Mass/360 is computer music in the sense that the audio tape was realized with a computer language for digital synthesis. This tape is combined with traditional choral and instrumental forces, and demonstrates only one technique available for the use of computers in composition. The work displays a number of elements which afford both unity and contrast. The arch span of the whole is supported by timbral, melodic, rhythmic, and textural parameters. Recurring events include tone clusters, chant-like melodies, angular melodies, and counterpoint. Special vocal effects are found in all movements, and the large scale tonicizing effect of the movement from f to b-flat gives the composition a sense of direction over a long temporal span. The single pitch (doubled unison/octave) arises as the major event in the work, and other events are generated from this element. The use of different formal designs within each movement corresponds to the natural textual divisions found in the liturgy, and affords a contrast from one movement to the next. The relationship of the Gloria/Qui Tollis to the Sanctus/Benedictus, which is not a mirror relation, contrasts with the chiastic design of the whole. Traditional contrapuntal devices juxtaposed against contemporary vocal techniques and the use of diversified timbres from movement to movement add variety to the composition. Controlling parameters in the Mass are timbral, harmonic, textural, and formal. Rhythmic and melodic parameters are of surface importance, and not considered in the higher structural levels of the composition. This particular handling of musical parameters as elements of unification and diversification is the foremost structural force at work in Mass/360.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc331298 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Bales, William K. |
| Contributors | Latham, William P., Dworak, Paul E., 1951-, Killam, Rosemary N. |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | 1 score (xxxvi, 82 leaves), Text |
| Rights | Public, Bales, William K., Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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