movements of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth and Brahms’s Third Symphonies are examined from the perspective of earlier models of sonata form (those of Kollmann, Galeazzi, and Czerny). The author demonstrates how they adhere to the models in remarkably consistent ways, and shows how analyses based on the models can prove valuable in the study of a group of pieces with similar unconventional harmonic structures. Aspects of Hepokoski and Darcy’s Sonata Theory are incorporated in each case to show how its conclusions differ from—and how they might complement—those arrived at through the application of earlier models.

Table Of Contents, David Carson Berry

Gamut: Online Journal of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic

No abstract provided.

Revising Music Theory Curricula In Response To Varied Student Backgrounds: A Survey, Anna Barbara Vezza

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This study examines the relationship between undergraduate music theory curricula and the widely varied backgrounds in written theory and aural skills brought to post-secondary institutions by entering students. A survey of Midwestern, large, public universities that offer a bachelor’s degree in music forms the basis for my discussion of how the curricula meet students’ needs. This analysis gives rise to specific proposals for music theory programs and curricula at these schools which, if implemented, can increase success rates of students.

Advisor: Stanley V. Kleppinger

Isomorphic Midi Controller, Jay Wyatt

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Modes In Polyphonic Compositions Of The Sixteenth Century, Marcella Marie Columbus

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Modes in the Renaissance era were vital to understand the inner workings of a piece. Modal theory implies every Renaissance composition should have a distinct mode in which it belongs. The mode of any piece from this era is theoretically obvious by the first or last note of the piece as well as the range given, but researchers have argued the validity of this claim. Complications arise in the case of pieces with two or more voices. Polyphonic music causes uncertainty regarding the method of identifying the mode of a piece. This paper will look deeply at the Missa Papae …

Paul Moravec: Polystylism In Cool Fire (2001), Jennifer Kuk-Bonora

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this document is to provide a structural and stylistic analysis of Paul Moravec's chamber piece, Cool Fire (2001) within the context of Alfred Schnittke's polystylism. Fundamental polystylism is the use of two or more music styles within one composition and focuses on a more evolved portrayal of the style when, "there are no longer any direct quotations, but rather a certain element which indicates a `genetic refill' of memories." Techniques from Impressionism, Jazz, Baroque and Classical styles are utilized in Cool Fire.

The method of analysis will follow Jan La Rue's Guidelines for Style Analysis to better …

"Western Evening Vistas" For Concert Band, Dominic Dousa

Selected Works Temporary Series

A performance of my original composition by the UTEP Wind Symphony, conducted by Ron Hufstader.

Fsu Ovation: 2012-2013 Season Fine Arts Series And Chancellor's Distinguished Speaker Series, Lamb Earnest

Choir History

The Department of Performing and Fine Arts Building Community through the Arts

Vision: The Department of Performing and Fine Arts will be the cultural and intellectual center for Fayetteville and its environs.

Mission: The primary mission of the Department of Performing and Fine Arts is to produce graduates in the performing and fine arts — music, dance, theater, visual arts — that will be leaders in their respective fields and its advocate. The Department is also committed to building community through the arts by being a resource for performing and fine arts pedagogy, cultivating a climate where creativity flourishes, engaging …

Lawrence D. “Butch” Morris, Conduction And The Network Of Composition, Mark Zanter

Music Faculty Research

In Noise, The Political Economy of Music Jacques Attali outlines how musical practice presages periods of economic development. The current late capitalist, post-Fordist, stage resembles what Attali calls the “network of composition”; where codes are oriented toward receiving pleasure from instruments of communication, use, and exchange value is experienced not accumulated. Post-Fordism affords a climate in which new codes of use and exchange emerge through limited production, flexible labor, and increased information flow. These codes increasingly support choice, nonconformity, and free-expression. Improvised/creative music, free jazz, and forms where self-expression, exploration of human potential freed from production signify the emergence of …

Volume 27, Various Authors

Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Romantic Exoticism: The Music Of Elsewhere In The Nineteenth Century, Josiah Raiche

Senior Honors Theses

Western art music has drawn on many sources. One of these is non-western music, which can be integrated into European classical music tradition in the form of exoticism. This paper will highlight musical elements used by composers seeking to create exoticism, examine selected works, and note common elements of western music that have exotic roots. In the nineteenth century, there were three general trends in exoticism. The first, non-musical exoticism, utilizes conventional western music alongside extra-musical exotic elements. Romantic exoticism portrays distant lands using musical elements, drawing these from the audience’s perceptions of the music represented. Realistic exoticism attempts to …

The Design Of P200: Mensural Quantity And Proportion In The Early Version Of The Art Of Fugue, Joel Thomas Runyan

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The intended structure of Bach's ostensibly unfinished Die Kunst der Fuge has been debated since the work's publication in 1751. This study examines the proportional design of an early version of the work, subsisting in the autograph manuscript (P200) of the early 1740s. As the only complete source extant, P200 and its revisions provide substantial insight into Bach's intentions for the later version of the Art of Fugue.

