In My Vicious Angel, wave-like musical time, with its rhythms, echoes and repetitions, is counterposed in both harmony and discord to linear narrative time, with its implied causality and its imperative need to subordinate the journey to the destination. In drawing on the tension between certain musical and narrative modes of address, the author has tried to foreground the volatility of time's relation to trauma and to memory. It is an anecdotal truism that in accidents, time slows down, emotion is suspended and sensory impressions acquire an extraordinary clarity and intensity. If traumatic incidents form a kind of rupture to the fabric of narrative time, how might this impact on the ongoing weaving of narrative? What kinds of rhythms, shock waves, stammerings result? Further, if the emotional charge of any event affects the subjective organisation of time, very quickly the tight weave of the linear narrative begins to resemble something more like beginners' macrame. If the writing has resonance, it does so because it finds a sympathetic emptiness, an echo chamber within the listener where the dialogue can move in counterpoint to lines of story already begun elsewhere which rub up against each other and whisper in the dark, travelling (like water, like memory) in waves. / Master of Arts (Hons)

Dom Stephen Moreno OSB (1889-1953) was one of Australia’s most respected and prolific composers of church music in the early twentieth century. He lived for almost fifty years in the Benedictine Community at New Norcia, WA, and composed 210 works, comprising over 1100 individual compositions and over 200 accompaniments to Gregorian chant. The majority of his output was in liturgical sacred music, including Masses, motets and Litanies, but it also included a significant quantity of secular vocal and instrumental music. Much of Moreno’s music was written for the Benedictine Community of New Norcia but he also composed liturgical music for the broader Australian church and secular music for the wider Australian community. Less than a quarter of Moreno’s music was published, and the vast majority of his output survives in manuscript at New Norcia. The purpose of the present study is to define the extent of Moreno’s output, to establish its chronology, and to examine the contexts and purposes for which he composed. This study has significantly added to and revised the findings of previous studies of Moreno’s music undertaken by Ros (1980) and Revell (1990) and supplies a revised biography. Approximately thirty-five percent of the works included in this study are identified and discussed here for the first time. Of the previously known works, Ros specifically dated less than one quarter and the present study refutes some seventy-four percent of Revell’s dates. Through the investigation of important primary sources, including the composer’s surviving correspondence and the Chronicle of the Benedictine Community, this study provides for the first time a complete chronology and contextual account of Moreno’s entire oeuvre. This has involved the cataloguing and indexing of over ten thousand pages of Moreno’s manuscripts and more than five thousand pages of his personal correspondence. This study has also identified a number of compositions unique to collections outside of New Norcia. While the primary purpose of this study has been to establish an accurate chronology and historical context for each work, the opportunity has also been taken to provide a preliminary assessment and discussion of Moreno’s musical style and compositional methods. Note: “Due to the inclusion of third party copyrighted material we are unable to mount the entire thesis. It can however be viewed at St Patrick’s Campus Library by prior arrangement.”

This doctoral essay examines the vocal solo and duet repertoire of Kenneth Mahy, an American composer of art song and choral music in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. By examining his songs, assessing their difficulty, and analyzing their texts, this essay establishes that Kenneth Mahy is a composer worthy of note. In addition, this study provides pedagogical observations and performance notes of his songs. Furthermore, this essay provides biographical information about Mahy, and examines how his training, education, military experience, and unique experiences as the son of missionaries in China and the Philippines, among other influences, have affected and shaped his compositions. Resources include source material gathered from Mahy's personal archives, manuscripts and scores, and personal interviews with Mahy. This information provides comprehensive insight into a unique and deserving composer of modern American art song.

