Department: College-Conservatory of Music : Composition ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
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1.
BARNHART, MICHAEL ROBERT.
THE SINGING BRIDGE.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2007, University of Cincinnati
► The Singing Bridge is a piece for percussion trio with recorded electro-acoustic…
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▼ The Singing Bridge is a piece for percussion trio with recorded electro-acoustic music inspired by and utilizing samples from the sonic environment surrounding the Cincinnati-Covington Bridge across the Ohio River. Built in 1867 by John A. Roebling, it is an elegant steel spider-web towering 230 feet above the low water mark, with two central suspension cables that contain 5206 small wires each. It was Roebling's second to last design, predating his triumphant Brooklyn Bridge by 16 years. With the advent of automobiles, a steel grate driving surface was added that gave rise to it's popular name "The Singing Bridge," from the sound that tires make while humming across it. During the Great Depression, my grandfather braved the heights with the work crews that painted it. As a child I often begged my mother to cross it so we could sing along. Finally awakening to the personal and public significance of the sound I began regularly visiting the bridge to record it and to assemble an audio catalog of the humming tires, tugboat engines, foghorns, cable clanks, calliope music, and blasts of radios from car windows and pleasure craft that are all part of the sound life there. In collaboration with Percussion Group Cincinnati I developed a palette of corresponding instrumental sounds, many of which use rolling objects as a means of excitation similar to the tires. Tiny phrases trimmed from recorded days, were mixed, duplicated and retuned on a computer, allowing the piece to combine the bridge's sonic vocabulary with several instrumental translations. The bridge sounds are altered and superimposed more and more as the piece progresses representing the way our memories are edited by the mind the longer they are held.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Dr. Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: Singing Bridge; music; Roebling Bridge; music composition; percussion; computer music; electro-acoustic; Cincinnati
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2.
BERN, ALAN SETH.
SIDEWAYS.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2006, University of Cincinnati
► Throughout the 20th century, composers have written works reflecting or portraying different…
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▼ Throughout the 20th century, composers have written works reflecting or portraying different states of time consciousness. Not infrequently, such compositions have been stimulated by composer-choreographer collaborations, such as the one between John Cage and Merce Cunningham. The present work is also the result of a collaboration, with choreographer Eliza Miller. The theme is that peculiar state of consciousness we call "absent-mindedness," in which we move through time and space apparently only subliminally aware of our surroundings and ourselves, mentally preoccupied with our own memories, inner monologues, melodies, plan-making, and so on. Most of us are familiar with the experience of emerging from such a fog and suddenly becoming aware of ourselves and others. The challenge to explore such states musically is analogous to the philosophical problem posed by Heidegger: how to articulate absence in a language of presence. Neither the repetitive structures of minimalism nor the progressive structures of more teleological musical languages reflect a state of mind that is neither trance-like nor narrative, but somewhere in between. In "Sideways" I have tried to find and develop a musical language both adequate to this task and inspiring to my esteemed artistic collaborator and her fine dance company.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Dr. Joel.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: new music; piano; keyboard; clarinet; bass clarinet; dance
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3.
BLASIUS, BRET K.
7 Contrasting Pieces.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2008, University of Cincinnati
► The piece 7 Contrasting Pieces was completed in 2007. The idea behind…
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▼ The piece 7 Contrasting Pieces was completed in 2007. The idea behind the piece was to pay homage to an earlier set of piano pieces of mine composed about eight years earlier, entitled 8 Contrasting Pieces. In composing 7 Contrasting Pieces, it was my intent to create as much contrast as possible between each of the movements of the set. Contrast can be seen in terms of dynamics, length of the individual pieces, texture, and formal structure. The order in which the pieces are presented serves to provide contrast as well.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Joel.
Subjects: Music
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4.
Bukvic, Ivica Ico.
