Date of Award

1995

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Music

First Advisor

James L. Byo

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to construct a method of musical analysis based on analytical modes used by theorists and wind-band specialists, and to apply this method to wind-band literature. The study was motivated by the failure of wind-band sources to address the spectrum of musical analysis and ideas practiced in the music theory community. Two bodies of literature were reviewed: (1) wind-band analyses and methods of analysis proposed by conductors and composers, and (2) analytical methodologies described by theorists. The analytical method advocated in this study modified and incorporated methods and ideas espoused by two theorists (Jan LaRue, John White) and two wind-band specialists (Frank Battisti, Robert Garofalo). The process of musical analysis was divided into three broad phases: Familiarization, Exploration, and Conclusion. The familiarization phase dealt with the conductor's initial experiences with the music and the formulation of questions directed toward analysis. The exploration phase involved analyzation of the work using formal, element (melody, harmony, rhythm, sound), motivic, and reduction modes of analysis. In the conclusion phase, information gleaned from the analytical methods was summarized and subsequently scrutinized for application to rehearsal and performance. Two wind-band compositions of contrasting difficulty were analyzed to demonstrate the method: Overture on a Southern Hymn by Robert Palmer and Postcard by Frank Ticheli. These analyses demonstrated that this method possesses several distinguishing features and strengths valuable to the wind-band conductor. The formulation of analytical questions during initial experiences, the inclusion of motivic and reduction analysis, and the use of set theory are among its most distinctive characteristics. Among its strongest attributes are its potential to enrich the analytical experience of the wind-band conductor, to offer a heightened perspective of the analytical process, and to result in substantive rehearsal and performance applications. Recommendations for further study include descriptive and experimental investigations related to each stage of this analytical process.

Pages

107

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.6030

Download

Share

COinS