Exploring pluralism and musical meaning in the compositions of Hans Roosenschoon

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis, the term pluralism is used to refer to the different musical and non-musical aspects that form part of a musical composition. Hans Roosenschoon, whose work is the focus of this study, is open about the fact that there are many pluralistic elements in his compositions and he admits to borrowing from others in his music. The thesis provides a short overview of techniques used when borrowing music with the focus on techniques used after 1950. This initial section also includes a short biography of Hans Roosenschoon with a broad overview of his compositional techniques.In the next section, selected works of Roosenschoon are approached in two ways. First, an article by Christopher Ballantine on the compositions of Charles Ives serves to launch a discussion on meaning in borrowed music. When Ballantine wrote about the works of Ives, he focused on the meaning that quotations possess rather than on giving comprehensive analyses of the works. Consequently Ballantine's focus on musical meaning in Ives's works is compared to musical meaning generated in Roosenschoon's work, bearing in mind that Ballantine focuses on Ives's collages, and the majority of Roosenschoon's compositions are technically not collages. Roosenschoon's use of canonical works from Beethoven and Mozart and the subsequent construction of new musical contexts is explored. 'New musical contexts' are differentiated to include a discussion on the difference of borrowing music accompanied by text compared to music without text, using five different compositions as examples.In the third chapter pluralism is extended further to include non-musical influences, with specific focus on possible political undercurrents in Roosenschoon's compositions. All examples of political impulses in Roosenschoon's compositions and writings are based on specific text examples written by Roosenschoon as well as personal interviews, and not inferences. Three compositions serve as examples of potentially political works, although not all of the political gestures are visible in the music itself, but were discovered through documents and discussions with the composer.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University