Lou Harrison's "Old Granddad": A Composer's Guide

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dc.contributor.advisorLoewen, Peteren_US
dc.creatorSpitz, Brady Josephen_US
dc.date.accessioned2019-04-18T15:44:42Zen_US
dc.date.available2019-04-18T15:44:42Zen_US
dc.date.created2019-05en_US
dc.date.issued2019-04-17en_US
dc.date.submittedMay 2019en_US
dc.date.updated2019-04-18T15:44:42Zen_US
dc.description.abstractAmerican composer Lou Harrison was known for his activity in blending the music of the world’s cultures and, later in life, building instruments. An example of this is the creation of his “American Gamelan” in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He and William Colvig created a set of tuned pipes and aluminum slabs that were fixed to a single key; and, because the instruments were highly resonant metallophones, they became known as the “American Gamelan” (even though Harrison’s own compositional practice with them bore little resemblance to the music of Indonesia at this point). The music of these instruments (which came to be known as “Old Granddad”) are a truly significant achievement in the history of Western music. The first three chapters of this document include a history of the Old Granddad instruments, technical diagrams and descriptions, and a discussion of their tuning. Their purpose is to help future musicians build a replica. The following three chapters analyze Harrison’s three major works for Old Granddad: the opera Young Caesar (1971); the oratorio La Koro Sutro (1972); and the Suite for Violin and American Gamelan (1974). Their purpose is to provide a model for composers who wish to write more works for the instrument. A synthesis of this historical, technical, and theoretical information offers practical details that may be of use to future composers. The document concludes with Laurel—a commissioned piece by Shane Monds that tests the conclusions of the research.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationSpitz, Brady Joseph. "Lou Harrison's "Old Granddad": A Composer's Guide." (2019) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/105320">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/105320</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/105320en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectlou harrisonen_US
dc.subjectwilliam colvigen_US
dc.subjectbill colvigen_US
dc.subjectold granddaden_US
dc.subjectold grand daden_US
dc.subjectamerican gamelanen_US
dc.subjectpercussionen_US
dc.subjectpercussion ensembleen_US
dc.subjecttuned pipesen_US
dc.subjectgamelanen_US
dc.subjectyoung caesaren_US
dc.subjectpuppet operaen_US
dc.subjectpuppet operasen_US
dc.subjectla koro sutroen_US
dc.subjectheart sutraen_US
dc.subjectoratorioen_US
dc.subjectchoiren_US
dc.subjectchoralen_US
dc.subjectchoral masterworken_US
dc.subjectsuite for violin and american gamelanen_US
dc.subjectchamber musicen_US
dc.subjectviolinen_US
dc.subjectconcerto for violinen_US
dc.subjecttenor bellsen_US
dc.subjectraga malaen_US
dc.subjectwith original compositionen_US
dc.subjectamerican composeren_US
dc.subjectinstrument buildingen_US
dc.subjectinstrument builderen_US
dc.subjectjust intonationen_US
dc.subjectpercussion musicen_US
dc.subjectoriginal compositionen_US
dc.subjectchamber operaen_US
dc.subjectcontemporary operaen_US
dc.subjectworld musicen_US
dc.subjectmusic compositionen_US
dc.titleLou Harrison's "Old Granddad": A Composer's Guideen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.dcmiSounden_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentPercussion Performanceen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMusicen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.majorPercussion Performanceen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Musical Artsen_US
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