This piece is a projection of my first transpacific flight experience, from Korea to the United States. Every flight is somewhat frightening and bizarre to me, but this long flight was quite exceptional. I used to be emotional, and a lot of anxiety and self-reflection possessed me. However, this time, crossing the vast indigo ocean, I almost burst into tears of loneliness and nervousness, thinking about my unstable life path and the land I do not know. However, this flight was too long to be fragile. I prayed, ate meals, searched for travel information, studied scores, watched movies, observed people, listened to the music and noise inside the airplane, and composed a new piece. After all, life went on, even at 36,000 feet in the air.

Please note: this thesis are permanently embargoed in OpenBU. No public access is forecasted for these. To request private access, please click on the lock icon and fill out the appropriate web form. / Klásma, meaning “fraction”, in Greek; the intent of this piece is to present how a piece of music can be put together with seemingly disjunct materials, yet sounding as a unified entity. / 2999-01-01

This thesis explores the composition Amorphous, a contemporary piece for string quartet. The composition aims to delve into the fluidity and dynamism of musical form, drawing inspiration from the concept of amorphousness—defined by its lack of a definite shape or structure. The composition fuses microtonality, traditional tonal references, and experimental timbral techniques to create an extraordinary soundscape. Drawing inspiration from Kaija Saariaho, Joshua Fineberg, and Chaya Czernowin, experiment with an 8-tone microtonal system that coexists with conventional tonal elements. The result is a seamless integration of both tonal worlds, producing unique harmonic textures and melodic lines. Amorphous is structured in four movements, utilizing the quartet as a single entity. The compositional techniques include glissandi, harmonics, and unconventional bowing methods, all of which contribute to a rich and varied timbre. These methods enable Amorphous to flow between different states, from smooth, fluid transitions to sharp, fragmented interludes. The final work was performed by MIVOS String Quartet.

A conversation you cannot hear explores one of my deepest musical fascinations - the ability of the human brain to follow multiple strains of activity and information at the same time. From the outset, there are two lines of musical thought presented - one begins as soft, warm, consonant harmonies in the strings and piano, and the other is represented by angular, shrill gestures in the winds and snare drum. This is not a peaceful coexistence, however. As the piece continues, the competing drives of these two musics bring them into more and more direct conflict, which gradually causes both of their identities to be compromised. Ultimately, this musical “battle” culminates in the deafening strike of a bass drum, which to me symbolizes the ramifications of this struggle: the infliction of an irreversible, critical harm that - not unlike the strikes of the hammer in the final movement of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony - smashes the structural integrity of both musics to dust and brings the processual progress of the piece to a brutal, abrupt halt.

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No description available.

The Akademi Seni Karawitan (ASKI), in Sukarta, Central Java, one of Indonesia's leading performing arts institutes, has in the last few years (1979-1985) been the centre of a radical experimental movement exploring and extending the resources of traditional gamaeln music (karawitan). The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse this development and resulting new works. The term used for the creative process and the resulting compositions themselves "komposisi", leading some observers to conclude that Western influence is a decisive factor. Closer investigation, however, raises important questions, e. g. Is the Western concept of "composition" compatible with traditional karawitan? Why are young Javanese musicians expressing their creativity in this way? The context of the traditional music system and recent cultural change which form the background to the experimental movement are examined in 5 preliminary essays. Chapters 2 and 3 cover physical resources (gamelan) and conceptual resources (karawitan) providing the point of departure for the young composers. The very different creative role of the "composer" in traditional karawitan is then outlined in Chapter 4. Recent changes affecting the traditional arts are examined in Chapter 5; and in Chapter 6, the aesthetic and artistic goals of ASKI's director S.D. Humardani are discussed, together with the initial steps in putting these into effect. In Chapter 7, the new creative process is examined, while in Chapter 8 twenty-one compositions are subjected to systematic analysis, making extensive use of written and recorded musical examples. Questions of form and structure are raised in Chapter 9; and in Chapter 10 six representative works are given in full, recordings being provided on cassette, and translated editions of the composers' original notations in an appendix. The problems of critical evaluation are raised in Chapter 11, which goes on to consider the implications of these new compositions in a wider context.

