Dissertation Index
Author: Duncan, Stuart P Title: The Concept of New Complexity: Notation, Interpretation and Analysis Institution: Cornell University Begun: December 2008 Completed: May 2010 Abstract: This thesis examines Roger Redgate’s first published work, Genoi Hoios Essi for solo piano, which has fallen under the epithet of “New Complexity,” a polemical term that reflects a superficial appraisal by critics of the notational system employed by the composer. One such superficial glance can be seen in Richard Taruskin’s depiction of the works of “New Complexity” as a simple reflection of progress in notational technology: “The notational detail was significant, even if the music was not; for its intricacy set a benchmark that is never likely to be equaled, let alone surpassed.” Given Taruksin’s supposition alongside a host of other responses from composers, performers and critics alike, it is understandable that the term “New Complexity” has become something of a hot potato, with composers who are generally seen as New Complexicists keen to distance themselves from the term, and with it the idea that their music strives for the most complex notation possible. However, if we look beyond the notational complexity to the question of where the complexity lies, we find a shared aesthetic between these composers that does make some sense of using a single term to group them together. Keywords: Roger Redgate, New Complexity, Brian Ferneyhough, Genoi Hoios Essi, 20th Century Analysis, Theory TOC: CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER TWO: NOTATION CHAPTER THREE: 1980s DARMSTADT AND INTERPRETATIONS OF NEW COMPLEXITY CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUDING ANALSIS OF ROGER REDGATE’S GENOI HOIOS ESSI Contact: stupaulduncan@gmail.com stuart.duncan@yale.edu 6073793743 |