Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2-2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts

Program

Music

Advisor

Norman Carey

Committee Members

David Grubbs

David Schober

Daniel Walden

Subject Categories

Music

Keywords

tuning, microtonal, rational intonation, just intonation, chamber music, strings

Abstract

In the early 21st century, the field of contemporary music has experienced an explosion of interest in rational intonation. This ratio-derived tuning system, often referred to as “just intonation,” has become established as a widespread movement that is still on the rise. It is of increasing importance for composers, performers, historians, and theorists who specialize in contemporary music to be knowledgeable about the growing body of repertoire in this area and its performance practice.

This dissertation examines current and recent trends in rational intonation through the lens of chamber music for strings. It includes perspectives on performance practice gleaned from interviews with contemporary practitioners and composers, an overview of common notations, a historical overview that covers prominent movements in microtonalism over the last century, and analysis of representative works that centers performance elements, culminating in a case study of Catherine Lamb’s 2019 string quartet "Divisio Spiralis.” The method of this dissertation’s analysis focuses on the phenomenological and psychoacoustic perspectives of the performer and the practice of translating real time experience and sensation into technique, in conjunction with a robust understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of rational intonation. Topics of inquiry include performance techniques and specific areas of performer awareness, skill building across repertoire, physical and cognitive processes at play, the interaction of these elements with Western classical training, and the broader impact of this practice in the context of the communities in which it is performed.

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