Glazer, Stuart

Antipodes consists of ten separate orchestral musical compositions, or movements, which explore the dichotomies of life. A variety of compositional styles were employed: memories of Rabbit Ridge, Crusader, Infinite Dreamer, and Centenarian are tonal; Incunabulum, Ridin', Love, and Eschatologic are twelve-tone; and Inception and Termination are aleatoric. Instrumentation varies considerably; e.g., Ridin' is orchestrated for a jazz/rock combo; Love for piano and small orchestra; Crusader and other are for full orchestra. A complete discussion of each piece dealing with compositional method, programmatic intentions, and technical considerations as well as complete computer-generated conductor's scores are included. In addition, a complete performance on cassette tape was also submitted, using the author's computer-based Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) studio and a battery of synthesizers.

The piece Conversations with Chaos by Adam Campbell is discussed from several different aspects. The work is analyzed in terms of non-musical sources, descriptive analysis, compositional techniques and formal and stylistic characteristics. Also included is a discussion on computer notation software, and musical influences of the composer.

The choral compositions of James M. Stayton, a neo-romantic impressionistic composer are showcased and the individual works are analyzed both descriptively and formally. Compositional influences and styles are discussed at length with inspiration coming from such composers as Brahms, Faure, Morten Lauridsen and Stuart Glazer. Texts range from Sacred scriptural and Mass Ordinary to poets such as Emily Dickinson, Sarah Teasdale, James Weldon Johnson and Christina Rosetti. The formal analyses include an in depth breakdown of individual sections of each piece as well as musical examples. Each formal analysis also includes a charted breakdown of the entire piece by measure, section and key center. The descriptive analyses explain vocal, and instrumental usage as it pertains to effect and the text. Each descriptive analysis also discusses the particular inspirations by which each piece was structured.

Three unaccompanied chamber pieces of Masakuni Okubo are discussed from several different aspects. They were composed for solo clarinet ( 72), two flutes (Seascapes), and solo violin. Each piece is analyzed in terms of its historical background, compositional techniques, and formal and stylistic characteristics.