When one realizes how little the harp of the 1700's had advanced from its Biblical predecessors, its neglect by such masters as Bach, Haydn, and Beethoven does not seem remarkable. Why should a serious composer waste his time in writing for an instrument with no facilities for modulating, an instrument the weak tones of which would be lost in an orchestra?

1 Abstract This Master's thesis presents the first look into the music of Scottish-Czech composer Geraldine Mucha (1917-2012) which has never been subject to academic study before. I characterize her compositional style and musical language, as well as their development over time, by analyzing four orchestral compositions written between the 1940s and 1980s - Overture to Tempest, Piano Concerto, Suite from the ballet Macbeth and John Webster Songs. In the thesis, I am also introducing the - in Czech musicological context entirely unknown - discourse on the issue of musical analysis of pieces written by women composers and I critically explore its different strands of thought. When possible, I examine the selected pieces by using Ellie M. Hisama's theoretical model which claims that in women's music, evidence may be found that provides information about their specific female experience in the patriarchal world.

The dissertation consists of two parts: (1) the essay and (2) the composition. The essay elucidates the composer's creative process of the orchestral works, The Heidegger Collection. The Heidegger Collection has five movements. The titles of each movement are derived from the key philosophical concepts from Heidegger's most significant writing, Being and Time: (1) State-of-Mind, (2) Idle-Talk, (3) Moment-of-Vision, (4) Dread, and (5) Being-towards-the-End. The essay discusses the meanings of the five concepts, and explains how I express my reaction to Heidegger's thinking through music composition. The essay also discusses the essential musical language of The Heidegger Collection, such as interval cycles, polyrhythmic patterns, algorithmic elements, portamento effects, chaos theory, and oriental influence.

According to the American League of Orchestras' most recent report, Michael Daugherty is one of the ten most performed American composers of concert music in modern times. He has received six GRAMMY awards, including awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2011 and 2017. Characteristics of Daugherty's music are diverse: colliding tonalities and blocks of sound, driving polyrhythmic counterpoint, and jazz and pop elements. His music can be minimalistic at times and at others, stirringly melodic. Amongst this eclecticism, a fascination with American iconography remains a consistent hallmark of his music, exemplified by titles such as American Gothic, Jackie O, or Lost Vegas. Daugherty has stated that his goal is to create sophisticated, abstract music that is also catchy or memorable, with melodies and cultural allusions that audiences can "hang their hat on." Despite widespread success, relatively little scholarly work has been done on Daugherty's music, providing an opportunity for further research. The primary goal of this study is to add to the literature on Michael Daugherty by providing an analysis and conductor's guide of his first choral-orchestral work, Mount Rushmore. It is a genuine show piece, galvanizing and colorful, modestly demanding of the listener, and appreciated by individuals of diverse musical backgrounds. The work also contains multitudes, offering layers of musical complexity and extensive historical symbolism for those who wish to engage further. Daugherty's Mount Rushmore offers immediate appeal and an excellent return on investment. Using interviews with the composer as well as detailed formal, harmonic, and historical-textual analysis, this paper provides in-depth information and guidance to future conductors who wish to present an appealing choral-orchestral work by a prominent, living American composer. Conductors who program Daugherty's Mount Rushmore will find it valuable for their ensemble and community for years to come.

Noted for both vocal and symphonic output, Gustav Mahler's musical sophistication constantly puzzled scholars in the past decades. In his symphonic works, the mixed forms and styles in combination with the vocal influence make it abstruse for listeners to detect the meaning of the use of traditional instruments. The solo violin, which has an extensive history of appearing in symphonic compositions since the Baroque era, is an instance of a traditional instrument given an unusual function. For instance, Mahler's violin solos do not tend to showcase the virtuosity of the instrument as they normally do in orchestral music. In order to closely examine the role of the solo violin, I rely on aspects relating to introversive semiosis such as harmonies, rhythms, textures, phrase structures, and forms; then my focus shifts to extroversive semiosis, specifically to topics and contextual factors. By considering the violin as a musical sign, listeners can comprehend the instrument's structure, syntax, and ultimately the complex logic of Mahler's musical discourse.

