Algorithmic Music Analysis: a Case Study of a Prelude from David Cope's
ALGORITHMIC MUSIC ANALYSIS: A C ASE STUDY OF A PRELUDE FROM DAVID COPE’S “FROM DARKNESS, LIGHT” Reiner Krämer, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepar ed for the Degree of DOCTOR OF P HILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2015 APPROVED: David Bard-Schwarz, Major Professor Andrew May, Minor Professor Thomas Sovík, Committee Member Frank Heidlberger, Chair of the Department of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate Studies James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music Costas Tsatsoulis, Interim Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Krämer, Reiner. Algorithmic Music Analysis: A Case Study of a Prelude from David Cope’s “From Darkness, Light.” Doctor of Philosophy (Music Theory), May 2015, 433 pp., 16 tables, 57 figures, 125 examples, bibliography, 278 titles. The use of algorithms in compositional practice has been in use for centuries. With the advent of computers, formalized procedures have become an important part of computer music. David Cope is an American composer that has pioneered systems that make use of artificial intelligence programming techniques. In this dissertation one of David Cope’s compositions that was generated with one of his processes is examined in detail. A general timeline of algorithmic compositional practice is outlined from a historical perspective, and realized in the Common Lisp programming language as a musicological tool. David Cope’s compositional output is summarized with an explanation of what types of systems he has utilized in the analyses of other composers’ music, and the composition of his own music. Twentieth century analyses techniques are formalized within Common Lisp as algorithmic analyses tools.
[Show full text]