VILLAGERS AT WORK: ANATOLIAN SUITE II
Hagop Ferit Dugmeciyan
A THESIS-COMPOSITION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS
GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MUSIC YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO
February 2016 ©Hagop Ferit Dugmeciyan, 2016 ABSTRACT
"Villagers At Work" is a suite for orchestra which paints a contemporary picture of the historic Armenian-Anatolian peasants working in the field. I am an Anatolian-Armenian and know that despite so many efforts of extermination, there still exists a huge invisible population of Armenians in Eastern Anatolia, hiding in disguise under an imposed culture.
My composition is an experiment combining quartal harmony with folk music, applied to traditional western orchestra. In this composition I am trying to follow the paths established by
Bela Bartok, Komitas and Margrit Prudyan. My music promotes the idea that tonal/modal systems with Quartal Harmony can produce different expressions than traditionally we are accustomed to hearing. It is also an addition to multicultural Canadian diversity from a native of
Anatolia that would enrich Canadian music literature for symphonic orchestras.