The influence of Art Music on Classic Rock : from analysis to the making of new compositions

Abstract

This dissertation studies the link between two vast genres of music; that of Art music together with Rock music. Rock music has a vast array of styles, hence, since this dissertation is rather a general study of the influences of Art music on Rock music, only bands which formed between the 1960’s to the early 1990’s were considered, more commonly known as the Classic Rock period. The music being studied is one which caused rebellion and faced heavy criticism (Reynolds 2001), as it provoked new sounds and ideas, which were unimaginable before – this is valid for both Art and Rock music at the time of happening. The relationship between the two genres is studied, and it is clear that Art music had an immense impact on Rock music.

Elements such as harmonies and form were explored, and the set of five contrasting compositions which complement this study give a flavour of these features, whilst keeping their originality and distinct style. The five pieces demonstrate different instrumentation and techniques. The origins of motivation for Classic Rock, which range from Jazz to Classical music are studied, and presented as ideas in the submitted compositions.

This dissertation is structured into three sections. The first section contains a literature review of what has been read and studied to support this study, as well as an analysis of the cases studied. It also features the tools used in the compositions, together with the compositional processes of the submitted works. The second section contains the portfolio, made up of five pieces; a Jazz quartet, a solo piece for piano, a string quintet with a harp and a solo oboe, and two orchestral arrangements. The final section includes two CDs which present the audio documentation of these works as well as all the audio references that are mentioned in this dissertation.