Tabula Rasa.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2005, University of Cincinnati
► Tabula rasa is a creative artistic endeavor in a form of a…
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▼ Tabula rasa is a creative artistic endeavor in a form of a musical composition whose primary purpose is to produce an aurally and intellectually engaging work of art through cross-pollination of two seemingly disparate media. In order to establish series of inseparable aural and structural co-dependencies the piece is to utilize a real-time interaction between the traditionally trained acoustic chamber music ensemble consisting of flute, piano, and cello, and the modern day technology, namely computer.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: music composition live interactive real-time electroacoustic electro-acoustic electronic ensemble flute piano cello computer DSP Max/MSP contemporary algorithmic
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5.
CALLAHAN, DUSTIN LEE.
URBAN PORTRAITS.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2007, University of Cincinnati
► Urban Portraits is loosely programmatic in that no specific city is depicted;…
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▼ Urban Portraits is loosely programmatic in that no specific city is depicted; rather, I capture, in a broad manner, the essence of the big city spectacle. The first movement, scored for piano trio, alternates between lyrical folksy tunes, expansive chordal textures and faster ostinati material. The second, scored for clarinet, cello and piano, depicts the progression of a typical day in a big city setting. Opening the movement, a calm early morning is represented by a lyrical idea first stated in the clarinet. Then, the afternoon rush is signified by a brief accelerando that quickly builds to an explosive climax. The somewhat calm, understated material that opened the movement provides a peaceful conclusion to an otherwise chaotic day. The final movement, scored for complete ensemble, features jazz elements and captures the dynamic energy of life on the busy streets.
Advisors/Committee Members: Fiday, Michael.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: composition; music score; chamber music; jazz; folk music
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6.
Callahan, Moiya Lynn.
Killing the Angel in the House.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2001, University of Cincinnati
► Killing the Angel in the House is an extended song cycle for…
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▼ Killing the Angel in the House is an extended song cycle for soprano, percussion, piano, cello, and alto flute. The work is a personal exploration of the struggle of woman against the bonds of gender construction, in its many changing forms, throughout Western history. Virginia Woolf's image of killing the “Angel in the House,” an image that encapsulates woman's battle with gender construction, is the inspiration and central premise of the cycle. Woolf's description is as follows: “You may not know what I mean by the Angel in the House. I will describe her as shortly as I can. She was intensely sympathetic. She was immensely charming. She was utterly unselfish. She excelled in the difficult arts of family life. She sacrificed daily . . . she was so constituted that she never had a mind or a wish of her own, but preferred to sympathize always with the minds and wishes of others. Above all-I need not say it-she was pure. . . . It was she who used to come between me and my paper when I was writing reviews. It was she who bothered me and wasted my time and so tormented me that at last I killed her.”
Advisors/Committee Members: Zohn-Muldoon, Ricardo.
Keywords: Song Cycle; Chamber Music; Vocal Music
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7.
CHEN, HSIN-LEI.
Ebb and Flow.
Degree: JD/MA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2007, University of Cincinnati
► Ebb and Flow is inspired by the idea of cause and effect.…
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▼ Ebb and Flow is inspired by the idea of cause and effect. All things, as well as the sections of this work, start with a strike, and followed by series of effects that create different outcomes. These unpredictable results lead this work to conflict or cohesive sections that create emotional tension to propel the music forward. The piece is constructed around two groups of pitches – C, C#, D, D#, E, and F#, G, G#, A, Bb. They start the work together as a whole, and go apart through out the piece in variation. The sets are presented wholly or partially in forms of pillar chords, melodic components, accompanying forces, and harmonic backdrop. Furthermore, the two sets sometimes compete with each other, and sometimes combine to compliment each other. F and B, the two among the twelve pitches that are not presented in the main pitch materials, play an insignificant role in the composition. They act as the filling of the twelve-tone-chord sonority, but don’t draw melodic or thematic attention. It is not until the end, after all instruments reach the climax, that the vibraphone hit these two notes strongly to conclude this piece with a satisfying completion of twelve pitches.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Joel.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: Orchestral Work; Orchestra Score; Instrumental Music; Orchestra; Ebb and Flow; Percussion; Marimba; Taiwanese; Chinese; Asian; ERM Media's Materworks of the New Era
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8.
Colwell, Clayton P.
