Non-Tonal Pitch Hierarchies and Dramatic Narratives in Oliver Knussen’s Variations, Op. 24

<p>Musical analysts have often commented on the lingering echoes of tonality present within the otherwise non-centered (and remarkably complex) harmonic world of Oliver Knussen’s music. Using his piece Variations, Op. 24 as a model, this project hypothesizes that the compositional techniques Knussen employs serve to create non-tonal pitch hierarchies. Although Knussen does not use functional tonal harmony in this piece, he finds a variety of ways to elevate the pitch A to a place of prominence, both on the musical surface and in the background structural operations. These techniques naturally result in pitch spaces that are rich with tonal and modal implications, but Knussen approaches these spaces using entirely non-tonal frameworks. This project also examines Knussen’s impeccable sense of timing and drama, and attempts to identify the compositional elements that contribute to the pacing and form of this composition. I uncover intricate layers of musical material on separate but interconnected trajectories, and formal sections that are both discrete and dovetailed, all contributing to what Knussen calls the “big shape of the piece.”</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Prestamo, Joseph

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Joseph Straus

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Jeff Nichols
• Bruce Saylor
• David Schober

• Composition
• Music Theory

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4855

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:gc_etds-5993