Latest content added for UNT Digital Library Partner: UNT Librarieshttps://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/partners/UNT/browse/?sort=title&fq=str_degree_discipline:Composition&fq=str_degree_level:Master%27s2019-08-29T10:25:12-05:00UNT LibrariesThis is a custom feed for browsing UNT Digital Library Partner: UNT LibrariesAn Analysis of Du cristal…à la fumée by Kaija Saariaho and Axiom Unearthed, Original Composition2016-02-02T13:35:12-06:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc799510/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc799510/"><img alt="An Analysis of Du cristal…à la fumée by Kaija Saariaho and Axiom Unearthed, Original Composition" title="An Analysis of Du cristal…à la fumée by Kaija Saariaho and Axiom Unearthed, Original Composition" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc799510/small/"/></a></p><p>Beginning in the 1970s, and aided by the advancement and an increased prevalence of computers, spectral music emerged as an important development in twentieth century music. Spectral composers, as exemplified by Gérard Grisey and Tristan Murail, took the harmonic spectra of sounds as the fundamental materials of composition. The resulting music placed an emphasis on texture and gradually evolving forms. The generation of composers immediately following the spectralists assimilated their techniques into distinct and varying styles. Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho uses spectral techniques to create an aesthetic that generates form and progression from a sound/noise axis. In her piece Du cristal…à la fumée, a number of pendulum and half-pendulum gestures build up texture and form. The accompanying original composition Axiom Unearthed employs similar pendulum gestures and uses spectral techniques to generate melody and harmony in an aesthetic divergent from traditional spectral pieces.</p>'...and one of time.': A Composition for Full Orchestra with Narration2007-09-24T14:25:35-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2267/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2267/"><img alt="'...and one of time.': A Composition for Full Orchestra with Narration" title="'...and one of time.': A Composition for Full Orchestra with Narration" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2267/small/"/></a></p><p>‘...and one of time.' is a reinterpretation of a small musical moment from Philip Glass' opera, Einstein on the Beach, centered around the phrase "Berne, Switzerland 1905." This reinterpretation is realized through the use of several different compositional techniques including spectral composition, micropolyphony and dodecaphony, as well as the application of extra-musical models developed by Alan Lightman, John Gardner, Italo Calvino and Albert Einstein.</p>Animations: A Composition for Percussion and Computer Music on Tape2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500962/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500962/"><img alt="Animations: A Composition for Percussion and Computer Music on Tape" title="Animations: A Composition for Percussion and Computer Music on Tape" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500962/small/"/></a></p><p>Animations is a composition in six movements (Fish, Seals, Birds, Cats, Zebras, Snakes) for percussion and computer music on tape. One percussionist performs on various percussion instruments: two suspended cymbals, crotales, triangle, vibraphone, glockenspiel, marimba, three bongos, snare drum, field drum, large tom-tom, bass drum, kettle drum, temple blocks and vibraslap. The computer music on tape employs sampled sounds in a MIDI sequencing environment. The melodic and harmonic materials for the piece are derived from a matrix of twelve heptatonic scales. The individual movements are notated using both traditional and proportional notation systems. The score is 37 pages long with a twenty-two page analysis preceding the score. Animations is approximately nine minutes in duration.</p>“Before I Die…”: Original Composition with a Critical Essay Exploring the Techniques of Six Crossover Composers2015-08-21T05:42:39-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700012/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700012/"><img alt="“Before I Die…”: Original Composition with a Critical Essay Exploring the Techniques of Six Crossover Composers" title="“Before I Die…”: Original Composition with a Critical Essay Exploring the Techniques of Six Crossover Composers" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700012/small/"/></a></p><p>Candy Chang developed a public art installation where people are given the opportunity to write their answers to "Before I Die I want to ________." in a public space. I created one of these walls in Denton, TX and set it to music in a 12 minutes and 42 second piece titled Before I Die..., which combines elements of South Indian carnatic music, gospel, R&B, jazz fusion, and minimalism. The composition was influenced by the music of several crossover artists Becca Stevens, Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Nico Muhly, Poovalur Sriji, Tigran Hamasyan, and James Blake. Crossover music, fusion, and third-stream are all synonymous terms used to describe music where multiple genres or styles are authentically combined. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the balance of musical elements in crossover works as well as how specific works composed by the artists mentioned have influenced the creation of the Before I Die... piece.</p>Beneath the Dancing Moon: A Composition for Woodwind and Percussion Ensemble2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501224/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501224/"><img alt="Beneath the Dancing Moon: A Composition for Woodwind and Percussion Ensemble" title="Beneath the Dancing Moon: A Composition for Woodwind and Percussion Ensemble" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501224/small/"/></a></p><p>The composition is scored for the following instruments: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons and a large percussion section requiring 7 performers. Beneath the Dancing Moon is a programmatic piece in one movement form composed of 5 continuous sections. It depicts a night scene when the elves begin to dance beneath the moon. Later, the moaning ghosts from the dark forest and the witches with brooms come to join them. They dance furiously until the moon disappears, the sea stops dead and all the dancers suddenly vanish. The approximate performance time is 17 minutes.</p>Blueline Concerto: Critical Essay2014-04-23T20:20:45-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc283800/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc283800/"><img alt="Blueline Concerto: Critical Essay" title="Blueline Concerto: Critical Essay" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc283800/small/"/></a></p><p>The purpose of this critical essay is two-fold. First, the essay presents a detailed critical analysis of my original composition, Blueline Concerto for bass trombone and wind ensemble. Second, using Blueline Concerto, the essay presents preliminary findings of my study to develop an approach to composing that takes into account the musicians' health, specifically regarding noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Through various hypothesized composition- and orchestral-based approaches, I test effectiveness on changes in NIHL risk while also noting that artistic merit and compositional integrity is preserved.