MMus, Wits School of Arts, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 / This research report explores the compositional identity South African composers, mostly born after 1976, are constructing. I conduct a critical ethnographic micro study of the Wits Contemporary Performance Ensemble (WCPE), a group of young composers and performers dedicated to workshopping and performing new compositions. South African compositional identity is explored and problematised in Chapter 1, along with the identification of two schools or types of composition within South Africa. The history and formation of the WCPE is discussed in Chapter 2, while the third chapter draws on interview data to present and problematise the field in which young composers work, discussing a series of perceived ‘lacks’ that affect their ability to produce new music. The fourth chapter critiques and evaluates the progress the WCPE made, using Timothy Rice’s model of the Subject-Centered Musical Ethnography (2003), to interpret what the music of these young composers is saying about the time and place in which they live. The conclusion considers the impact the WCPE has had on young South African composers and the necessity of a group like this in the formation of a new South African compositional voice.

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

This study is unique as the basic research acknowledges the chorale prelude as a genre in South Africa. The compilation of a catalogue of organ chorale preludes by South African composers is also a first and important contribution to the knowledge of this genre. The history of the organ in South Africa is an integral part of this study and offers a background and context for the research on this specific category of music. Knowledge of the contributions to this genre in South Africa is however limited because the available literature on these topics is dated. Due to the restricted publishing opportunities in South Africa, works are unpublished or informally published and not re-printed or even published in other countries. All available literature was thoroughly researched whereafter there was a need to extrapolate the unsatisfactory data with the primary research. Many composers and organ specialists were approached and different library collections were consulted. The church plays a key role in the history of the organ in South Africa, and this results in the fact that most organ repertoire, by South African composers, is liturgical (church) music. Unfortunately, knowledge of early compositions is unknown and the first documented chorale preludes date from the late 19th and early 20th century. It is only since the middle of the 20th century that South African composers have been actively contributing to the genre reaching a climax during 2010 and 2011 when two volumes of chorale preludes were published by the Suider-Afrikaanse Kerkorrelistevereniging (SAKOV). 1170 Chorale preludes by 78 composers are catalogued with a chronological discussion of the key works, with reference to different styles and forms, as a well-developed genre. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Music / unrestricted