Matching Items (48)
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- All Subjects: Music
- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
- Creators: Feisst, Sabine
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
The purpose of this project is to introduce Bryan Johanson's composition for two guitars, 13 Ways of Looking at 12 Strings, and present an authoritative recording appropriate for publishing. This fifty-minute piece represents a fascinating suite in thirteen movements. The author of this project performed both guitar parts, recorded them separately in a music studio, then mixed them together into one recording. This document focuses on the critical investigation and description of the piece with a brief theoretical analysis, a discussion of performance difficulties, and guitar preparation. The composer approved the use and the scope of this project. Bryan Johanson is one of the leading contemporary composers for the guitar today. 13 Ways of Looking at 12 Strings is a unique guitar dictionary that takes us from Bach to Hendrix and highlights the unique capabilities of the instrument. It utilizes encoded messages, glass slides, metal mutes, explosive "riffs," rhythmic propulsion, improvisation, percussion, fugual writing, and much more. It has a great potential to make the classical guitar attractive to wider audiences, not limited only to guitarists and musicians. The main resources employed in researching this document are existing recordings of Johanson's other compositions and documentation of his personal views and ideas. This written document uses the composer's prolific and eclectic compositional output in order to draw conclusions and trace motifs. This project is a significant and original contribution in expanding the guitar's repertoire, and it uniquely contributes to bringing forth a significant piece of music.
ContributorsSavic, Nenad (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Rotaru, Catalin (Committee member) / McLin, Katherine (Committee member) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Landschoot, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
This project features three new pieces for clarinet commissioned from three different composers. Two are for unaccompanied clarinet and one is for clarinet, bass clarinet, and laptop. These pieces are Storm's a Comin' by Chris Burton, Light and Shadows by Theresa Martin, and My Own Agenda by Robbie McCarthy. These three solos challenge the performer in various ways including complex rhythm, use of extended techniques such as growling, glissando, and multiphonics, and the incorporation of technology into a live performance. In addition to background information, a performance practice guide has also been included for each of the pieces. This guide provides recommendations and suggestions for future performers wishing to study and perform these works. Also included are transcripts of interviews done with each of the composers as well as full scores for each of the pieces. Accompanying this document are recordings of each of the three pieces, performed by the author.
ContributorsVaughan, Melissa Lynn (Author) / Spring, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Micklich, Albie (Committee member) / Gardner, Joshua (Committee member) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
CYOA is a prototype of an iPhone application that produces a single, generative, musical work. This document details some of the thoughts and practices that informed its design, and specifically addresses the overlap between application structure and musical form. The concept of composed instruments is introduced and briefly discussed, some features of video game design that relate to this project are considered, and some specifics of hardware implementation are addressed.
ContributorsPeterson, Julian (Author) / Hackbarth, Glenn (Thesis advisor) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Levy, Benjamin (Committee member) / Tobias, Evan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Johann Sebastian Bach's violin Sonata I in G minor, BWV 1001, is a significant and widely performed work that exists in numerous editions and also as transcriptions or arrangements for various other instruments, including the guitar. A pedagogical guitar performance edition of this sonata, however, has yet to be published. Therefore, the core of my project is a transcription and pedagogical edition of this work for guitar. The transcription is supported by an analysis, performance and pedagogical practice guide, and a recording. The analysis and graphing of phrase structures illuminate Bach's use of compositional devices and the architectural function of the work's harmonic gravities. They are intended to guide performers in their assessment of the surface ornamentation and suggest a reduction toward its fundamental purpose. The end result is a clarification of the piece through the organization of phrase structures and the prioritization of harmonic tensions and resolutions. The compiling process is intended to assist the performer in "seeing the forest from the trees." Based on markings from Bach's original autograph score, the transcription considers fingering ease on the guitar that is critical to render the music to a functional and practical level. The goal is to preserve the composer's indications to the highest degree possible while still adhering to the technical confines that allow for actual execution on the guitar. The performance guide provides suggestions for articulation, phrasing, ornamentation, and other interpretive decisions. Considering the limitations of the guitar, the author's suggestions are grounded in various concepts of historically informed performance, and also relate to today's early-music sensibilities. The pedagogical practice guide demonstrates procedures to break down and assimilate the musical material as applied toward the various elements of guitar technique and practice. The CD recording is intended to demonstrate the transcription and the connection to the concepts discussed. It is hoped that this pedagogical edition will provide a rational that serves to support technical decisions within the transcription and generate meaningful interpretive realizations based on principles of historically informed performance.
