In the Old Testament there are many references to musical instruments and each one performs its own specific function. Especially in the Psalms we come across quite a few musical instruments. What is very obvious is the vast amount of references to musical instruments in Psalm 150. In the entire Psalms the most references are made to musical instruments in Psalm 150. The question of this study is: What role did the musical instruments play in the composition of the Psalms? The many references to musical instruments in the Psalms are compared to the other references made to them in the rest of the Old Testament. The psalms in which the musical instruments are mentioned, are discussed and sheds light on how the musical instruments are dispersed in the Psalms’ composition. Recent studies on the composition of the Psalms are also discussed. Every musical instrument that occurs in the Psalms is discussed and with the help of iconographic illustrations it is shown how the musical instruments might have looked. A literary analysis of Psalm 150 helps to argue that this psalm is the final doxology and grand finalé of the Psalms. The studies about the musical instruments’ role in the Psalms shows that the musical instruments build up to a crescendo in the Psalms. The Psalms end with a tremendous grand finalé in Psalm 150. The Psalms is regarded in this study as a great musical composition (a symphony) and the entire symphony orchestra is spread throughout the whole of Psalms. At the end of Psalms the whole symphony orchestra plays together and every one and everything that is created by God is called upon to praise and worship the Lord. / Dissertation (MA (Ancient Languages))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Ancient Languages / unrestricted

The composer Stefans Grové not only contributed to South African art music but also achieved success in the field of literature. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between his prose and his music and determine the influence of word art on meaning in his compositions. The relationship between literature and music is explored as background to the investigation of Grové’s oeuvre. The role of music in Grové’s short stories and sketches is determined. It seems that music is not a significant theme of these tales but rather has a supporting function. In some stories music plays no role at all. However, these narratives do provide a great deal of biographical and cultural information. Word art is an essential part of Grové’s compositions and plays a key role in the determining and communication of meaning. His art reflects the variety of cultures native to South Africa. These cultural influences are manifested in his compositions and are reinforced by the accompanying word art. The need for a comprehensive biography about Grové’s contribution as academic, composer, critic and writer has been identified during the course of this study. / Dissertation (MMus (Music Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Music / MMus / unrestricted

The technique of twelve-tone serialism was developed by Schoenberg to give structure to atonal compositions. The writer was interested in the fact that Dallapiccola’s twelve-tone compositions, as with Berg’s, were easier received by the general public than the works of other serial composers of the time. The reason being that his twelve-tone rows contain tonal elements. The boundaries of the field of study were determined in chapter 1. Terminology and problems encountered with the study were also discussed. To be able to analyse the tonal aspects of Dallapiccola’s rows, the basic outlines of tonality were clearly defined in chapter 2. It was found that tonal suggestions could be achieved by means of using: * tones that form part of a diatonic scale, * explicit triads, * implicit triads, * scale constructions and * tones that outline the tonic. The different types of twelve-tone rows were discussed and illustrated by means of music examples in chapter 3. A list of published works as well as a short discussion of each composition followed in chapter 4. Mention was made whether a work was tonal, atonal or a twelve-tone composition and Dallapiccola’s use of serial procedures in each composition was discussed. Chapter 5 showed where and how the above criteria were used in his rows. The study thus provides evidence that Dallapiccola had tonal references in mind when planning the rows and that tonal suggestions are common in his works. The twelve-tone rows often employ three, four or five of the criteria of implied tonality in a composition. Of the five criteria, tones that form part of a diatonic scale was used the most. This was discussed with all the rows, except Il prigioniero (row of hope) and Cinque frammenti di Saffo’s first and second tone rows. Dallapiccola used tones to outline the tonic in thirty one twelve-tone rows. Implicit triads were used in all but six works. Scale constructions appeared in nineteen works and Dallapiccola’s love for using a few chromatic notes or three consecutive notes of the implied major scale became apparent. Explicit triads only appeared in thirteen compositions. In the other rows, Dallapiccola created a tonal sense by means of other criteria or had a more chromatic approach. Dallapiccola thus used tonal references in the tone rows of his serial compositions and showed that twelve-tone tonality could be used to create a lyrical idiom. In this way the people that were trained in the tonal school could also appreciate twelve-tone compositions. In the opera Il prigioniero, it is especially evident that the Italian tradition of lyricism and dramatic intensity do exist after verismo composers (Morris 1999:257). / Dissertation (MMus(Performing Art))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Music / unrestricted