The string quartet is one of the most important genre since the Classical period, especially beginning with the works of Joseph Haydn. The abundance of quantity and internal proficiency of the string quartet reach its highest point in late period of Beethoven¡¦s work. A few composers treated the string quartets as priority genre in their entire creative life before Bartók composed a series of six string quartets which included his musical thoughts and spiritual progression spreading in the different stages during his lifetime. The purpose of the study is to discuss the various characteristics in every stage creative processes and techniques of Bartók¡¦s string quartets. The discussion of this thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter one the background of twentieth-century such as global influence of politics, economy, arts activity. During the wars, Bartók concentrated on folk songs that is the most powerful change his career and influenced the way he composed. The discussions of the chapter two include the intergrade and combine folk songs of the Western traditional music and East Europe which occupied his great creative changes, and the differences of traditional string instruments usage. Chapter three elaborates the content of six quartets which is the manipulation of the logical and unity of Bartók¡¦s use of motive, theme, melody, interval, harmony or instrumental usage. Furthermore, a popular topic called golden section is introduced from those integral elements. Chapter four concludeds the study with the discussion of which the composer was under the influence of the music development in Hungary and his contribution to the history of western music. Not only Bartók¡¦s six string quartets are one of the most important works in twentieth-century string literature, but also they are continuation of Beethoven¡¦s late six string quartets. Bartók devoted himself to musical materials from Western and Eastern Europe. As this point of view, Bartók¡¦s six string quartets are the finest expression of his heart. No matter what composition skills he used or as a humanism, it is no doubt that Béla Bartók made his great contribution in the field of string quartets.

Hearing Vvices is a four-movement instrumental work for clarinet, violin, cello and piano. The title is a reference to both the formal structure and surface features of the music. Structurally, the piece resembles a rhetorical struggle between two distinct musical personalities: the serious and the light. In each movement and across movements, this juxtaposition is evident through sudden changes in tempo, mood, and musical character. In terms of surface features, the trajectory of the piece is best described as the eventual emergence of melody from a dense web of counterpoint and rhythm where, over the course of the movements, small melodic fragments are presented and quickly swallowed up by the surrounding texture. This changes in the final movement, where three of the four instruments join in a soaring melody over a troubled accompaniment, thus illustrating the apotheosis of the preceding musical struggle. / text

No description available.

One of the most fundamental computational problems in biology is that of inferring evolutionary histories of groups of species from sequence data. Such evolutionary histories, known as phylogenies are usually represented as binary trees where leaves represent extant species, whereas internal nodes represent their shared ancestors. As the amount of sequence data available to biologists increases, very fast phylogenetic reconstruction algorithms are becoming necessary. Currently, large sequence alignments can contain up to hundreds of thousands of sequences, making traditional methods, such as Neighbor Joining, computationally prohibitive. To address this problem, we have developed three novel fast phylogenetic algorithms. The first algorithm, QTree, is a quartet-based heuristic that runs in O(n log n) time. It is based on a theoretical algorithm that reconstructs the correct tree, with high probability, assuming every quartet is inferred correctly with constant probability. The core of our algorithm is a balanced search tree structure that enables us to locate an edge in the tree in O(log n) time. Our algorithm is several times faster than all the current methods, while its accuracy approaches that of Neighbour Joining. The second algorithm, LSHTree, is the first sub-quadratic time algorithm with theoretical performance guarantees under a Markov model of sequence evolution. Our new algorithm runs in O(n^{1+γ(g)} log^2 n) time, where γ is an increasing function of an upper bound on the mutation rate along any branch in the phylogeny, and γ(g) < 1 for all g. For phylogenies with very short branches, the running time of our algorithm is close to linear. In experiments, our prototype implementation was more accurate than the current fast algorithms, while being comparably fast. In the final part of this thesis, we apply the algorithmic framework behind LSHTree to the problem of placing large numbers of short sequence reads onto a fixed phylogenetic tree. Our initial results in this area are promising, but there are still many challenges to be resolved.

