For this assignment, Theory IV students were asked to solve the following 12-tone matrix, and then compose an original work employing the row and its permutations.
Calvin Pia: The Smoking Contortionist
Branden Stroup: Convulsant's Impact
This piece uses the 12-tone row from class, spastic rhythms, and odd time signatures. Instrumentation: guitar, bass, drums. Program: Garageband.
Stephen Koshgarian: Chorale And Variations on Ein' Feste Burg
Trevor Herzig: Ant in a Microwave
John Caleb Hoyer: Twelve Tones for Piano
Nick Isles: The Matrix Disease
This piece is my first exploration into 12-tone. I decided to start out with the series in the bass as a kind of ostinato figure, although it does vary between prime form and inversion in the first half and retrograde and retrograde inversion in the second. The "melody" line is just a statement of the set at a slower speed. I decided to add some drums and tweak it all with DXI and VST instruments, in line with the rise of ground. I have used this process for other works before, but they were all tonal in nature. The midi was composed using Finale 2003 and exported to Cakewalk's Sonar where the instruments as well as various other effects were applied.
Adam Samuels : Don't Cry Near Dentists
Molly Roberson: "Ich Hasse Atonale Musik"
The composer prefaced her presenatation of this piece by announcing in no uncertain terms that she "hated atonal music." Paradoxically, when the work was played it received enthusiastic applause from the class!
"We loved it," they said.
Paul Rothman: !2 Tones for Machines