</p>Brass Band History and Idiomatic Writing in Brass Music2014-02-01T18:14:03-06:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271838/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271838/"><img alt="Brass Band History and Idiomatic Writing in Brass Music" title="Brass Band History and Idiomatic Writing in Brass Music" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271838/small/"/></a></p><p>The purpose of this research was to explore historical perspective of brass music. There is a brief history of brass bands in Britain. Furthermore, the paper examines the differences between two brass band pieces in the repertoire, A Western Fanfare by Eric Ewazen and Brass Symphony by Jan Koetsier. Both of these pieces were compared and contrasted against the author's newly composed work for brass, Two Companion Pieces for Brass Ensemble. The paper covers different techniques commonly used in brass writing and points these techniques out in all three pieces.</p>Breaking Through: A Composition for Symphony Orchestra2007-09-26T02:46:24-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3186/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3186/"><img alt="Breaking Through: A Composition for Symphony Orchestra" title="Breaking Through: A Composition for Symphony Orchestra" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3186/small/"/></a></p><p>Breaking Through is a single-movement composition for symphony orchestra based on a fourteen-note melody. Every harmonic and melodic figure except the bass line is derived from this source melody. The structure of the work is based on a number of musical dichotomies that work on both local and large-scale levels. The local dichotomies contrast consonance with dissonance and ambiguity with clarity (in respect to texture and rhythm). The dichotomy of two-part form versus three-part form and the dichotomy of simplicity versus complexity operate on the large scale. The unity lended by the single source melody coupled with the contrasts furnished by the aforementioned dichotomies allow Breaking Through to be both coherent and interesting.</p>Cēgə Trouhèst2018-12-19T09:11:21-06:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393740/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393740/"><img alt="Cēgə Trouhèst" title="Cēgə Trouhèst" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393740/small/"/></a></p><p>Cēgə Trouhèst is a three-movement work of about thirteen minutes duration. The text by the composer provides a vehicle for aural stimulation only. Cēgə Trouhèst is a continuum of resonances embellished by melodic and rhythmic passages. These embellishments along with other devices and the choice of instrumentation all contribute to the development of the varied timbres. The first two movements introduce the material to be employed in the third, which continues the idea of change exhibited in the text by modification and extraction. Timbre is the most important aspect of this work. It is exploited homophonically, contrapuntally, and through instrumental/vocal interchange and timbre modification of a single tone.</p>Chaos, Cosmos, and Communion: Three Movements for String Quartet2014-03-26T09:30:20-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278804/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278804/"><img alt="Chaos, Cosmos, and Communion: Three Movements for String Quartet" title="Chaos, Cosmos, and Communion: Three Movements for String Quartet" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278804/small/"/></a></p><p>The three movements of this piece are related proportionally in that movements one and two represent three-fifths of the length of the whole. Movement three represents two-fifths of the length of the whole. Another proportional relationship exists between movements one and two. Movement one represents two-fifths of the length of the first two movements, while movement two represents three-fifths of the length of the two. An additional link between the three movements is pitch content. Movements one and two have little in common in this regard, but movement three combines elements of the first two. The duration of the entire piece is approximately fifteen minutes.</p>Chronomorphosis2016-11-15T10:54:02-06:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc935705/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc935705/"><img alt="Chronomorphosis" title="Chronomorphosis" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc935705/small/"/></a></p><p>Chronomorphosis is a chamber ensemble piece for flute, clarinet, viola, cello, piano, and percussion. The work, comprising three movements is approximately fourteen minuted in duration. One of the most apparent characteristics of the work is its progression from non-metrical time organization involving aleatoric elements to metrical time organization involving changing meters but no aleatoric elements. The Pitch set is a constant element throughout the piece. The instrumentation selected exhibits a variety of color in all ranges: the flute in the upper register, the clarinet, viola, and vibes in the middle register, and the cello and the timpani in the lower register, the piano having access to all registers.</p>Clestrinye [El Carnaval del Perdón]: Traditional Rituals in Intermedia Composition.2009-05-11T20:08:24-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9041/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9041/"><img alt="Clestrinye [El Carnaval del Perdón]: Traditional Rituals in Intermedia Composition." title="Clestrinye [El Carnaval del Perdón]: Traditional Rituals in Intermedia Composition." src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9041/small/"/></a></p><p>In Part I of this thesis, I examine the use of Latin American rituals, ceremonies, and traditional folklore as conceptual and compositional material; studying and re-contextualizing concepts, cultures, and ideologies, and introducing them to foreign audiences. I explore issues such as laptop improvisation, interaction with other performance forces, and the utilization of the social elements of non-western celebrations, as explored in Clestrinye, a work for live and fixed electronics, mixed ensemble, dancers, and painters.</p>Clockwork Plums2008-02-15T15:12:04-06:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4534/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4534/"><img alt="Clockwork Plums" title="Clockwork Plums" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4534/small/"/></a></p><p>Based on a story by Joshua Forehand with additional lyrics by Joshua Bradford, Clockwork Plums is an original musical work that integrates techniques and ideas from composers and different cultures. The accompanying essay about the work includes a summary of the story, "Clockwork Plums," some historical background covering 30 years of pop music, an analysis focusing on the use of African and Reichian compositional devices, and discussion about controlled improvisation and use of the voice as compositional tools. The music consists of three sections scored for 5 voices (lead male vocalist and SATB), flute (doubling tenor saxophone), Bb clarinet (doubling baritone saxophone), violin, cello, piano, electronic keyboard, electric guitar, electric bass, drum set, and percussion.