ContributorsFelice, Joseph Philip (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Swartz, Jonathan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
An eighteenth-century polychoral vespers service of José Gil Pérez: edition and historical context
Description
Compared to sacred choral music of the great Spanish composers of the Renaissance, church music of later Spanish composers is relatively ignored, despite the fact that many left behind a significant body of works worthy of scholarly investigation and performance. In fact, there is a paucity of information on eighteenth-century church music in Spain - music history books generally treat the subject in the briefest way. To correct this situation, scholars must delve into the large caches of unpublished works from this period, which lie dormant in the archives of religious institutions. Even contextualizing these works is difficult, because so much remains to be unearthed. To help fill the lacuna of knowledge about this repertoire, I will shed light on the music of maestro de capilla José Gil Pérez (1715-1762), who was active at the cathedral of Segorbe, Spain from 1745 until his death in 1762, by presenting an edition of one of his vespers services. This service is comprised of a magnificat and three psalms (nos. 116, 122, and 147). These works, transcribed from the composer's autograph housed in the Segorbe cathedral, and written for SAT/SATB chorus and organ, will serve as a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge concerning choral music of the Spanish late Baroque. It will be seen that despite Gil Pérez's innovative use of "theatrical" instruments in the Segorbe cathedral and "Italianisms" in his villancicos, his compositional style in Latin works was largely conservative, in keeping with the practice of most maestros in Spain at this time. In fact his oeuvre demonstrates varying influences, largely dependent upon the genre. To contextualize this composer and his works, I will provide background information regarding music in the Segorbe cathedral during the century in question, including trends and influences, as well as information on Gil Pérez himself.
ContributorsGorton, William Paul (Author) / Feisst, Sabine (Thesis advisor) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Reber, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Profound alterations to instruments that take place over short periods of time are fascinating, and the changes undergone by the guitar during the late eighteenth century make for an intriguing transition in the instrument's history. The guitar that existed before 1750 is most commonly referred to as the 'Baroque guitar' and is vastly different from the guitar of today. It was considerably smaller than the guitars that followed, pitched higher, and used primarily for accompaniment through chord strumming. From roughly 1750 to 1800 the guitar underwent a transformation that eventually led to the design and performance practices that have continued through to this day; larger, with lower-pitched courses (and sometimes single stringing), and used increasingly more in punteado (plucked) style. By defining the instrument as it existed prior to 1750, and the changes that it underwent after 1750, we can ensure that the instrument discussed is the one that has directly led to the instrument we use today. Because instrument design and performance practice inevitably influence each other, a thorough examination of ornamentation practices from 1750-1800 can lead to a greater understanding of the instrument as it changed, and the instrument it eventually turned into. Since the early nineteenth century was one of the more productive time periods for the guitar, having a better understanding of the ornamentation performance practices that preceded it may provide insight to how the players and composers of this fertile time (Sor, Aguado, Giuliani, etc.) approached their instrument. Although there was not much music printed or copied for guitar during the latter half of the eighteenth century, a substantial number of guitars were built, along with instruction manuals featuring the guitar. Instruction manuals were examined, along with works for solo guitar and guitar in ensemble with other instruments, to explore ornamentation practices from 1750-1800. Through examination of the guitar instruction manuals of the late eighteenth century, an increased understanding is gained regarding the techniques that eventually became cornerstones of nineteenth-century guitar performance practice.
ContributorsCopeland, Jeffrey S. (Jeffrey Scott), 1953- (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Aspnes, Lynne (Committee member) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Jiang, Danwen (Committee member) / Landschoot, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
The solo repertoire from the Light Music Era serves as an important link between the Classical and Jazz soloist traditions. These characteristics are best highlighted through an analysis of three solo transcriptions: Felix Arndt's Nola as performed by Al Gallodoro, Rudy Wiedoeft's Valse Vanité, as performed by Freddy Gardener, and Jimmy Dorsey's Oodles of Noodles, as performed by Al Gallodoro. The transcriptions, done by the author, are taken from primary source recordings, and the ensuing analysis serves to show the saxophone soloists of the Light Music Era as an amalgamation of classical and jazz saxophone. Many of the works performed during the Light Music Era are extant only in recorded form. Even so, these performances possess great historical significance within the context of the state of the saxophone as an important solo instrument in the wider musical landscape. The saxophone solos from the Light Music Era distinguish themselves through the use of formal development and embellishment of standard "song forms" (such as ABA, and AABA), and the use of improvisational techniques that are common to early Jazz; however, the analysis shows that the improvisational techniques were distinctly different than a Jazz solo improvisation in nature. Although it has many characteristics in common with both "Classical Music" (this is used as a generic term to refer to the music of the Western European common practice period that is not Pop music or Jazz) and Jazz, the original research shows that the saxophone solo music from the Light Music Era is a distinctly original genre due to the amalgamation of seemingly disparate elements.
