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This thesis explores musical form and examines the possible relationship between structures of mythology and musical form, especially with modern musical parameters in mind, all based on the ancient structures of myth. One method for working with musical form is also presented, which attempts to show how musical material can be transformed in the confines of this form template. The approach taken to study musical form and to understand and manipulate it in composition work in this thesis attempts to find patterns for musical form outside of established musical concepts. This thesis explores the structure of ancient mythology collected by the American writer Joseph Campbell and draws conclusions between that and musical form, which attempts to showcase the relations between traditional musical forms and ancient structures of myth, and also presents methods of working with these premises in contemporary music.

“I am the wife of Mao Tse-tung” is an aria from the opera “Nixon in China”, written by American composer John Adams in 1987. My interest in contemporary music is driven by the opportunity to engage directly with living composers and the modern relevance of the themes. While searching for a new audition aria, I discovered the role of Chiang Ch’ing, which suits my coloratura soprano voice. This prompted an in-depth study of her historical background, reversing my usual method of learning an aria. This approach allowed for quicker and deeper internalization of the role, demonstrating that understanding a character's context can enhance performance, even without personal empathy. This method improved my connection with the audience and enriched my overall performance. I plan to apply this approach to future roles, whether they are based on historical figures or fictional characters.