</p>Concertino for Jazz Clarinet, Electric Viola and Symphonic Orchestra2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500779/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500779/"><img alt="Concertino for Jazz Clarinet, Electric Viola and Symphonic Orchestra" title="Concertino for Jazz Clarinet, Electric Viola and Symphonic Orchestra" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500779/small/"/></a></p><p>Concertino for Jazz Clarinet. Electric viola and Symphonic Orchestra is a composition of approximately fifteen minutes' duration, and is scored for two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes, two Bb clarinets, two bassoons, four F- horns, two Bb trumpets, three trombones (third bass), two percussionists, solo Bb clarinet, solo electric viola and strings. The piece is divided into two movements; Andante and Canon. Concepts derived from jazz music are employed in, for example, harmony and improvisation in the solo parts, whereas the orchestration is mainly traditional. The piece is written for two great Swedish instrumentalists; Putte Wickman, clarinet, and Henrik Frendin, viola. Stylistically this work is difficult in the orchestral parts, since it uses concepts from two different musical styles, jazz and classical. Influences originate from such wide-ranging composers as Mozart, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Chick Corea.</p>Concertino for Tuba, Winds, and Percussion2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500331/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500331/"><img alt="Concertino for Tuba, Winds, and Percussion" title="Concertino for Tuba, Winds, and Percussion" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500331/small/"/></a></p><p>Concertino for Tuba, Winds, and Percussion is a work for solo tuba and an ensemble consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoon, four horns, two trumpets, two trombones, bass trombone, and three percussionists. The percussionists play small, medium, and large suspended cymbals, triangle, tam tam, metal wind chimes, five tom toms, snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, two sets of two timbales, five temple blocks, maracas, glockenspiel, vibraphone, chimes, xylophone, marimba, and five timpani. The three movements of the work follow the arrangement of the standard concerto format (fast-slow-fast). The lengths of the movements are approximately four minutes and fifteen seconds, two minutes and twenty-five seconds, and four minutes and ten seconds respectively. The total duration of Concertino is about eleven minutes.</p>Concerto for Piano, Winds, and Percussion2015-06-24T09:39:17-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc663153/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc663153/"><img alt="Concerto for Piano, Winds, and Percussion" title="Concerto for Piano, Winds, and Percussion" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc663153/small/"/></a></p><p>"Concerto for Piano, Winds, and Percussion" is, as the title implies, a piece which features the solo piano in combination with an ensemble of winds and percussion. The instrumentation of the ensemble is two flutes; oboe; two Bb clarinets; Eb alto clarinet; Bb bass clarinet; bassoon; two Bb trumpets; two F horns; two trombones; baritone; tuba; and a percussion section of three players playing timpani, tambourine, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, chimes, triangle, suspended cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, two bongos, and small woodblock. The major sections of the piece are distinguished primarily by tempo. The fast-slow-fast arrangement of those sections aligns it with the traditional concerto format. The piece is in one movement and is approximately twelve and one-half minutes in duration.</p>Contours2014-03-24T20:07:29-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278234/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278234/"><img alt="Contours" title="Contours" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278234/small/"/></a></p><p>Contours is scored for full wind ensemble and percussion, and is approximately nine minutes in length. The title refers to the way melodic shape or contour is used to create unity and variety in the piece.
Contours is a single-movement work containing three sections that are unified by thematic and harmonic materials. The melodic material is generated by three twelve-tone rows, which are then used in combination with freely composed material. The first and last sections are highly contrapuntal and rhythmically disjunct. Both sections share common rhythmic and melodic patterns. These sections are contrasted with a slower and more lyric middle section. This section is made of a series of episodes that create an overall A-B-A structure.</p>Cosmophonia: Musical Expressions of Astronomy and Cosmology2018-10-05T10:28:15-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1259404/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1259404/"><img alt="Cosmophonia: Musical Expressions of Astronomy and Cosmology" title="Cosmophonia: Musical Expressions of Astronomy and Cosmology" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1259404/small/"/></a></p><p>Astronomy and music are both fundamental to cultural identity in the form of various musical styles and calendrical systems. However, since both are governed by incontrovertible laws of physics and therefore precede cultural interpretation, they are potentially useful for insight into the common ground of a shared humanity. This paper discusses three compositions inspired by different aspects of astronomy: Solstitium e Equinoctium, a site-specific composition for four voices and metal pipes involving an inclusive communal musical ritual and sonic meditation; Helios, a short symphonic work inspired by helioseismology; and Perspectives, a piece for soprano and percussion based on a logarithmic map of the universe.</p>Critical Discussion of Pleroma: A Digital Drama and Its Relevance to Tragic Form in Music2011-05-04T13:11:57-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33228/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33228/"><img alt="Critical Discussion of Pleroma: A Digital Drama and Its Relevance to Tragic Form in Music" title="Critical Discussion of Pleroma: A Digital Drama and Its Relevance to Tragic Form in Music" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33228/small/"/></a></p><p>Pleroma is a digital drama: a work composed of digital animation combined with electroacoustic music, presenting an original dramatic narrative. Pleroma's dramatic elements evoke both the classical form of tragedy and the concept of perceptual paradox. A structural overview of the drama and its characters and a plot synopsis are given to provide context for the critical discussion. Analytical descriptions of Beethoven's Coriolan Overture Op.62 and Mahler's Symphony No. 9 are provided to give background on tragic form and Platonic allegory in music. An investigation into the elements discussed in the analysis of the instrumental works reveals several layers of possible interpretation in Pleroma. Dramatic elements allow for tragic narratives to be constructed, but they are complemented by character associations formed by pitch relationships, stylistic juxtapositions, and instrumentation. A copy of the dramatic text is included to supplement the multimedia production.