Identifier

etd-04092013-171749

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Music

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Part I – “Symphony No. 1 – ‘Eustace the Monk’” is based on a figure from medieval legend. Although Eustace Busket is a historically documented person that lived c.1170-1217, the exact details of his life are shrouded in legend. Many of the details of the legend of Eustace were passed down through the anonymous Li Romans de Witasse Le Moine. The legendary tale of Eustace, who is reported to have learned black magic from the devil, became a Benedictine monk in order to corrupt the monastery, and later became a mercenary pirate, is the subject matter of this five-movement dramatic symphony. Part II – “Compositional Techniques Used to Elicit Musical Humor” employs an analytical approach to music adapted from various theories of humor. One of the primary theories adapted in this approach is Victor Raskin’s General Theory of Verbal Humor. Other theories adapted for this dissertation include superiority theory, incongruity theory, and computational-neural theory. The second part identifies specific musical humor devices used in the songs of "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Date

2013

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Constantinides, Dinos

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1053

Download

Included in

Music Commons

Share

COinS