BLACK WATERS.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2001, University of Cincinnati
► We all have a double, that side of us that is always…
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▼ We all have a double, that side of us that is always lingering, suspended in the back of our minds like a marionette, embodying all we wish we could be, say, and do. Usually this puppet is trussed up securely in the psyche, controlled by our confident sense of right and wrong, our moral obligations, or our knowledge of what society will accept and reject. What happens when this double breaks free from the strings that hold it safe in our brains? What if we came face to face with the double, perhaps on a stormy night, on a bridge over a river, on the way home after another heartbreaking episode of social embarrassment? Might there be a bit of intrigue? Attraction? Fear? Would there be an urge to embrace our double in this time of despair, or to reject it, just as society might reject us? Ten pitches are used to open this piece. There are two aggregates within this group of ten. The first aggregate (A) consists of 6 pitches, sonically based on an aeolian scale. The second aggregate (B) consists of 4 pitches sounding in harmonic opposition to A. The remaining two pitches of the Western musical scale are used as modulation points for the entire 10-note row. All ten pitches are presented as the piece opens, representing the existence of of two sides of our psyches. A is then expanded and developed rhythmically and melodically, while B is slowly interspersed within the framework of A's development, until both are played simultaneously and the double (B) is as present and affecting as A (our moral consciousness). The final section of the piece finds the original 10-note row presented in melodic and rhythmic retrograde, the viola struggling to keep a sense of reality with a fading d as the double continues to make itself heard.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Joel.
Keywords: CHAMBER ORCHESTRA; VOCAL; MASTERS; THESIS
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9.
Cortes, Michael.
Symphony No. 1 “The Galilean Satellites”.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2010, University of Cincinnati
► Symphony No. 1 "The Galilean Satellites" was written from 2008 to 2009.…
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▼ Symphony No. 1 "The Galilean Satellites" was written from 2008 to 2009. These four moons, discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilee are very unique objects in our solar system. Europa is one of the smoothest objects in the solar system and has the best chance of containing possible life. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system and to this point is the only moon that has its own magnetic field. Io is one of the most geologically active objects in the solar system and contains many volcanoes. Callisto is one of the most heavily cratered objects in the entire solar system. As you can tell, each of these moons is very different so I wanted to try to make each movement unique on its own, but at the same time I felt it was important to do something to unify all of the movements together somehow because these moons, although very different from each other, are all part of the great discovery of Galileo Galilee. In addition, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are all believed to contain a liquid ocean beneath their surface. When listening to the music, a very familiar slow motive will play, which is my portrayal of the possibility of life. At the very end of the entire work, you will hear ideas/motives from all of the previous movements. The electronics in this piece use not only software synthesizers and edited sounds created in MAX/MSP, but there are real sounds taken from NASA that was actually recorded through data received from space equipment that were visiting these moons from outer space.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: Symphony; Galilean Satellites; pipe organ; band; moons
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10.
deDeugd-McComas, Inez S.
I Lost my Life in Long Term Parking.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2009, University of Cincinnati
► I find the television show Law and Order: Criminal Intent to be…
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▼ I find the television show Law and Order: Criminal Intent to be strangely addictive. The characters are familiar, featuring a tough captain trying to control brilliant but cavalier detectives. Each episode unfolds in similar fashion, making it a tad predictable. Even so, I cannot help but watch.I Lost my Life in Long Term Parking began as a story I wrote that mimicked the Criminal Intent approach to crime drama. My “episode” begins with the discovery of a body in the front seat of a car that has been hidden in plain sight: long term parking. Our heroic detectives investigate the victim and identify three suspects with a motive for murder. After a friendly “invitation” to the station house, a tense interrogation follows until the murderer breaks under the pressure. This story is told by an unconventional ensemble of musicians, a choice made to accentuate the darker characteristics of this form of entertainment. The video joins this ensemble, not to dominate, but to articulate the images I had in my mind while writing the music. But, as not to be too serious, the flute and the tuba join this piece in the form of commercials, causing interruptions similar to those found in television programming.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Dr. Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: composition, music, multimedia, television, commercials
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11.
DENHAM, ROBERT DAVID.
