The notion of harmonic ‘function’ was introduced by Riemann in 1891 to describe aspects of tonal music, but, as musical language evolved, its meaning and application developed beyond the premise of tonality. This study re-evaluates the relevance of harmonic functionality for composers today, through a reassessment of what may constitute functionality in post-tonal music and a practical exploration of the concept in ten new compositions. The general openness of harmonic systems since the 1980s has led composers across a variety of aesthetic standpoints to often combine diverse types of harmonic material in one same piece; this thesis argues that, within such a framework, harmonic functionality is potentially an important instrument of coherence, strength and inventiveness in the musical argument. The first part examines the main terminology, including the notions of ‘harmony’, ‘post-tonality’ and the origin and development of the idea of ‘harmonic functionality’. Several composers and theorists are considered, with a particular focus on Riemann. The second part centres on the ten compositions, particularly on Nachtmusik, with both detailed and large-scale analysis aiming to clarify how each piece informed specific aspects of the study. For the sake of comparison, aspects relating to harmonic functionality in other composers’ work are also discussed, namely in Stravinsky’s Requiem Canticles and Adès’ Polaris and Tevot. It is concluded that harmonic functionality is generally related to formal functions, and that the combined action of pitch and other parameters establishes functional properties very much depending on musical context. Certain elements play a central role in the definition of functionality: 1) sense of direction; 2) recurrence and change; 3) hierarchy; 4) pitch polarity; 5) extra-musical meaning. The creation of harmonic functionality in post-tonal music is a problem which composers often deal with intuitively in their practice, and the notion is still frequently considered in a strictly tonal sense by theorists; through the clarification and discussion of the process in post-tonality, its potential is likely to be more fully explored, both theoretically and practically.

Moment Variations is a three-movement composition for chamber orchestra and chamber choir of approximately 21 minutes duration. The basis of this piece is compositional unity through variations technique, where the retained element of the theme is its structure or fixed-structure variations.The fixed-structure is a succession of six musical events, called moments, in the order: I II III II IV V III V VI, where moments II, III, and V are internally repeated and I, IV, and VI occur only once.

This study was undertaken to determine whether or not young childrens’ preferences for contemporary art music, through participation in a classroom music program emphasizing creativity, can be altered. The students participating in this experiment were the grade three class at Vancouver College, a private boys school in Vancouver, B.C., where the researcher was employed as music instructor for the 1969-70 school term. A music preference inventory was given to the students prior to initiating the classroom program. The inventory consisted of the following eight selections chosen by the researcher as representative of various twentieth century compositional styles: "Ionisation" - Edgar Varèse; "Akrata" - Iannis Xenakis; "Gesang der Jünglinge" - Karlheinz Stockhausen; "Visage" - Luciano Berio; "Le Marteau sans Maȋtre" - Pierre Boulez; "Piece for Four Pianos" - Morton Feldman; "Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op.16" - Arnold Schoenberg; and, "Cantata No. 1, Op.29" - Anton Webern. Students marked their preference on a graphic rating scale of five divisions. The researcher later superimposed a twelve-point scale over the test-scale, in interpreting the scores. Following this pre-test, the students participated in a twelve-week classroom music program which stressed rhythmic improvisation, composition in twelve-tone technique, percussion pieces, exploration of sound sources, etc. The program was designed by the researcher based on work by Carl Orff, Zoltan Kodaly, R. Murray Schafer, Peter Maxwell Davies, Richard Addison and George Self. At the end of the program the same preference inventory was again administered to the students as a post-test. Final scores were interpreted by means of a two-tail test. Only one selection showed a change in preference (in this case, an increase) at a statistically significant level of five per cent. Stockhausen's "Gesang der Jünglinge" attained a critical ratio of 5.34. Certain limitations were recognized: 1) the small sampling of students (twenty-two); 2) the relatively short duration of the experimental part of the study (twelve weeks), and 3) the lack of any control group. The researcher therefore concluded that, within the severe limitations of this study, his hypothesis was invalid: that participation in a classroom music program stressing creativity will alter a grade three student's preference for contemporary art music. / Arts, Faculty of / Music, School of / Graduate

