Parody is a concept central to much of the work of Peter
Maxwell Davies. In this study the First Fantasia on an In
Nomine by John Taverner, the Seven In Nomine, the Second
Fantasia on an In Nomine by John Taverner and the opera
Taverner are used as case studies of Davies' use of parody.
Three categories of parody are discerned: parody in its pre-Baroque
sense which entails the use of musical material from
pre-existing compositions; parody in its modern sense whereby
a particular work or style is imitated in such a manner that
the source is ridiculed or satirized; and the non-satirical
parody of compositional devices, forms or other features
characteristic of a particular musical period.
All four works examined in this study use the 'In nomine' by
the sixteenth-century composer John Taverner as a source of
pre-compositional musical material. Each of Davies' In
Nomine works is examined in detail and the composer's use of
the device and its function in each instance is discussed.
The chronological consideration of the In Nomine
compositions, and of Taverner in particular, reveals a
gradual change in the manner in which Davies employed parody
in his compositions. Attention is thus given to the
transition from the emphasis on parody in the Renaissance
sense to the emphasis on parody in its modern sense and it is
shown. that this transition clearly parallels the change that
was taking place within Davies' general compositional style
during the sixties.
In conclusion, some reasons for the predominant role played
by parody in Davies' output and the preoccupation with
musical materials derived from the pre-Baroque are suggested,
in order to show the relevance of Davies' use of parody
within a twentieth-century context. / Thesis (M.Mus.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1990.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/8891 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Pilkington, Shirley Anne. |
| Contributors | Smith, David. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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