Thesis submission ID 732 | created
| last updated
Greg Felton, Portfolio of original compositions for various performing groups with detailed analyses
Volumes, pp.: 2 (Vol.1 143pp, Vol.2 139pp.)
Repository (online): http://www.repository.wit.ie/1655/
General specialism: Composition
Abstract:
My main reasons for undertaking this research were to benefit from the wealth of possibilities inherent in contemporary classical music along with creating a substantial body of original work. As a jazz musician and composer with a good understanding of Indian classical music, folk, free improvisation and pop music I felt that learning from and utilising contemporary classical music would greatly enrich my compositional abilities. This research has yielded works with a variety of musical styles and instrumentation; a solo piano sonata that marries serialism with the rhythmic language of Indian classical music, a modern string quartet with a traditional foundation, a contemporary SATB choral piece with piano accompaniment using the text from a Czech poet, a piece for the modern jazz trio ‘White Rocket’ that uses random compositional techniques mixed with Indian rhythms, an orchestral piece influenced by jazz and Indian music and a piece for a mixed sextet influenced by minimalism and African polyrhythm. My main aim was to explore methods and techniques that were unknown to me and to develop my compositional strengths in such a way as to forge a unique and personal language.
Greg Felton, Portfolio of original compositions for various performing groups with detailed analyses
MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2011
Volumes, pp.: 2 (Vol.1 143pp, Vol.2 139pp.)
Repository (online): http://www.repository.wit.ie/1655/
General specialism: Composition
Abstract:
My main reasons for undertaking this research were to benefit from the wealth of possibilities inherent in contemporary classical music along with creating a substantial body of original work. As a jazz musician and composer with a good understanding of Indian classical music, folk, free improvisation and pop music I felt that learning from and utilising contemporary classical music would greatly enrich my compositional abilities. This research has yielded works with a variety of musical styles and instrumentation; a solo piano sonata that marries serialism with the rhythmic language of Indian classical music, a modern string quartet with a traditional foundation, a contemporary SATB choral piece with piano accompaniment using the text from a Czech poet, a piece for the modern jazz trio ‘White Rocket’ that uses random compositional techniques mixed with Indian rhythms, an orchestral piece influenced by jazz and Indian music and a piece for a mixed sextet influenced by minimalism and African polyrhythm. My main aim was to explore methods and techniques that were unknown to me and to develop my compositional strengths in such a way as to forge a unique and personal language.
Thesis submission ID 732