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Postminimalist Choral Music: a Pedagogical Perspective

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University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Music Music 2019 POSTMINIMALIST CHORAL MUSIC: A PEDAGOGICAL PERSPECTIVE Joshua John Chai University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2019.101 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Chai, Joshua John, "POSTMINIMALIST CHORAL MUSIC: A PEDAGOGICAL PERSPECTIVE" (2019). Theses and Dissertations--Music. 135. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/music_etds/135 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Music by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Joshua John Chai, Student Dr. Jefferson Johnson, Major Professor Dr. Michael Baker, Director of Graduate Studies POSTMINIMALIST CHORAL MUSIC: A PEDAGOGICAL PERSPECTIVE DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS PROJECT A DMA Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky By Joshua John Chai Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Jefferson Johnson, Professor of Music Lexington, Kentucky 2019 Copyright © Joshua John Chai 2019 ABSTRACT OF DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS PROJECT POSTMINIMALIST CHORAL MUSIC: A PEDAGOGICAL PERSPECTIVE After the strict processes of mid-twentieth-century minimalism, a new musical style has emerged which retains extensive use of repetition, but is generally more aurally accessible, based in non-functional triadic harmony, and flexible in its compositional structure. Frequent use of non-minimalist resources, musical resources from multiple styles in a single composition, and quotation from previous historical periods define this flexibility. American choral music has many popular compositions that exhibit characteristics of this new musical style, in part because of its accessibility relative to earlier minimalist styles, and in part because it adapts easily to the choral setting. At the same time, teaching this music to choirs requires resources that are not in standard- practice choral pedagogy textbooks or peer-reviewed choral journals. This monograph utilizes newer research in musical analysis and several recent writings attempting to generalize the postminimalist style to develop a definition of choral postminimalism. Then, this monograph also suggests analytical approaches and resources for choral warm-ups, score preparation, and other pedagogical tools for three pieces: Arvo Pärt’s The Beatitudes, Nico Muhly’s Bright Mass with Canons, and Tarik O’Regan’s The Ecstasies Above. KEYWORDS: Postminimalism, Choral Pedagogy, Arvo Pärt, Nico Muhly, Tarik O’Regan Joshua Chai April 17, 2019 Date POSTMINIMALIST CHORAL MUSIC: A PEDAGOGICAL PERSPECTIVE By Joshua John Chai Jefferson Johnson Director of Doctor of Musical Arts Project Michael Baker Director of Graduate Studies April 17, 2019 Date INTRODUCTION This monograph is divided into two parts. Part I is an application of recent trends in the analysis of postminimalism to the pedagogy of choral music. Part II is comprised of program notes for recitals conducted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctoral of Musical Arts degree. Part I is divided into 6 chapters: an introduction, a summary of analytical paradigms of postminimalist music, a chapter each for a choral work which benefits from postminimalist analysis (by Arvo Pärt, Nico Muhly, and Tarik O’Regan, respectively), and a summary. Part II contains the programs and program notes for two recitals conducted at the University of Kentucky, as well as one lecture-recital conducted at Concordia University in Austin, TX. The lecture-recital does not have program notes, as it is on the same topic as Chapter 3 of Part I. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. vi LIST OF EXAMPLES ...................................................................................................... vii PART I CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 2 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2 Limitation of Scope ......................................................................................................... 4 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 4 Review of Current Literature .......................................................................................... 7 Style, Analysis, and Pedagogy .................................................................................... 7 Composers ................................................................................................................... 9 Choral-Specific Resources ........................................................................................ 11 CHAPTER 2: ANALYTICAL PARADIGMS OF POSTMINIMALIST CHORAL MUSIC .............................................................................................................................. 12 Postminimalism: Models and Definitions .................................................................... 12 Gann and Bernard: Heterogenerous Combination or Pastiche? ............................... 13 Masnikosa: Intertextual Dialogues ........................................................................... 15 Choral Postminimalism: Three Characteristics ............................................................ 16 Characteristics of Postminimalist Choral Music ....................................................... 17 Analytical Models ......................................................................................................... 18 Leydon: Minimalist Tropes and Musical Subjectivity ............................................. 19 Horlacher: Superimposition of Strata ....................................................................... 20 Hannien: Recontextualization and Repetition .......................................................... 22 Other Analytical Resources: Timbre and Counterpoint ........................................... 22 The Pedagogy of Postminimalist Choral Music ............................................................ 24 CHAPTER 3: ARVO PÄRT’S THE BEATITUDES ....................................................... 27 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 27 Assigning Meaning: T-voice, M-voice, and Triadic Transformation .......................... 29 Determining Individual Agency: What does the singer do? ........................................ 39 Defining Choral Technique: What does the choir do? ................................................. 42 Applying Pedagogy: How do we teach it? ................................................................... 44 Score Preparation ....................................................................................................... 44 iii Choral Preparation ..................................................................................................... 45 Teaching The Music .................................................................................................. 47 CHAPTER 4: NICO MUHLY’S BRIGHT MASS WITH CANONS ................................ 49 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 49 Assigning Meaning: Close Canons and Spatial “Canons” ............................................ 52 Canon Type 1: Kyrie and Gloria .............................................................................. 52 Canon Type 2: Sanctus and Agnus Dei ...................................................................
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