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TWO-TOED CLAW-CLIPPER

DENHAM, ROBERT DAVID
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1108741331

Abstract Details

2005, DMA, University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music : Composition.
Since the early efforts of Haydn and his contemporaries, the string quartet has come to represent one of the most prestigious ensembles a composer can write for. Several of the master composers from the 18th-21st centuries made significant contributions to the genre; the list of names includes names like Bartok, Brahms, Beethoven, Britten, Carter, Crumb, Debussy, Deutilleux, Dvorak, Larson, Mendelssohn (Fanny Hensel and Felix), Mozart, Ran, Ravel, Rochberg, Schoenberg, Schubert, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and Webern. While such a rich repertoire may not appear to be in great need of expansion, there is one component that is notably absent from nearly all of these names; that element is “pop.” The majority of string quartets written by 20th and 21st century composers have either been intentionally or unintentionally crafted to avoid references to music from popular American culture (jazz, blues, rock, and the like). While these same composers may feel quite comfortable blending “high” and “low” art in pieces for other ensembles, that mix has yet to be firmly established as a possibility for the stringed instruments. It is not fair to dismiss the issue with the comment that “strings just can’t swing,” since several of the few attempts at encouraging them to realize today’s pop styles have been reasonably successful (William Bolcom’s Violin Concerto and John Adams’s Fearful are two such examples). While the repertoire for the string quartet is arguably one of the richest among chamber ensembles, the argument presented above has proven that its catalogue is far from complete. In fact, due to the ensemble’s tendency to play only traditional music, it is perhaps the one ensemble out of all chamber groups that is most at risk of becoming antiquated. In light of this, my Two-toed Claw-clipper is my attempt at integrating the classical and popular styles described above. The work explores the harmonic languages and rhythms of jazz, rock, and blues, and also borrows stylistic features from other “quasi-popular” styles, such as tango. I am convinced that such a project represents a significant contribution to the genre.
Dr. Joel Hoffman (Advisor)
52 p.
Music
String Quartet; Clipper; Claw; String Music; Chamber Music; American Composer

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • DENHAM, R. D. (2005). TWO-TOED CLAW-CLIPPER [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1108741331

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • DENHAM, ROBERT. TWO-TOED CLAW-CLIPPER. 2005. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1108741331.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • DENHAM, ROBERT. "TWO-TOED CLAW-CLIPPER." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1108741331

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1108741331
491
© 2005, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.