TWO-TOED CLAW-CLIPPER.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2005, University of Cincinnati
► Since the early efforts of Haydn and his contemporaries, the string quartet…
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▼ Since the early efforts of Haydn and his contemporaries, the string quartet has come to represent one of the most prestigious ensembles a composer can write for. Several of the master composers from the 18th-21st centuries made significant contributions to the genre; the list of names includes names like Bartok, Brahms, Beethoven, Britten, Carter, Crumb, Debussy, Deutilleux, Dvorak, Larson, Mendelssohn (Fanny Hensel and Felix), Mozart, Ran, Ravel, Rochberg, Schoenberg, Schubert, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and Webern. While such a rich repertoire may not appear to be in great need of expansion, there is one component that is notably absent from nearly all of these names; that element is “pop.” The majority of string quartets written by 20th and 21st century composers have either been intentionally or unintentionally crafted to avoid references to music from popular American culture (jazz, blues, rock, and the like). While these same composers may feel quite comfortable blending “high” and “low” art in pieces for other ensembles, that mix has yet to be firmly established as a possibility for the stringed instruments. It is not fair to dismiss the issue with the comment that “strings just can’t swing,” since several of the few attempts at encouraging them to realize today’s pop styles have been reasonably successful (William Bolcom’s Violin Concerto and John Adams’s Fearful are two such examples). While the repertoire for the string quartet is arguably one of the richest among chamber ensembles, the argument presented above has proven that its catalogue is far from complete. In fact, due to the ensemble’s tendency to play only traditional music, it is perhaps the one ensemble out of all chamber groups that is most at risk of becoming antiquated. In light of this, my Two-toed Claw-clipper is my attempt at integrating the classical and popular styles described above. The work explores the harmonic languages and rhythms of jazz, rock, and blues, and also borrows stylistic features from other “quasi-popular” styles, such as tango. I am convinced that such a project represents a significant contribution to the genre.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Dr. Joel.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: String Quartet; Clipper; Claw; String Music; Chamber Music; American Composer
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12.
Draper, Natalie R.
Water in the Glass.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2009, University of Cincinnati
► Water in the Glass is a musical composition about the synthesis of…
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▼ Water in the Glass is a musical composition about the synthesis of a lot of different ideas. It is largely a reflection of my fascination with the music of Debussy (lyrical, impressionistic) and Stravinsky (dissonant, angular). In keeping with this juxtaposition, the title is a pun—for the music is not only about the juxtaposition of optimism and pessimism and waves and points, but it is also, in many respects, a sound poem about water. It is my goal that the performers not only emphasize the differences between these juxtaposed sections, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the similarities—this is especially important in the last section, which serves as a synthesis of the ideas that have been presented.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Joel.
Subjects: Composition
Keywords: Pno; Vln; Vc; mf; mp; Fl; ppp
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13.
GOOD, AMBER DIANA.
LADY, WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY? PEGGY SEEGER'S ANTHEMS OF ANGLO-AMERICAN FEMINISM.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2002, University of Cincinnati
► Peggy Seeger's family lineage is indeed impressive: daughter of composers and scholars…
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▼ Peggy Seeger's family lineage is indeed impressive: daughter of composers and scholars Charles and Ruth Crawford Seeger, sister of folk icons Mike and Pete Seeger, and widow of British folksinger and playwright Ewan MacColl. Although this intensely musical genealogy inspired and affirmed Seeger's professional life, it has also tended to obscure her own remarkable achievements. The goal of the first part of this study is to explore Peggy Seeger's own history, including but not limited to her life within America's first family of folk music. Seeger's story is distinct from that of her family and even from that of most folksingers in her generation. The second part of the thesis concerns Seeger's contributions to feminism through her songwriting, studies, and activism. Chapter Two recounts the story of "I'm Gonna be an Engineer," her first and most famous women's song. Her personal involvement with the women's movement begins with the composition of this hallmark feminist anthem. The following chapter outlines trends within her songwriting, which alternately engage with and depart from women's issues. Her recording and publishing output give credence to these patterns. The final chapter is an examination of Peggy Seeger's women's songs as they pertain to the larger fields of women's history and feminist theory. One of her major contributions to folk music is the development of this comprehensive body of women's songs. Her songs tell previously untold stories about the experiences of women and demonstrate that Seeger, although rarely active in the women's movement, absorbed and documented the dialectical trends of late twentieth-century feminism.
