'The Holy Grail of Piano Writing': Texture and Figuration in Contemporary Piano Music

“钢琴写作的圣杯”：当代钢琴音乐的质感和形象

• 批准号: 2278844
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of York
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2278844
• 关键词: Holy; Grail; Piano; Writing; Texture

The following two research questions encapsulate the thesis: 1. To what extent does the composer in question derive their textures from traditional models? 2. To what extent is the texture in question moulded by, & contingent on, other musical components in the piece?The first question is paramount. Many contemporary piano composers conspicuously derive their textures from established models, but the degree to which they do so, & the reason how and why certain figurations continue to be explored & reimplemented, remains uncertain. It is also unclear whether composers who draw upon these models to lesser degrees do in fact owe a creative debt to pioneering piano composers of previous centuries & have made reference to such conventions either cryptically or subconsciously. Constituting the principal enquiry of this thesis, question one addresses these ambiguities, all the while evoking the past through the lens of the present, shedding light on the general nature of texture in contemporary piano music. The second question will broaden the study to incorporate other relevant factors, regardless of the domain into which they are categorised. This widening of scope is necessary due to the inextricable relationship - prominent more so, perhaps, in piano music than in chamber or orchestral music - that binds texture with every other musical component. Throughout this thesis, therefore, question two will help establish the requisite harmonic, rhythmic and structural components in order to contextualise the piece (and texture) in question. Works by five composers will serve as analytical case studies, alongside a portfolio of original compositions. The composers (in addition to myself) are, chronologically, as follows: Gyorgy Ligeti, Magnus Lindberg, George Benjamin, Unsuk Chin and Thomas Ades. These composers have made substantial contributions to the modern piano repertoire, utilising the instrument in solo, chamber, & orchestral contexts, while collectively perpetuating traditional genres such as the etude, sonata & concerto. An original composition of mine will be paired with each case study, acting as a testing ground whereby concepts may be explored through practical implementation. Rather than emulating the piano writing of the listed composers - or pastiche - the pieces will instead reframe the discussed ideas, offering new perspectives, while simultaneously mobilising textural tropes in innovative & creative ways. Wallace Berry's book, Structural Functions in Music, includes a detailed exploration of texture, offering a methodological springboard that effectively lays much of the preliminary groundwork for this project. Equipped with Berry's terminology, & in ongoing consultation with the pre-existing literature, figurations - both in their embryonic, undiluted form, as well as their corresponding manifestation in the case studies - will be codified, facilitating analysis through which intergenerational links & broader comparisons of texture may be demonstrated, regardless of disparities of musical language. When compared with other musical areas, research investigating texture is somewhat limited. Although an assortment of enlightening studies exists on individual composers, texture is invariably overlooked in favour of other musical components; an understandable concession considering that many contemporary figures (including those listed above) have innovated primarily in other domains. Moreover, the scope of research is seldom widened to accommodate intergenerational comparisons or the potential influence of traditional models - due in part to the lack of versatile, systemised methods of analysis, & the ill-defined nature of said models.

本文主要研究了以下两个问题：1.在多大程度上，作曲家的问题是从传统的模式派生他们的纹理？2.在多大程度上，所讨论的织体是由作品中的其他音乐成分塑造的？第一个问题至关重要。许多当代钢琴作曲家明显地从已建立的模型中获得他们的纹理，但他们这样做的程度，以及某些比喻如何以及为什么继续被探索和重新实施的原因，仍然不确定。目前还不清楚在较小程度上借鉴这些模型的作曲家是否确实在创造性上归功于前几个世纪的先驱钢琴作曲家，并且神秘地或下意识地参考了这些惯例。问题一是本文的主要探讨，它解决了这些模糊性，同时通过现在的透镜唤起过去，揭示当代钢琴音乐织体的一般性质。第二个问题将扩大研究范围，纳入其他相关因素，无论这些因素被归类到哪个领域。这种范围的扩大是必要的，因为织体与其他音乐成分之间存在着不可分割的关系，这种关系在钢琴音乐中可能比在室内乐或管弦乐中更为突出。因此，在本论文中，问题二将有助于建立必要的和声，节奏和结构组件，以上下文的作品（和纹理）的问题。五位作曲家的作品将作为分析案例研究，以及原创作品的组合。作曲家（除了我自己），按时间顺序如下：Gyorgy Ligeti，Magnus Lindberg，乔治本杰明，Unsuk Chin和托马斯阿德。这些作曲家为现代钢琴曲目做出了巨大贡献，在独奏，室内乐和管弦乐背景下使用乐器，同时集体延续传统风格，如练习曲，奏鸣曲和协奏曲。我的原创作品将与每个案例研究配对，作为一个试验场，通过实际实施可以探索概念。这些作品不是模仿所列作曲家的钢琴作品-或模仿-而是重新构建所讨论的想法，提供新的视角，同时以创新和创造性的方式调动纹理比喻。Wallace Berry的书《音乐中的结构功能》（Structural Functions in Music）包括了对织体的详细探索，提供了一个方法论的跳板，有效地为这个项目奠定了许多初步的基础。配备贝瑞的术语，并在与现有文献的持续磋商，比喻-无论是在他们的胚胎，未稀释的形式，以及他们在案例研究中相应的表现-将被编纂，促进分析，通过代际联系和更广泛的比较纹理可能会被证明，无论音乐语言的差异。与其他音乐领域相比，研究织体的研究是有限的。虽然存在各种各样的启发性研究个别作曲家，织体总是被忽视，有利于其他音乐成分;考虑到许多当代人物（包括上面列出的那些人）主要在其他领域进行创新，这是可以理解的让步。此外，研究范围很少扩大，以适应代际比较或传统模型的潜在影响-部分原因是缺乏通用的，系统的分析方法，以及所述模型的不明确性质。