Download Compositional Intent: A Presentation of Original Music

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
ScholarWorks@UARK
Music Undergraduate Honors Theses
5-2016
Compositional Intent: A Presentation of Original
Music
Daniel R. Key
University of Arkansas
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/muscuht
Part of the Composition Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Music Performance Commons, and
the Music Theory Commons
Recommended Citation
Key, Daniel R., "Compositional Intent: A Presentation of Original Music" (2016). Music Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 4.
This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Music
Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Music
CompositionalIntent:
APresentationofOriginalMusic
AnHonorsThesissubmittedinpartialfulfillment
oftherequirementsforHonorsStudiesinMusicComposition
By
DanielRyanKey
Spring2016
MusicComposition
J.WilliamFulbrightCollegeofArtsandSciences
TheUniversityofArkansas
1
Themusictobepresentedinmycompositionrecitalandthesisdefensespansmostof
mycareerattheUniversityofArkansas.“GAIA”isthesecondproductofmypersonalstudy
withDr.RobertMueller(beginninginFall2014),whosegentlenudgespushedmetoexplorea
widerfacetofcompositionthanIhadpreviouslyknown.Thefinalworkoftheprogram,
“Hours,”ismymostrecentcomposition,andwillbereceivingitsworldpremiere.Whilethese
piecesarebutasampleofmycompositionaloutput,Ibelievetheybestrepresentmy
compositionalgoalsandskills.
Afewcommonalitiesexistwithintheseworks:whiletheywereallwrittenatthe
UniversityofArkansas,theywerealsowrittenexclusivelyforUniversityofArkansasperformers.
“Writingwhatyouknow”mightbeapopularclichéforauthors,butitcanleadtostagnationfor
composers;writingforwhomyouknow,however,ismorelikelytocreateperformances—the
breadandbutteronwhichcomposersthrive.Iftheperformersliveandworknearby,itis
easiertocollaborateandcreatepersonalstakeintheproject.
Mygoalasacomposeristoevokesomething—anything—inthelistener,whetheritbe
anemotion,thought,ormemory.Atthesametime,Ibelievethatmusiccanbethemost
subjectiveartbecauseitslanguageisnotuniformlyappreciated.Aclassically-trainedmusician
willhaveamuchdifferentlisteningexperiencethanamusically-illiterateconcertgoer,but
neithershouldleavetheperformancewithoutanewthoughtorconsideration.Tothisextent,I
aimtoalwaysprovidetwothingsinmycompositions:arepeated,easily-recognizedfeature
(melody,motive,texture,etc.)andasubtler,reoccurringmusicaleffect(transposition,pitch
set,etc.).Thefirstcanbeenjoyedonthesurfacelevelbythetrainedanduntrained,whilethe
secondisadiscovery—activefortheformerandsubconsciousforthelatter.
2
cling
“cling”wasmostlycomposedinFall2014andfinishedinSpring2015forSeanBreast
(euphonium),JacobHilton(tuba),andKristyMezines(piano).AfteritsfirstpremiereinApril
2015,“cling”waschosenasthewinneroftheConwayComposerGuild’s2016W.Francis
McBethCompositionCompetitionandreceivedaperformancebyDr.PaulDickinson(piano,
UniversityofCentralArkansas),Dr.GretchenRenshaw(tuba,HendrixCollege),andDr.Gail
Robertson(euphonium,UCA)onFebruary7th,2016.
Theinitialpianointroductionofthepiecestemsfromanexerciseinquartalharmony
thatIcomposedforatheoryclass(Figure1).Quartalharmoniestendtoimplystasis—alluding
tothedefinitionofthetitle—becausethebuildingblocks(stackedintervalsfourths,orfifthsin
inversion)donotcreatethetraditionaltriadsoffunctionalthatseekresolutiontotonic.The
melodypassesthroughbothtubaandeuphonium,increasingintensionuntilrestingonamajor
thirdsonority.Theprocessofincreasedmotiontoarestingplace,followedbyanewidea,is
thegeneralformofthepiece.
