Portfolio of composition with accompanying commentary

Abstract

This commentary paper explores two fundamental structural principles of music: repetition and change. In Western art music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, there are works that utilise repetition and change not simply as binary tools for musical progression within a piece, but as the actual purpose and character of that work. Similar processes are found in other forms of art, such as visual arts and literature. Each portfolio composition is written whilst pursuing such works of the past, and some of them are reconstructions of similar examples in other artistic media. The introduction in Part One – 1 of this commentary reveals the motivations behind my choice of this particular topic. After examining what composers achieved through repetition, there will be a brief examination of past musical examples containing traits of repetition and change in manners that are intriguing enough for discussion. The analysis in Part One - 2 includes detailed analyses of each work of the portfolio, with explanations on how past examples are applied to my compositions. This section also illustrates how elements of repetition and change found in visual art and literature are musically reconstructed. The conclusion in Part One - 3 describes the transformation of my compositional perspective that occurred during my research. The main issues that were raised when the individual pieces were composed are also discussed.

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