</p>Critical Discussion of Pleroma: A Digital Drama and Its Relevance to Tragic Form in Music2015-03-08T22:24:40-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500424/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500424/"><img alt="Critical Discussion of Pleroma: A Digital Drama and Its Relevance to Tragic Form in Music" title="Critical Discussion of Pleroma: A Digital Drama and Its Relevance to Tragic Form in Music" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500424/small/"/></a></p><p>Pleroma is a digital drama: a work composed of digital animation combined with electroacoustic music, presenting an original dramatic narrative. Pleroma's dramatic elements evoke both the classical form of tragedy and the concept of perceptual paradox. A structural overview of the drama and its characters and a plot synopsis are given to provide context for the critical discussion. Analytical descriptions of Beethoven's Coriolan Overture Op.62 and Mahler's Symphony No. 9 are provided to give background on tragic form and Platonic allegory in music. An investigation into the elements discussed in the analysis of the instrumental works reveals several layers of possible interpretation in Pleroma. Dramatic elements allow for tragic narratives to be constructed, but they are complemented by character associations formed by pitch relationships, stylistic juxtapositions, and instrumentation. A copy of the dramatic text is included to supplement the multimedia production: http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33228/</p>Critical Essay and Musical Score Accompanying the Original Music Composition, "East is East, and West is West (and Never the Twain Shall Meet)"2019-08-29T10:25:12-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538813/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538813/"><img alt="Critical Essay and Musical Score Accompanying the Original Music Composition, "East is East, and West is West (and Never the Twain Shall Meet)"" title="Critical Essay and Musical Score Accompanying the Original Music Composition, "East is East, and West is West (and Never the Twain Shall Meet)"" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538813/small/"/></a></p><p>This document accompanies and explains the concepts used in the development of the composition, East is East, and West is West, (and Never the Twain Shall Meet). The process for generation and development of much of the musical content of the composition East is East, and West is West, (and Never the Twain Shall Meet) is the use of quoted musical materials. The second process, but equally as important, for development of the composition relies heavily on the idea of parallel development of modular ensembles and how the interactions created between them by sharing instrumentation can be a tool for development, as well as a challenge to the development of each module. Each module has an influence on at least one other module and is also influenced by at least one other module, creating a puzzle of interactions that must be navigated carefully when generating each individually. Both quotation and modularity are concepts employed by other composers, so this document also briefly explains how other composers have approached these concepts in their works in order to establish a historical relationship within the canon of western classical music to East is East, and West is West, (and Never the Twain Shall Meet).</p>The Crucifixion2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501140/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501140/"><img alt="The Crucifixion" title="The Crucifixion" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501140/small/"/></a></p><p>The Crucifixion, a composition for three vocal soloists, four-part mixed chorus, and instrumental ensemble, is a setting of passages taken from the four Gospels of the Holy Bible. It describes the mocking of Christ and includes the Seven Last Words of Christ on the cross. It uses serial technique in the structuring of pitches and rhythm. Special attention is paid in designing and combining pitch and rhythm to create monophonic, homophonic and polyphonic textures. Besides traditional performance techniques, the work employs some modern vocal and instrumental techniques.</p>As Darkness Falls: A Composition for Wind Ensemble2007-09-24T14:25:26-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2269/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2269/"><img alt="As Darkness Falls: A Composition for Wind Ensemble" title="As Darkness Falls: A Composition for Wind Ensemble" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2269/small/"/></a></p><p>As Darkness Falls is a composition that explores our interaction with several aspects of darkness through the use of musical imagery. The imagery attempts to reflect the moods, feelings, and impressions of a person as he or she interacts with darkness. The non-programmatic character of the composition allows listeners to superimpose their own experiences onto the musical tapestry in order to manifest a personal connection between the listener and the music. As Darkness Falls is a composition scored for a minimum instrumentation of piccolo, 6 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 bassoons, 9 B-flat clarinets, B-flat bass clarinet, 2 E-flat alto saxophones, B-flat tenor saxophone, E-flat baritone saxophone, 4 B-flat trumpets, 4 horns in F, 3 tenor trombones, bass trombone, 2 euphoniums, 2 tubas, timpani, and 4 percussionists. The music consists of three movements (slow-slow-fast) lasting a total of approximately seventeen minutes. The duration of each of the three movements is six minutes, four and one-half minutes, and six and one-half minutes, respectively. The document also contains an analysis of the work by the composer. The analysis explores the compositional style of the work, focusing on musical aspects within each movement that were governing parameters in the compositional process.</p>"Deborah": The Creation of a Chamber Oratorio in One Act2016-06-28T16:28:55-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc849726/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc849726/"><img alt=""Deborah": The Creation of a Chamber Oratorio in One Act" title=""Deborah": The Creation of a Chamber Oratorio in One Act" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc849726/small/"/></a></p><p>In comparing oratorio traits across history, three aspects of oratorio were found to be particularly applicable to the creation of "Deborah: A Chamber Oratorio in One Act." These aspects were: the selection of topic and the creation or adaptation of text; the differences between recitative and aria, in form and function; and the level of stylistic diversity within a given work.</p>The English Walnut Joke: A Composition for Dramatic Soprano and Band2017-11-05T14:55:47-06:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1038874/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1038874/"><img alt="The English Walnut Joke: A Composition for Dramatic Soprano and Band" title="The English Walnut Joke: A Composition for Dramatic Soprano and Band" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1038874/small/"/></a></p><p>The English Walnut Joke is a composition for concert band and dramatic soprano. The English Walnut Joke was based on a text of the same title by Alec Rowell and is divided into two movements with a total duration of approximately twenty-two minutes. The joke concerns itself with the dealings between a wood-chopper and a jongleur in medieval England and is related to the audience by a destitute factory worker (the dramatic soprano) in the early Industrial Age of that country.