Advisors/Committee Members: mcclung, Dr. bruce d.
Keywords: women in music; folk music; Seeger; feminism in music; American Music
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14.
Hardin, Gary Joe II.
IN THE DIVISION OF COMPOSITION, MUSICOLOGY, AND THEORY OF THE COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC.
Degree: PhD, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2000, University of Cincinnati
► The term "vagrant" in the title refers to the notion of someone…
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▼ The term "vagrant" in the title refers to the notion of someone who is simply a homeless vagabond, not with the negative connotations often attributed such as "derelict" or "hobo." Thus, every human could be thought of as a vagrant when considered in the sense that life is brief and one's time on earth, in a way of thinking, "transient." In a traditional theological explanation it could be said that one brings to their short-lived existence a hope for something better in the world to come - life after death. Thus, this vagrant's dance can be understood as a picture of life. A dance has various steps and gestures, which combine to carry a different significance within the larger scope. The vagrant's dance represents events in the life of this homeless vagabond where the predictable ebb and flow is disrupted from time to time. All humans suffer tragedy, sorrow, disappointment, stress - things that break up the expected patterns of day-to-day existence. Someone once suggested that life is a sequence of difficulties with occasional periods of repose, joy or euphoria that sustain us through the tough times. The concept of The Vagrant's Dance strives to portray a picture of this dualism - predictability and disruption, consonance and dissonance, harmony and cacophony that, hopefully, carry a greater significance within the larger scope of the work. Deriving its form from the idea of juxtaposing sections of contrasting styles, there is an alternation between sections of dissonant, serious music and sections of lighter, rhythmic music. This rhythmic energy is rooted in rhythms inspired by American popular music and jazz. The pitches of the more severe sections are derived using dodecaphonic technique combined with the usage of canon and imitation. The twelve-tone row also forms a melody used as the subject for a lengthy imitative/fugal section in the middle of the work. The diatonic sections are constructed from modal scales - particularly D Dorian used for its characteristic sound. The instrumentation is for triple winds and brass, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.
Advisors/Committee Members: Handel, Ph.D, Darrell D.
Subjects: Music; Fine Arts
Keywords: ORCHESTRA COMPOSITION
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15.
Heim, Matthew David.
Trio for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2006, University of Cincinnati
► This piece was written as a commentary on the current political situation…
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▼ This piece was written as a commentary on the current political situation in the United States, with the overall impetus of the work coming from the way in which our leaders have responded to the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. This piece consists of three different movements. A different symbolic, allegorical, and interpretive meaning denotes my aesthetic judgment regarding the way in which each movement is separated. The first movement represents the factual side of the political situation at hand; the second movement represents my own personal reflective feelings; the final movement is a futuristic phantasmagoria on what I feel could take place if a change in the way in which the United States operates does not happen, regarding at least, the war on terror.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Dr. Mara.
Subjects: Music
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16.
Hubbard, Colton M.
Tea Songs.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2005, University of Cincinnati
► “Tea Songs” is a set of four pieces for medium to large…
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▼ “Tea Songs” is a set of four pieces for medium to large choir, piano and violin, written in a carefree and childlike vein. The texts are taken from various nursery rhymes and folk poems, and each colorfully depicts a different tableau. In these pieces, I have tried to make the simple, yet rich text come alive with various timbres, melodic contours, and harmonic shades.
Advisors/Committee Members: Fiday, Michael.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: Folk Music, Nursery Rhymes
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17.
Jolley, Jennifer L.
