Composition Commons^™

Three Moments And Change, Adam Schumaker

Masters Theses

There are times where one walks through life untouched, unaffected by their surroundings. This is not how the universe functions. Eventually, this comfortable sleep is disrupted, and we are given a choice: to change or to die. Life is not what we do, nor is it what happens to us. Our life is measured in how we react to what happens to us.

This composition loosely explores the changing self and asks the question: how much do we actually change? Though programmatic in nature, each movement and each section within movements does not represent an exact story. Instead, the titles …

Beowulf, Anthony Alvarado

Masters Theses

My composition is a tone poem based on the Old English epic poem Beowulf Specifically, this piece depicts Beowulf s three battles with three diverse monsters. The first Grendel, second Grendel's mother, and last a dragon. In this composition, the music does not follow any specific or traditional forms. Instead, each episode is presented as a picture of each event.

The choice to depict the story of Beowulf was an interesting choice. While historically the story is significant, it is not a very popular one. The poem is the oldest surviving manuscript written in Old English. However, more recent (relatively) …

Orchestra Sketch, Lei Li

Masters Theses

This orchestra piece consists of two movements inspired by the beauty and power of nature. The entire piece uses colorful orchestration and sensitive harmonic language as a palette to draw nature's colors.

As I began sketching out the first movement in early spring, every living creature was gradually emerging from its winter slumber, bringing bright colors into the world. The green grass appeared under the white snow, brown trees tum green, and many yellow daffodils and white tulips started to blossom. This first movement uses lyrical dialogues between strings and the orchestra to express the romantic emotions of spring's blossoms. …

Seasons Of Change, Thomas Allen Koron

Masters Theses

The piece contained in the following pages is a musical composition written for a standard concert band. The piece is divided into three movements, with a duration of approximately fifteen minutes. The title of the work is derived from the three different seasonal changes. The first movement depicts the summer season changing into autumn. In the second movement, one finds the music of autumn transforming into winter. Lastly, in the third movement one hears a musical depiction of winter finally giving away to spring.

This musical work makes use of modal harmonies, chromatic scale patterns and lyrical melodies. There are …

Days Of Inspiration: A Chamber Symphony In Three Movements, Tamzen Marie Baker

Masters Theses

My thesis is a chamber symphony in three movements. The instrumentation is as follows: one flute, one oboe, one clarinet, one bassoon, one horn, one timpani (movements one and three), one bongos(movements two and three), one triangle (movement two), one marimba(movement one), one vibraphone(movement two), one piano, one violin I, one violin II, one viola, one cello, and one string bass. The first movement also contains a soprano solo that is cued by other instruments if a soloist is unavailable.

The first movement is in Dorian and Aeolian modes. The second movement features a whole tone scale and a middle …

Intersection: For Orchestra, William Jones

Masters Theses

Intersection is a musical work written for orchestra. The concept for it is loosely based on the sounds and emotions that I associate with trains. The music at the beginning of the piece, and the concept in general, was inspired by the sounds made by trains slowly passing the intersection of Kalamazoo Ave., Water St., and Pitcher St. in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Though most of the piece just uses the idea of the sound of trains as general inspiration, there are also sounds that more directly represent actual sounds, like an occasional blow of the whistle, or the sound of the …

Musical Poems For Chamber Ensemble, Fumiko Honda

Masters Theses

Musical Poems for Chamber Ensemble is a piece for a large ensemble of woodwinds, percussion and strings. The ideas for the piece come from Western music and Oriental music. There are four movements. Each movement has musical elements and sounds that create an image of motion. These movements are composed on the supposition that they could be choreographed for dancers as well as performance by a chamber ensemble.

Although the piece uses simple musical forms such as the rondo and arch, many different musical elements and languages express the characteristics of each movement. In general, the sounds are limited by …

Showings, Karen J. Olson

Masters Theses

Showings is a setting of excerpts from the writings of Julian of Norwich, a 14th century anchoress and mystic. While in her middle life, Julian fell ill, and, during the course of her illness, she received sixteen revelations of the love of God. She recorded these showings in two texts: a short version, apparently written soon after her recovery, and a longer one, written years later after she had reflected on the meaning of her visions.

Within the frame of an exploration of Julian's experience of the humbling and generative power of divine love, Showings focuses on her questions concerning …

Omen, Tao-Hsing Wang

Masters Theses

The arrangement of this composition is based on chamber orchestra. The piece which is very classical structure was written not only by the harmonic theory of chromaticism and mode mixture but also by a sort of contrapuntal skill for its essential musical languages by me. In addition, the music form of the whole piece can be described as three movements with one introduction, though it should be played without any interruption or break between each movement.

