Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
Music
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The Unfaithful Bride is a piece of Western art music written with the intent of acclimating westernized ears to the sonic landscape of Judaism, while simultaneously exploring a difficult and allegorical passage of Scripture that intersects with the composer’s religious traditions. The primary objective, however, was to create a beautiful work of art. To create this work, research on Jewish music (specifically on the ancient liturgical modes) was utilized to both inform and inspire.
Once the text was selected and analyzed, composition began, and rhythmic values and a prayer mode were assigned to each movement. Melodic materials were written at the piano, and transcribed using Finale notation software. Parts were recorded and overlaid to create a hybrid recording through asynchronous methods. The modal framework led to musical innovation, and to tangential inquiries about ethnomusicology, musicology, and covenants.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Matthew Herman, D.M.A.
Disciplines
Composition | Music
Recommended Citation
Smith, Claire, "The Unfaithful Bride: A Musical Exploration of the Jewish Prayer Modes and Comparable Modern Instrumentation" (2021). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 941.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/941
Comments
With permission of the author, Movements I, II, and IV of The Unfaithful Bride are available for listening at the following links:
Movement I: Abandonment
Movement II: Rescue
Movement IV: Fragmented Covenant