ALTER-SONI-CATION, a ten-minute work scored for mixed chamber ensemble (flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin and cello), consists of musical conversations between six instruments. In this work, a set of specific musical characters are continually mapped onto the work's instrumentation and differ in three main categories: pitch material, texture and rhythm. These characters are treated as disparate sound worlds, which usually conflict with one another. Using this strategy, tension builds throughout the piece until reaching a grand climax when all instrumentalists finally agree on sharing the same sound world. The pitch material for this work is divided into two contrasting harmonic worlds: A) that which is generated through set theory and B) that which is derived from extended functional harmony. The material from harmonic world A is generated from pitch class sets 3-2[013] and 4-19[0148]. These are elaborated through various set-theoretic and mathematical methods, such as serial techniques, Ulam's prime number spiral and 33-note pitch cycles. Harmonic world B utilizes tertian harmonies with clear pitch centers such as D-flat and A-flat in order to mimic classical key structures. Alter-Soni-Cation is comprised of three sections. The entire first section is structured as a large accelerando utilizing harmonic world B. The transition into the second section is met by a breakdown in rhythm, texture and harmony, utilizing harmonic world A. Throughout this section, the contrasting musical characters are showcased and developed. The final section features a grand climax and all instruments in agreement as they culminate on a unison A-flat 5. The remainder of the section revisits the harmonic material from the opening of the work.

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MASTERS THESIS

ADVISOR, MIKEL KUEHN PHD
COMMITTEE MEMBER, ELAINIE LILLIOS DMA