Alfred Schnittke’s quest for a universal musical language in the Penitential Psalms (1987–88)

This dissertation explores the genesis of Alfred Schnittke’s choral masterpiece, Penitential Psalms (1987–88), commissioned to celebrate the millennial anniversary of the Christianization of Russia (988–1988). Given the vast scope of this historical narrative, Schnittke decided that his composition must take into account a wide range of textual and musical developments. The analysis of the work proceeds along two complimentary axes: a discussion of the historical antecedents of the text, and a thorough examination of how Schnittke synthesized the musical elements associated with historical Russian Orthodox sacred music and Russian folkloric tradition with his own unique esthetic goals and personal compositional style to produce a blended, universal musical language.

Name thesis:degree_name

A.Mus.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2018

Author dc:creator

• Lehmann, Zhanna A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Alwes, Chester L.
• Tsitsaros, Christos
• Bashford, Christina
• Tharp, Reynold

• penitential poems
• spiritual poems
• Russian Orthodox Christianity
• polystylism
• znamenny rospev (chant)
• choir concerto
• partesny style (part-singing)
• naïve kant
• prichit (lament)
• ison (drone)
• heterophonic polyphony
• pitch centrality
• motifs
• monograms.

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2018 Zhanna Lehmann

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/101543

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/101543