The manuscripts and published editions of the sacred choral works by Belgian composer Joseph Jongen sacred choral music were collected and listed, detailing the discernable pertinent characteristics of each work. Jongen is predominantly known for his organ works, but his choral works constituent a worthy contribution to the vocal music repertoire, especially his Mass, Op. 130. Jongen's music reflects the Impressionistic style while stemming from the school of César Franck. Choral directors and other musicians interested in Jongen's sacred choral works can use this work when exploring new repertoire. A short overview of Jongen's life is included based upon the information given in John Scott Whiteley's comprehensive book, Joseph Jongen and His Organ Music. The conductor's analysis provides a complete description of the Mass, Op. 130 with rehearsal and performance considerations. Phrase analysis graphs enhance the written analysis, and a discography of Jongen's sacred choral music completes this work.

Roberto Gerhard was a twentieth-century Spanish composer known for his unique treatment of the twelve-tone system. A student of the Spanish nationalist composer, Felipe Pedrell in Barcelona and also a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg in both Vienna and in Berlin, Gerhard's musical trajectory led to a synthesis of these disparate compositional traditions. In this dissertation I will explore the development of Gerhard's compositional procedures. Here, his first string quartet, composed between 1950 and 1955, becomes a useful tool to illustrate how he made the transition from one musical style to another. Gerhard's first string quartet, composed between 1950 and 1955 exhibits various experimental formal procedures but is governed by a single twelve-tone row. The work is composed in the twelve-tone idiom, but nationalist elements decorate the musical surface. The first movement follows the classical model of sonata-allegro form, while mathematical proportions govern durations and formal elements in later movements. I will first investigate Gerhard's musical language and pitch material and then consider the challenges raised by implementing sonata form outside of a tonal idiom. I will then examine his unique mathematical approach to formal design in the third movement. In addition to the string quartet, I will explore Gerhard's treatment of form in such works as his Wind Quintet (1928) and Metamorphoses--Symphony no. 2 (1957-59). / text

While hundreds of operas were composed by American women during the twentieth century, very few people, even seasoned operatic performers and audiences, know of their existence. Most of these operas have not been performed beyond their regional or private premieres, and little is written about them in sources addressing the topics of women composers, twentieth century opera, or American opera. Therefore, those responsible for programming them in educational and professional opera companies have had limited exposure to these works. My focus is on ten composers and a total of nineteen of their operas, providing short biographies about these women (Joyce Barthelson, Mary E. Caldwell, Vivian Fine, Eleanor Everest Freer, Miriam Gideon, Libby Larsen, Mary Carr Moore, Julia Smith, Faye-Ellen Silverman, and Nancy Van de Vate) and entries for each of their featured works. These listings detail the resources required for programming the operas, such as the types of voices and instruments needed, as well as musical styles and salient features within the work. In addition to addressing the components of the operas as a whole, six arias extracted from the nineteen works are examined closely, illuminating common themes that unite these operas. Prejudices and stereotypes concerning the perceived inferiority of the creations of women composers have helped to keep these works unknown, but by making these operas more accessible, by analyzing their possible performance difficulties and by simply bringing these works into the light, it is hoped that they may have a greater chance of being performed and studied in the future. / text

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The purpose of this dissertation is to discover if Arturo Fuentes’ Primer Interludio incorporates a number of stylistic features typical of guitar music written by Mexican contemporaries from 1988 to 2003. These features include the use of complex musical notation, highly disjunct melodic contour, extended techniques, innovative timbres, rhythmic complexity, rapidly changing dynamics, atonality, percussive effects and repetitive rhythmic and/or melodic cells. As a point of departure a list of guitar works by representative Mexican composers was compiled. From this list the following works were chosen since they exemplify the stylistic trends I wish to highlight: Tres Instantáneas (1988) by Manuel Enríquez, Sonata (1992) and Elegía 2 (2000) by Hebert Vázquez, Haikus (2000) by Ana Lara, Sydolira (2000) by Gabriela Ortíz, and Impello (2003) by Francisco Javier González Compeán. By comparative analysis, I have associated certain stylistic features between these contemporary Mexican composers. I have been able to get a glimpse of some of the underlying stylistic unities found in these guitar compositions that seem rather separate. There are a number of stylistic features common to all of the composers discussed herein as well as few characteristics where only some of them converge. However, this research shows that Arturo Fuentes’ Primer Interludio is representative of several stylistic features commonly found in guitar music written by contemporary Mexican composers. There is a vast variety of Mexican guitar works created in recent years that remain unknown to today’s classical music world, academic community and general public. Mexico possesses a large repertoire of guitar works, music for solo guitar and guitar with a wide array of ensemble combinations from duets to large ensembles and guitar concertos. Many of these works would undoubtedly challenge a performer of the highest caliber. One of the purposes of this project is to promote contemporary Mexican classical guitar music. I hope to awake interest in this contemporary music style and encourage other musicians to include Mexican works in their concert repertoire.

