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

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dc.contributor.advisorLoewen, Peter
dc.creatorSpitz, Brady Joseph
dc.date.accessioned2019-04-18T15:44:42Z
dc.date.available2019-04-18T15:44:42Z
dc.date.created2019-05
dc.date.issued2019-04-17
dc.date.submittedMay 2019
dc.date.updated2019-04-18T15:44:42Z
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.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
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>.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/105320
dc.language.isoeng
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.
dc.subjectlou harrison
dc.subjectwilliam colvig
dc.subjectbill colvig
dc.subjectold granddad
dc.subjectold grand dad
dc.subjectamerican gamelan
dc.subjectpercussion
dc.subjectpercussion ensemble
dc.subjecttuned pipes
dc.subjectgamelan
dc.subjectyoung caesar
dc.subjectpuppet opera
dc.subjectpuppet operas
dc.subjectla koro sutro
dc.subjectheart sutra
dc.subjectoratorio
dc.subjectchoir
dc.subjectchoral
dc.subjectchoral masterwork
dc.subjectsuite for violin and american gamelan
dc.subjectchamber music
dc.subjectviolin
dc.subjectconcerto for violin
dc.subjecttenor bells
dc.subjectraga mala
dc.subjectwith original composition
dc.subjectamerican composer
dc.subjectinstrument building
dc.subjectinstrument builder
dc.subjectjust intonation
dc.subjectpercussion music
dc.subjectoriginal composition
dc.subjectchamber opera
dc.subjectcontemporary opera
dc.subjectworld music
dc.subjectmusic composition
dc.titleLou Harrison's "Old Granddad": A Composer's Guide
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiSound
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentPercussion Performance
thesis.degree.disciplineMusic
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.majorPercussion Performance
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Musical Arts
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