<p> Aaron Copland is one of the best-known composers from the United States and is often credited with creating a distinctly American style. As a 20th Century composer, he departed from traditional classical compositional techniques and made some contrasting choices of medium when considering ensemble. Copland is recognized for his writings for Orchestra, Film, Theatre, and Ballet, but also wrote chamber works that are both thoughtful and creative. The majority of his chamber works consist of pieces written for piano and voice, however he also used strings, clarinet, and in his later works, flute. </p><p> His last decade of works including one piece for orchestra, three piano pieces, and three chamber works that are flute centric. <i>Duo for Flute and Piano</i> and <i>Threnodies I and II</i> for Flute (Alto Flute) and String Trio were written within the span of three years, and are all written as memorials for others. The commonality a of flute in these pieces and in such close compositional proximity is an oddity when you consider his instrumental tendencies. This paper will examine Copland&rsquo;s compositional choices for <i>Duo</i> and <i>Threnodies I and II</i> and will consider the connection between writing memorials for others and his own mortality as influencing this late style.</p><p>

<p> Franz Liszt was a famed composer who broadened the boundaries of piano technique in the nineteenth century. One of his more popular compositions, the <i>Tarantella</i>, found in his <i>Ann&eacute;es de p&egrave;lerinage </i>, was published in 1861 within the collection <i>Venezia e Napoli </i>.1 Liszt admired melodies he heard during his travels in Switzerland and Italy and often arranged and composed from his ideas and experiences. Tarantellas were thought to be dances that were played by various musicians to influence dance and cure diseases. They are played at a quick tempo and contain a simple single melody with short repetitive patterns. The Italian-inspired <i> Tarantella</i> was similar to his other works in borrowing of melodies from other composers&rsquo; works. However, this piece is unusual. Although it is called a tarantella, it does not fully reflect the standard characteristics of a tarantella. Liszt&rsquo;s <i>Tarantella</i> is a folk-like dance with a fast-upbeat tempo in a traditional Italian style, but contains a lyrical section in the second half which he called Canzona Napolitana. This is a departure from the traditional form of a tarantella. This paper discusses Franz Liszt&rsquo;s compositional choices of style and organization in his <i> Tarantella</i> and how he altered the traditional tarantella folk-dance by including a Canzona Napolitana. Other tarantellas will be discussed to compare the similarities and differences between Liszt and other composers. </p><p>

Orientador: Edson S. Zampronha / Banca: Rodolfo Coelho de Souza / Banca: Marcos Pupo Nogueira / Resumo: Esta pesquisa objetivou a detecção de um eixo paradigmático na composição musical hodierna, focando os últimos vinte anos de produção intelectual do século XX. Embora as várias propostas de organização musical aqui retratadas se mostrem diferentes entre si, é possível observar características comuns entre elas. O conceito de referencialismo pode ser aplicado a várias das propostas composicionais estudadas. Há hoje, uma negação à idéia de que a música seja uma entidade independente e cujo significado repouse em si mesma. Ao contrário, considera-se que a música é um fenômeno complexo que existe sobretudo no momento da escuta. / Abstract: This research has aimed the detection of a paradigmatic axis in today musical composition, focusing the twenthieth century's last twenty years of intelectual production. However the diferences amongst various musical organizational propositions. However the diferences amongst various musical organizational propositions, it is possible to observe commom catacterístics among them. The concept of referecialism can be aplied to various studied composisitional propositions. There is, today, a negative idea about music as an independent entity of wich the deep meaning relies over itself. On the contrary, people considers that music is a complex phenomen that exists above all in the auditory reality. / Mestre