As the title "Omen," we can find that there is a crucial harmonic motive, augmented triad, hidden in the introduction of this piece, and …

The Drawing Of The Three, John Griffin

Masters Theses

The Drawing of the Three is a work in seven movements scored for full orchestra. The title, along with the movement names, are derived from the novel The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King. This composition can be viewed as a "sequel" to my earlier piece The Gunslinger, inspired by the first book in King's "Dark Tower" series. Unlike the previous work, the music is not intended to be a literal programmatic representation of the book's plot. Rather, its purpose is to musically depict the personalities and inner conflicts of the characters in the …

Concerto For Marimba And Orchestra, Scott Blasco

Masters Theses

The Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra is a three-movement work in the traditional concerto form. The first movement is roughly Sonata-form, the second movement is in essence a set of variations on two mutually derivative melodies over an almost constant rhythmic motive of five eighth-notes, and the third movement is a short through-composed finale based on a quirky, angular melody. The tonal scheme of the concerto is fairly traditional, in that the outer two movements focus on an 'A' tonal center, while the slower middle movement is based on an 'E' tonality. Quintal, extended and added-tone tertian, and mixed cluster-based …

As The Ruin Falls, Luke Dahn

Masters Theses

As the Ruin Falls is a two-movement work scored for full orchestra, augmented with bass clarinet, piano, and three percussionists. Though the title comes from a poem written by C.S. Lewis, it is in no way is a programmatic representation of the poem's content. Furthermore, the programmatic "scenes" in the second movement do not relate to the poem. The title was selected only to signify the work's rather ominous character.

The primary musical building block for the entire work is a four-note chord whose construction is symmetrical - two minor thirds separated by a perfect fourth: C-Eb-Ab-Cb (or B). The …

Two Chinese Festivals, Peng (Pamela) Chen

Masters Theses

Two Chinese Festivals is a music piece written for a chamber-sized orchestra. The first movement Kite Festival is a traditional Chinese celebration in which people give thanks that the spring is coming. The second movement Lantern Festival is an event run on the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year. People make many varieties of Lanterns that represent different ancient Chinese tales. Then the lanterns are displayed on all the city streets.

The Snow Queen: An Opera In Three Acts Based On A Story By Hans Christian Andersen, Elaine Fine

Masters Theses

This is the analysis portion of my thesis The Snow Queen, an opera based on an 1845 story by Hans Christian Andersen. This analysis examines the opera from a structural standpoint and focuses on the harmonic language, the functions of melodic and rhythmic motives in the opera, and the relationship between the original story and its adaptation as an opera.

In addition to the structural analysis I include a discussion of literary and philosophical elements connected with the opera and elaborate on the incorporation of material from Norse mythology, contemporary Finnish poetry, and the work of the 19^th-century …

Move!, David Morneau

Masters Theses

In composing MOVE! I wanted to combine the rhythmic excitement and improvisational elements of jazz music with the refined developmental techniques found in classical music. Rather than simply borrow jazz harmonies and sounds for use in a classical composition, or compose music in a classical style for a jazz ensemble, I tried to create music where both traditions are represented equally.

Each of the movements in the suite approach the combination of these ideas differently. The suite begins out by Shout, a fanfare in a jazz style. Shout takes its name from the shout chorus of many swing tunes. …

For Orchestra, Joo Won Kim

Masters Theses

For Orchestra is a work consisting of two movements. In the first movement, the rhythmic pattern is based on the Korean traditional rhythm called "Changdan". There are a lot of "Changdan"s employed in Korean music. One of the Changdan-rhythms that are frequently used in traditional percussion ensemble is transferred to Western instruments through various contemporary techniques. The rhythmic elements are developed and combined with melody and harmonic texture. Harmonic textures include interval construction of perfect 4th, 5th, major and minor 7th, 3rd, and 2nd. There are both tertial and quartal combinations. The relationship between melody and chords is made up …

Symphony In One Movement: Score And Analysis, Jon Kostal

Masters Theses

This thesis consists of the composition, Symphony In One Movement, accompanied by an analytical study. The piece is composed for large orchestra and has a duration of twelve minutes. It comprises three connected but distinct sections, whose contrasts suggest individual movements. Each section is based on a traditional formal structure: sonata, passacaglia, and rondo-variations. The intention was to acknowledge the traditional symphony through these formal structures while applying more modem approaches to elements such as harmony, melody, and rhythm.

The analytical study that follows the score provides insight to the compositional methods and tools which were employed in the …

Mass, Michael J. Miller

Masters Theses

MASS is a musical setting of the ordinary parts of the mass: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. These five texts constitute the bulk of Christian liturgy for well over the past millennia. MASS is scored for SATB chorus and small chamber orchestra.

The primary concept from which the movements derive their harmonic material is "chiasmus." A chiasmus is an inverted relationship between the syntactic elements of parallel phrases, as in the phrase "to stop too fearful, and too faint to go." It is a rhetorical device that is the basis of much Hebrew thought and permeates …

Piano Concerto, Ho Jun Lee

Masters Theses

This composition, Piano Concerto, represents the form of theme and variations. This composition is comprised of nine sections: Introduction, Theme, and seven variations. The theme comes from Korean folk song "Saeya Saeya Pahrahng Saeya," having a three-note melody that utilizes a three-note scale. Each variation features different variation techniques or combination of different techniques. These include rhythmic transformation, melody squeeze, contrapuntal technique, harmonic changes, meter changes, pattern changes, texture differentiation, and timbre changes.

