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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.