Abstract The present doctoral dissertation provides the description of artistic research on Chromatic Interval Group serialism (CIG-serialism), a technique developed by the author in 1997. The aim of this structurally amotivic technique is to compose musicnbsp;is highly atonal and dissonant in a systematic way. It starts from Reginald Smith Brindle’s idea of “atonal series”, which allegedly maintain a constant high degree of atonality. These series consist entirely of what will be calledlsquo;chromatic interval croups of order 3’, or CIG-3nbsp;(ordered pitch class sets containing three pitch classes, at least two of which are interval class 1 apart). The aim of the present research is to assess Smith Brindle’s claim and to find out whether it is possible to adapt the CIG technique in order to enhance the desired result of systematic atonality and dissonance. In Part 1 of the text, after a descrition of the original CIG technique, the concepts of tonality/atonality and consonance/dissonance are discussed and (re-)defined in a manner that makes quantification of both musical aspects possible. Two formulas—one for the quantification of tonality and one for the quantification of primemdash;are developed. With these formulas, the degree of tonality and prime consonance of pitch class sets belonging to any set class can be determined. Methods of tonality and consonance analysis of music based on the twelve pitch classes of the chromatic scale are subsequently developed. Part 1 culminates in the assessment of CIG-3-serialism and its further development into general CIG-serialism. In a general CIG-series, all groups of consecutive pitch classes of any size form CIG’s of any order (not just order 3). It is demonstrated that general CIG-series systematically yield music with the highest constant degrees of atonality and dissonance. Part 2 of the dissertation covers issues of an aesthetic nature. It introduces the concept of ‘aesthetic universe’ of an artist, and defines artistic practice as the expression of ideas belonging to this aesthetic universe. The aim of Part 2 is to show that CIG-serialism is the technique that is indispensible to express the ideas of what will be called the ‘idiosyncratic part’ of the author’s personal aesthetic universe. The formulas developed in Part 1 describe the ‘endophysical laws’ of this aesthetic universe. Part 3 provides a description and analysis of the artistic output of the present artistic research, the seven compositionsnbsp;together form the ‘Elements Projectnbsp;It is the result of the synthesis of Parts 1 and 2. Part 3 shows how the compositions of the Elements Project are the expression of the metaphorical Empedoclian Elements (earth, water, air and fire) of the author’s aesthetic universe. The artistic output consists of the following three central orchestral pieces and four rsquo; pieces: Danse de la terre nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; for orchestra Danse de lnbsp;et de l’air nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for orchestraDanse du feu nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for large orchestraLe sourire infini des ondes nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for ensemble (9 instruments)Un souffle de l’air que respirait le passé nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; for piano quartetA l’image du monde… originel nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for pianoA l’image du monde… doublenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; for pianoThe present doctoral dissertation provides the description of artistic research on Chromatic Interval Group serialism (CIG-serialism), a technique developed by the author in 1997. The aim of this structurally amotivic technique is to compose music that is highly atonal and dissonant in a systematic way. It starts from Reginald Smith Brindle’s idea of “atonal series”, which allegedly maintain a constant high degree of atonality. These series consist entirely of what will be called ‘chromatic interval croups of order 3’, or CIG-3’s (ordered pitch class sets containing three pitch classes, at least two of which are interval class 1 apart). The aim of the present research is to assess Smith Brindle’s claim and to find out whether it is possible to adapt the CIG technique in order to enhance the desired result of systematic atonality and dissonance. In Part 1 of the text, after a description of the original CIG technique, the concepts of tonality/atonality and consonance/dissonance are discussed and (re-)defined in a manner that makes quantification of both musical aspects possible. Two formulas—one for the quantification of tonality and one for the quantification of prime consonance—are developed. With these formulas, the degree of tonality and prime consonance of pitch class sets belonging to any set class can be determined. Methods of tonality and consonance analysis of music based on the twelve pitch classes of the chromatic scale are subsequently developed. Part 1 culminates in the assessment of CIG-3-serialism and its further development into general CIG-serialism. In a general CIG-series, all groups of consecutive pitch classes of any size form CIG’s of any order (not just order 3). It is demonstrated that general CIG-series systematically yield music with the highest constant degrees of atonality and dissonance.nbsp;2 of the dissertation covers issues of an aesthetic nature. It introduces the concept of ‘aesthetic universe’ of an artist, and defines artistic practice as the expression of ideas belonging to this aesthetic universe. The aim of Part 2 is to show that CIG-serialism is the technique that is indispensible to express the ideas of what will be called the ‘idiosyncratic part’ of the author’s personal aesthetic universe. The formulas developed in Part 1 describe the ‘endophysical laws’ of this aesthetic universe. Part 3 provides a description and analysis of the artistic output of the present artistic research, the seven compositions that together form the ‘Elements Project’. It is the result of the synthesis of Parts 1 and 2. Part 3 shows how the compositions of the Elements Project are the expression of the metaphorical Empedoclian Elements (earth, water, air and fire) of the author’s aesthetic universe. The artistic output consists of the following three central orchestral pieces and four ‘complementary’ pieces: Danse de la terre nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for orchestranbsp;Danse de l’eau et de l’air nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; for orchestraDanse du feu nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for large orchestraLe sourire infini des ondes nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for ensemble (9 instruments)Un souffle de l’air que respirait le passé nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; for piano quartetArsquo;image du monde… originel nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for pianoA l’image du monde… doublenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; for pianonbsp;
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