Compositional process and the creation of oil, steam, and steel - a mechanistic concerto for alto saxophone and strings

摘要

This thesis discusses aspects of the creative process and challenges faced in the creation ofudOil, Steam, and Steel—a mechanistic concerto for alto saxophone and strings (2014-2015).udChallenges include: concerto structure and proportion, clarity of musical gestures, inadvertentudmusical quotations, and the trial of sustaining musical interest throughout a 25-minute work.udTo facilitate commentary on Oil, Steam, and Steel’s development and eventual form, variousudstructural, motivic, and harmonic analyses of each movement are included. This study alsoudcontains an analysis of an earlier work, Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano (2010), toudinvestigate the creation of musical character through a piece’s sonic components, an ideauddeveloped further in the concerto.udIncluded in the discussion is a selective survey of five concerti by other 20th- and 21stcenturyudcomposers. The survey notes how the composers dealt with the issues of structure,udproportion, coloration, musical development, dramatic pacing, and the relationship betweenudthe soloist and ensemble. These concerti are: Harri Vuori’s Concerto for Saxophone andudOrchestra (2004); Takashi Yoshimatsu’s Albireo Mode (2005); Thomas Adès’ Violin Concertoud“Concentric Paths” (2005); Paul Stanhope’s Piccolo Concerto (2012-2013); and JamesudMacMillan’s Veni Veni Emmanuel (1992).udIn addition to the major work, the attached portfolio contains a number of other pieces inuddifferent forms and for varying performing media, including a string quartet, a scherzo forudorchestra, and a programmatic piano quintet. These pieces, composed between 2013-2015,udserved as practical avenues to experiment with ideas elicited by other composers’ works andudto pursue personal objectives. These creative responses shaped the creation of Oil, Steam, andudSteel and assisted in developing a more efficient compositional process in subsequent works.