Music Theory Commons^™

Joby Talbot’S Path Of Miracles: Musical And Dramatic Analysis, Joseph Stuligross

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project investigates Joby Talbot’s choral composition Path of Miracles, focusing on interpretive insight as well as musical and extra-musical understandings related to the subject matter, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain known as the Camino de Santiago. It explores the sources and methods of generating dramatic intensity and seeks to understand how the composer achieved particular dramatic effects. The project proceeds along two related modes of inquiry. The first involves musical evaluation, particularly of pitch, motive, harmony and rhythm techniques, in a somewhat traditional analysis. The second investigates the ways in which musical techniques generate the …

Theorizing Trikāla: A Generalized Intervallic Approach To Pulse Transformation In South Indian Carnatic Music, Robert L. Wells

Music

The rich rhythmic/metric construction of South Indian Carnatic music is characterized, in large part, by intricate interplay between an internalized metric cycle called the tāḷa and performed phrases that may generate expressive tension with this tāḷa. Thus, informed listeners, who track the tāḷa using standardized hand gestures (kriyās), may experience substantial internal tension. A common source of such tension is trikāla technique, in which the performed pulse unit expands or contracts over constant tāḷa. While trikāla has been thoroughly described performatively, historically, and culturally, it has received little attention within the music-theoretic realm. Thus, this paper seeks to …

Drastic Criticism, Gnostic Criticism, And Brahms's Fourth Symphony, Sean Wood

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In her 2004 Critical Inquiry article “Music: Drastic or Gnostic?,” Carolyn Abbate argues that much writing about music avoids music’s “exceptional phenomenal presence,” its “drastic” effects (a term borrowed from philosopher Vladimir Jankélévitch). Such writing, she argues is “gnostic”; that is, interested in uncovering social, cultural, or philosophical truths beneath that “exceptional phenomenal presence.” Gnostic criticism is where music can become prey to nefarious philosophies; shorn from the context of performance, it can become whatever the critic wishes it to be. This indictment trains much of its focus on the work of Theodor W. Adorno, whom she regards as one …

Sovereign, Christian Johnson

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Sovereign is a musical retelling of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book of the Bible. This Scripture describes the end times, the temptations of Satan and his followers, the destruction of the world, the pouring out of God’s wrath on unbelievers and the presence of God’s grace within this wrath, the second coming of Jesus Christ, the battle of Armageddon, and the eternal kingdom to come. The musical work is directly inspired by the text and attempts to represent the events that are foretold.

The first movement, “Whoever Has Ears,” depicts chapters 1-4 of the book of Revelation, …

An Exploration Of Smetana’S Z Domoviny (From My Homeland), Two Pieces For Violin And Piano, Jb 1:118, Yeseul Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Z domoviny (From My Homeland), by Bedřich Smetana (1824-84), is among the most colorful and effective works for violin and piano of the 19^th century, and yet it is not as well-known, nor as often performed, as many other works by Antonín Dvořák, Johannes Brahms, Pablo de Sarasate, Henryk Wieniawski and their contemporaries. This document will attempt to balance the work’s place in the repertoire and provide a performer’s guide. It consists of an historical background of the composition, including a biography of Smetana; a discussion of his compositional technique and style, along with an exploration of his nationalistic …

Singing Out: Gala Choruses And Social Change, Heather Maclachlan

Books and Book Chapters by University of Dayton Faculty

Can you change the world through song? This appealing idea has long been the professed aim of singers who are part of choruses affiliated with the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA). Theses choruses first emerged in the 1970s, and grew out of a very American tradition of (often gender-segregated) choral singing that explicitly presents itself as a community-based activity. By taking a close look at these choruses and their mission, Heather MacLachlan unpacks the fascinating historical and cultural dynamics behind groups that seek to change society for the better by encouraging acceptance of LGBT-identified people and promoting diversity …

Compositional Modeling: A Classical Imitative Pedagogy For The Modern Era, Robert Harris Jeter

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Students of composition develop two skills simultaneously: craft and creativity. Since students are more naturally inclined to focus on one of these skills over the other, finding the proper balance is an educational challenge. An effective pedagogical system for composition cultivates both of these necessary skills.