ContributorsPuccio, Dan (Author) / Mcallister, Timothy P (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Kocour, Michael (Committee member) / Pilafian, J. Samuel (Committee member) / Spring, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Temporal Creative Entanglement and the Composer’s Search for a Unique Voice is about some of the creative challenges inherent in the composing process. Creative entanglement is when a composer gets caught up—entangled—in the creative process and it tarnishes their sense of how to appropriately assemble the formal structure of a piece. The word temporal means that I’m focusing on how a lot of creative entanglement happens because of process / product disparities related to time. Process / product disparity is the term I use to describe the enormous differences between the experience of composing and the experience of hearing the premiere of a work. And, I bring up the composer’s search for a unique voice because composers are especially vulnerable to creative entanglement when they are trying to write in a new style. I try to identify some different ways a composer can become entangled by discussing some specific ways that people subconsciously process music (musical expectations and information flow). I draw on the works of David Huron, Fred Lerdahl, and John Sloboda, among others, to paint a picture of the different mental processes that occur during composing and listening. I discuss how schematic, veridical, and dynamic expectations work in the mind of composer and the listener, and how these relate to creative entanglement. I also discuss how the conception of large-scale form fits into this topic. In the conclusion, I offer some thoughts on approaching composing from the perspective of creative entanglement. To close, I offer a perspective about artistic satisfaction and composing.
ContributorsClay, William (Author) / Bolanos, Gabriel (Thesis advisor) / Temple, Alex (Committee member) / Knowles, Kristina (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
ABSTRACT This project is comprised of two main components, a paper, and audiovisual composition (two-channel audio, single-channel video). The composition takes the beginning thematic elements from the book of Genesis and transitions to a robotic teleology (the transhuman being merged with technology). For the transhumanist, taking control of the evolutionary process both in speed and in trajectory is the ultimate goal.The composition, Queue R is narrative and tripartite in structure, having a beginning, middle, and end. However, a more in-depth analysis of the piece will yield smaller parts and extractions. Although the composition is programmatic, many of the visual and aural gestures lean towards an abstract aesthetic.
The paper will discuss various tenets of Christianity and Transhumanism, including religious motifs, philosophical aspects, oppositional and congruent features between the two. Ray Kurzweil’s “The Six Epochs of Evolution,” is used as a reference and launching point for Transhuman teleology and is discussed later in the paper. Lastly, the paper will discuss how the artwork engages with Transhumanism and Christianity, and end with a discussion of some aspects the compositional process.
Finally, the title of the piece, Queue R, refers to a line, a queue which leads to a Robotic existence, that is, an existence where the human being and technology merge. Also, Queue R refers to the present state of technology, a QR code being a scannable (machine readable) code which contains information about a product or item being scanned.
The video may be found at the link to the channel of the composer, and will list all audiovisual compositions. Click (or copy/paste into browser) on the video titled Queue R: Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzOhPCwYGjJud92RLG_UQpQ or direct link: https://youtu.be/7ogR0Vb1-pA .
ContributorsHernandez, Brian (Author) / Bolanos, Gabriel (Thesis advisor) / Temple, Alex (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Frank Zappa considered “The Adventures of Greggery Peccary” hismasterpiece. It contains every aspect of his melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language. These techniques include: folk-influenced songs, quartal melodies, asymmetric meters, speech-influenced rhythms, octave-displaced chromaticism, “conceptual continuity,” and creative studio techniques. He considers these aspects and weighs them against each other to maintain a sense of balance on both a micro- and macroscopic scale.
The first chapter of this dissertation explores the events that led up to the creation of the composition. A chronology of historical events precedes a synopsis of the piece’s narrative. The second chapter examines a rehearsal tape from March of 1972, which was released posthumously, that contains the song that will eventually become the fourth movement of the piece: “The New Brown Clouds.” That song, as well as others on the recording, contains several examples of Zappa’s musical vocabulary. These excerpts are also included in the two albums that were released and are also heard in Zappa’s magnum opus.
The third and fourth chapters examine the first version of “The Adventures of Greggery Peccary.” The third chapter focuses on musical analysis and identifying key components of Zappa’s compositional style. The fourth chapter talks about he Grand Wazoo’s tour, the Petit Wazoo tour a month later, and the subsequent tour in 1973. Zappa wrote new music for these tours, and those pieces became part of the large revision that is discussed in chapter 5.
The sixth chapter examines the recording process, locations, and the innovative techniques Zappa uses in the studio. Every time he released a recording of the composition, there was always a notable revision— including shortly before his death in 1993. Finally, the Ensemble Modern’s posthumous recording of “The Adventures of Greggery Peccary” is also scrutinized.
ContributorsOxford, Josh (Author) / Temple, Alex (Thesis advisor) / Meyer, Jeffery (Committee member) / Bolanos, Gabriel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022