An original composition in one movement for a chamber octet comprised of a string quartet and a jazz piano quartet with tenor saxophone. The work develops an idée fixe, introduced in the opening bars, through a wide variety of transformations, textures, and styles. The two quartets begin in antiphonal alteration, united in thematic material, yet separated by style. A modern art music style contrasts with an improvisational jazz style. Gradually, the two quartets, and their concomitant musics, bleed into one another, breaking down stylistic boundaries. In the conclusion of the work, the idée fixe, the supplementary themes, and the two quartets coalesce into an organic sonic whole.

One of the most fundamental computational problems in biology is that of inferring evolutionary histories of groups of species from sequence data. Such evolutionary histories, known as phylogenies are usually represented as binary trees where leaves represent extant species, whereas internal nodes represent their shared ancestors. As the amount of sequence data available to biologists increases, very fast phylogenetic reconstruction algorithms are becoming necessary. Currently, large sequence alignments can contain up to hundreds of thousands of sequences, making traditional methods, such as Neighbor Joining, computationally prohibitive. To address this problem, we have developed three novel fast phylogenetic algorithms. The first algorithm, QTree, is a quartet-based heuristic that runs in O(n log n) time. It is based on a theoretical algorithm that reconstructs the correct tree, with high probability, assuming every quartet is inferred correctly with constant probability. The core of our algorithm is a balanced search tree structure that enables us to locate an edge in the tree in O(log n) time. Our algorithm is several times faster than all the current methods, while its accuracy approaches that of Neighbour Joining. The second algorithm, LSHTree, is the first sub-quadratic time algorithm with theoretical performance guarantees under a Markov model of sequence evolution. Our new algorithm runs in O(n^{1+γ(g)} log^2 n) time, where γ is an increasing function of an upper bound on the mutation rate along any branch in the phylogeny, and γ(g) < 1 for all g. For phylogenies with very short branches, the running time of our algorithm is close to linear. In experiments, our prototype implementation was more accurate than the current fast algorithms, while being comparably fast. In the final part of this thesis, we apply the algorithmic framework behind LSHTree to the problem of placing large numbers of short sequence reads onto a fixed phylogenetic tree. Our initial results in this area are promising, but there are still many challenges to be resolved.

Nigel (Henry) Butterley (b. 1935) is recognised as one of Australia??s foremost contemporary composers. His works span most compositional genres. By making a case for the value of sketch study in the process of musical analysis, the principal purpose of this thesis is to augment understanding of Butterley??s music and in particular, his compositional processes and procedures through the various stages of the genesis of a composition, from the sketch to final score. Butterley??s string quartets, composed between the years 1965 to 2001 provide the basis for this study; these works are contextualised and examined to illustrate his approach to composition in microcosm and also his individual style within the genre of string quartet writing. This study focuses on the examination of preliminary sketches, drafts and holographs, as well as the scores of the completed works. Initially, analysis is based on preliminary sketches; this will be augmented by a formal analysis of the completed works. Traditionally, formal analysis deals with the final product, something that has been created, and in a sense, views a work retrospectively. Sketch study, in contrast, examines the work as it is being created and is concerned with the attendant compositional issues and choices available to the composer and the processes followed as he or she creates the composition. The current work will identify significant common features in all the string quartets, and will trace Butterley??s compositional trajectory through these works demonstrating that individual characteristics of Butterley??s style, emergent as early as 1965, continued to be utilised in 1995 and remain present in the Bagatelle of 2001. That these characteristics remain present in a minut?? is significant, in that the Bagatelle may be seen as a microcosm of the writing style evident in his larger works. This thesis will demonstrate that sketch study and formal analysis may interact in order to provide a more comprehensive interpretation of a composer??s work and enrich the understanding and appreciation of the compositional process and the final product, ultimately impacting on the realisation of a composer??s work through performance.