Although Micheelsen is recognized in Germany as a distinguished composer involved with the "renewal and rejuvenation" of sacred music in the first half of the twentieth century, little of his music is known to American choral conductors. (Only two of his pieces are presently published in English by an American publishing company.) The purpose of this study is to document Micheelsen's role as a composer, performer and educator in Germany since the mid-thirties and to make a detailed study of the compositional style and technique used in his sacred choral works.Micheelsen's first creative period (1930-1945) developed from his experience as a student connected with the Singing Movement, the Schutz Movement, the Liturgical Movement and his work with Paul Hindemith. Although Micheelsen looked to the past for inspiration, he tried to imbue his music with the spirit of his own time. He continually stressed the need to look forward in art and welcomed new music that was stylistically compatible with older styles.The second creative period (1945-1973) shows the influences of the many new styles prevalent in Germany after World War II. These influences can be seen in Micheelsen's increased use of all twelve tones of the chromatic scale, an increase in his use of chromaticism and larger vocal ranges, and his experiments with serialism.Micheelsen carried on the developments of the renewal in sacred music as the Director of the Church Music School in Hamburg and as Department Chairman of the Sacred Music Department in the Hamburg Hochschule fur Music. Until his retirement in 1962, Picheelsen was a leader in the education of church musicians and in the rebuilding of musical life in Germany after.the Second World War.In all his creative work, Micheelsen maintained a commitment to a style of music which emphasized melodic (linear) elements as a basis for composition. He placed a great emphasis on the relationships of text and music. His technique recalls, but does not copy, the contrapuntal style of Renaissance vocal music and puts vocal technique at the center of all his music.

The purpose of this study was to document the compositional process of the American composer, Rene Clausen (b. 1953). The writer conducted three days of interviews with Dr. Clausen to discuss his compositional process in selected choral works. The discussion included Clausen's "creative impetus," and "compositional approach" to the elements of text, harmony, rhythm, melody and texture.The writer examined Clausen's thirty-three published choral works. Three works representative of his choral output were selected: "All That Hath Life and Breath Praise Ye the Lord" (1981); "0 Vos Omnes" (1986); and "Whispers of Heavenly Death" (1993). These works were selected upon the composer's recommendation as pieces which are representative of his choral style.Clausen's "creative impetus," his musical influences and motivation, form what he terms "deep background." This material, some learned, but most absorbed through various musical experiences and influences, is placed into a "big bin" from which Clausen draws when making compositional decisions.The text is the genesis of Clausen's process. When selecting texts, Clausen looks for ones that will evoke certain colors, nuances, or images.Clausen's second step is to absorb the meaning of that text. During this important absorption process Clausen develops an idea of what the character of the piece will be.The third step is the emergent process: generating thoughts about thematic material, intermittent ideas, textures, and transitional material which will be presented. Clausen manipulates the elements of harmony, rhythm, melody and texture to express the forms and images present in the text.An examination of Clausen's compositional approach to the following elements was conducted: HarmonyClausen's approach is extended diatonicism with traditional harmonic movement leading toward goal oriented harmony.RhythmClausen uses a variety of rhythmic approaches to express the text: mixed and asymmetrical meter, free unmeasured rhythm, and dove-tailing sections rhythm and metered music. MelodyClausen's approach is based upon the parameters within which he is writing and on the imagery present in the text. TextureClausen's approach is based on two aspects: the level of difficulty or level for which the piece is written and the images expressed in the text. / School of Music