| dc.description.abstract | Texts have been influencing composers of choral music for centuries. Some
composers manipulate the text through the use of form and compositional technique,
whereas others rely on highlighting specific words. Still others work to convey emotions
or to conjure aural images for the listener. Expressive poetry, such as The Tyger and The
Lamb, two poems by William Blake (1757-1827), has inspired several composers to set
these texts to music, among them John Tavener (1944-2013), René Clausen (b. 1953),
and Andrew Miller (b. 1983). This dissertation focuses on the choral settings of Blake’s
The Tyger and The Lamb by these three composers. It offers an understanding of their
compositional thought processes, a key element for the interpretation and performance of
these works. It is only through careful consideration of these thought processes that
choral conductors can ensure an informed performance of this literature.
This study draws on interviews I have conducted with René Clausen and Andrew
Miller, as well as on other scholars’ interviews with the late John Tavener. Furthermore, I
have analyzed the compositional style and updated previous research on each of the
composers. Each composer sets Blake’s texts in a different manner, however all
approached the compositional process through the lens of imagery. Clausen’s, Miller’s,
and Tavener’s compositional techniques create aural images and, in doing so, rely
entirely upon their musical backgrounds and belief systems. In Clausen’s settings of The
Tyger and The Lamb, he colors the melodic, harmonic, and textural material to reflect the
nuances of each animal. For Tavener, his Orthodox faith guides his settings with the
chant-like melody, ison, and use of canon, retrograde, and inversion. For Miller, he
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highlights the emotion in the music to demonstrate the “core” meaning of the poetry.
Observing these three contemporary composers setting the same texts in different styles
offers a glimpse into their creative process and gives conductors critical information for
performance. | en_US |
