Themed music in a twenty-first century idiom

Abstract

This dissertation consists of a portfolio of musical compositions, respectively for piano, string quartet, chorus, and orchestra. All these works are analyzed and an introductory chapter reviewing the musical literature that influenced me in my compositional process precedes the analysis. Chapter 1 (Literature Review) explains how composers used their surroundings as influential material for their musical works. Since film music inspired me the most throughout my musical career, my compositions include styles based on composers such as John Williams, Bernard Hermann, James Horner and so on. Chapter 1 also empathizes the difference between tonality and dissonance, raising the argument of which one is more dominant than the other. Chapters 2-5 analyze the works in the portfolio. Each chapter begins with a short literature review pertinent to the present composition. These five chapters comprise the first part of this dissertation. In chapter 2 we have the write-up about the String Quartet. This work consists of dissonant material having some musical techniques emulating in particular Bartok’s works in this genre. This work is based on a chromatic transformation of a Maltese folk tune. Chapter 3 consists of the analysis of Fjur tas-Sema. In this piece chromatic techniques are used within a basically tonal style, giving no implication of a tonal centre but still remaining true to the theme of the lyrics. The three-movement Piano Sonata forms the subject matter of chapter 4. This piece is the most atonal work in the portfolio. Mainly quartal harmony is used throughout the piece, which also has whole-tone figures scattered. This piece generates in the listener a sense of expectation that is sometimes frustrated. Chapter 5 deals with the two related orchestral pieces named Flight of the Birds and A Playful Conversation. These two pieces are perhaps the most tonally straightforward, giving a sense of a story based on the title itself. The influence of film music is particularly strong in these compositions. Part 2 of the dissertation consists of the scores in the above order and is followed by an Appendix showing the lyrics of the choral piece as well as a translation into English, and a Bibliography.