Imitation was a preferred pedagogical approach during the Classical period. In his 1848 book School of Practical Composition, Carl Czerny instructs his readers to apply the extensive rules of composition by strictly following a compositional model. Although this methodology lost favor during the nineteenth century, the imitative techniques presented by Czerny are flexible enough …

A Performance Analysis Of Cloud Folk For Percussion Octet And Piano By John Psathas, James Vilseck

Theses and Dissertations--Music

John Psathas is the one of the most forefront, living New Zealand composers and is considered to be one of the three most important living composers of the Greek Diaspora. His music is performed across the globe, most notably as the opening and closing ceremony music for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. His percussion music has been championed by percussionists for three decades, starting with Dame Evelyn Glennie with the work Matre’s Dance. Psathas still receives regular commissions for percussion instruments, having released multiple works in the last few years and multiple works still to be premiered.

The …

A Performer’S Guide To Norman Bolter’S Morning Walk For Trombone And Piano, Justin Croushore

Theses and Dissertations--Music

For the past 45 years, Norman Bolter has been one of the most prolific and important composers, performers, and educators for the trombone. Born in Minnesota in 1955, Bolter held the position of Second Trombone of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Principal Trombone of the Boston Pops from 1975 until 2009. He has taught at leading conservatories, universities, and festivals around the world and continues to teach as trombone faculty at the New England Conservatory and the Boston Conservatory today. His compositional output is large and wide-ranged, including works for solo trombone, trombone and piano, trombone ensemble, chamber ensemble, band, …

Two Analytical Essays, Abigail Rueger

Theses and Dissertations--Music

These two essays address different issues regarding Lieder. Chapter 1 discusses moon topoi and traces the development of these topics from “naïve” in Gluck’s works to “sentimental” in the songs of Fanny Hensel, based on the philosophical ideas of Friedrich Schiller. Chapter 2 focuses on specific translation theory, drawing on work from Mona Baker and Zhang Qun-Xing, arguing that one cannot compare two song settings of different translations of the same poem, since the translator’s bias is inserted into the poetry, thereby changing the meaning of each song.

Steven Bryant’S The Automatic Earth: A Conductor’S Analysis And Performance Perspectives, Corey S. Bonds

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The purpose of this research is to present a conductor’s analysis and performance perspectives of The Automatic Earth, composed by Steven Bryant for the Arizona State University Wind Orchestra, and premiered by its conductor, Professor Gary Hill, at the 2019 College Band Director’s National Association National Conference. Through the conductor’s analysis and performance perspectives, the author seeks to provide future conductors and performers with necessary musical interpretations and technical guidance. The four-part process of research includes: 1. detailed analysis of the musical score of The Automatic Earth, 2. observation of rehearsals and world premiere of the work, 3. in-depth …

Engaging The Eclectic Bulgarian Soul In Viola Concerto No. 1 By Marin Goleminov (1908-2000): A Faceted Analysis With New Pedagogical Studies, Lubitza Braikova

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The main purpose of this monograph is to provide a faceted study of Marin Goleminov’s Concerto for Viola No.1, a work of art complexly revealing its creator’s constructive study of style – including national style. It is hoped that this will, among other things, assist in deepening relevant performances and researches.

