Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Department

Music

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This thesis, in summation, can be divided into two parts. The first half focuses on the story of Eight Pieces for Four Timpani, composed by Elliott Carter and published in 1968. Both its compositional and performance history are addressed. The compositional history starts with the writing of the first version of Carter’s music, Six Pieces for Kettledrums, written in 1950; next, the revision process is addressed, including the actual revisions seen in March. The performance history consists of a study done to determine which piece from the Eight Pieces is the most performed piece; to the author’s knowledge, this is the first study of its kind.

The second half introduces the concept of metric modulation and the influences that led to Carter’s conception of the concept. Charles Ives’s relationship with Carter is explored, including how his ideas may have influenced March; additionally, this section analyzes metric modulation and form in March, along with the general character of the piece.

Disciplines

Music | Music Performance | Other Music

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