Composing or arranging for orchestra is a skill which is hard to learn and hard to teach. Literature on orchestration is comprehensive in terms of rules of thumb and these heuristic tools are sometimes called principles of orchestration. However, a study of the literature on orchestration revealed that these 'principles' are not theories about the outcomes and effects of specific decisions made by composers. An exception is the work of George McKay who does indeed establish principles of orchestration to some extent. Granting a few exceptions, literature on orchestration takes as point of departure recommendations about techniques of orchestration and illustrates these techniques with analyses of existing compositions for orchestra. In this study I invert the approach followed in the literature and take music analysis as a point of departure for my study. I used an existing and conventional analysis of Claude Debussy's Syrinx for solo flute from the book Sonic Design: The Nature of Sound and Music by Robert Cogan and Pozzi Escot (1976) as context for my own analysis of Syrinx in which the less familiar type of analysis – the analysis of musical gestures and musical forces – can be understood. This analysis formed the basis for my orchestral composition titled Ananke which is based upon musical gestures from Syrinx. A reinterpretation of Cogan and Escot's analysis of Debussy's Syrinx enabled me to identify the musical gestures I used as a basis for my orchestral composition. Musical gestures are understood in this dissertation in terms of the theory of musical forces by Steve Larson. The objective in composing Ananke, based upon material from Syrinx by Debussy, is to explore different ways in which the musical gestures can be orchestrated in order to amplify the three musical forces namely musical gravity, musical magnetism and musical inertia. This process of composing the orchestral composition enabled me to construe principles of orchestration concerning musical forces and the different ways in which musical forces can be amplified. I found that the approach I followed in this study can indeed be employed in order to investigate and construe principles of orchestration, taking music analysis as a point of departure. This new approach to the study of orchestration opens up new possibilities in teaching and learning orchestration, as well as in composing or arranging for orchestra. / Thesis (MMus (Composition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Composing or arranging for orchestra is a skill which is hard to learn and hard to teach. Literature on orchestration is comprehensive in terms of rules of thumb and these heuristic tools are sometimes called principles of orchestration. However, a study of the literature on orchestration revealed that these 'principles' are not theories about the outcomes and effects of specific decisions made by composers. An exception is the work of George McKay who does indeed establish principles of orchestration to some extent. Granting a few exceptions, literature on orchestration takes as point of departure recommendations about techniques of orchestration and illustrates these techniques with analyses of existing compositions for orchestra. In this study I invert the approach followed in the literature and take music analysis as a point of departure for my study. I used an existing and conventional analysis of Claude Debussy's Syrinx for solo flute from the book Sonic Design: The Nature of Sound and Music by Robert Cogan and Pozzi Escot (1976) as context for my own analysis of Syrinx in which the less familiar type of analysis – the analysis of musical gestures and musical forces – can be understood. This analysis formed the basis for my orchestral composition titled Ananke which is based upon musical gestures from Syrinx. A reinterpretation of Cogan and Escot's analysis of Debussy's Syrinx enabled me to identify the musical gestures I used as a basis for my orchestral composition. Musical gestures are understood in this dissertation in terms of the theory of musical forces by Steve Larson. The objective in composing Ananke, based upon material from Syrinx by Debussy, is to explore different ways in which the musical gestures can be orchestrated in order to amplify the three musical forces namely musical gravity, musical magnetism and musical inertia. This process of composing the orchestral composition enabled me to construe principles of orchestration concerning musical forces and the different ways in which musical forces can be amplified. I found that the approach I followed in this study can indeed be employed in order to investigate and construe principles of orchestration, taking music analysis as a point of departure. This new approach to the study of orchestration opens up new possibilities in teaching and learning orchestration, as well as in composing or