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ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Oscillations of the Unadorned Light Bulb

Merritt, Zachary
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1400072401

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, Music Composition.
Oscillations of the unadorned light bulb is a twenty-eight minute work scored for flute, violin, viola, cello, four-channel audio, three-channel video projection, and the composer as a performance artist. This work is divided into three sections, ABA, with each A section lasting seven minutes and the B section lasting fourteen. The duration of each section is directly proportional to the moon's change of phase. For example, the B section equates to the moon's transformation from the new phase to the full phase. The pitch material utilized in this work is appropriated from my string quartet, 21-33 (division). In that piece I used four matrices formed by different combinations of z-related hexachords and then developed a process using fractals to generate an organized system of rhythms and pitches. I employ this material in the B section of oscillation... while the A section employs pitch indeterminacy. The instrumental notation combines indeterminacy and standard notation, taking inspiration from the work of the Fluxus school. The performers are given indications such as "Play Fast" or " Longer Tones" along with pitch boxes that indicate pitch classes to play over a specified duration. The material used in the four-channel audio derives from throat singing, crickets, and natural recordings that are processed using DSP techniques. The video projections include recordings of the moon, sky, and a live feed of the audience during the performance. All of the audio and video is processed or subverted in some manner. The performance artist serves as a bridge between the physical concert space and the created world of the multimedia. This individual makes slow and gradual motions between eight different poses and gestures. The gestures and poses are influenced by the different yoga poses of the moon salutations but are not direct references to those positions.
Christopher Dietz, Dr. (Advisor)
Elainie Lillios, Dr. (Committee Member)
53 p.
Music; Performing Arts
performance art; multidisciplinary art; projection art; theatre piece; unconventional notation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Merritt, Z. (2014). Oscillations of the Unadorned Light Bulb [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1400072401

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Merritt, Zachary. Oscillations of the Unadorned Light Bulb. 2014. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1400072401.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Merritt, Zachary. "Oscillations of the Unadorned Light Bulb." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1400072401

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1400072401
356
© 2014, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Oscillations of the Unadorned Light Bulb by Zachary Merritt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.