Doctoral Dissertations--Music Theory (PhD)

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/14081

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    CONTRAPUNTAL STRATEGIES IN THE MUSIC OF GIRALOMO FRESCOBALDI (1583-1643): REIMAGINING POLYPHONIC GENRES
    ([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2020-05) Sunstein, Aaron; Samarotto, Frank
    Girolamo Frescobaldi was the first influential composer to concentrate on keyboard music. Although Frescobaldi’s life and compositions have been the focus of significant historical research, there are few analyses of his music. The present dissertation examines the motivic, contrapuntal, and formal design of six contrasting pieces written throughout Frescobaldi’s career. At the measure by measure level, motivic and rhythmic play in Frescobaldi’s music creates moments where listener expectations are thwarted or fulfilled in unexpected ways. In the context of entire compositions, motivic variation, broadly defined, gives shape and strategy to the progression of the piece. Frescobaldi imagined diverse ways of sustaining interest and creating coherence in the instrumental genres that he cultivated. While motivic combination and variation is the common thread in Frescobaldi’s music, an exploration of other musical parameters that is specific to each piece complements the motivic plot and makes possible the development of extended musical forms. Through close analysis of six pieces by Frescobaldi, this dissertation demonstrates how Frescobaldi’s compositional creativity in terms of contrapuntal, motivic, and variation strategies resulted in the redefinition of existing musical genres as well as the creation of new ones. The analyses precede in chronological order according to when the pieces were published. The pieces are selected from a cross section of Frescobaldi’s publications spanning the composer’s entire period of compositional activity. Some pieces are from collections that are considered primarily contrapuntal (Fantasie, Capricci) whereas others are more homophonic or figured bass grounded (Cento Partite, Toccata, Canzona). After an introduction to the analyses in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 addresses S’io miro in te from the madrigal book of 1608. Chapter 3 focuses on Fantasia Seconda, from the composer’s other 1608 publication, the keyboard Fantasie. Chapter 4 analyzes Toccata Duodecima from the first book of toccatas (1615). The analysis in Chapter 5 is of the Capriccio Terzo sopra il Cucho from the publication of 1624. Chapter 6 analyzes Canzona Quinta à 3, due Canti e Basso (1635) and Chapter 7 the Cento Partite sopra Passacagli from 1637.
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    Relative Diatonic Modality in Extended Common-practice Music
    ([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2019-07) Lam, Nathan; Johnston, Blair
    Diatonic modes reemerged in the nineteenth century as an extension of common-practice tonal harmony. The existence of many potential tonics within a single diatonic scale creates a rich ambiguity between “relative modes,” which I theorize as relative diatonic modality. A note’s relation to the tonic is represented by scale degrees, and diatonic positions represent the analogous relation to the diatonic scale. The concept of diatonic positions is drawn from la-based minor solfège, which is widely used in music education but not in music theory. In relative diatonic modality, the fuzziness of scale degrees combines with the clarity of the diatonic scale to create a restful centric and harmonic pluralism; and this kind of relational richness and experiential pluralism are simply unavailable in the major and minor modes alone. Ordered chronologically from the early nineteenth century to the mid twentieth century, five case studies explore the theoretical ramifications and analytical fruits of relative diatonic modality. The first case study introduces Reicha’s “new harmonic system,” one of the first experimental theories in the 1800s to discuss diatonic modes. With a focus on Beethoven’s Heiliger Dankgesang, the second case study examines the seeming ability of the lydian mode to conform to common-practice harmony. The third and fourth case studies explore diatonic-modal music inspired by the French chant revival and English folk-song revival, respectively. The last case study focuses on the rare, dissonant locrian mode and its peculiar treatment in the twentieth century. Two threads run through all five case studies: (1) the dynamic balance between multiple tonics and a single scale that relative diatonic modality engenders; and (2) the rich compositional treatments that composers find when availing themselves of these special harmonic and melodic resources.