Composing for chamber ensembles : considerations and possibilities

Abstract

During the twentieth century, composers of chamber music engaged in a constant search for new means of expression. The rise of various creative strategies, be it directly or indirectly, forged a move beyond shaping music by functional harmony and traditional tonality. The less reliance on these long-established means to structure music has not just transformed the repertoire, but also led composers to seek new ways to handle the genre. Adopting new instrumentations has proven to be a fruitful way ahead. Unconventional instrument combinations ensure refreshing timbral blends and bring about new structural procedures. Vocalists are also frequently incorporated into chamber ensembles, opening up new horizons in music expressivity by way of inventive approaches in music-text synthesis.

This thesis explores the potential of composing for chamber ensembles through a discussion of selected twentieth-century chamber works, from the perspective of the different sonorities created by both homogeneous and heterogeneous ensembles, the interaction between text and music, and the utilization of instruments in a chamber ensemble.

Finding one's own musical voice is probably one of the most demanding tasks to be achieved in a composer's life. This thesis serves as a learning journal documenting the author's progress in establishing his musical language through discussions and creative outputs. This thesis starts with an introduction that sets the stage for the following five chapters. In the first chapter, the author analyzes five twentieth-century compositions that were pivotal for the development of chamber music. The rest of the four chapters are a portfolio of four original compositions presented as the author's creative response to the chamber music repertory, addressing the possibilities of writing for chamber ensembles and some ideas that other composers may consider when composing for chamber ensembles.