</p>EverWind: Original Composition and Analytical Essay on the Role of Inspiration and Nature in Music2019-08-29T10:25:12-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538726/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538726/"><img alt="EverWind: Original Composition and Analytical Essay on the Role of Inspiration and Nature in Music" title="EverWind: Original Composition and Analytical Essay on the Role of Inspiration and Nature in Music" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538726/small/"/></a></p><p>This paper provides an overview of the inspiration, research, and creative process involved in the composition of EverWind for orchestra and electronics. EverWind is based on field recordings from the American Southwest. The composition uses pitch material derived from spectral analysis of the recordings, and it incorporates a fixed media element using the field recordings that are then electronically manipulated to various degrees; this fixed media element is played alongside the orchestra. The paper also analyzes John Luther Adams' Dark Waves for Orchestra and Electronics and R. Murray Schafer's Music for Wilderness Lake in order to place EverWind within the broader musical context.</p>Evocative Foreshadowing: The Motivic Construction in "The Legend of Two Rings"2017-10-09T11:44:47-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1011770/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1011770/"><img alt="Evocative Foreshadowing: The Motivic Construction in "The Legend of Two Rings"" title="Evocative Foreshadowing: The Motivic Construction in "The Legend of Two Rings"" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1011770/small/"/></a></p><p>In this thesis, I demonstrate how I use leitmotif in a programmatic context in my original orchestral suite, The Legend of Two Rings.</p>Explorations: a Composition for Eighteen-Piece Jazz Ensemble2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500898/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500898/"><img alt="Explorations: a Composition for Eighteen-Piece Jazz Ensemble" title="Explorations: a Composition for Eighteen-Piece Jazz Ensemble" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500898/small/"/></a></p><p>Explorations is a three-movement experimental work for eighteen-piece jazz ensemble consisting of the following instruments: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, two tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, two trumpets, two flugelhorns, three trombones, bass trombone, electric guitar, vibraphone, contrabass, drums and piano. The duration of the work will approximate twelve minutes. The first movement features geometric configurations of spatially notated sound which emphasize percussive qualities of the ensemble (i.e. key clicks, tongue slaps, mouthpiece pops, etc.). Tone clusters of various pitch, texture and dynamics derived from blues scales provide the source material for the second movement. A slowly developing dynamic counterpoint creates the sound mass texture and delineates the form. Movement Three features a contrapuntal poly-metric collage of variations on a four-note theme. The collage provides the background fabric for an exchange of periodic and aperiodic events.</p>Extension2018-12-19T09:11:21-06:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393754/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393754/"><img alt="Extension" title="Extension" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393754/small/"/></a></p><p>Extension is a three-sectional, one-movement composition for orchestra exploring various permutations of a single motivic unit. The central priority has been to present this motive in a variety of textural situations with a harmonic accompaniment evolving from a macrotonal to a microtonal setting. Some of the devices utilized to realize this priority are mixed-instrument timbral combinations, tone clusters, multiphonics for brass and woodwinds, multiple stops for strings, and superimpositions of multiphonics. Extension is unique in two areas. First, the evolutionary progression from a macrotonal to microtonal harmonic texture is made possible by expanding the priorities of instrumental performing. Second, the use of multiphonics for full orchestra is unique to this work.</p>"Eyre," a Three Movement Instrumental Work for Small Chamber Ensemble2015-05-10T06:16:59-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc503921/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc503921/"><img alt=""Eyre," a Three Movement Instrumental Work for Small Chamber Ensemble" title=""Eyre," a Three Movement Instrumental Work for Small Chamber Ensemble" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc503921/small/"/></a></p><p>"Eyre" is a composition of approximately sixteen minutes duration for an instrumental ensemble consisting of two flutes, oboe, B𝄭 clarinet, bassoon, guitar, and cello. It is inspired by a large seasonal lake basin in South Australia of the same name. The piece is divided into three movements; the first is fast and quasi sonata-allegro form without the recapitulation; the second is slow and through-composed; and the third, essentially the missing recapitulation from the first movement. Much of the motivic material for the piece is derived from the initial progression of triads. Harmonic and melodic development of this material contains some modal tendencies. While the overall effect tends toward equal weighting of the instrumental forces, there is some featuring of the guitar and an interplay between the woodwind and string instruments.</p>Five Seasons: A composition for flutist and percussionist2007-09-25T22:20:25-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2842/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2842/"><img alt="Five Seasons: A composition for flutist and percussionist" title="Five Seasons: A composition for flutist and percussionist" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2842/small/"/></a></p><p>Five Seasons is a musical work for flute and percussion. The flutist alternately performs on the C flute with a B foot, alto flute, piccolo, and bass flute in each movement. The percussionist also plays different instruments in each movement: the vibraphone for Mid-Summer; the xylophone for Fall; the woodblock, temple block, and cowbells for Spring; the glockenspiel for Summer; and the marimba for Winter. The five movements of this work - Mid-Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer, and Winter - are based on a combination of Eastern performing practices with Western instruments. The musical characteristics are based on the techniques of fifteenth-century (e.g., isorhythmic technique) and twentieth-century Western music.</p>For Unto Us…2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501092/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501092/"><img alt="For Unto Us…" title="For Unto Us…" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501092/small/"/></a></p><p>For Unto Us is a one movement work for soprano and orchestra. The text, by the composer, describes the thoughts and feelings of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she watches the crucifixion. Mary's process of faith is traced through the sequence of dramatic events which proceed and follow the crucifixion. The work explores symbolic instrumentation, juxtaposition of harmonic languages, and extended techniques for performance and notation. The setting of the text combines traditional operatic idioms with new elements in the music. The duration of this dramatic, quasi-operatic scene is approximately nine minutes.