The purpose of the study was to examine the musical methods used by Stephen Sondheim to create a sense of internal unity in scores that, because of the nature of musical theater, required diverse styles of composition and often involved extended periods of time between the occurrence of musical selections. This dissertation topic was chosen in an attempt to provide evidence of the utter sophistication with which Sondheim pursues his craft.The perspective taken was that of a conductor analyzing the scores as if in preparation for rehearsing the cast of a production. The assumption was that a more convincing performance would result from the performers' awareness of the devices used to achieve continuity from selection to selection.Findings1. In both scores, Sondheim employs ostinato, counterpoint, syncopation, and hemiola as primary rhythmic material.2. In both scores, Sondheim presents his primary motives at the beginning of the score and uses them exclusively to generate all melodic material in the work.3. Sondheim is consistent in his harmonic language, revealing a decided preference for extended diatonic and chromatically-altered chords. He uses simple, "pure" triadic harmony on relatively few occasions. He often uses his dense harmoric structures to reflect the tension inherent in the dramatic situation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/182041 |
| Date | January 1983 |
| Creators | Wilson, Stephen B. |
| Contributors | Ewart, Phillip S. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | iv, 129 leaves : music ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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