Theory 5: Twenty-First Century Music

Theory IV Compilation Page

2006-05-21T23:55:00.000-04:00

The long awaited Theory IV Compilation Page is now up and running.
(Click the title of this post to gain access)

At this point, it is very much a work-in-progress with many updates to be posted in the days to come. In addition to the brief descriptions of individual pieces which will be posted as I receive them, I am currently scanning the scores for the conceptual pieces submitted as part of the final quiz.

Looking forward to hearing your comments, suggestions, and insights.

Enjoy...

Dr. MacFarlane

Food for Thought

2006-05-19T17:25:00.000-04:00

While creating the work,

The process becomes more important to the artist than the product -

And the process becomes a piece of art itself......

J Weiss

Update: works and such...

2006-05-19T17:13:00.000-04:00

The compilation page is in progress, and will be up soon.

On a related note, I requested a blurb from each composer concerning the individual works to be posted.

As of today, I have received only three.

Quand est-ce que je les recevrai ?

TMacDaddy

Ahead of Ourselves

2006-05-01T17:35:00.000-04:00

Following our semester-long journey through the 20th century, it seemed that during our last Theory IV class, we had at long-last arrived in the present. After sedulously tracing the various strands born from the breakdown of functional tonality, we finally managed to catch up with ourselves and began exploring works that were created as recently as that morning.

As part of the final assignment, students presented an impressive selection of original compositions rooted in late 20th century musical practice. From high concept, to ambient soundscape, from hip-hop to alternative rock, these works helped illuminate a varied and exciting contemporary scene, one that offered much promise for the future of music composition.

As anticipated, the final steps in our journey towards the present led to a steady reduction in clarity.

But there was something more...

It seemed that during our last class, a sobering calm was pervading the room, one that was accompanied by the growing realization that these new compositions were offering us a glimpse of where music might me going next. I also wondered if we had actually gotten ahead of ourselves in that we were creating works that future theorists would be studying in order to create guidelines for subsequent theory texts.

It is in that spirit that the Theory 5 blog has been created. It is intended as a virtual seminar where colleagues can explore and discuss their most recent insights and discoveries in the world of composition.

Enjoy...

Dr. MacFarlane