The Synthesizer: Modernist And Technological Transformations In Film Sound And Contemporary Music, Dusin J. Green

CMC Senior Theses

The invention of the synthesizer meant the possibility of achieving virtually any sound in one mechanism, a superbly convenient device for musical creativity. Perhaps the perfect space for this approval of sound creativity was in the modern electronic film score. The synthesizer also flourished in popular music immediately following its emergence, but a common form began to solidify itself among synthesizer music. Shortly after, improvements in electronic instrument technology led to the democratization of electronic music and equipment, ultimately leading to electronic music as the new mainstream.

0810: The Huntington Symphony Orchestra Collection, 1974-2012, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The Huntington Symphony Orchestra Collection focuses mainly on the EFFORT (Education For Future Orchestra Related Tradition) Program. The EFFORT Program went from school to school performing for students, and teaching them about the instruments. This collection consists of many EFFORT reports from various years which show the schools the orchestra traveled to. It also includes a variety of programs and flyers and a multitude of newspaper clippings and photographs ranging from residencies to EFFORT In-School performances.

Directional Tonality In Schumann's Early Works, Benjamin K. Wadsworth

Faculty Articles

Beginning and ending a work in the same key, thereby suggesting a hierarchical structure, is a hallmark of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century practice. Occasionally, however, early nineteenth-century works begin and end in different, but equally plausible keys (directional tonality), thereby associating two or more keys in decentralized complexes. Franz Schubert’s works are sometimes interpreted as central to this practice, especially those that extend third relationships to larger, often chromatic cycles. Robert Schumann’s early directional-tonal works, however, have received less analytical scrutiny. In them, pairings are instead diatonic between two keys, which usually relate as relative major and minor, thereby allowing Schumann …

"The Performance Of 16th-Century Music: Learning From The Theorists" By Anne Smith, Kenneth Kreitner

Performance Practice Review

Kenneth Kreitner discusses and reviews Smith's 2011 work.

Smith, Anne. The Performance of 16th-Century Music: Learning from the Theo­rists. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.

ISBN 978-0-19974261-5.

From Profane To Divine: The Hegemonic Appropriation Of Pagan Imagery Into Eastern Christian Hymnody, Jordan Lippert

Scripps Senior Theses

Spanning the first seven centuries of Christianity, this paper explores how Eastern Christian and Byzantine hymn chant was developed alongside pagan and Jewish worship traditions around the Near East. Comparison of hymns by Christian composers such as St. Romanos the Melodist and pagan poetry reveals many similarities in the types of metaphorical imagery used in both religious expressions. Common in Christian hymn texts, well-known metaphors, like the “Light of God,” are juxtaposed with pagan mythological gods, such as Apollo and Helios. This paper attempts to explain how and why Christians appropriated and adopted ancient pagan imagery into the burgeoning musical …

The Impact Of Vowels On Pitch Finding And Intonation In The Movable-Do Solmization System, Thomas Neuerburg

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The modern movable-Do solmization system based on syllables devised by Guido d'Arezzo was modified and pieced together over centuries by various scholars and pedagogues, each with their own rationale. To date, considerations of the movable-Do system have not sufficiently examined the effects of the vowels contained within its solfège syllables. While vowels have been thoroughly analyzed among vocal pedagogues, that information has not been adequately transferred to the realm of aural theory. Individual vowels contain perceptual qualities and intonational tendencies, due to their physiological articulation and acoustic properties. This document relates vowel characteristics with the solfège syllables used in the …

Pitch Perception In Changing Harmony, Cecilia Taher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The role of harmony in the definition of tonality provides theoretical framework for the hypothesis that harmonic context affects pitch perception. In tonal music, the stability of individual notes depends on the harmonic setting. It seems then reasonable to expect harmonically guided variations in the cognitive representation of tones. With the purpose of enhancing current models of pitch perception, this thesis proposes an empirical investigation of the effects of harmony on pitch sensitivity. In two experiments, nonmusicians performed a same/different discrimination task on two pitches (a reference tone RT and a comparison tone CT) that were embedded in a melody …

Metrical Transition And Resolution In The Music Of Blindside, Patrick Sallings

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Meter in rock cannot always be determined by the backbeat. I have adapted metrical analysis models developed by Harald Krebs and others to the music of the rock band Blindside to address the issue of identifying logical metrical schemes in a particular repertoire of rock music. Blindside's use of metrical dissonance necessitates expansion of the existing analytical models in that the meter in some of their songs is ambiguous at times, allowing for a period of transition from one metrical scheme to another. The ambiguity of the meter in songs such as "The Endings," combined with the message of the …