Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Theses
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Item"Speaking in tongues": an investigation into a compositional practice informed by intercultural exploration( 2019)There is an existing context for contemporary composers engaging in intercultural exploration through creative work, both in Australia and internationally. Taking a practice-led research approach, this study by composer Tim Dargaville investigates the ways that ceremonial forms and ritual practices can inform the creation of new music and the development of a personal compositional language. A folio of five compositions for solo instrument, string quartet, chamber ensembles and orchestra, with scores and recordings will be accompanied by a dissertation that aims to contextualise the process of creation, locating the development of the works within a broader understanding of approaches to intercultural exploration undertaken by Australian and international contemporary composers.
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ItemFolio of compositions( 2018)Folio of 6 compositions including orchestral, choral and chamber music. The works traverse a stylistic spectrum, moving freely between the simple and the complex, synthesising liturgical choral traditions with instrumental modernism, resulting in a unique approach to harmonic and rhythmic materials.
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ItemFolio of compositions( 2018)The works within this portfolio represent the culmination of my Master of Music candidature at the University of Melbourne. Commencing in February 2016, my two years of study have allowed for a meticulous examination of my compositional practice, resulting in a widening of how I approach writing and a greater focus upon my chosen musical language.
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ItemMemorialising tragedy: bushfires, floods, 9/11, the Gulf War, and five minimalist influenced musical works( 2017)Tragedy has long been tied to artistic response. Visual, dramatic, and musical artists have memorialised tragic events and the human reaction surrounding them. This is an important part of contributing to aeons of cultural history and creating memorial spaces. This thesis analyses a selection of works which memorialise tragedy: Symphony Da Pacem Domine for Orchestra (1991) by Ross Edwards, On the Transmigration of Souls for Orchestra, Chorus, Children’s Chorus and pre-recorded sounds (2004) by John Adams, WTC 9/11 for String Quartet and pre-recorded Voices and Strings or Three String Quartets and pre-recorded Voices (2011) by Steve Reich, Symphonia Eluvium for Orchestra and Choir (2011) by Elena Kats- Chernin, Fire Music for Orchestra (2011) by Brett Dean. The musical language of these compositions is examined to drive a discussion of how concepts such as vertical listening, Negative Space, and temporal experience facilitate their function as memorial spaces. By applying a framework of interdisciplinary techniques to the musical analysis, the investigation of these works is also considered in relation to sociological significance. This discussion attempts to better understand how composers writing in disparate styles might have recourse to Minimalist aesthetics in commemorating tragedy.
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ItemThe clarinet and its protagonists in the Australian New Music milieu from 1972 to 2007( 2013)This dissertation investigates the nexus between the clarinet (and bass clarinet), its protagonists and the Australian New Music composed between 1972 and 2007. It examines various factors that have shaped the Australian New Music milieu and contributed to the instrument’s prominence, resulting in the creation of a significant body of repertoire held by the Australian Music Centre. Although New Music for clarinet is central to this study, its focus is neither a detailed examination of specific composers and their works, nor an analytical score-based approach to this music. Instead, via a focus on the performers and ensembles active during this period, this research examines aspects of the development of Australian New Music and a range of factors that have contributed to the instrument’s prominence within this milieu. Areas investigated include both the historical and late 20th century catalysts for the creation of repertoire for clarinet and bass clarinet, and changes in the performance of New Music in Australia during the period of this study. Also explored are the trajectories of a number of individuals and prominent Australian New Music ensembles that have contributed to the development of clarinet repertoire in Australia. This dissertation has drawn on the holdings of the Australian Music Centre and has been informed by the material collected from interviews with 23 prominent composers, clarinettists, commentators and music educators based in Australia and overseas. Further information has been gleaned from other sources that document the history of Australian New Music. These include the journal of the Australian Music Centre Sounds Australian and its predecessor AMC News, ephemera including ensemble concert programs held in state and national collections, and administrative and organisational documents that shed light on the activities of the ensembles examined.