Figure1(mm.1-7)
Stableboundariesarequestionedbythebrassesastheonce-curvedmotionofthe
melodytransformsintostraightdownwardandupwardlines.Apushy,perhapsangry
3
descendingmotiveisthefocalpoint(Figure2),tossedbetweenallthreeinstrumentalistsand
culminatinginathreemeasureburstofenergy.Whatfollowsisachasescene,startingsoftly
butneverlackingintensity,asthetubaandeuphoniumexchangemotives,alwaysansweredby
chordsintherighthandofthepiano(Figure3).
Figure2(mm.50-52)–finalformofthedescendingmotive
Figure3(mm.61-64)–euphoniumandtuba“chase”andpiano’s“answer”
4
“cling’s”quietmiddlesectionoffersacontemplationofwhathasbeenstated.Tentative
questionsareofferedbythepiano’shighestregister,towhichmutedbrassrespondwith
uncertaindissonance,hinderedfurtherbyoccasionalgrowls.
Thenextsection’ssingingmelody,reminiscentofthepreviouschase,startsinthetuba
andisharmonizedbytheeuphoniumoverarepetitivebutconstantly-embellishedpianomotor
(Figure4).Thepianofadesaway,leavingthebrasstoexchangecontrapuntalphrases,and
“cling”climaxeswiththepiano’sreturn:abrassandpiano-left-handchoraleaccompaniedby
arpeggiatedchordchanges.Energyexpended,thepianocreepstoitslowerregisterbefore
repeatingthepiece’sopeningphrasesinashortcoda.
Figure4(mm.136-139)–pianomotorand“singing”melody
Imakenoclaimastowhatisbeingheldclose;weclingtomanythings,bothtangible
andabstract.Thispiecesuggestsseveraldifferentroutesthattheinitialmusiccouldhavetaken
but,forbetterorworse,ignored.
5
GAIA
Thoughmostofmymusichaslittletonoprogrammaticimageryoutsideofanabstract
nature,“GAIA”istheexceptionthatprovestherule.WhenIbeganworkingwiththefirst
motiveonpiano,apictureofthick,tall,leafytreessprangintomymind(hencethetitle,which
referstotheancientGreekprimordialdeityoftheearth).Iusedthisimageforfurther
inspiration,creatingprimitiveandanimalisticsounds.Betweentheflute’srichlowerregister
andrangeofextendedtechniques,Iseektoconjuretheimagesandsoundsofjungle
aerophones,birdcries,growls,andmore(Figure5).
Figure5.1(m.12)–lowregister“Jungleaerophone”
Figure5.2(m.20)–“birdcalls”
Figure5.3(m.26)–“growl”and“wait”technique
6
Awealthofaleatoricfeaturesaddtotheprimitiveorunrefinednatureofthemusic.
Somesectionsof“GAIA”requireoneflutisttowaitontheother(Figure5.3)foracertainrange
oftime—seconds,ratherthanmusicalbeats—beforechangingpitch,whileothersrequest
nearlyidenticalbarstobeplayeduninfluencedbytheother(Figure6).
Figure6.1(mm.7-8)–timedtechnique(flutes,trebleclef)
Figure6.2(mm.28-30)–“disjunct”technique
GAIA’smusicalformisaloosethemeandvariationsbasedontwomelodies(thefirst
musicalmaterialpresented,separatedbyabrieftransition).However,themelodiesarenot
presentedincompletionbyonevoiceuntiltheveryend,aftertheyhavebeenthoroughly
modifiedandexplored(Figure7).TheduetwascomposedforHannahCraigandDonnaVickers
inFall2014andpremieredonFebruary15,2016.
7
Figure7.1(mm.1-4)–ThemeA,separated
Figure7.2(mm.9-11)–ThemeB,separated
Figure7.3(m.40)–ThemesAandB,completeineachvoice
8
Hours
I.0400
II.1700
“Hours”wasinspiredbyanepisodeoftheTEDRadioHourPodcastinwhichpoetand
artist“Rives”speaksaboutsociety’sobsessionwith4a.m.Rivestracedtheubiquityof“fourin
themorning”throughbooks,magazines,television,music,andfilm,creatingavirtualmuseum
ofdocumentedoccurrencesatwww.fourinthemorning.comandwww.mofitm.tumblr.com.
