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This thesis consists of an original composition and an analysis of it. Scored for a small orchestra, the Camerata is approximately 16 minutes in length. The analysis deals with general matters of structure as well as details of harmonic organization that play a specific and prominent role in this work. The piece is to be perceived in four integrated sections. Each section has its own characteristics. However, the sequence from one section to another is functional, so that the piece would not work if the sequence of sections were arranged differently. Section B develops the thematic material of section A. Section C is an outgrowth of section B because of the exchange of the dynamic and static aspects pertaining to harmony and melody. Moreover, as a unifying element, these two central sections show tonal tendencies. Section D rounds off the piece with a concealed texturally decreasing formal design, which balances the crescendo and texturally increasing overall shape of the first section.

Vicissitudes is a composition for orchestra with a duration of approximately 13$ sp prime$ 30$ sp{ prime prime}$. The main idea of the piece, the subdivision of the orchestra into small soloistic groups along with larger ensembles, was inspired by the principles of one of the Baroque forms, namely the Concerto Grosso.

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This project consists of two parts. The first part is a composition for orchestra of approximately thirteen minutes in duration. The second part, an analysis of the work, describes the music in terms of its form, harmony, rhythm and orchestration. / The piece can be considered as a free rondo in the sense that it does not necessarily follow the usual plan of the classical rondo. This particular composition sometimes displays two verses in a row, thus trying to introduce some new ideas into this very old type of musical form. / In terms of harmony, the work deals with two basic categories of chords. First, some chords are designed as to show different ways of combining together the two whole-tone scales. Second, the chords sometimes mimic the behaviour of the harmonic series by using a decreasing sequence of harmonic intervals from the lower register to the upper register. / The rhythms of the piece mainly follow Olivier Messiaen's theory of added durations. / Finally, the orchestration aspect basically shows examples of chords which are held still in a certain number of voices while they are slightly ornamented by other voices in the orchestra. This device has simply been named the technique of "simmering sound".

"Mudra" is the transliteration of a Sanskrit word meaning "symbol" or "gesture". This piece is inspired by the interaction of thoughts, breathing patterns, spontaneous bodily movements and sensations which can occur during the yogic practice of 'pranayam'. The work is written for flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, four violins, two violas, two cellos, and two double basses. / The piece is divided into twelve sections, clearly delineated by changes in harmony, texture, meter, and registration. As the music unfolds, seven rhythmic cells and four fixed-pitch collections provide the basis for rhythmic and harmonic development, or variation. Elements such as solo melodic lines, melodies dynamically doubled at varying intervals, polyrhythm, isorhythm, heterophony, timbral modulation, and metric modulation are used in an attempt to generate a satisfyingly rich musical experience.

This dissertation consists of two parts. Part One is a written text which defines compositional processes and provides an analysis of the musical material incorporated in weight, my composition for orchestra. Part Two of the dissertation comprises the musical score for weight. / weight is a nineteen-minute composition for symphonic orchestra [2222, 4231, piano, percussion (2 players), timpani, strings (16,14,10,10,8)] which attempts to exploit the various allusions conjured up by the title. The term "weight" implies lightness or heaviness which can be applied to various musical elements (e.g., where a chord is "heavier" than the previous, a rhythm is becoming "lighter," etc.). weight is an attempt to remove the subjectivity surrounding the use of this type of terminology by measuring and developing certain musical elements in a logical and elegant manner. / Following an introductory chapter, the written text focuses on three main components. Chapter Two deals with the harmonic component of weight, first, describing how the harmonic language for the composition has been constructed, followed by a detailed explanation of how the harmonies are given numerical "weights," and subsequently how they are manipulated in the composition. Chapter Three defines and numerically calculates subsidiary elements such as rhythm, orchestration, and a formal element identified as temporal splicing. Chapter Four reveals the overall form of weight , and illustrates through a series of sectional analyses how each subsidiary element interacts with one another in each formal region. The fifth chapter concludes the written text, summarizing the paper and considers future uses of the compositional and analytical methods introduced in this paper.