"Movements -- homage to Joseph Haydn" is commissioned by Dr. Helmut Sohmen, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn. It is premiered by the Anton von Webern Orchestra of the Universitat fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien in Vienna on 28 November 2009. The Asian premiere is performed on I February 2010, by the orchestra of the Academy of Performance Arts of Hong Kong. / During the past two centuries, music has developed from classical to romantic, and to contemporary; orchestra size from thirty musicians to a double or even a triple; from simple harmonic structures to complicated; from tonal to atonal; from sound to silence; from resonance to dissonance and noise (or some people say it in the other way round); and lastly, from Haydn to contemporary composers (including Tang!!). In "Movements -- homage to Joseph Haydn", inspired by Haydn's simplicity, several excerpts are taken from Haydn's works, small as just a tiny fragment or large as an original quotation. It aims to strive for a balance between the shifting of Haydn's style and Tang's, giving a mix of classical and modern flavor. It shows changes from the modern to the classical Haydn, then back to the modern, like a scene of time line. Movements is presented in one continuous movement, with four distinct sections: I. Before "Sunrise"; II. Franz Joseph Haydn; III. After "The Lark"; and IV. Adagio e cantabile. / I. Before "Sunrise" begins in a rather slow but ongoing tempo, creating a blurred atmosphere; not really a descriptive scene before a real sunrise. It aims for a feeling of leading-to, moving towards the string quartet "Sunrise" by Haydn. Although nothing from Sunrise has been used, the musical ideas are taken from the works before it. The piccolo leads the start with a series of acute repeated notes, which create the vague sounds of the minor 7th and the major 9th intervals with the repeated pattern in the trumpets and the piano. The figures are then followed by the other main element: the long sustained chords, which are recurred frequently throughout the whole section. The long chords echo in the orchestra, and sustain with inner-movement shifting among different groups of instruments, in varying registers. When the repetitions and the long sustained chords get merging together, the repeated figures gradually become transparent, and transform into a dominant one. Without any pauses, the repetitions naturally turn into the second section and fill into its harmony. / II. Franz Joseph Haydn has a quoted passage from Haydn's String Quartet No. 61 "Fifth" in D minor op. 76 no.2, also presented in the solo strings, with accompaniment of the tutti strings and harmonic support from the winds. The second section differs from the misty first; the quotation itself is clear and with varying developments afterwards. / III. After "The Lark", a fast section, has a quoted passage from the last movement of Haydn's String Quartet No. 53 in D major "The Lark" op.64 no.5. Short scale figures are used in a simple phrase structure. The changing texture is important so as to maintain the direction and progression of the section. Starting in the woodwind section, each phrase is designed to keep a common factor of spinning up and down, and spiraling among the entire ensemble. Layers with different fragmented materials are added onto the top like a multilayer cake. Together with numerous contrapuntal shifting, where two or three different textural ideas move at the same time, new but related ideas (scale figures) are kept being created. It is like putting hundreds of images of one single object together onto one single screen, with images taken in different angles, different time and different perspectives. Within the screen, uncountable colorful details are kept, with chemical effects. / The first theme of the second movement of Haydn's Piano Sonata no.59 in E flat major is collaged with the last section, IV. Adagio e cantabile. Sustained chords are built to proceed alongside the theme, in a way of fading in and out alternatively. The finale aims for a conclusion of the whole piece, bringing Haydn to modernity. Both subjects are like representing two different times from two different spaces, recurring in the same moment and on the same platform. / The instrumentation of Movements consists of pair winds (with the exception of an extra bass clarinet and four horns), percussions, piano and strings. In order to pay tribute to Haydn's string quartets, the first and third sections are entitled after two famous quartets: String Quartet No. 63 "Sunrise" in Bb major op.76 no.4 and String Quartet No. 53 in D major "The Lark" op.64 no.5. The strings are sometimes divided into a solo group of quartet versus the tutti strings, implying a string quartet solo with orchestra accompaniment. Adagio e cantabile, the title of the last section, is a tempo marking taken from a slow movement of a Haydn's Piano Sonata no.59 Hob. XVI: 49 in Eb major, where the sonata was also partially used in a 1994 movie "Interview of the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" . In general, the tempo structure is simply set in a form of slow-fast-slow, as III. After "The Lark" is a comparatively faster section than the other three. Gestures from Haydn's string quartets are used as reference. For example, simply chords, scale pattern, repeated notes and simple phrase structure, are constructed as the foundation of Movements . These gestures are designed to be presented in varying ways such as variations, augmentation, amplification, and compression. / 1. Movements: homage to Joseph Haydn, for orchestra -- 2. Falling up, for string quartet and suona -- 3. Distorted indulgence, for clarinet, electric-guitar, cello, contrabass, piano and percussion (all amplified) -- 4. It is what it is! for sheng and chamber orchestra (1 clarinet in Bb, 1 bass clarinet in Bb, 1 soprano saxophone in Bb, 1 alto saxophone in Eb, 1 horn in F, 1 tuba, 1 violin, 1 viola, 1 cello, 1 piano, 1 percussion) -- 5. Chao, for suona and Chinese orchestra -- 6. Dragon-lantern, for 9 suonas and Chinese orchestra -- 7. Clarin and Tim, for Bb clarinet, tenor timpani and concert timpani. / Tang, Lok Yin. / "(December 2009)"--Abstract. / Adviser: Wai Kwong Victor Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-03, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (D.Mus.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

