Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Theses

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Memorialising tragedy: bushfires, floods, 9/11, the Gulf War, and five minimalist influenced musical works

Groch, Andrew ( 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.