abstract: ABSTRACT &eacutetudes; written for violin ensemble, which include violin duets, trios, and quartets, are less numerous than solo &eacutetudes.; These works rarely go by the title "&eacutetude;," and have not been the focus of much scholarly research. Ensemble &eacutetudes; have much to offer students, teachers and composers, however, because they add an extra dimension to the learning, teaching, and composing processes. This document establishes the value of ensemble &eacutetudes; in pedagogy and explores applications of the repertoire currently available. Rather than focus on violin duets, the most common form of ensemble &eacutetude;, it mainly considers works for three and four violins without accompaniment. Concentrating on the pedagogical possibilities of studying &eacutetudes; in a group, this document introduces creative ways that works for violin ensemble can be used as both &eacutetudes; and performance pieces. The first two chapters explore the history and philosophy of the violin &eacutetude; and multiple-violin works, the practice of arranging of solo &eacutetudes; for multiple instruments, and the benefits of group learning and cooperative learning that distinguish ensemble &eacutetude; study from solo &eacutetude; study. The third chapter is an annotated survey of works for three and four violins without accompaniment, and serves as a pedagogical guide to some of the available repertoire. Representing a wide variety of styles, techniques and levels, it illuminates an historical association between violin ensemble works and pedagogy. The fourth chapter presents an original composition by the author, titled Variations on a Scottish Folk Song: &eacutetude; for Four Violins, with an explanation of the process and techniques used to create this ensemble &eacutetude.; This work is an example of the musical and technical integration essential to &eacutetude; study, and demonstrates various compositional traits that promote cooperative learning. Ensemble &eacutetudes; are valuable pedagogical tools that deserve wider exposure. It is my hope that the information and ideas about ensemble &eacutetudes; in this paper and the individual descriptions of the works presented will increase interest in and application of violin trios and quartets at the university level. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Music 2011

A relação de Georg PhilippTelemann (1681-1767) com o gosto francês remonta ao início das atividades musicais do compositor, com ponto alto em sua viagem a Paris (1737), se estendendo até o final de sua vida. Esta pesquisa investiga as categorias de quartetos setecentistas a partir das definições de Scheibe (1740) e Quantz (1752), traçando o percurso dos gêneros e estilos nos quatuors de Telemann - com ênfase nos Nouveaux Quatuors (Paris, 1738). Este trabalho dá especial atenção ao estilo de conversação, ou diálogo - mencionado por Brossard (1708) e Mattheson (1739) - em contraste com os quartetos sonata em estilo contrapontístico anteriores. No que se refere ao estilo, caráter e função (delectare), o gênero de conversação encontra eco nos textos franceses setecentistas que tratam da arte da conversação galante em voga nos salões franceses no séc. XVIII. Propõe-se estudar mais profundamente os gêneros e estilos nos quartetos de Telemann, abordando desde seus primeiros, não publicados, a suas últimas coleções (publicadas em Hamburgo e em Paris), a fim de investigar como o compositor foi gradativamente desenvolvendo novas maneiras de compor a 4. / The relationship of Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) with French taste goes back to the beginning of the composer\'s musical activities, with highlight on his trip to Paris (1737), to the end of his life. This research investigates the categories of eighteenth-century quartets starting from Scheibe (1740) and Quantz (1752) definitions, tracing the route of genres and styles in Telemann\'s quatuors - with emphasis to Nouveaux Quatuors (Paris, 1738). Special attention is given to the conversational style, or dialogue - mentioned by Brossard (1708) and Mattheson (1739) - in contrast to the previous quartet sonatas in contrapuntal style. With regard to the style, character and function (delectare), the conversation genre is echoed in eighteenth-century French texts dealing with art of gallant conversation in vogue in the French salons in XVIII century. It is proposed to study more deeply the genres and styles in Telemann\'s quatuors, analyzing from his first, unpublished, to the latest collections (published in Hamburg and Paris) in order to investigate how the composer was gradually developing new ways of composing for 4 voices.

We discuss the behavior of air lenses in lens design. The structural aberration coefficients of a thin air lens are derived and compared with their glass thin lens counterpart. Examples are provided for a telephoto lens and the Monochromatic Quartet where air lenses or aspheric surfaces are used.