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Monolith: A Piece for Midi Piano, Mixed Sextet, and Fixed Electronics

Reference to a regular pulse is one of the most common ways of measuring time in music. As the basis for tempo, meter, subdivisions, and even formal symmetry, pulse, or the sonic articulation of regular units of time, is found throughout all levels of music. In this paper, I describe how I used a structure of twelve simultaneous pulses to compose "Monolith," a recent piece for MIDI piano, Pierrot ensemble, and fixed electronics. In the first chapter, I contextualize "Monolith" by briefly examining pulse's relationship to hierarchical structure in music and the possibilities for creativity in pulse-based hierarchical structures. In the second chapter, I analyze the use of pulse in Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians," György Ligeti's "Self-portrait with Reich and Riley (with Chopin in the background), and Conlon Nancarrow's "Study No. 36 for Player Piano." In the third chapter, I describe in detail the relationship between the twelve-pulse structure and the various movements that comprise "Monolith," focusing on the relationship between compositional freedom and prescribed structure throughout the work.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1011853
Date08 1900
CreatorsVaughn, Mark, 1987-
ContributorsMay, Andrew, 1968-, Nelson, Jon Christopher, Dworak, Paul E., 1951-
PublisherUniversity of North Texas
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatv, 129 pages : illustrations, music, Text
RightsPublic, Vaughn, Mark (Composer), Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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