Iexploretwomainideasthroughoutthepiece:anostalgicmelodyandtheintervalofa
fifth.Thefirstmelody,presentedbythehorn,isbasedonaperfect5th,whilethefluteplays
theprimestatementofthesecondmelodyatmeasure25(Figure8).Thismovement
representstheabstractideaandmoodsof4a.m.
Figure8.1(mm.5-8)–perfectfifthmelodyin(horn,trebleclef)
Figure8.2(mm.24-28)–nostalgicmelody(flute,trebleclef)
Aftercompletingthefirstmovement,Irealizedtwothings.First,Iwantedtocontinue
exploringtheideasofthefirstmovementandsecond,that“0400”woulddowellwitha
9
companionpiece.Ifthemostinfluentialfacetofthefirstmovementisthenostalgicmelody,
then“1700”encapsulatestheperfect5thinterval.As5p.m.isrushhourinmostcities,the
forwardmotionandcomplexityof“1700”isanidealcontrasttothesolitudeanddepthofits
predecessor.
Theintroductionof“1700”isatrichordtakenfrom“0400’s”nostalgiamelody,setin
prolationcanonsbetweenthreevoicesandtransposedupaperfect5thordownaperfect4th
(theinvertedinterval)(Figure9).Thetrichordisusedasaninterjectionbetweenmelodic
material,graduallyembellisheduntilthemotiveusesallthepitchesofthenostalgiamelody
(Figure10).
Figure9(mm.1-5)–firstappearanceoftrichord
Figure10.1(mm.26-34)–trichordinterjection
10
Figure10.2(mm.145-149)–firsttrichordembellishment
Figure10.3(mm.199-201)–finaltrichordembellishment
“Hours”canperhapsbestbeanalyzedinatripartiteform,consistingoftwomain
melodicideasandabridgesection.WhilethemelodicmaterialappearsasABABCAwiththe
final“A”sectionacombinationofbothmelodicideas,therepriseoftheBmaterialisshort
comparedtoitsfirstiteration.Rondoform,orABACAmightbemoreappropriatethan
squeezingthemelodicmaterialintoaroughsonataform,whereexposition=AB,development
=ABC,andrecapitulation=A.Theforcesused,achamberorchestraofwoodwinds,brass,
strings,percussion,andpiano,areidealforexpressingavarietyofcolorswithoutbecomingtoo
heavyorthick.
11
Conclusion
Thecompositionalprocessisextremelypersonalandoftendifficult.Isometimesfind
myselfrepeatingasinglemelodyormotivecountlesstimesonapiano,intentlylisteningfor
howitwantstodeveloporleadtothenextidea.Ifluckstrikes,Iquicklymarkmystaffpaperin
semi-legibleblurs,butsuchinspirationisunusual.Moreoften,thecentralmusicalseedofa
piecemustliveinmymindforalengthyperiod,turningitselfoverandoverbeforebecoming
useful.Thesecondarythemeof“Hours,”forexample,isbasedonalinethatIwroteinhigh
school,and“GAIA’s”initialthemeremainedascribbleinanotepadforalmostayearbeforeit
grewintoafluteduet.
Atothertimes,themusicisreadybutinappropriateforthepiecebeingcomposed:an
extremelytechnicalideamightworkwellonpianobutsufferonstringbass.Iexperiencedthis
firsthandwhilerehearsing“Hours”asaconductor;thepiece,whichfeelslived-inandhomeyto
me,isevenmorecomplexanddifficulttoperformthanIfirstimagined.Itisessentialforthe
composertoplacehisorherselfintheperformer’schairbefore,during,andafterthe
compositionalprocess.Butmostofall,thecomposermustbemindfuloftheaudience:every
inkdotonthepageistimeandmoneysacrificedtohearthecomposer’sintent.