Thesis (doctoral)--Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, 1991. / Cover title: Orchester in der Oper. Includes bibliographical references (p. 401-413).

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF REBECCA L. NEWBURN, for the Master of Music degree in Theory/Composition, presented on May 2, 2015, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: DAYDREAM MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Armando Bayolo My final thesis is an approximately eleven minute work for orchestra. It can be viewed either as a single movement with three subsections, or a piece with three movements that are each performed without pause. Daydream should be viewed as programmatic, in that the idea for this piece comes from a dream experiment. Wishing to increase the frequency of my dreams, I chose an object on which to focus as I was attempting to fall asleep, hoping that this concentration would free my mind from other things and produce dreams. While my chosen object, a lava lamp, did not seem to bring about any dreams, I did realize that the slow build-up of heat and the eventual bubbling of wax could easily translate into a musical idea. There are four sections, loosely entitled "Daydream", "Awakening", "Nightmare" and a return to "Daydream".

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL, for the Master of Music degree in COMPOSITION, presented on MAY 7, 2012, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: ATROPHY FOR ORCHESTRA MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Frank Stemper In early 2010, I became inspired to compose a piece of music for orchestra. First, there were several items to consider. I had to decide whether to write for a rather large orchestra, a normal size orchestra or a smaller sized, chamber orchestra. Up until this point I had yet to write an orchestral composition. Indeed, there are multiple aspects to not only composing for a massive group of instruments, but also a way in which to treat methods of orchestration. For the purposes of this composition, I chose to utilize the forces found within a regular sized orchestra. Rather than using standard orchestral writing for the strings, I chose to use a method known as "divisi," an Italian abbreviation for the sub-division of the string section. Each string section (Violins, Violas, Cellos and Double-basses) are divided into multiple sections, thus creating a larger palette of timbres. Conceptually speaking, I was inspired by the idea of theme and timbre. I wanted to make timbres thematic. To begin the composition, the main theme is presented by a flute solo. Gradually, the remaining woodwinds along with the french horn section begin to "morph" the theme. Over the course of the composition, timbres in all three sections (woodwinds, brass, strings) begin to disintegrate the original theme presented by the flute. This is where the title "Atrophy" originated.

No description available.

Papaya Whip is an original composition for orchestra in one movement. The accompanying paper discusses the evolution of the piece followed by an analysis of the work in relation to temporal structure, pitch structure, and orchestration. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications and future projects.

towards silos and smokestacks takes its name from the Silos and Smokestacks Heritage Area. In 1996, the northeast third of Iowa became a federally designated heritage area to pass on the story of American agriculture to younger generations. I spent much of my childhood growing up in Iowa. On my many trips through the state, two contrary aspects in the surrounding landscape caught my fascination. First, there are the vast cornfields that expand outwards for miles fading off beyond the horizon. Second, this countryside is home to countless grain silos and billowing smokestacks of small Midwestern cities. These monoliths can be seen miles away like small islands within Iowa’s rolling agricultural oceans. As I drew closer to these structures, they would slowly grow into colossal pillars giving a vertical, albeit fleeting, dimension to the scenery before disappearing once again into the distance. This piece is an attempt to juxtapose this sense of vastness and the monoliths that interrupt the sprawling “amber waves of grain” through the use of spatial aspects and ever expanding register.

Trails by a River, for Large Orchestra and Electronic Sounds (MAX/MSP), is a work in which different compositional techniques come together. The work can be characterized as being in an eclectic style, involving aspects of practices such as micro polyphony, pointillism, spectralism, computer music, tonality, and other non-tonal categories. Although it cannot be referred to as a work that represents a style with a specific ethno-cultural background, the rhythmic foundations of certain parts are derived from some modern Afro-Brazilian folk genres, such as candomblé, mostly present in the Northeastern part of that country. The electronic part is conceived as a timbral extension of the orchestral sounds, and the MAX/MSP patcher used to generate it has a graphical interface that is designed to be a compositional tool. Hence, it can also be used for future projects. The overall formal design of the work can be described as being a multi-part form, with an almost continuous flow between the sections.

There is no abstract available for this thesis.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita.

D.M.A. Final project--Department of Music, Stanford University, 1999. / "The solo pianist must perform on a concert grand Yamaha Disklavier. The piano part is executed normally until m. 308, at which point the performer calls up a MIDI sequence ... to be executed by the instrument. The pianist re-enters in m. 408 and plays normally until the end. A floppy disk containing the MIDI sequence is available from the composer"--P. [1].