Dissertation Index
Author: Lee, Dickie C. Title: An Agential Exploration of Tragedy and Irony in Post-1945 Orchestral Works Institution: Florida State University Begun: April 2015 Completed: March 2017 Abstract: This analytic dissertation explores tragic and ironic narratives in post-1945 orchestral works through the lens of musical agency and critical theory. For the purposes of this study, I define musical narrative as any sequencing of musical events mediated by agency in which a musical story emerges that underscores the sequence of musical events. My definition and overall methodology for musical narrative follows the work of Lawrence Kramer, Michael Klein, and Byron Almén as I explore tragedy and irony in three large-scale compositions composed after World War II. From Kramer, I break down the narrative process into three components: (1) narrativity, what generates a narrative account; (2) narratography, the discoursing of a narrative; and (3) narrative, the musical story that accompanies the discourse. From Klein (and others), I borrow concepts from intertextuality, critical theory, literary theory, and philosophy to inform these musical stories. Finally, from Almén, I take the tragic narrative archetype as an organizational analytical tool in my analyses. The primary narrativity in each analysis is a form of musical agency, and each analysis questions the role of agency in the interpretation of tragic musical stories in these post-1945 works. Keywords: Meaning, heremeneutics, narrative, subjectivity, philosophy, agency TOC: Work-Persona: Death as Master Signifier in Penderecki’s Third Symphony Fictional Composer: Power Relations in Asyla Op. 17 Individuated Element: Belatedness in Rochberg, Symphony No. 2 Analyst: What is an Analyst? Contact: dickie.lee@uga.edu |