All Grief Empty, The Clear Night Passes.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2009, University of Cincinnati
► All Grief Empty, The Clear Night Passes is a piece inspired by…
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▼ All Grief Empty, The Clear Night Passes is a piece inspired by local industrial sounds I heard when I first moved to Cincinnati in the summer of 2007. Throughout the day, I can hear the high-pitched mellifluous sounds of trains braking coming from the local rail yard. Inspired by these sounds, I began writing this piece with these high pitches in mind. This piece is about 11'30" long and is divided into three sections. The first section begins with a high flute solo that descends melodically and leads into a long muted trumpet solo. The second section is a little faster with counterpoint between the trumpet and trombone, eventually ending with a duet between the timpani and the tam-tam; and the third section finishes with a chorale played by the oboe, bassoon, and trumpet. Originally conceived as a full orchestra piece, All Grief Empty was arranged for a chamber ensemble during the summer of 2008.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: Composition; Chamber Orchestra; Trumpet Solo
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18.
Kang, Joong-Hoon.
Experiment in Three Imaginary Musical Scenes.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2002, University of Cincinnati
► Experiment in Three Imaginary Musical Scenes is a work composed with computer…
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▼ Experiment in Three Imaginary Musical Scenes is a work composed with computer generated sounds. It is in three movements and each movement expresses the composer's imagination of musical landscapes. The piece is produced from the results of composer's explorations of musical timbre. The sounds were generated and evolved mainly with the techniques of Linear Predictive Coding and convolution in the Csound and MacCmix music programming languages. MacCmix, written by the composer himself, is a Power Macintosh port of RTCmix, which is a software synthesis language originally developed for UNIX operating systems as Cmix by Paul Lansky, and extended by Brad Garton and Dave Topper. MacCmix was used exclusively in this piece to create and manipulate musical gestures.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Dr. Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: cmix; ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC; COMPPUTER MUSIC; ELECTRONIC MUSIC
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19.
Kang, Joong-Hoon.
Inscape.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2006, University of Cincinnati
► Inscape is an exploration of timbre residing within human sensation and its…
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▼ Inscape is an exploration of timbre residing within human sensation and its computer representation. The primary artistic goal of the work is to create a musical landscape through a technique known as sound collage. The collage technique enables the work to depict a continuously flowing series of soundscapes hidden inside everyday life. This thesis deals with the compositional aspects involved in Inscape. It also discusses in depth the algorithmic control of sound selection and recreation based on a stochastic process and timbre comparison employed for the piece.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Dr. Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: Computer Music; Electronic Music; Algorithmic Composition; Timbre
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20.
KHAYAM, HOOSHYAR.
THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2005, University of Cincinnati
► Poetries of Omar Khayyam, the Middle Age Persian poet, have attracted many…
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▼ Poetries of Omar Khayyam, the Middle Age Persian poet, have attracted many composers throughout history. These are the very first settings of these magnificent poetries in the original language, using the conventions of the western art music tradition. The music reflects many influences, from the performance practices of Middle Eastern vocal-instrumental folk music, to the musical language of the age of Post Minimalism.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Dr. Joel.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: Omar Khayyam; Music; Song Cycle; Iran
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21.
Martin, Maria.
In The Forest.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2007, University of Cincinnati
► In The Forest is a non-narrative, audio-visual work exploring fall foliage filmed…
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▼ In The Forest is a non-narrative, audio-visual work exploring fall foliage filmed in northwestern Pennsylvania. For me it is a meditation on natural color, motion and sound. The inspiration for the piece came after a year of long daily walks in the woods near our house. The sounds for the piece include processed samples of percussion, cicadas, elements from my earlier works, and my own performance of Schumann’s Träumerei (Dreaming) from Kinderszenen (Scenes of Childhood). I specifically chose this piece because of the composer’s intense relationship with nature and the experiences of childhood.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Dr. Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: multimedia; composer; video art
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22.
Merkowitz, Jennifer Bernard.