</p>Forever's Silent Song for Chamber Orchestra and Mezzo-Soprano2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500386/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500386/"><img alt="Forever's Silent Song for Chamber Orchestra and Mezzo-Soprano" title="Forever's Silent Song for Chamber Orchestra and Mezzo-Soprano" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500386/small/"/></a></p><p>This work is a setting of two poems by E.E. Cummings for chamber orchestra and mezzo-soprano soloist. The approximate durations of the first and second movements are respectively seven and one half, and six minutes. The music was inspired by the poetry and attempts to highlight the cyclic syntax which hallmarks Cummings' style. The first poem ("pity this busy monster, manunkind,") presents a sarcastic analysis of the progress of society. The compositional techniques used in the first movement involve elements of ostinato and fragmented motivic development to punctuate the penetrating message of the poem. The second movement ("these children singing in stone a") offers a marked contrast in texture and is a peaceful resolution to the agitated frustration of the first poem. Chromaticism is an essential element in defining the melodic and harmonic style. The vocal writing is largely declamatory and presents the vocalist with challenges of tessitura, intervallic complexity and extended technique.</p>Fractus I for Trumpet in C and Electronic Sound: A Critical Examination of the Compositional Process2010-09-10T01:20:16-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28418/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28418/"><img alt="Fractus I for Trumpet in C and Electronic Sound: A Critical Examination of the Compositional Process" title="Fractus I for Trumpet in C and Electronic Sound: A Critical Examination of the Compositional Process" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28418/small/"/></a></p><p>Fractus I is a composition for trumpet in C and live electronic sound. The electronics were primarily created using SuperCollider, an environment and programming language for real time audio synthesis. This project investigates SuperCollider's pattern and task functionality as a means of supporting and enriching the compositional process. Fractus I develops several different code architectures in order to randomize as well as synchronize various musical elements. The piece exploits SuperCollider as both an audio synthesis tool and a performance conduit. Additionally, the nature of SuperCollider's patterns and tasks influences the form and content of the composition. The project underscores SuperCollider as a powerful, versatile and open-ended tool for musical composition and examines future directions and improvements.</p>The Full Armor of God2014-03-24T20:07:29-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278177/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278177/"><img alt="The Full Armor of God" title="The Full Armor of God" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278177/small/"/></a></p><p>The Full Armor of God is a musical composition based on the apostle Paul's comparison in Ephesians 6:10-20 between armor for physical combat and armor for spiritual warfare. The instrumentation consists of the following: oboe/English horn, bassoon, two violins, viola, cello, and bass. Texts on Roman armor as well as commentaries and sermons on the scriptures were consulted for the basis of the musical materials. The piece combines imagery and historical associations with abstract renderings of both the physical and the spiritual.</p>Germinal Ideas and Processes within plies (2002): A Chamber Work for Eleven Players2007-09-26T02:59:15-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3309/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3309/"><img alt="Germinal Ideas and Processes within plies (2002): A Chamber Work for Eleven Players" title="Germinal Ideas and Processes within plies (2002): A Chamber Work for Eleven Players" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3309/small/"/></a></p><p>The piece is a twenty minute work discoursing the integration and eventual dissolution of two separate musical strands. The pitch material of each strand is determined from synthetic scales whose intervalic content duplicates at the following intervals: Perfect 12th, Diminished 12th, Minor 9th, Perfect 8ve, and Major 7th. A proportional means of temporal compression is generated through the use of the factor, 11/15 (e.g. Event 2 is 11/15 the duration of Event 1). Various elements of jazz music informed the construction of plies, including the instrumentation of the ensemble and the means by which the performers interact throughout the piece. Internal cueing and performer decisions are meant to eliminate the need of a conductor in favor of increased interpretive freedom by the performers.</p>Gradual: A Sound-Based Composition for Tenor Saxophone and Fixed Electronics, with Critical Essay2019-08-29T10:25:12-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538746/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538746/"><img alt="Gradual: A Sound-Based Composition for Tenor Saxophone and Fixed Electronics, with Critical Essay" title="Gradual: A Sound-Based Composition for Tenor Saxophone and Fixed Electronics, with Critical Essay" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538746/small/"/></a></p><p>In the first half of the twentieth century, sporadic attempts of avant-garde composers to include sounds other than pitch in musical composition paved the way for the composers in the second half to embrace the sound of all types in their creative works. The development of technology since the mid-past century has facilitated composers' inclusive use of sound. The recent achievements in electronics and computers have led to cost-effective tools for today's composers to explore new possibilities in sound design and manipulation. Gradual for tenor saxophone and fixed electronics is primarily concerned with noise. Among the infinite possibilities of noise types, metallic sounds significantly contribute to the composition. The title of the piece refers to the compositional process in which the music progressively unfolds itself from the beginning to the end. The methods and strategies used to present the content give rise to a form I call accretion, described as an organic process by which the musical materials grow. Within the process, while established materials are interacting, combining, and forming layers, new materials may be incorporated and take part in the process. Throughout the composition, the interaction between sounds with common properties guides the music toward interactive unity, while the interplay between sounds with different characteristics forms a dialectical communication. The constant push-and-pull between the two states creates a restless tension throughout the composition. In the current version of Gradual, the audio signals from both saxophone and fixed electronics are transmitted to the same speakers, which helps coalesce acoustic and electronic sounds. The future prospect of the piece can involve real-time audio signal processing to manipulate the sound of saxophone. Adding the above feature to the current version will promote the unification of the two media into a single whole.