Portfolio of Compositions and Technical Commentary

Abstract

This portfolio of compositions explores how the notion of ritual can influence the shaping of musical discourse - in terms of form, material development and dramaturgy.

From a technical point of view, this research investigates how the characteristic presence of repetition and formal rigidity in ritual music can be translated and applied to different musical contexts - and to what degree it can be used to expand the compositional palette in terms of form and material development.

Furthermore, it aims to explore how the idea of ritual as a genre of cultural performance can inform the size and nature of the musical forces used, and to what degree the typically participatory dramaturgical strategies in ritual performances can be applied to inherently presentational concert music.

The submitted portfolio displays a group of works for contrasting forces in which the results of the research topics have been incorporated to varying degree, and consists of the following pieces:

A Box of Darkness with a Bird in its Heart for solo violin, 11’
American Settings for countertenor and percussion quartet, 18’
Aphasia for multi-percussion and electronics, 11’
Four Speeches and a Technique for mezzo-soprano and ensemble, 20’
Play-Off for percussion quintet, 13’ Step Right Up for piano and symphony orchestra, 25’
Three Memos for two percussionists, 7’
Zebra Crossing for string trio, 7’

Also included in the portfolio are the following recordings:  



A Box of Darkness with a Bird in its Heart, performed by Diana Tishchenko
Aphasia, performed by Miquel Bernat Play-Off, performed by Drumming GP (rehearsal recording)Step Right Up, performed by Roger Muraro (piano) and Gulbenkian Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin SchwartzThree Memos, performed by João Góis and André Dias (rehearsal recording)
Zebra Crossing, performed by Phelan Nyvoll Walker (violin), Ryan Davis (viola) and Maria Franz (cello)

Date of Award	1 Jul 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	King's College London
Supervisor	Edward Nesbit (Supervisor) & George Benjamin (Supervisor)