Between Musical Chairs: A Case Study in Eclecticism

Abstract

In this research I am investigating eclecticism in the field of contemporary composition. The term eclecticism is not a fully integrated terminology within musicology but has long found its way into the literature by interdisciplinary and colloquial use. I am presenting a conceptual history of the term in other scholarly fields and illustrating comparable terminologies within musicology to describe eclecticism within the field of composition. I am trying to fill gaps in the literature by a comprehensive discussion of the term and its intrinsic positive and negative qualities by historical-comparative analyses of respective concepts. This research additionally investigates the research question if the adoption of the terminology of eclecticism within music, which is historically derived from the sources presented in this thesis, is better suited to accurately portray a certain array of composers and works than the terminologies currently in place.

I furthermore put forward a three-level working model to analyse my own contributions to the literature in the field of musical eclecticism and additionally analysing three case studies by contemporary composers, working with eclectic design aspects.

This research features analyses of the following works:

• The People United Will Never Be Defeated! by Frederic Rzewski

• ‘Schmuel Song’ from The Last 5 Years by Jason Robert Brown

• ‘Clocktower Part 1 and 2’ from Back To The Future by Alan Silvestri

I am aiming to show eclectic compositional techniques on three distinct levels by comparing these works with my own creative works, included in the composition portfolio.