</p>GranCloud: A real-time granular synthesis application and its implementation in the interactive composition Creo.2010-03-17T11:40:26-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12151/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12151/"><img alt="GranCloud: A real-time granular synthesis application and its implementation in the interactive composition Creo." title="GranCloud: A real-time granular synthesis application and its implementation in the interactive composition Creo." src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12151/small/"/></a></p><p>GranCloud is new application for the generation of real-time granular synthesis in the SuperCollider programming environment. Although the software was initially programmed for use in the interactive composition Creo, it was implemented as an independent program for use in any computer music project. GranCloud consists of a set of SuperCollider classes representing granular clouds and parameter objects defining control data for the synthesis. The software is very flexible, allowing users to create their own grain synthesis definitions and control parameters. Cloud objects encapsulate all of the control data and methods necessary to render virtually any type of granular synthesis. Parameter objects provide several simple methods for mapping grain parameters to complex changing data sets or to external data sources. GranCloud simplifies the complex task of generating granular synthesis, allowing composers to focus less on technological issues and more on musical considerations during the compositional process.</p>Grimaldi2018-12-19T09:11:21-06:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393729/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393729/"><img alt="Grimaldi" title="Grimaldi" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393729/small/"/></a></p><p>Grimaldi is a synesthetic work composed of aural and visual media including noise, tone, electronic devices, lighting and theatrical events. It is designed for solo saxophone with an accompanying ensemble of eight wind instruments and four percussion. The most important aspect of the piece is its texture, which consists of constantly changing and interacting aural and visual events. The compositional process of Grimaldi began with the selection of a form constructed of two equal arches of unequal subdivision, and the designation of texture for each section. After these selections were made, the theatrical elements were selected, based on a traditional story about the clown Joseph Grimaldi (1787-1836). By gradually refining these general selections into specific notation, and by considering them as a whole rather than individually, consistent relationships were maintained.</p>Haiku Seasons2007-09-25T21:23:00-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2695/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2695/"><img alt="Haiku Seasons" title="Haiku Seasons" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2695/small/"/></a></p><p>Haiku Seasons is a choral work that uses several haiku to portray moments in nature. Spread throughout the performance space, four choirs (SATB, 3/part) depict larger parts of the pastoral scene (i.e., mountains, the moon, etc.). Soloists depart from the choirs in order to perform solo, duo, trio, and quartet passages, which take place throughout the work. If enough singers are available, individual soloists may be used. The soloist groups display the more intimate moments of the scenes (i.e., sparrows, a blade of grass, etc.). The intent of Haiku Seasons is to create an image of nature isolated from human interaction. Thus, the image is a pastoral setting with many independent parts all coexisting in a relatively silent world. I combine aspects of tonality, time, space, and silence to create this image.</p>Hailstones and Birdcages for Wind Ensemble2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500256/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500256/"><img alt="Hailstones and Birdcages for Wind Ensemble" title="Hailstones and Birdcages for Wind Ensemble" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500256/small/"/></a></p><p>Hailstones and Birdcages is a composition of approximately thirteen minutes' duration and is scored for two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and english horn, three Eb clarinets, E clarinete, bass clarinet, two bassoons, two Eb alto saxophones, Bb tenor saxophone, three Bb trumpets, four F horns, three trombones, euphonium, two tubas, and three percussionists. Four instruments--one each of flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, and trombone--are used in concertante like fashion, and there are prominent solo passages for the first bassoon, as well. The work is a single movement in three sections, fast - slow - fast, with ritornello. and employs a free use of the total chromatic. Technically, the work is within the capabilities of an above-average high school or average college wind ensemble</p>Heart of the Fathers, for Wind Symphony2007-09-24T22:18:08-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2546/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2546/"><img alt="Heart of the Fathers, for Wind Symphony" title="Heart of the Fathers, for Wind Symphony" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2546/small/"/></a></p><p>Heart of the Fathers is a programmatic, seven movement work for wind symphony depicting my ancestors and their role as part of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The movements represent their spiritual experiences, labors, times of joy, persecution, migration, and finally their arrival and success in their new homeland.
The piece is organized in seven movements. Each movement represents a different portion of history leading to the western migration of my ancestors. The programmatic music contains a variety of symbols depicting the experiences of the pioneers.
In the paper, each chapter addresses an individual movement. For each movement, the following information is provided: the historical events that inspired the piece, the musical symbols that characterize the program, and an analysis of the function of the music.</p>House in Heaven2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500644/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500644/"><img alt="House in Heaven" title="House in Heaven" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500644/small/"/></a></p><p>House in Heaven is a theatrical piece for five solo voices (one soprano, two mezzo sopranos, one baritone, and one bass), two trumpets, four French horns, one trombone, two flutes, two clarinets, two bassoons, string orchestra, vibraphone, timpani and a synthesizer which produces pipe organ sound. The composition consists of an introduction followed by a single act in three Scenes. The piece employs the cyclical device in engaging themes associated with particular characters. The texture grows from simple alternating dialogues to arias and, finally, to tutti passages in which all voices are combined to form a quintet, at the climactic point of the entire composition, which occurs at the end of the piece. The scenes depict imaginary events in a Church and at a flower garden. Rear-stage slide projections are used to project the scenes of these locations, and lighting is used to emphasize actions, characters and changes of scene. The singers also serve as actors. The duration of this work is approximately 20 minutes.