Identifier

etd-11062007-210550

Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Department

Music

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Vestiges of Kubla is scored for the following instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, 3 percussionist, guitar, and strings. Structured differently than a traditional concerto form, the overall architecture of the work is a large-scale sonata-allegro form in which the first movement is an exposition, the second movement is a slow development, and the third movement is a recapitulation of musical ideas from in the first, followed by a concluding coda. Although the concerto is unified by thematic, motific, and harmonic content presented in the first movement - derived from an extended guitar chord with Lydian tendencies (E-B-E-A#-B-E, reduced to E-B-A#) - additional but related musical ideas are incorporated in the second and third movements. The second part of the dissertation is an analysis of George Crumb's Quest (1994) for guitar, soprano saxophone, harp, contrabass, and percussion. This analysis explores and ultimately reveals how the guitar's standard string tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), along with the intervallic qualities from a musical quotation (the popular hymn tune Amazing Grace), influences and generates Crumb's entire compositional process in this work. The analysis also briefly explores additional elements, form and symbolism, that define Crumb's musical style.

Date

2007

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Stephen David Beck

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.3336

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