arranging for orchestra. / Thesis (MMus (Composition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om Dansrapsodie – ʼn Afrika-stad van Stefans Grové en Fanfare Festival Overture van Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph ten opsigte van struktuur, melodie, ritme en instrumentasie te ontleed en sodoende vas te stel watter Afrika-etniese elemente gebruik word en hoe dit toegepas is. ʼn Vergelykende studie is gedoen om vas te stel of daar enige ooreenkomste of verskille tussen die twee werke is. Verskeie skripsies, verhandelings en proefskrifte oor werke van Grové en Zaidel- Rudolph is geraadpleeg. Die skrywer kon nie gepubliseerde weergawes van Dansrapsodie – ʼn Afrika-stad en Fanfare Festival Overture opspoor nie, daarom is die ontleding met behulp van afskrifte van die handgeskrewe manuskripte onderneem. Daar is gereeld na die CD-opnames van albei werke (op die Claremont GSE-etiket) geluister. Die verhandeling bestaan uit ses hoofstukke. In die eerste hoofstuk word die agtergrond en motivering vir die studie uiteengesit en Hoofstuk 2 bevat kort biografieë van Grové en Zaidel-Rudolph. Grové se Dansrapsodie – ʼn Afrika-stad word in Hoofstuk 3 ontleed en verskillende Afrika-etniese elemente word beskryf soos wat dit van toepassing op die analise is. Zaidel-Rudolph se Fanfare Festival Overture word in Hoofstuk 4 op dieselfde wyse as Dansrapsodie – ʼn Afrika-stad ontleed. Die laaste twee hoofstukke (Hoofstuk 5 en 6) bevat ʼn vergelyking tussen die aanwending van Afrika-etniese elemente in die twee komposisies, asook gevolgtrekkings en voorstelle vir verdere studie. Die belangrikste gevolgtrekkings is die volgende: <ul> <li> Afrika-etniese elemente word in albei werke op só ʼn manier aangewend dat die komposisie vir ʼn Westerse orkes toeganklik is.</li> <li> In albei werke se struktuur word die roep-en-antwoord-beginsel en herhalende melodieë wat tydens elke herhaling effens gewysig word (permutasie) aangewend. Die melodiese inhoud word deur die mineur terts (ʼn interval van die pentatoniese toonleer) en twyfelagtige tonaliteite oorheers. Ritmiese ostinaatpatrone, die 12/8-metrum en poliritmiek in die Afrika-deel van Zaidel-Rudolph se komposisie bewerkstellig onmiddellik Afrika-etniese assosiasies. Die bongo-tromme en marimba kom in albei komposisies as Afrika-instrumente voor.</li> <li>Grové en Zaidel-Rudolph benader die aanwending van Afrika-etniese elemente in Westerse musiek op verskillende maniere.</li></ul> ENGLISH : The main objective of this study was to analyse the structure, melody, rhythm and instrumentation of Stefans Grové’s Dansrapsodie – ʼn Afrika-stad and Jeanne Zaidel- Rudolph’s Fanfare Festival Overture in order to determine which African ethnic elements are used in the two compositions and how these elements are applied. A comparative study was done to determine what the similarities and differences are between the two works. Several mini-dissertations, dissertations and theses about works by Grové and Zaidel-Rudolph were consulted. The author could not find published versions of Dansrapsodie – ʼn Afrika-stad and Fanfare Festival Overture, therefore the analysis was done with copies of the hand-written manuscripts. The author frequently listened to CD recordings (Claremont GSE label) of both works. The dissertation consists of six chapters. In the first chapter the author explains the background and motivation for the study and Chapter 2 contains short biographies of Grové and Zaidel-Rudolph. Grové’s Dansrapsodie – ʼn Afrika-stad is analysed in Chapter 3 and the different African ethnic elements that apply to this work are described. Zaidel-Rudolph’s Fanfare Festival Overture is analysed in Chapter 4, in the same way as Grové’s Dansrapsodie – ʼn Afrika-stad. The last two chapters (Chapter 5 and 6) include a comparison between the application of African ethnic elements in the two compositions, as well as conclusions and suggestions of topics for future studies. The most important conclusions are the following: <ul> <li> African ethnic elements are applied in such a way that both compositions are accessible for Western (“art music”) orchestras.</li> <li> In both compositions’ structure the call-and-response principle and repeated melodies (that are modified during each repeat) are applied. Both works’melodic content is dominated by the interval of a minor 3rd (an interval from the pentatonic scale) and an ambiguous tonality. Rhythmic ostinatos, the 12/8 metre and polyrhythm in the African part of Zaidel-Rudolph’s Fanfare Festival Overture immediately bring about African ethnic associations. The bongos and marimba as African instruments can be found in both works.</li> <li> Grové and Zaidel-Rudolph approach the application of African ethnic elements in Western art music in different ways.</li></ul> Copyright / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Music / unrestricted