Dissertation Index
Author: Link, John, F. Title: Long-Range Polyrhythms in Elliott Carter's Recent Music Institution: City University of New York Begun: January 1992 Completed: January 1994 Abstract: Although Elliott Carter (b. 1908) is recognized around the world as one of the foremost composers of the late twentieth century, the music he composed in the 1980s--one of the most productive periods of his career--has received very little scholarly attention. During that time Carter developed a clear and expressive rhythmic language, based on long-range polyrhythms, that imparts a new sense of global organization to his recent works, and has significant implications for the more general theoretical issue of rhythm in post-tonal music. This dissertation is a study of long-range polyrhythms in Carter's music from Night Fantasies (1980) to Anniversary (1989). Chapter 1 considers the abstract properties of long-range polyrhythms. Chapter 2 examines the types of polyrhythms Carter has favored in his recent works and his decisions regarding their notation. In chapter 3 questions about the musical palpability of long-range polyrhythms are addressed from the point of view of the listener/analyst, and numerous examples are given of how long-range polyrhythms can enrich our hearing of Carter's recent music. Keywords: Elliott Carter, rhythm, polyrhythm, 20th-century music, music theory, music analysis TOC: Abstract Acknowledgements Abbreviations of Terms Defined in the Text List of Figures List of Examples Introduction Chapter 1 - The Abstract Properties of Long-range Polyrhythms Chapter 2 - Carter's Polyrhythmic Choices Chapter 3 - Analytical and Perceptual Issues Conclusions List of Works Cited Contact: John F. Link Music Dept. William Paterson College 300 Pompton Rd. Wayne, NJ 07470 ph. (201) 595-2340 fax (201) 595-2217 jlink@frontier.wilpaterson.edu http://gindy.wilpaterson.edu/jlink.html |