Defense of the artistic research project “. Change in the Tritone Concept and Systemic Constructivism in the 20th Century Compositions”

On December 9-10, 2020, the defense of Božena Čiurlionienė’s “. Change in the Tritone Concept and Systemic Constructivism in the 20th Century Compositions” will take place at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Artistic Supervisors: Prof. Rytis Mažulis, Prof. Habil. Dr. Gražina Daunoravičienė. Copies of the research paper and its summary are available at the library of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (Gedimino pr. 42)

Online events. For participating please register until December 7 by the e-mail: daiva.buivydiene@lmta.lt.

Defense of the artistic part
December 9, 2020, 5 p.m.

PROGRAM

Božena Čiurlionienė. Confessiones (2020)
Božena Čiurlionienė. Time (2019) (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Božena Čiurlionienė. Xertz (2018)
Božena Čiurlionienė. Dead End (2019), from the album Automatic Mindr

Defense of the research part
December 10, 2020, 9 a.m.

CHAIRPERSON OF THE DOCTORAL THESIS DEFENCE BOARD:
Prof. Vaclovas Augustinas (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre)

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD:
Prof. Dr. Ričardas Kabelis (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre)
Prof. Habil. Dr. Wojciech Widłak (Academy of Music in Kraków)
Prof. Dr. Rima Povilionienė(Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre)
Prof. Dr. Antanas Kučinskas (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre)

REVIEWERS:
Prof. Mindaugas Urbaitis (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Audra Versekėnaitė-Efthymiou (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre)

Abstract

The object of the research, the tritone, has a very extensive history of change in its concept, which leads to a particularly diverse range of its analysis. Despite a small size of the research object, the tritone is characterised by special tension both of its sound and the related issues. Research aim is to investigate the change in the tritone concept in music theory and compositional practice from the Middle Ages to the late 20th century.
To attain the aim, the following tasks have been set:
1. To analyse the change in the tritone concept in music theory and compositional practice from the medieval tritone prohibition rule mi contra fa diabolus in musica est to its establishment in dissonant intervals and functions in the harmonic system of Classicism;
2. To unfold the extensive evolution of the tritone concept in the harmony and compositional practice of the 20th century employing the context of theoretical and individual compositional systems and the conducted acoustic research;
3. To study the constructiveness of the tritone symmetry phenomenon in the series of the 20th century compositions, harmony, and on the vertical and the diagonal based on the more vivid examples of postwar avant-garde music;
4. To highlight the causes and processes of the loss of tritone relevance in the musical compositions of the second half of the 20th century;
5. To reveal the design and constructive expression of the tritone phenomenon in individual work: the case of Božena Čiurlionienė’s compositions.
The study of change in the tritone concept can be divided into four main stages. The first was prohibition-avoidance, represented by G. Dufay, J. des Prés, J. Obrecht. The second stage was consistent predominance, found in the compositions of C. E. Bach, W. A. Mozart, and L. van Beethoven. The third stage, apotheosis, was illustrated by compositions of F. Liszt, J. M. Hauer, A. Schönberg, A. Webern, L. Nono, P. Boulez, and K. Stockhausen. Loss of relevance as the fourth level was exposed in musical works of Gérard Grisey, H. M. Górecki, and B. Čiurlionienė.