Composing With Anthropology: The Manifestation of Influence in Interactions between Western and Non-Western Music

The two aims of this thesis are the theoretical understanding, and the practical exploration, of the issues faced by Western art music composers when they engage with musical sources from Non-Western cultures. The first volume is a dissertation dedicated to the first aim of theoretical understanding. In it I have sought to chart the historical development of cross-cultural engagement by examining the writings and works of certain Western composers. By doing this I have endeavoured to understand how Non-Western influences manifest themselves in a composers work, and, with reference to writings in contemporary ethnomusicology, to create a model for the categorising of approaches to cross-cultural composition.

I have also explained why I believe such engagement with Non-Western influences to be both fascinating and important for contemporary Western composers and indeed Western society as a whole, although I have also discussed the problems, ethical, aesthetic and practical, encountered in the process. These problems have prompted a range of creative solutions and to illustrate certain devices I have presented a variety of score examples.

The second volume consists of materials related to my composition ‘Prelude and Meditation,’ which was written for the Okeanos ensemble whose workshops I attended and participated in. The project provided me with an opportunity to conduct my own engagement with Non-Western music, which I have discussed at length in the dissertation. The second volume includes the original score, a recording of the piece by the Okeanos ensemble and a partially amended score, which was produced after the performance as a revision of material that I felt could be improved upon.

It is my hope that the two volumes combined will represent a useful and interesting contribution to the study and appreciation of the growing relationship between Western and Non-Western musical cultures.