The Cardiac Dance—The Spirals of Life.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2007, University of Cincinnati
► The Cardiac Dance—The Spirals of Lifeis a one-act ballet inspired by…
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▼ The Cardiac Dance—The Spirals of Lifeis a one-act ballet inspired by the work of Drs. Francisco Torrent-Guasp and Gerald Buckberg. The "cardiac dance" is the twisting, pulsing rhythms of the human heart in motion, and "the spirals of life" refers to the natural helical shape of the heart muscle. Based on the work of Torrent-Guasp, Buckberg developed a new approach to dealing with congestive heart failure. This is the music for the original production, which premiered at the CCM Spring Dance concert on May 25-26, 2007. It is one part of the attempt to depict this revolutionary concept through dance, music and multimedia. The piece begins with dancers demonstrating the notion that the spiral is a recurring formation throughout nature. The heart is one of these spirals, and Dr. Torrent-Guasp demonstrated that the heart unwinds like one continuous piece of rope. Scene One continues by mimicking the motion of a healthy heart. When the heart is healthy, it is conical in shape, like a football. In this shape, the heart is able to beat normally in a twisting/untwisting motion. Scene Two begins with a heart attack, and is followed by a progression into heart failure. When the heart becomes unhealthy, it loses its helical shape and becomes round like a basketball. Once the heart has lost its helical shape, it can no longer twist and untwist very well, thereby getting tired easily and losing its synchronous rhythm. Scene Three represents the real lives that are affected by the tragedy of heart failure and ends with the decision to have the surgical procedure pioneered by Dr. Buckberg. In Scene Four, the surgery is performed, effectively transforming the basketball back into a football. Scene Five represents the joy in the restoration of this natural spiral formation and the conclusions that can be drawn from these recent discoveries. For more information on the science behind the cardiac dance, please see http://www.helicalheart.com/. The website for The Cardiac Dance project is http://www.thecardiacdance.com/.
Advisors/Committee Members: Helmuth, Dr. Mara.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: cardiac dance spirals electronic music composition
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23.
MOLLO, MICHAEL JOHN.
FUNK-IN-THE-BOX FOR SAXOPHONE QUARTET.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2005, University of Cincinnati
► This work is in five movements and is scored for saxophone quartet:…
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▼ This work is in five movements and is scored for saxophone quartet: soprano, alto tenor and baritone saxophone. The first movement is a quartet. The second movement is an alto saxophone solo. The third movement is a trio for two tenor saxophones and a baritone saxophone. The fourth movement is a baritone saxophone solo. The fifth movement is a quartet. Each movement contains some element of aleatoric music. The motives are based on bebop style melodies. Often the material is scored in rhythmic unison to create a jazz-saxophone-solitype effect. The parts move away from each other and grind while little melodies sneak in and out of the texture. The solo movements incorporate foot stomps. These are meant to be theatrical as well as aural. There is a unique interaction in both solo movements between the saxophone material and the foot stomps. Overall, the piece is based on a five-part rondo form. Performance time is approximately 20 minutes.
Advisors/Committee Members: Fiday, Michael.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: composition; new music; jazz; saxophone quartet
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24.
OKPEBHOLO, SHAWN E.
SECOND QUARTET.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2005, University of Cincinnati
► This string quartet is divided into ten short movements that are named…
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▼ This string quartet is divided into ten short movements that are named after animal clichés, and all of the movements are dedicated to someone. The music is sometimes representative of the person to whom the movement is dedicated and some of music reflects the title of the movement. To maintain interest among the listener and to demonstrate the eclecticism of the composer, each movement varies in style and harmonic language ranging from 18th century fugue, to pandiatonicism, to serial techniques.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Joel.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: String Quartet; Second Quartet
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25.
Okpebholo, Shawn Ehireime.
Symphony No. 1: Symphony on Spirituals.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2007, University of Cincinnati
► The symphony has been a creative outlet for many composers throughout the…
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▼ The symphony has been a creative outlet for many composers throughout the history of Western music. Similarly, Negro slave songs were a creative way slaves conveyed their thoughts and emotions. In this symphonic work, I use Negro spiritual melodies, for which I have a strong penchant and personal connection, to form the foundation. At times the spirituals are quoted literally while at other times the statements of the slave songs are implicit. The spirituals used in this work all have a similar theme of going to a better place, where struggles would cease. This four movement musical journey explores several different musical styles including elements of jazz, minimalism, and neoclassicism.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Dr. Joel.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: Negro Spirituals; Symphony; Slave Songs
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26.
PALMER, LUKE A.
DIVINUS TEMPUS: II. CHRISTMAS.
