Conceptions of time and form in twentieth and twenty-first-century music

This thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining composition and analysis to explore a series of musical notions associated with time and form in twentieth and twenty-first century music. Four ideas are investigated through analytical case studies of music by Webern, Stravinsky, György Kurtág and George Benjamin, alongside interlinked original compositions. Whilst the selected works share broad underlying concerns, a parallel between the composers’ broader oeuvres is not asserted. Rather, the folio can be seen as addressing two interlinked topics, each with two related halves: brevity, through fragmentation and miniaturisation; and connectedness, through continuity and organicism. An all-encompassing view of the themes is not sought; instead, by demonstrating the idiosyncrasies in approach in both existing and original works, a diversity of information is gathered that provides individual not archetypal examples. It is shown that unity can be achieved in fragmented works by taking into account non-linear associations, whilst in miniature works a synthesis of form and content creates cohesion. Furthermore, continuity can be created despite block-like structures, whilst notions of organicism require new approaches to musical material. Through a synthesis of approaches that combines elements of practice-led and practice-based research, these temporal themes are explored in a manner that provides insight for both composers and listeners: conceptual issues are highlighted, their application in new works is demonstrated, and their precedents in extant pieces are explored. The analytical case studies are principally concerned with manners in which a work might be experienced, and how an awareness of form and the manipulation of time can inform this, whilst the compositions offer an individual approach to each theme, aiming to engage with the listening experience by actively exploring the stated ideas.