Nunc Dimitiis, Jeremy S. Ribando

Masters Theses

The Nunc Dimittis, canticle of Simeon (St. Luke ii, 29-32), is the last in historical sequence of the three great Canticles of the New Testament, the other two being the Magnijicat (Canticle of Mary) and the Benedictus (Canticle of Zachary). Numerous composers have set all three canticles from various classical time periods, all of which utilize the text from the specific canticle to create the musical work. This work is usually written for choir and orchestra or choir alone.

As I begun this work, I worked with the text of the Nunc Dimittis in mind, but rather than …

Four Variations On A Theme Of Nine, Nathan R. Barber

Masters Theses

This composition represents four variations of a projected total of nine. The variations are based on the number nine having a nine-note theme that utilizes a nine-note scale. Nine is also prominently featured in the meters, rhythms, and harmonic construction. The main harmonic consideration is pandiatonicism using the nine-note scale, although bitonal chords, positioned a ninth apart, are used quite prominently also.

The work is for full orchestra, augmented with saxophone, harp, piano, and four percussionists.

Intelligentsia Suite: Score And Analysis, Charles Douglas Haarhues

Masters Theses

The thesis includes the score of the musical composition Intelligentsia Suite by Charles Haarhues and an analysis of the work by the composer.

The composition is in two movements and is scored for symphonic winds, percussion, and piano. The specific instrumentation is:

Woodwinds: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English Horn in F, 3 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet, and 2 bassoons.

Brass: 4 French horns in F, 2 trumpets in B-flat, 2 trombones, bass trombone, and tuba.

Percussion: vibraphone, xylophone, suspended cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, whip, tambourine, castanets, triangle, tam-tam, and 3 timpani.

Grand piano.

The purpose of the …

Mass For Strings, Winds And Chorus, Brandon R. Kreuze

Masters Theses

The Mass for Strings, Winds and Chorus was written with two primary purposes: (1) to produce a complete setting of the Ordinary of the Mass utilizing an isorhythmic cantus firmus style, similar to the cantus firmus settings common in the Medieval and Renaissance periods; and (2) to compose this setting in such a manner that it is performable in the environment originally intended for the Ordinary.

The isorhythmic cantus firmus technique of composition was almost exclusively used during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. The technique consists of imposing a rhythmic structure upon a common melody (often from plainchant or …

Overture For Chamber Band: Score And Analysis, Shinjung Kim

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra, Christine L. Jancarz

Masters Theses

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra is a work based on combinations of traditional forms and compositional techniques. Some of the compositional devices used include mathematically derived pitch sets, as well as traditional scales.

Symphony No. 1, Randon Myles Chisnell

Masters Theses

Symphony No. 1 is a three-part one movement piece for full orchestra. The harmonic structure is based on an underlying recurring harmonic progression. The melodic elements are based on a theme which is never heard in its entirety, but from which the harmonic progression was originally derived.

Homo Tonos For Orchestra In Three Movements, Stephen C. Talaga

Masters Theses

Homo Tonos is a work for large orchestra. The entire piece stems from a dodecaphonic system in which each family of instruments is assigned its own unique 12-tone row. The rows are constructed in such a way that when they are written out and stacked one atop the other, they create 12 unique vertical rows.

Throughout the work, the basic rules of 12-tone row manipulation were used as a foundation for organization of pitches. Each family of instruments adheres strictly to its own row except in passages where there are unisons across families. In these instances, the vertical 12-tone rows …

Fabrications For Winds And Percussion: An Analysis, Douglas G. Nicholson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to give an analytical description of Fabrications for Winds and Percussion. Part one of this document includes discussion, charts of information, and musical examples. Part two is the original score of the work.

The analysis describes each of the main musical elements, and relates the elements to one another. Charts are included showing relationships between different parts of the composition. Musical examples are presented to help identify and explain the main melodic ideas and accompanimental structures.

Fabrications is in one movement and is approximately eight and one-half minutes in duration. The formal structure …

Concerto For Oboe And Orchestra, Roseane Yampolschi

Masters Theses

In one movement, the "Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra" is divided into five sections and a cadenza. It proposes to question the classical predominance of the solo instrument over the orchestra. A thoughtful distribution and diversification of roles performed by the soloist and the orchestra offers, as an alternative, a balanced interplay between these two protagonists.

Sections A and B supply material used in the other sections. Their main parameters are the predominance of some pitch intervals and the simultaneous use of different rhythmic organizations forming distinct textures. Section C stands quite freely from sections A and B for its …

Variants On The Holiday Season, Gary Powell Nash

Masters Theses

Variants on the Holiday Season is a symphonic poem for full orchestra. This composition is based on five Christmas songs including three Medieval tunes, "Nowel Syng We Bothe Al and Son," "Riu Riu," and "Two French Dances," along with "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Deck the Halls." Most of the music is derived from motives, rhythms, harmonies, and interval patterns of the original songs. The harmonies employed are created from the modes of the original tunes. Although there is no program supporting this work, it is considered a symphonic poem because it incorporates chimes, glockenspiel and sleigh bells which …