Degree: DMA, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2004, University of Cincinnati
► "Christmas", the second of seven works from the chrestomathy Divinus Tempus, is…
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▼ "Christmas", the second of seven works from the chrestomathy Divinus Tempus, is a musical and symbolic expression of the season of Christmas as it unfolds in the Lutheran (LCMS) calendar. The durational proportion of "Christmas" to the entire Divinus Tempus set is nearly identical to the proportion of the Season of Christmas to the entire Church Year. Structurally, proportions of Phi govern the entire global and internal processes of "Christmas" and the work, which is 12-tone, manifests a 30-lyne array partitioned into 32 blocks. Formally, the work exhibits characteristics of both an array composition and a traditional rondo. The rondo is projected by changes in tonality (all chords are derived from a single series form in the work as a whole and sectionally from a distinct series expression; i.e., P6 or RI2) and unique musical ideas.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Dr. Joel.
Subjects: Religion, General; Music
Keywords: Sacred Music; Twelve-Tone; Serial; Dodecaphonic; Array; Matrix; Fibonnacci; Golden Section; Phi
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27.
PARMAN, JOSHUA BRYAN.
HARMONICE MUNDI.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2007, University of Cincinnati
The following is a seventeen minutes composition in two movements for string quartet.
Advisors/Committee Members: Fiday, Michael.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: String Quartet; Johannes Kepler; Harmony of the World; Harmonice Mundi; Tellus; Iupiter; Jupiter
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28.
PENCIL, DAVID.
FLEETING IMAGES.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2007, University of Cincinnati
► The thesis being submitted for a Masters of Music in Composition is…
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▼ The thesis being submitted for a Masters of Music in Composition is a piece for SATB choir, piano, violin, and double bass. It is 12-15 minutes long, and is constructed in nine movements, each of which are composed of a different instrumentation out of the above ensemble. The text being used is the poem “Autumn” by poet Ronald Dondiego. Accompanying the performance of this piece is an optional slideshow presentation of photographs taken by David and Heather Pencil that capture the spirit of the poetry and music. This slideshow can be obtained by David Pencil directly. This composition represents the culmination of David’s compositional study under Dr. Joel Hoffman from the autumn of 2006 to the spring of 2007.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Dr. Joel.
Subjects: Music
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29.
Pew, Douglas G.
Twelve Bagatelles for Solo Piano.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2009, University of Cincinnati
► Twelve Bagatelles is a collection of short autobiographical pieces that depict a…
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▼ Twelve Bagatelles is a collection of short autobiographical pieces that depict a single mood, event, or facet of my life. The topics range from an unsuccessful attempt at fixing the kitchen faucet to listening to jazz guitarist Pat Metheny to sneaking to the kitchen for a mid-night snack while trying not to wake the baby. Others depict running laps through the house with our three year-old daughter, and my feelings for my wife. After completing the first half of this set, I realized that each piece seemed to hover to a different tonal center. Since I was planning on having twelve pieces all together, I decided to continue the trend and give each it's own tonal gravitation making the set one big tone-row. I am not a practitioner of traditional twelve-tone techniques, but the row created by each pieces tonal center created an irresistible jazz lick that I included in number 10. While I am sure that my tonal twelve-tone techniques have caused Schoenberg an involuntary turn in his grave, I have thoroughly enjoyed this twist on his methods.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hoffman, Joel.
Subjects: Music
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30.
PLANCHAK, MATTHEW A.
FOUR FLASHBACKS FOR SOLO PIANO.
Degree: MM, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition, 2005, University of Cincinnati
► The character pieces that comprise this set, each contrasting in mood, may…
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▼ The character pieces that comprise this set, each contrasting in mood, may be performed individually or as a group. The harmonic idiom—equal parts late bebop (e.g. Bill Evans) and early twentieth-century German atonality (e.g. Schoenberg’s op. 11)—remains consistent through the piece. Uncharacteristic of my work, the movements have titles evocative of some extra-musical image or concept. The score was engraved using GNU Lilypond, a free, open-source notation program. The first performance of Flashbacks was given on May 16, 2005 by Michelle Yip, to whom this work is dedicated.
Advisors/Committee Members: Fiday, Michael.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: solo piano, character pieces
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