The Use of Orchestration and Structure in the Exploration of Fluid Musical Hierarchies.

Abstract

Openness and ideas of multiplicity were significant developments in various creative disciplines that surfaced in the latter half of the twentieth century. In music, these concepts, which were pioneered by members of the New York School of composers, manifested in a range of compositional approaches including the exploration of indeterminacy (as applied to the form or content of a musical work), open systems of notation, flexible ensemble sizes, and the use of found objects. These works are often dependent on the symbiotic relationship between the composer and performer: the composer, in relinquishing some control, invites the performer to be a part of the creative process. The nature of the open work invites a dynamic range of more or less anarchic relationships between the composer, performer, listener, and the sounds themselves.

Through the creation of a diverse folio of works, this research aims to explore fluid musical hierarchies through the use of various systems of open notation. These works draw and expand upon both historical and contemporary practices in defining a personal compositional vocabulary in a twenty-first-century Australian context. This research explores concepts such as nonlinear models of musical time; open, flexible, and 'found' instrumentation; mobile and flexible formal structures; in addition to open and flexible notations. The works in the attached portfolio provide the opportunity for multiple possible outcomes or interpretations and ultimately explore a collaborative and inclusive approach to composition.

The accompanying thesis is divided into four main areas of discussion: Contextualising Openness, Modes of Musical Openness, the Discussion of the Portfolio, and Conclusions. The opening section introduces the concept of openness as it can be applied to various creative, philosophical, and social arenas, with a particular focus on temporal openness and aural nonlinearity. Modes of Musical Openness explores techniques found in the current literature, each of which affords the performer varying degrees of freedom. This includes an investigation of openness as applied to instrumentation, musical form, and open notation. The Discussion of the Portfolio analyses each of the attached sixteen compositions, placing them within a historical context and demonstrating ways that openness has been utilised and expanded upon. The document closes by presenting the conclusions of this research, drawing together the main concepts evident in the body of the document, briefly touching on the wider consequences of this compositional approach, and presenting possible areas for future research. Show more