PhD Music Composition Proposal for Dissertation

‘Explorations of the Use of Timbre and Texture as Expressive Narrative Devices in My Compositions’

My music demonstrates a type of sound world within and from which all other aspects of the composition will exist and derive.  This sound world is comprised of three elements:  timbre, texture, and harmony.

Texture in my music is characterized by the layering of events within the composition. Polyphony/counterpoint, harmonic density, and the orchestration are specific components of the textures incorporated within my music are dedicated to the development and organization of the components of timbral character.  The type of texture used in my pieces, ‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers’ for voice and cello and ‘I Sing to Her’ for voice and violin are examples that are mainly polyphonic because the two lines pinned against each other are independently functioning melodic voices.  My ‘Wind Symphony No. 1’ is a composition of thick, harmonic densities.  Although I am concerned that this particular piece does not consist of a melody, it does consist of brief, juxtaposed motivic ideas buried within a sea of predominantly progressive monophonic harmony only to create a sense of forward motion.

I explore harmonic ideas through specific arrangements of intervals. Major and minor seconds emphasize tight, unresolved sonorities within a harmonic contextual setting.  The resulting timbres often suggest dark, ethereal qualities within a vivid, surreal harmonic landscape. These results are sometimes amplified when coupling major and minor seconds with hollow resonances of perfect fourths and fifths. I often couple major and minor seconds with these perfect intervals, arranging them horizontally in melodic lines or vertically in a harmonic setting.  Although some of the resulting structured variants can be quite dense, these chords and melodic lines still consist of a vaguely attributed mild transparency simply by the presence of the very distinct perfect intervals. These arrangements lead to an array of possibilities for harmonic development and are the fundamental building components from which I work.  

As I am seeking to position my practice in the field of contemporary composition, I am critically analyzing works of 20^th and 21^st century composers.  I have particular interest in composers of the early 20^th century, i.e. Debussy because of his use of color as structure as demonstrated in ‘La Mer’ and ‘Prélude a l’après-midi d’un faune,’ Ravel for contour, melodic shape as revealed in his Piano Trio, and coloration through the use of applied techniques in his style of orchestration as it is prominently revealed in ‘Daphnis et Chloe,’ and Messiaen for his use of logically constructed scales and the application of modes that contribute to a unique, mystical tonal language. Additionally, with reference to innovative formations of color and orchestration techniques, I need to acknowledge his ‘Turangalîla Symphonie.’ 

Additionally, certain later composers also interest me such as Boulez for instance.  His innovative approach to arranging compositional sequences and parameters has led to the emergence of the technique of total serialism.  I want to further observe the ordering of these sequences.  As Boulez has been influenced by Debussy in unique ways, I am analyzing his music for understanding of how the influence suffuses his language.  Reich is a second of the later composers in whom I have interest.  His display of Indonesian Gamelan and African influences evident within the music’s rhythmic assets are effective for creating intricate sequential devices and texture.  These external influences play a strong role in his idea of ‘phasing,’ in which a short melodic sequence is repeated, with the staggering between the voices constantly changing.  This idea further manifests itself in his piece ‘Piano Phase’ where the repetitive model is expanded by varying or lengthening the melodic cells or linking them together in a canonic fabric. I am fascinated with such rhythmic ideas as progressive, thematic, and texturing compositional devices.  I am contextualizing attributes of compositional trends of early 20^th century music and characterizing them within contexts of that of the later 20^th and 21^st centuries.

In reference to texture and since mentioning serialism, Ligeti’s ‘micropolyphonic’ style, where individual voices are tightly woven together create an oscillating atmosphere or kind of landscape.  For example, ‘Atmospheres’ in particular, is worth mentioning as it demonstrates such adaptations.  The profound texture and flowing continuity of the music of which I am drawn to tends towards something rather irregular and gives the impression of movement.  This notion of ‘texturing’ in music is also similarly represented in Boulez’s ‘Notations,’ consisting of over a hundred soloists.

After having mentioned Debussy, Messiaen, and Ligeti and with specific reference to timbre, I would also like to refer to spectral music as it is concerned with the application of timbre as structures of sound and its contribution to overall musical form.  The use of timbre as a determinate of form or structure in music is demonstrated in works by Grisey (‘Partiels’) and Murail ‘(Gondwana’).  I refer to this genre as I also have interest in further applications of timbre in my own music.

I am curious about compositional styles that display unique colors within very individual contexts.  The music of Claude Debussy inspires me profoundly.  I am drawn to the character of his compositional style; the fundamental processes of development and structures that illuminate very distinct, mood evoking harmonies creating ambiguous tonality, texture and overemphasis of timbre in his music.  The character encompasses an unparalleled and revolutionary use of color. Debussy is known for blurring the edges of shapes in his music and obscuring any hint of traditional harmonic flow in music as he forms melodies out of colors rather than formulating strict melodic lines over the top of an accompaniment.  This technique in turn moves us into a world of light and flexibility.  Here, form is a matter of what was heard and looking at a sense of color.  There is much to be attributed to the above mentioned aspects of sound world as applied to the music of not only Debussy but also to that of many other innovators of the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

Aims

1. To position, reflect and critically evaluate my practice in the field of contemporary composition.
2. To develop and advance within my own compositions overall coherence and balance, structure, fusion and unity between melody and harmony, and clear, well defined, and stable identity in style.
3. To gain a more profound understanding and knowledge of compositional techniques employed by Claude Debussy; understanding the use of harmony, timbre, and texture as applied within his music.
4. To produce a portfolio of works to be negotiated with my supervisors.

Methods: 

1. Producing scores, recordings, and collaborating with performers.
2. Part of my research includes critical analysis of contemporary composition; researching 20^th and 21^st century composers and understanding applications of harmony, timbre, and texture by reading books, articles, watching documentaries, and listening to music and studying the scores/musical analysis, attending concerts, and following current debates.
3. Understanding the use of harmony, timbre, and texture as applied in Debussy’s music through score analysis and reading books and articles.
4. Writing music that explores the possibilities of timbre, texture, and sonority that influence expressive narrative devices and harmonic structural devices and understanding his influences from within the early 20^th century through to the 21^st century.

Outcomes

• Final composition portfolio – c. 120 minutes and recordings of the music accompanied by a dissertation of c. 20,000 words.