Gilgamesh is a dramatic solo for contralto. An unusual feature of this project is the composition of two separate and distinct versions of the instrumental accompaniment. One version is for a large concert band with an expanded percussion section and is almost fourteen minutes in length. The other version is for a small ensemble consisting of piano, percussion (xylophone, 4 tom-toms and miscellaneous instruments) and prepared tape. It is eleven minutes in length.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

This study examines the history of the French solo, Ravel's influences,and the characteristics and relationships of his own music.

The three recitals consisted of performances of original eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century solo works for trombone with the exception of Lyric Suite for Euphonium and Piano by Donald White, Divertimento for Trumpet, Trombone and Piano by Boris Blacher, and Dialogue and Dance for Trombone and Tuba by Newel Kay Brown. The premiere performance of Straight As An Arrow for B-flat-F Trombone and Prepared Tape by Ronn Cox and Dean Crocker was also included. After presenting a brief biography and discussing Gordon Jacob's (1895-1984) stylistic influences, the lecture continues with a Tonal, Motivic and Formal analysis of his three works for solo tenor trombone: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra, Concertino for Trombone and Wind Orchestra, and the Trombone Sonata. Tonality, modality, polymodality and free association of pitches are elements that are present at one time or another in these compositions. Jacob's inclination for using the folk song style is evident in his writing, especially in the slow movements. Introductions, transition areas, and secondary themes, with tonally ambiguous harmonies and instrumental concepts of melodies, create a tension that is released by the return to tonality in the areas that follow. Treatment of rhythmic and melodic motives helps produce the special quality found in Gordon Jacob's compositions. Over half the themes in the works being investigated are built around motivic development. Neoclassicism results from the use of forms rooted in earlier centuries, but the choice of key centers gives these forms a new life. Jacob's composition of absolute music, as well as his use of the older compositional techniques of parallel harmonies and slow introductions, reflect neoclassical practices. The performance of Jacob's pieces is facilitated by his use of musical materials idiomatic to the instrument.

Terra Mirabilis is a three-movement musical composition for symphony orchestra with piano solo inspired by natural landscapes photographed by the composer. The three movement composition and its corresponding landscapes portray three times of a day: early morning (I. The Mists), evening (II. Oceanus), and late night (III. Nocturne). Each chapter is devoted to the discussion of one movement, wherein overall concept and form are addressed, followed by detailed analyses of harmonic structure, motivic and thematic development, orchestration, and representational elements. As a complement to the score and the text, a CD-R audio recording of orchestral mock-ups accompanies this dissertation.