Pleiades Visions for Organ Solo: A Composition Supported by Documented Research Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Whitehouse, Matthew Robert Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 23/09/2021 10:58:04 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/265366 ! PLEIADES VISIONS FOR ORGAN SOLO: A COMPOSITION SUPPORTED BY DOCUMENTED RESEARCH by Matthew Robert Whitehouse ________________________________________ Copyright © Matthew Robert Whitehouse 2012 A Document Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF MUSIC In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2012 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Document Committee, we certify that we have read the document prepared by Matthew Whitehouse entitled Pleiades Visions for Organ Solo: A Composition Supported by Documented Research, and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the document requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. Pamela Decker Date: 30 October 2012 Pamela Decker John Brobeck Date: 30 October 2012 John Brobeck Jarita Holbrook Date: 30 October 2012 Jarita Holbrook Craig Walsh Date: 30 October 2012 Craig Walsh Final approval and acceptance of this document is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the document to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this document prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the document requirement. Pamela Decker Date: 30 October 2012 Document Director: Pamela Decker 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This document has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this document are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: Matthew Robert Whitehouse 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to Dr. Pamela Decker for her guidance in the composition and performance of Pleiades Visions. Special thanks to Dr. John Brobeck, who provided invaluable assistance in developing a project that both honored the spirit of Pleiades Visions and met the guidelines of the School of Music Graduate Committee and proposal process. Special thanks to Dr. Craig Walsh for his support and encouragement. Special thanks to Dr. Janet Sturman for her guidance in the research that led to Pleiades Visions, and her assistance in developing a doctoral minor program combining aspects of both ethnomusicology and cultural astronomy. Special thanks to Dr. Jarita Holbrook for her guidance in the research that led to Pleiades Visions, for introducing me to the field of cultural astronomy, and for continuing to serve on my committee even after the conclusion of her affiliation with The University of Arizona. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES .....................................................................................8 LIST OF FIGURES ..........................................................................................................11 ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................12 I. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................13 1. Introduction to Pleiades Visions ...............................................................................13 Overview of Pleiades Visions ...................................................................................13 Basis for Pleiades Visions: The Field of Cultural Astronomy ..................................14 2. The Pleiades as an Astronomical Object ..................................................................15 Cultural Conceptions of the Pleiades ........................................................................15 The Pleiades as a Unifying Element in Pleiades Visions .........................................17 3. Statement of Primary Thesis .....................................................................................17 II. BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................18 1. Music and Astronomy: Historical Background ........................................................18 2. Pleiades Visions’ Place in the Organ Literature .......................................................19 An Example from the Established Organ Literature .................................................19 Recently Composed Examples .................................................................................20 3. An Important Non-Organ Example ..........................................................................21 4. Ethnomusicology Background and Literature Review .............................................22 5. Use of Indigenous Music as Source Material for Composition ................................24 6. Summary and Conclusion .........................................................................................25 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued III. RESEARCH BACKGROUND OF PLEIADES VISIONS .........................................27 1. Research Methodology .............................................................................................27 2. Dataset .......................................................................................................................28 3. Source Material for Movement I ...............................................................................28 Dreamtime Cosmology .............................................................................................29 Songlines ...................................................................................................................30 The Pitjantjatjara Seven Sisters Dreaming ...............................................................30 Australian Screen Video Clip ...................................................................................32 Totemic Melody ........................................................................................................32 4. Source Material for Movement II .............................................................................33 5. Source Material for Movement III ............................................................................35 6. Extramusical Concepts as Source Materials .............................................................37 7. Summary and Conclusion .........................................................................................37 IV. COMPOSITION OF PLEIADES VISIONS ................................................................39 1. Cultural Sensitivity ...................................................................................................39 A Case Study in Musical Appropriation ...................................................................39 A Compositional Framework for Pleiades Visions ..................................................40 2. Compositional Techniques in Pleiades Visions ........................................................42 Movement I: “Uluru” ................................................................................................42 Movement II: “…life on other worlds” ....................................................................58 Movement III: “Mauna Kea” ....................................................................................71 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued 3. Summary and Conclusion .........................................................................................97 V. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................98 APPENDIX A: ORIGINAL PROPOSAL TO THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC GRADUATE COMMITTEE ................................................................102 1. Proposed Title .........................................................................................................102 2. Intent and Scope of Study .......................................................................................102 3. Statement of Primary Thesis ...................................................................................108 4. Justification .............................................................................................................109 5. Organization ............................................................................................................112 6. Methodology ...........................................................................................................114 APPENDIX B: SCORE OF PLEIADES VISIONS .........................................................126 APPENDIX C: PERMISSIONS .....................................................................................164 REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................167 8 LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Musical Example