Nothing So Exquisite

Nothing so Exquisite is a tone poem for large orchestra that depicts the conversion story of a man named Alma, as told in a sacred volume of scripture called The Book of Mormon. Alma’s story is comparable to that of Paul the Apostle in the New Testament. Early in his life, though his father is the head of the Church of Christ, Alma rebels against his father’s teachings and becomes a violent opponent of the Church, persecuting the Saints and seeking to lead them astray. He continues to fight zealously against God until, like the Apostle Paul, he is confronted by an angel, commanded to stop his evil ways, and ultimately repents and is converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. From that point on, he devotes his life to the service of God. Alma describes his experience in Chapter 36 of the Book of Alma, verses 7-22, in The Book of Mormon. The jagged, dissonant theme that opens this piece represents Alma’s rebellious and prideful state before his conversion. The work follows Alma’s account through the appearance of the angel with a voice of thunder, Alma’s tortured state following the confrontation, his recall of his father’s teachings of Christ – represented in the music by a Kyrie chant played by offstage trumpets – his desperate cry for mercy, and his redemption and conversion, ending with his transcendent heavenly vision. This work highlights the sublime, immediate, and transformative power of Christ. Exquisite pain and torment are transformed into exquisite light and joy; horror at facing God’s judgement is replaced with longing to enter His presence; a bitter enemy to God is transformed into a valiant force for good. Likewise, through the course of this work, Alma’s dissonant, fragmented theme is transfigured into something more glorious, beautiful, and complete.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Musical Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

Rice University

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Jones, David A.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Gottschalk, Arthur

• redemption
• forgiveness
• transformation
• orchestra

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1911/110426

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.rice.edu:1911/110426