Page 1 |
Save page Remove page | Previous | 1 of 81 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
|
This page
All
Subset |
MYSTERY OF CONSTELLATION:
CONCERTO FOR GUITAR AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
by
Steven Michael Gates
____________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
(COMPOSITION)
December 2009
Copyright 2009 Steven Michael Gates
Object Description
| Title | Mystery of constellation: concerto for guitar and chamber orchestra |
| Author | Gates, Steven Michael |
| Author email | stevenga@usc.edu; stevenga@sbcglobal.net |
| Degree | Doctor of Musical Arts |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Composition |
| School | Thornton School of Music |
| Date defended/completed | 2009-09-04 |
| Date submitted | 2009 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2009-09-30 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Crockett, Donald |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Lesemann, Rick Ticheli, Frank |
| Abstract | Mystery of Constellation is a three-movement work for solo guitar and chamber orchestra. The orchestra is scored for a small string section and five winds: flute (doubling on alto flute), oboe (doubling on English horn), Bb clarinet (doubling on bass clarinet), bassoon, and horn.; A chief concern when writing a guitar concerto is the issue of balance between the soloist and the orchestra. My solution to this was to frequently create a registral space in the orchestra in which the guitar can reside alone, and therefore be more easily heard. Although there are a few sections where the guitarist plays alone, the orchestra frequently plays with the soloist.; The harmonic and melodic language of the piece is derived partly from the natural resonance of the guitar. A quartal-sounding four-note cell (0257) frequently exerts its presence throughout the piece, both at a surface and structural level. Lastly, I often created pitch collections that are “octave-specific.” C natural, for example, may be present in the collection below D4, but in higher octaves C is actually sharp, creating a conflict with the C naturals found in lower octaves. The use of “non-octaving” scales provided a means of creating a specific sound world that seemed appropriate for this piece.; The first movement, “Heliacal Rising,” is a brash, often loud, nervous exposition. A short, jabbing two-note motive in the orchestra alternates with more contemplative arpeggios in the guitar part. The brief second movement, “Scanning the Black Dome,” utilizes the “pizzicato” playing technique on the guitar, which involves muting the string with the pad of the player’s right thumb. The orchestral writing is quite sparse, with the exception of two brief ecstatic, celebratory sections. A poem titled “Hypotheses” by John Terpstra provided a fruitful mental image as I composed this movement. The final movement, “Astrolabe,” offers the guitarist an opportunity to display his or her virtuosity. The string writing in the orchestra is equally demanding. The underlying harmonic motion is quite slow, indeed static at times. The surface motion, however, is often very fast. Much of the music that the late-Baroque period left us, particularly Vivaldi’s, provided a point of reference for me to draw from. |
| Keyword | guitar; concerto; guitar concerto; chamber orchestra; composition |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m2630 |
| Rights | Gates, Steven Michael |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | http://www.usc.edu/isd/libraries/services/ask_a_librarian/email/ |
| Filename | etd-Gates-3267 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume56/etd-Gates-3267.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Full text | MYSTERY OF CONSTELLATION: CONCERTO FOR GUITAR AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA by Steven Michael Gates ____________________________________________ A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS (COMPOSITION) December 2009 Copyright 2009 Steven Michael Gates |
Comments
Post a Comment for Page 1
