Musical Ambiguity in Analysis and Composition: Problems of Pattern, Value, Form, and Structure
Krause, Drew Stafford
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/72443
Description
Title
Musical Ambiguity in Analysis and Composition: Problems of Pattern, Value, Form, and Structure
Author(s)
Krause, Drew Stafford
Issue Date
1993
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Tipei, Sever
Department of Study
Music
Discipline
Music
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
D.M.A.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Music
Abstract
This paper investigates different facets of musical ambiguity, defined as the ability of a musical work or passage to be understood in more than one sense. Chapter One introduces a model for analytical use and applies this model to Steve Reich's Piano Phase and Johannes Ockeghem's Requiem. Chapter Two applies concepts from Gestalt Theory and Kubik's "internal rhythms" to polyphony and variations from the mbira tradition of Zimbabwe. Chapter Three combines integral serialism's techniques of parametric structuring and Saussurean linguistics to develop a theory of internal musical "meaning" which is then used to generate formal archetypes of parametric polyphony in examples by Palestrina, Debussy, Schoenberg, Webern, and Berio. Chapter Four includes a critique of the roles played by musical ambiguity in the music theories of Schenker, Meyer, and Narmour and offers an alternative analysis of Haydn's Sonata no. 39 which features non-hierarchical representation of details within, and a network model of relationships across, the first nine phrases. Chapter Five defines two forms of structural ambiguity, diachronic and synchronic recomposition, within a discussion of "open works" and "open systems" which draws on the work of Umberto Eco and Jacques Derrida. The conceptual relationship of diachronic composition to Aurel Stroe's "morphogenetic music" and Marc Leman's "adaptive dynamics" is traced, and the concept is used in analysis of a passage from Berlioz' Requiem. The relationship of synchronic recomposition and literary irony is described, and the concept is used in an analysis of Webern's orchestration of Bach's Ricercare a 6. The author's composition BARK for two pianos and tape is examined regarding techniques of diachronic and synchronic recomposition within a serial structure. The Afterword discusses the relevance of the proposed analytical models to the impact of technological changes in sound reproduction on musical listening during the last century.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