This document examines the M. Goleminov Concerto for Viola and Orchestra no.1, 1950 (Концерт за Bиола и Oркестър Hомер 1 Марин Големинов, р.1908–п.2000). It would bring essential features of it to the attention of a broader audience, perhaps beginning with inquisitive violists. If, with the necessary selectivity, …

Evolving Structures In Peter Klatzow's "Dances Of Earth And Fire", Chris Goulet

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Peter Klatzow’s Dances of Earth and Fire is a staple of modern marimba repertoire. However, there has been no previous music theory-based analysis of this piece, and this thesis is meant to fill that analytical gap. This document will delve into the harmonic techniques utilized by Klatzow in this piece, which is comprised primarily of symmetrical scales such as the Octatonic scale and Hexatonic scale. There will also be an extensive analysis of the unique form of this piece, which Klatzow dubs “Evolving Structures”. Both of these elements are vital to understanding how the music is constructed. The primary focus …

Volume 34, Various Authors

Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

G. P. Telemann’S Exercises In Singing, Keyboard-Playing, And Thoroughbass (Ed. And Trans. Derek Remeš), Derek Remeš

Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy

In recent years, scholars and pedagogues alike have increasingly recognized the creative potential of thoroughbass. Yet too often, thoroughbass instruction today still lacks good models. G. P. Telemann’s Exercises in Singing, Keyboard-Playing, and Thoroughbass (1733–34) fills this need. This collection contains forty-eight short, simple arias with thoroughbass realizations by Telemann himself. Telemann also provides brief commentary to each aria. This important collection is presented here for the first time as a modern pedagogical edition with English translation (Vol. 1), worksheets for realization (Vol. 2), and audio recordings (with and without voice part). As Telemann’s title suggests, the didactic possibilities are …

Light And Shadow In Kaija Saariaho's Maan Varjot, Benjamin M. Cornelius-Bates

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Kaija Saariaho’s work Maan Varjot is a relatively new addition to a set of repertoire that includes the organ as a part of the orchestra. This commission from the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre National de Lyon, Southbank Centre, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, was premiered in 2014 and features the organ as a timbral enhancement and contrast to the orchestra. The 52nd Stanza from the poem Adonais, written by Percy Shelley and dedicated to John Keats, provide an important insight into the analysis and interpretation of the work. Two lines in particular are important: “The One remains, the many change …

The Querelle Des Clés: An Episode In Francisco Frontera De Valldemosa's Exuberant Life, Antoni Pizà

Publications and Research

In 1858, Francisco Frontera de Valldemosa published a peculiar music theory treatise in Madrid under the title Equinotación ó Nuevo sistema musical de llaves. It has two parts. The first (pp. 11-20) is an explanation of the invention (namely, the reduction of all clefs to only three) detailing the perceived actual need for it (that is, most clefs are unnecessary, and they impede or delay the creativity of the avid music learner). The second part (new pagination, pp. 2-83) is a curious anthology of music in many genres and styles. On the left page of each spread, there is a …

Exercises In Developing Bebop Scale Language For Collegiate Jazz Students, Lars Swanson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this document, major, dominant and minor bebop scales are introduced and engaged through a series of etudes for C instruments, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Trombone and Bass. The methodology used is derived from a series of private lessons in which bebop scales were introduced and then engaged over chord progressions. Backing tracks are utilized and linked.

Rhetorical And Musical Synthesis And The Strategies For Inter-Generational Resonance In Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Kiara Wiedman

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This study critically examines the popular rock anthem Bohemian Rhapsody to understand why the song has remained a lasting and eminently compelling standard for the progressive rock genre and why it has appealed through an inter-generational scope. Through the use of Close Textual Analysis (CTA), with an emphasis on metaphoric criticism, combined with Music Analysis of the score using popular song analysis tools, this study deconstructs the song and uncovered rhetorical strategies of the music and the lyrics as they function separately. In the conclusion, the two methodological approaches are synthesized to reveal the intertextual interanimation of the music and …

The Roman Catholic Ordinary Mass From Circa 1750 To Circa 1820: A Selected Bibliography, Letícia Gabriele Grützmann Januario

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Orchestrated masses from the 18th century and early years of the 19th century provide a valuable source of repertoire for contemporary choral conductors. This project will explore composers and works from circa 1750 to 1820 to provide choral conductors with a list of works suitable for programming based on the practical size of vocal and instrumental forces.

Western choral music was born in a church setting. Among all choral genres, the mass is the only genre composed throughout all eras, from medieval until the 20th century. The mass remained a prominent genre during the 18th century despite the secularizing influence …