Borrowed Traditions portfolio of compositions with accompanying commentary

Abstract

The following commentary introduces six pieces written between 2012 and 2015, during the period of my PhD research at the University of Southampton, UK. All of the pieces discussed here are, on some level, concerned with the subject of borrowing, be it the use of pre-existing musical material, or elements of different traditions, compositional practices in a broad historical context. Different approaches are represented in the ways the individual pieces refer to existing music, ranging from literal quotations to stylistic allusions.

The commentary presents the ways these references are transformed, manipulated, and re-contextualised in the pieces discussed. I also attempt to contextualise my music through considering related works by other composers, as well as related debates within postmodern theory. Today - partly as a result of globalisation - the concept of tradition takes on a new aspect: it is less significantly defined by national affiliations, or commitments to particular trends and movements that stem from regional cultures/aesthetics. It is no longer something given, inherited; a multitude of traditions are available to choose from and explore through the arts. In this spirit, the presented works refer to a wide variety of musical traditions, from folk music, through Renaissance polyphony, the German Lied to post-war compositional styles and practices.

The commentary includes a general introduction to the compositional techniques lying behind the works presented as well as six analyses supplementing the pieces included in my composition portfolio.

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