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.”
","abstract_html":"<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>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Prestamo, Joseph"],"institution":"The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"Music","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Joseph Straus"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Jeff Nichols","Bruce Saylor","David Schober"],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:38Z","subjects":["Composition","Music Theory"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4855","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Joseph Straus"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Jeff Nichols","Bruce Saylor","David Schober"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Prestamo, Joseph"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2022-05-02T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Music"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Composition","Music Theory"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4855"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["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.”
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Non-Tonal Pitch Hierarchies and Dramatic Narratives in Oliver Knussen’s Variations, Op. 24"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Joseph Straus"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Jeff Nichols","Bruce Saylor","David Schober"],"dc:creator":["Prestamo, Joseph"],"dc:date.available":["2022-05-02T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["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.”
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4855"],"dc:subject":["Composition","Music Theory"],"dc:title":["Non-Tonal Pitch Hierarchies and Dramatic Narratives in Oliver Knussen’s Variations, Op. 24"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Music"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:38Z"}