</p>Hymns to Inanna2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500257/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500257/"><img alt="Hymns to Inanna" title="Hymns to Inanna" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500257/small/"/></a></p><p>The poetry of Sumer, inscribed in cuneiform script on clay tablets dating from 2000 B.C., is considered humanity's earliest written literature. Hymns To Inanna is a three-movement, mixed media work based on adapted English translations from ancient Sumerian text. The text is sung by SATB choir and musically illustrated by harp, flutes, percussion, and computer-generated sound (on tape). My musical setting displays these hymns not as a reflection of antiquity but as a timeless expression of spiritual thought. Certain elements of the composition evoke associations with early culture and music. These components, however, are transformed or merged with musical characteristics of other eras, idioms, and forms thus representing a conceptual and stylistic "bridge" between past, present, and future.</p>Innocents Abroad: The Love Story of Mark Twain and Olivia Langdon2015-06-24T09:39:17-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc663648/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc663648/"><img alt="Innocents Abroad: The Love Story of Mark Twain and Olivia Langdon" title="Innocents Abroad: The Love Story of Mark Twain and Olivia Langdon" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc663648/small/"/></a></p><p>Innocents Abroad, a musical for the stage, deals with events in the life of Mark Twain, 1867-1869, particularly his courtship of Olivia Langdon and his efforts to establish himself as a writer. It emphasizes his struggle to be true to his individuality and outspoken honesty while trying to win "Livy," the product of the society he satirized and often condemned. The book, based on actual events, contains much of Twain's humor and wisdom. The vocal score is written in a contemporary style, for various vocal combinations, including full chorus and includes piano accompaniments and chord symbols for guitar and bass.</p>Just Intonation and the Revitalization of Neoclassicism: Three Works for Baroque Instruments2008-10-02T16:42:23-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc6113/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc6113/"><img alt="Just Intonation and the Revitalization of Neoclassicism: Three Works for Baroque Instruments" title="Just Intonation and the Revitalization of Neoclassicism: Three Works for Baroque Instruments" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc6113/small/"/></a></p><p>For a composer of today, the relationship between new music and music from many centuries past remains problematic. In order to create something new, it is necessary to go beyond previous techniques of composition in some way. At the same time, new music that has no connection with music of the past runs the risk of irrelevance. Just tuning offers one possibility for reconciling this problem. By effectively warping music of the past through the lens of altered tuning and contemporary composition techniques, music of the past may be understood in previously unknown ways. Part I, the critical essay, presents historical background and analysis of a cycle of three works in altered/just tuning. Part II presents scores of the works.</p>Ka: a Composition for Chamber Orchestra in One Movement2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500603/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500603/"><img alt="Ka: a Composition for Chamber Orchestra in One Movement" title="Ka: a Composition for Chamber Orchestra in One Movement" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500603/small/"/></a></p><p>Ka is a one movement composition for chamber orchestra consisting of three sections. The work's harmonic, melodic and rhythmic materials are derived from the Chinese I Ching ("Book of Changes"). The middle section was composed with the aid of a computer program written by the composer. The program generated the interval sequence arrays forming the harmonic basis for the piece. Ka is scored for flute, oboe, B𝄬 clarinet, bassoon, French Horn, trumpet, trombone, three percussionists, violin, viola, cello and double bass. The score is 62 pages with a 39 page analysis preceding the score. Ka has a duration of approximately 10 minutes with no pauses between sections.</p>Kidrish Fields2015-03-09T08:15:06-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500234/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500234/"><img alt="Kidrish Fields" title="Kidrish Fields" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500234/small/"/></a></p><p>Kidrish Fields, a pastoral fantasy, is scored for seven flutes, vibraphone, and cello. The duration of the work is eighteen minutes. The 62 pages which precede the musical score present a discussion and an analysis of the composition. The purpose of this project was to provide the composer an opportunity to apply polyphonic writing techniques within a score orchestrated for an ensemble of like instruments.</p>Kinetico for Chamber Wind Ensemble2015-05-10T06:16:59-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc504015/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc504015/"><img alt="Kinetico for Chamber Wind Ensemble" title="Kinetico for Chamber Wind Ensemble" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc504015/small/"/></a></p><p>This single movement work is written for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets in Bb, bass clarinet in Bb, 2 bassoons, alto saxophone in Eb, 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in Bb, trombone, euphonium, tuba, contra bass, and 3 percussion. The approximate length is eight minutes. Both traditional and proportional systems of notation are employed. The entire piece is freely chromatic with some implications of whole tone and other nondiatonic scales. The harmonies are tertian yet have no functional tonal basis. Changing meters with asymmetrical divisions are used in all sections except C and E, which have time indications (in seconds) for each measure with subdivisions to aid the conductor. There are seven major formal divisions: A B transition C retransition A' D E.</p>Land of Dreams2015-05-10T06:16:59-05:00https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc503895/<p><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc503895/"><img alt="Land of Dreams" title="Land of Dreams" src="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc503895/small/"/></a></p><p>LAND OF DREAMS is an opera in one act based on poems by the English poet William Blake. The work is for chamber orchestra, dancers, and an actor, as well as the vocal cast listed below. Cast of Characters Thomas Soprano The Father Baritone The Nurse Alto The Mother Mezzo Soprano The opera divides into eight sections with a total performance time of approximately forty minutes. Each section represents a different stylistic approach to the musical material. This juxtaposing of various styles is reflective of the eclectic nature of the text. The setting is England around 1800, the scene is a child's (Thomas) bedroom. All of the dramatic action takes place in this room in the various stages of the conscious (awake) and unconscious (asleep) states of the child's mind.</p>