Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Phillip Roberts Thesis Manuscript.pdf (789.39 KB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Madeline Usher: An Opera in One Act

Roberts, Phillip Christopher
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1395398280

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, Music Composition.
Due to its longstanding place in literature, Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher lends itself to many renewed interpretations. In my setting, I have provided a new perspective on the story by casting it through the lens of Madeline and writing music that evokes the gloomy atmosphere inherent in Poe's writing. "The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world," said Poe of his inspiration (Kulewatz 2009). He explored this theme throughout his career, always painting the dying or deceased female as a silent entity. In The Fall of the House of Usher, Madeline is physically seen only once before her death and again as an apparition. In my setting, Poe's narrative is revealed through the point of view of Madeline, giving emphasis to her untold side of the story. This brings a new perspective to a familiar tale, while still enabling the preservation of the 1800s New England setting and the gloomy atmosphere. In classic horror films, every element of the set, acting and cinematography lends itself to the creation of a melancholic mood. Roger Corman's films of several Poe stories are highly respected by other directors because of their gloomy aura and economy of material. To do justice to Poe's work, I have relied heavily on mood. This morose mood is achieved by basing the work on a ten-note row that is both stable and unstable. The row represents the House of the Ushers, and the stability thereof through its use of fourths and seconds. The instability comes in the lack of consistent tonal centers the row necessitates. The use of special orchestration techniques also serves the mood of the piece. For example, Madeline's screams when she awakens to find herself in a coffin are paired with cluster chords. The row and these techniques work together to give the opera a single, unified atmosphere. Madeline Usher is important to my growth as a composer. The methods of pitch organization and orchestration employed not only support the mood of the piece, but have become part of my compositional language.
Christopher Dietz, Dr. (Advisor)
Marilyn Shrude, Dr. (Committee Member)
42 p.
American Literature; Composition; Music
music; opera; Edgar Allan Poe; The Fall of the House of Usher; classic literature; horror films; chamber; orchestra; vocalist

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Roberts, P. C. (2014). Madeline Usher: An Opera in One Act [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1395398280

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Roberts, Phillip. Madeline Usher: An Opera in One Act. 2014. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1395398280.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Roberts, Phillip. "Madeline Usher: An Opera in One Act." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1395398280

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1395398280
807
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.