| Contents |
John Harbison's String Quartet No. 1: an analysis. Introduction. The grundgestalt ; Derived sets from the grundgestalt -- First movement. Pitch material ; Use of tuplets to manipulate time-space -- Second movement. Pitch material ; Structure and style -- Third movement. The role of accompaniment ; Recapitulating material and finale -- Overall form and conclusion -- Late Summer, 2006: an original composition by John M. Dull -- Appendix A: Graduate composition recital program ; Appendix B: Graduate composition recital recording compact disc. |
| Summary |
The purpose of this document is to serve as a brief analysis of John Harbison's String Quartet No. 1. As a prominent living composer, John Harbison has a significant influence on current trends in the composition of art music. In his first string quartet, Harbison establishes a musical conflict that he develops upon throughout the work. This conflict is that of two minor triads (E minor and B-flat minor), with roots a tritone apart, juxtaposed from the very first bars of music. As the music proceeds through three movements, the friction between these two centers is expressed in a myriad of ways. Any attempt at establishing a prevailing tonal center is always arrested by the very dissonance that began the piece. However, Harbison's methods for development are not only based on the triadic nature of these harmonies. Manipulation of pitch class sets derived from these conflicting minor triads is equally as present. With so much to learn from a master of late twentieth-century art music, an analysis of String Quartet No. 1 will provide an introduction into the methods of compositional development in Harbison's music. |
| General note | Consists of written essay (leaves 1-24); score, for flute, clarinet, viola, and violoncello (leaves 25-35); and program from John M. Dull's graduate composition recital (leaves 36-39). |
| General note | Presented to the faculty of the School of Music Department of Theory, Composition, and Musicology. |
| Dissertation note | M.M. East Carolina University 2007. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaf 24). |