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, 2001. / Lolu cwaningo kuhloswe ngalo ukweneka obala ukubaluleka komculo kaMasikandi kanye noweSicathamiya esikweni lesizwe samaZulu. Isahluko sokuqala-ke sichaza ngayo le njongo. Lapha kubuye kwenekwe nendlela ezosetshenziswa, okuwukuhlolwa kwamaBhuku athile aqukethe ulwazi olufanele. Kubuye kufakanwe imilomo nezinzululwazi ngomculo woMdabu. Kubanjwe izingxoxo nabaculi oPhuzekhemisi benoJoseph Shabalala, okuyibona abawumgogodla walo ucwaningo. Konke okwenziwayo kuhlahla indlela yocwaningo lonke. Isahluko sesibili sibheka umlando nobunjalo bukaMasikandi. Lapha kubhekwa umlando kaPhuzekhemisi, amaqembu ayizingqalabutho namaqembu abesifazane. Kubuye kubhekwe nemvunulo koMasikandi, izimfijoli zomculo kaMasikandi kanye nezinhiobo zezindikimba ezidingidwa koMasikandi. Isahluko sesithathu sibhekana nomlando weSicathamiya. Kubhekwa namaqembu azingqalabutho eSicathamiyeni. Kobuye kuhlelwe nomlando kaJoseph Shabaiala kanye naMambazo aMnyama. Isahluko sesine sicubungula isakhiwo sobunkondlo eculweni likaMasikandi neteSicathamiya. isahluko sesihianu sicubungula izinhlobo zamaculo kaMasikandi neSicathamiya. Lapha kubhekwa amacuio esililo, alandayo, amalirikhi njaio njalo. Isahluko sesithupha siqukethe ukuqhathaniswa kwamaculo, elikaMasikandi kanye neleSicathamiya. Lapha kuthathwa iculo elilodwa ezinhlangothini zombili, lihluzwe ngokupheleie njengoba kwenzeka enkondtweni. Kubhekwa inhloso, umqondo, imizwa nokunye okuphathelene nokuhiuza. Isahluko sesikhombisa sidingida ukufana kwengqikithi eculweni likaMasikandi neleSicathamiya. Lapha kuhlolwa izingqikithi ezifana nothando, inkolo, ukubulalana kwezombangazwe, uxolo, ukubuyisana, inhlonipho emakhosini kanye nenhlalo yesiNtu. isahluko sesishiyagalombili nokungesokugcina, siyisihlaziyo nesiphetho. Kulesi sahluko kwethulwa izincomo bese kusongwa lonke ucwaningo.

Kami is a two-movement composition for chamber orchestra. It is scored for two flutes; two Bb clarinets; bassoon; two F horns; Bb trumpet; bass trombone; a percussion section consisting of two performers alternating on triangle, suspended cymbal, three toms (low, medium, high), two timpani, and xylophone; piano; harp; and strings. The movements are approximately five and six minutes in duration, respectively, with a total duration of approximately eleven minutes. The title, Kami, is taken from the Japanese word for "god," and is meant to convey a sense of otherworldliness. This piece is intended as a fantasy for chamber orchestra, merging eastern and western musical influences.

This study is concerned with Michael Corrette (1709-1795) and his contribution to music pedagogy through seven of his extant string instrument treatises. Besides the translations from French into English, the dissertation includes an extensive commentary corroborating his information with ideas of other noteworthy, predominantly-French string writers of the period.

The traditional major-minor tonality and the means for its establishment have been developed and used for the last four centuries, until all the possibilities of musical ideas within the given frame of tonal coherence seem now to be exhausted. Today we see a violent change, affecting the basic vocabulary of music as well as musical grammar and syntax. The possibilities of the major-minor tonality seem to be overgrown and appear to be no longer sufficiently flexible to serve the creative spirit of present-day music as basis for musical expression. Thoughtful composers and theorists, however much they may differ in their background and in their attitude toward different traits of modern music, agree in the realization that musical composition is at a crucial point of development all of over the world.

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