This dissertation is an examination of the problems faced when staging a work for electronics and... more This dissertation is an examination of the problems faced when staging a work for electronics and orchestra. Part I is an original composition and model for the exploration of those problems. Part II is a monograph reviewing those problems and concentrating on issues of taxonomy and nomenclature.
Mikel Kuehn, Co-Advisor Nora Engebretsen, Co-Advisor This thesis consists of two independent yet ... more Mikel Kuehn, Co-Advisor Nora Engebretsen, Co-Advisor This thesis consists of two independent yet interrelated portions. The theory portion explores connections between Fred Lerdahl's theoretical and compositional output by examining his work Waves in relation to his theoretical writings, primarily A Generative Theory of Tonal Music and "Tonal Pitch Space." The theories together form a generative theory of tonal music that strives to create a musical grammar. "Tonal Pitch Space" defines a hierarchy among pitches and chords within and across tonal regions. Lerdahl uses these ideas in Waves, which is in the key of D minor. All other pitch classes, and likewise all other chords and tonal regions, are elaborations of the tonic D. The initial D tonic statement, called a flag motive because it heralds each variation, is the fundamental construct in Waves. Just as all other pitches elaborate D, all other motives in Waves are elaborations of the flag motive. Thus rich hierarchies are established. Lerdahl also incorporates ideas from GTTM into his compositional process. GTTM focuses on four categories of event hierarchies: grouping and metrical structures and time-span and prolongational reductions. These four hierarchies and a set of stability conditions all interact with one another to form a comprehensive musical grammar. Grouping and metric structures in Waves are identified and analyzed in this thesis. These include the irregular grouping and metric structures elision, overlap, deletion, and compound grouping. Lerdahl, by fusing passing and neighbor diminutions, creates unstable harmonic cells that, due to their distance from the tonic, assume dominant and subdominant function in the context of Waves. These functional sonorities create both progressions and cadences. By using those same tonal diminutions to elaborate stable iii tonic chords and pitch classes, Lerdahl also creates prolongation. Both Lerdahl's progressions and prolongations can be analyzed through the tree diagrams of prolongational reduction.
This dissertation is an examination of the problems faced when staging a work for electronics and... more This dissertation is an examination of the problems faced when staging a work for electronics and orchestra. Part I is an original composition and model for the exploration of those problems. Part II is a monograph reviewing those problems and concentrating on issues of taxonomy and nomenclature.
Mikel Kuehn, Co-Advisor Nora Engebretsen, Co-Advisor This thesis consists of two independent yet ... more Mikel Kuehn, Co-Advisor Nora Engebretsen, Co-Advisor This thesis consists of two independent yet interrelated portions. The theory portion explores connections between Fred Lerdahl's theoretical and compositional output by examining his work Waves in relation to his theoretical writings, primarily A Generative Theory of Tonal Music and "Tonal Pitch Space." The theories together form a generative theory of tonal music that strives to create a musical grammar. "Tonal Pitch Space" defines a hierarchy among pitches and chords within and across tonal regions. Lerdahl uses these ideas in Waves, which is in the key of D minor. All other pitch classes, and likewise all other chords and tonal regions, are elaborations of the tonic D. The initial D tonic statement, called a flag motive because it heralds each variation, is the fundamental construct in Waves. Just as all other pitches elaborate D, all other motives in Waves are elaborations of the flag motive. Thus rich hierarchies are established. Lerdahl also incorporates ideas from GTTM into his compositional process. GTTM focuses on four categories of event hierarchies: grouping and metrical structures and time-span and prolongational reductions. These four hierarchies and a set of stability conditions all interact with one another to form a comprehensive musical grammar. Grouping and metric structures in Waves are identified and analyzed in this thesis. These include the irregular grouping and metric structures elision, overlap, deletion, and compound grouping. Lerdahl, by fusing passing and neighbor diminutions, creates unstable harmonic cells that, due to their distance from the tonic, assume dominant and subdominant function in the context of Waves. These functional sonorities create both progressions and cadences. By using those same tonal diminutions to elaborate stable iii tonic chords and pitch classes, Lerdahl also creates prolongation. Both Lerdahl's progressions and prolongations can be analyzed through the tree diagrams of prolongational reduction.
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