Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Music
Advisor
Joseph Straus
Committee Members
Jeff Nichols
Bruce Saylor
David Schober
Subject Categories
Composition | Music Theory
Abstract
Musical analysts have often commented on the lingering echoes of tonality present within the otherwise non-centered (and remarkably complex) harmonic world of Oliver Knussen’s music. Using his piece Variations, Op. 24 as a model, this project hypothesizes that the compositional techniques Knussen employs serve to create non-tonal pitch hierarchies. Although Knussen does not use functional tonal harmony in this piece, he finds a variety of ways to elevate the pitch A to a place of prominence, both on the musical surface and in the background structural operations. These techniques naturally result in pitch spaces that are rich with tonal and modal implications, but Knussen approaches these spaces using entirely non-tonal frameworks. This project also examines Knussen’s impeccable sense of timing and drama, and attempts to identify the compositional elements that contribute to the pacing and form of this composition. I uncover intricate layers of musical material on separate but interconnected trajectories, and formal sections that are both discrete and dovetailed, all contributing to what Knussen calls the “big shape of the piece.”
Recommended Citation
Prestamo, Joseph, "Non-Tonal Pitch Hierarchies and Dramatic Narratives in Oliver Knussen’s Variations, Op. 24" (2022). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4855