The giving tree : for soprano, tenor, violin, cello and piano / text by Shel Silverstein -- Duo 《琴笙曲》 : for 2 harmonicas -- Clarinet duet : for clarinet and live electronics -- Playing game : for orchestra -- Sculpture II 《浮塑二》 : for pipa and Chinese orchestra -- Volcanicity 《原・始》 : for sheng and Chinese orchestra. / The giving tree : for soprano, tenor, violin, cello and piano / text by Shel Silverstein -- Duo "Qin sheng qu" : for 2 harmonicas -- Clarinet duet : for clarinet and live electronics -- Playing game : for orchestra -- Sculpture II "Fu su er" : for pipa and Chinese orchestra -- Volcanicity "Yuan, shi" : for sheng and Chinese orchestra. / Tang Lok-yin. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Librettos (1st work) in English ; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter Composition 1 --- "The Giving Tree for Soprano, Tenor, Violin, Cello and Piano" / Chapter Composition 2 --- Duo (琴 II 曲〉 for 2 Harmonicas / Chapter Composition 3 --- Clarinet Duet for Clarinet and Live Electronics / Chapter Composition 4 --- Playing Game for Orchestra / Chapter Composition 5 --- Sculpture II {{214753}塑二〉 for pipa and Chinese Orchestra / Chapter Composition 6 --- Volcanicity 《原´Ø始）for Sheng and Chinese Orchestra

Prelude -- 星 : 女高音獨唱、混聲合唱團及鋼琴 = Star Suite : for soprano solo, SATB choir and piano -- Temptation. / Prelude -- Xing : nü gao yin du chang, hun sheng he chang tuan ji gang qin = Star Suite : for soprano solo, SATB choir and piano -- Temptation. / 2nd works derived from five poems written by Prof. Yu Kuang-chung (余光中). / 2nd works derived from five poems written by Prof. Yu Kuang-chung (Yu Guangzhong). / Wong Nga Yin. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Librettos (2nd work) in Chinese with English translation ; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.ii / Table of Contents --- p.iii / Chapter 1. --- Prelude -for String Quartet --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- 《星》tar Suite --- p.20 / Chapter (I) --- "《送別》<Farewell> -for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass choir and Piano" --- p.25 / Chapter (II) --- 《孤星》<The Lonesome Star> -for Soprano Solo and Piano --- p.32 / Chapter (III) --- "《新月和孤星、》<The New Moon and The Lonesome Star〉 -for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass choir (Acappella)" --- p.36 / Chapter (IV) --- 《流星》<The Shooting Star> -for Soprano Solo and Piano --- p.41 / Chapter (V) --- "《對語》〈Diabgue〉 -for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass choir and Piano" --- p.46 / Chapter 3. --- Temptation -for Orchestra --- p.55 / Appendix Authorization E-mail of the Poems

Alien-colour : for woodwind quintet -- Two bagatelles for the solo piano -- Duodecat : for large ensemble -- Moonlight : for solo voice and percussion -- Activation : for orchestra. / Yang Jin Fong. / "June 2004." / Thesis (D.Mus.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Die-bleibende Stadt : Quintet für fünf Bläser Nr. 1, op. 27 -- La nuit et l'extra-terrestre : Deuxième Poéme Symphonique pour Orchestra à vents, op. 28 -- Requiem no. 1 for solo soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, bass, off-stage instruments, organ, double mixed chorus and orchestra, op. 30 -- 3 duets of strings, "Information Engineering", op. 31. / Lam, Wang Kong. / Durations: 8 min.; 8 min.; 70 min.; 8 min. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves ). / Lyrics of 3rd work in Latin; abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Die bleibende Stadt: Quintet fur funf Blaser Nr. 1，Op.27 --- p.1 / Programme notes --- p.2 / Score --- p.3 / "La nuit et I'extra-terrestre : Deuxieme Poeme Symphonique pour Orchestre a vents, Op.28" --- p.9 / Programme notes --- p.10 / Score --- p.11 / "Requiem no. 1 for solo soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, bass, off-stage instruments, organ, double mixed chorus and orchestra, Op.30" --- p.39 / Programme notes --- p.40 / Score: / Chapter I. --- Introit --- p.44 / Chapter II. --- Offertorio --- p.72 / Chapter III. --- Sanctus --- p.102 / Chapter IV. --- Pie Jesu --- p.121 / Chapter V. --- Agnus Dei --- p.126 / Chapter VI. --- Lux aetema --- p.137 / Chapter VII. --- Libera me --- p.141 / Chapter VIII. --- In paradisum --- p.171 / "3 Duets for strings, ""Information Engineering´ح, Op.31" --- p.184 / Programme notes --- p.185 / Score: / Chapter I. --- Fourier Transform --- p.186 / Chapter II. --- Cryptography --- p.188 / Chapter III. --- Information Theory --- p.190