Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2008

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

Music

Advisor

Joseph N. Straus

Committee Members

David Olan

Stephen Blum

John F. Link

Subject Categories

Music

Keywords

music

Abstract

This dissertation proposes a conceptual framework and tools for the analysis of polymeter in contemporary musical practices applied to the short instrumental works of Elliott Carter, where multiple temporalities have been identified as an essential aesthetic component. Three works are discussed in more detail: Changes for guitar (1983), Esprit rude/Esprit doux I for flute and clarinet (1985), and 90+ for piano (1994). The composer's use of metrical modulations and structural polyrhythms is re-evaluated in the context of a theory of polymeter. Structural polyrhythms are represented by means of proximity charts, and Carter's compositional strategies are explored, including rhetorical use of background pulsations on the musical surface.

In contrast to current theories of meter, this study does not assume that hierarchical rhythmic structures necessarily imply recursiveness or rely on accentual structure. In Carter's music, polymetric potential stems from the systematic partitioning of pulses of different speeds. Textural streaming is contrasted with multileveled polyrhythmic design, and polymetric structures are defined as contrasting rhythmic strands that are built on competing pulse streams or non-isochronous beat structures and give rise to non-synchronous metrical projections. In a balanced polymetric structure, the rhythmic strands are nearly equal in metrical strength; polarized structures either involve shifting dominance or one pulse stream that is dominant while the other(s) provide periodic syncopation; when the two streams are fused, the polymetric structure is integrated . The realization of polymetric potential is an interactive process involving the composer, performer(s), and the listener. From a music-analytical perspective, polymetric realization can be assessed by an investigation of the metrical properties of each pulse stream as well as the interaction of pulse streams at different structural levels (foreground, middleground, background).

The first part introduces various analytical tools that measure the relative mensural determinacy of competing rhythmic strands, including pulse stream reductions and density and nestedness analyses. Issues of perception and performance are briefly discussed in relation to specific interpretations. The second part explores the topic of polymeter from a psychological perspective. The results of a listening experiment based on an example from 90+ for piano are presented and possible avenues for future research are discussed.

Comments

Digital reproduction from the UMI microform.

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