Morton Feldman's For Samuel Beckett: The Semiotics of Musical Time and I Meet You. I Remember You. (An Original Composition for Violin and Orchestra.)

Matthews, David Gerard (2011) Morton Feldman's For Samuel Beckett: The Semiotics of Musical Time and I Meet You. I Remember You. (An Original Composition for Violin and Orchestra.). Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.

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Abstract

In For Samuel Beckett, for twenty-three players, Feldman creates a seemingly static surface of sound lasting nearly an hour that challenges the listener's perception of time and explores musical memory. The fact that Feldman's work does not conform to received notions of organic development creates unique challenges in musical analysis. The present study attempts to put to use some concepts of difference and repetition derived from the French philosopher and cultural theorist Gilles Deleuze in order to create an appropriate model for the analysis of non-teleological music. This study notes the role of notation and the graphic layout of the score, arguing that the visual presentation of the score is an important aspect of the work.The original composition, i meet you. i remember you., for violin and chamber orchestra, also explores ideas of non-linear temporality and difference and repetition. The piece further explores the non-organic model-repetition strategy employed by Feldman, but does so in a completely different musical context. This work also reflects my interest in microtonality, in heterophony, and in engaging with popular music.

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