Theatrical Elements and Musical Dramaturgy: Exploring the Use of Literary Texts to Develop Narrative Features, Theatricality, and Symbolism in Music Composition

Abstract

This dissertation features a portfolio of seven original compositions of experimental music theatre (Voices, The Chariot, The Masque of the Red Death, The Night Journey, Sea Holly, Cassandra, and Epiclesis), exploring the aspects of theatricality, narrative, and symbolism through the use of literature. Each piece was inspired by a different literary genre, such as a short story, a monologue, poems, ancient Egyptian sacred texts, and ancient Greek hymns. According to this approach, voice is used mostly for narration, recitation, whispering, and acting, while singing is limited to a secondary role. The texts are incorporated into the pieces in a variety of ways, and the instrumentalists occasionally serve as soloists, reciters, or storytellers. In this conception, the objective was to develop a musical theatre environment through the staging of a particular moment or symbol of the plot, or the enactment of a setting that represents the literary theme.