As a composer, performer, and lecturer, Leonard Bernstein has long been a proponent of tonal music. This dissertation investigates tonal practice and style in a body of Bernstein's music with particular emphasis on the role of tonality in musical unification. Consideration is also given to other factors which are related to tonality, in particular, scales, chords, and harmonic progressions. / The six compositions studied in this dissertation form a representative cross section of Bernstein's music, both stylistically and chronologically. They are: I Hate Music!, Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, Five Anniversaries, On the Waterfront: Symphonic Suite, Chichester Psalms, and Mass. / A number of analytical systems have been drawn upon in this study, so it does not reflect one particular standardized approach. Terms and concepts have been appropriated from various sources as necessary for a better understanding of the music. / This study shows that Bernstein makes use of many techniques commonly associated with the twentieth century, including polytonality, planing, non-tertian harmony, and modality. The works studied are all clearly tonal, although there are frequent passages where the tonal implications are obscured by chromaticism or polytonality. Thus, while his compositions are conceived in tonality, Bernstein as a twentieth century composer is not limited to traditional tonal concepts and techniques. / In the works studied, tonality appears to be strongest as a factor for musical unification at the surface and immediate sub-surface levels. There is little indication of large-scale tonal unification. It is concluded that Bernstein's use of tonality in organizing small scale musical units broadens the accessibility of his music to include musicians and non-musicians alike. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-09, Section: A, page: 2690. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75392 |
| Contributors | MOORE, JAMES WALTER., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 173 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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