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Abstract:
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Roberto Gerhard was a twentieth -century Spanish composer known for his unique treatment of the twelve -tone system . A student of the Spanish nationalist composer , Felipe Pedrell in Barcelona and also a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg in both Vienna and in Berlin , Gerhard's musical trajectory led to a synthesis of these disparate compositional traditions . In this dissertation I will explore the development of Gerhard's compositional procedures . Here , his first string quartet , composed between 1950 and 1955 , becomes a useful tool to illustrate how he made the transition from one musical style to another . Gerhard's first string quartet , composed between 1950 and 1955 exhibits various experimental formal procedures but is governed by a single twelve -tone row . The work is composed in the twelve -tone idiom , but nationalist elements decorate the musical surface . The first movement follows the classical model of sonata -allegro form , while mathematical proportions govern durations and formal elements in later movements . I will first investigate Gerhard's musical language and pitch material and then consider the challenges raised by implementing sonata form outside of a tonal idiom . I will then examine his unique mathematical approach to formal design in the third movement . In addition to the string quartet , I will explore Gerhard's treatment of form in such works as his Wind Quintet (1928 ) and Metamorphoses - -Symphony no . 2 (1957 -59 ) . |