MUS 411 – CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES 1

Dr. Kevin M. Walczyk

DESCRIPTION

An introduction to contemporary strategies, systems, methods, and techniques of composing music for various genre and mediums. Compositions will be performed and critiqued. PREREQ: MUS 213. Students will compose music that demonstrates basic contemporary techniques of melody, harmony, form, rhythm, density, texture, and orchestration. Emphasis will be placed on composition techniques of the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will be able to identify significant contemporary composers, compositions, and compositional strategies through listening and score reading assessments. Students will utilize these compositional strategies in their own compositions.

TEXT

• Dallin, Leon. Techniques of Twentieth Century Composition, 3rd edition (Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Company) 1974. ISBN-0-697-03614-6.

CHAPTERS

• 2
• 3-4
• 5
• 6
• 7-9
• 12-13

SYLLABUS & STUDY GUIDES

Please note that these materials may be amended and updated throughout the course of the term. Please check the posted date of each document to make sure you have the most recent edition.

• Syllabus (1/3/16)
• Schedule of Topics (1/3/16)
• Part 1 Study Guide (1/3/16)
• Part 2 Study Guide (1/3/16)
• Part 3 Study Guide (1/3/16)

MEDIA SAMPLES

MELODY

MELODIC CONTOUR & ORGANIZATION (Dallin Chapter 2)

• D. Shostakovitch – Symphony No. 5 (mvt. 1)
• J. Williams – Schindler’s List (Schindler’s List)
• P. Collins – You’ll Be In My Heart (Tarzan)
• L. Bernstein – America (West Side Story)
• L. Bernstein – Tonight (West Side Story)
• J. Coltrane – Giant Steps
• J. S. Bach – Invention No. 1
• P. Cunningham – When Summer Ends (Lewis & Clark)

MODAL MELODIC SOURCES (Dallin Chapter 3)

• D. Shostakovitch – Symphony No. 5 (mvt. 4)
• S. Miller – Winter Time
• M. Davis – Flamenco Sketches (excerpt)
• L. Bernstein – Something’s Coming (West Side Story)
• L. Bernstein – Maria (West Side Story)
• L. Bernstein – Cool (West Side Story)

TWENTIETH CENTURY MELODIC PRACTICES (Dallin Chapter 4)

• D. Shostakovitch – Symphony No. 5 (mvt. 4)
• M. Ferguson/A. Downey – Give It One (Blues Scale)
• M. Ferguson/V. Mukunda/K Mansfield – Chala Nata (Indian ethnic scale)
• B. Bartòk – Mikrokosmos

No. 29     |     No. 41     |     No. 55
No. 58     |     No. 62     |     No. 86
No. 99     |     No. 101   |     No. 109

• Traditional – Beech Spring (pentatonic)
• C. Debussy – Preludes, Book 1, No. 2 – Voiles (wholetone)
• C. Debussy – Preludes, Book 1, No. 10 – La Cathèdrale engloutie (secondal/quartal/quintal)
• C. Debussy – Preludes, Book 2, No. 2 – Feuilles mortes (secondal/quartal/quintal)
• E. Varèse – Density 21.5 (solo repertoire)

THEMATIC METAMORPHOSIS & IMITATIVE PROCEDURES (Dallin Chapters 12 & 13)

• J. S. Bach – Invention No. 1 (imitation/inversion)
• J. Williams – Raider’s March (imitation)
• G. Holst – Chaconne (inversion)
• A. Copland – Shaker Song (augmentation)
• B. Broughton – Silverado (augmentation)
• L. Bernstein – West Side Story – Prologue (ostinati & imitation)
• H. Mancini – Peter Gunn Suite (ostinato)
• B. Bartòk – Mikrokosmos

No. 12     |     No. 17     |     No. 22
No. 29     |     No. 79     |     No. 86
No. 141

HARMONY

CHORD STRUCTURE (Dallin Chapters 6-9 & 11)

• G. Mahler – Symphony No. 9 (mvt. 1 excerpts) (chords of addition)
• J. Williams – Arlington from JFK (chords of addition)
• A. Copland – Billy The Kid (excerpt) (chords of omission & “polychords”)
• A. Copland – Canticle of Freedom (excerpt) (“polychords”)
• I. Stravinsky – Rite of Spring (excerpts) (“polychords”)
• A. Webern – Variations for Orchestra (non-tertian sonorities – serialized structures)
• A. Schoenberg – Suite for Piano (mvt. 1) (non-tertian sonorities – serialized structures)
• C. Debussy – Preludes, Book 1, No. 10 – La Cathèdrale engloutie (non-tertian sonorities – no basis on overtone series)
• K. Penderecki – Threnody (sound mass – non-tertian sonorities – no basis on overtone series)
• J. Williams – Motorcade from JFK (tone clusters – non-tertian sonorities – no basis on overtone series)

RHYTHM

NON-RHYTHMIC, ASYMMETRICAL METERS, & POLYMETERS (Dallin Chapter 5)

• L. Bernstein – America (West Side Story)
• C. Parker – Relaxin’ At Camarillo (arr. Walczyk) (shifting accents)
• A. Copland – Billy The Kid (excerpt) (chords of omission & “polychords”)
• A. Copland – Canticle of Freedom (excerpt) (“polychords”)
• I. Stravinsky – Rite of Spring (excerpts) (“polychords”)
• M. Giacchino – Incredits from The Incredibles (asymmetrical meters)
• Chicago – Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is? (polymeters)
• J. Schwantner – Wild Angels of the Open Hills (Polymeters)
• K. Penderecki – Threnody (sound mass – non-tertian sonorities – no basis on overtone series)
• J. Williams – Bicycle Chase from E.T. (polymeters)

TEMPORAL/METRIC MODULATION

• K. Walczyk – 6. The Great Portage (Symphony No. 1 – Corps of Discovery)
• B. Evans/K. Walczyk – Waltz for Debby
• Rogers & Hammerstein – Overture from Sound of Music (excerpt)
• D. Clayton-Thomas/A. Drover – Spinning Wheel

OSTINATO

• L. Bernstein – Prologue (West Side Story)
• A. Copland – Lincoln Portrait
• H. Mancini – Peter Gunn Suite (final movement)
• S. Reich – Violin Phase
• T. Scholz – More Than A Feeling (chorus)
• I. Stravinsky – Rite of Spring (excerpts)
• J. Williams – Battle in the Snow (Empire Strikes Back)
• J. Williams – Main Title & First Victim (Jaws)