...COME IL VENTO ATTRAVERSO UN PAESAGGIO DESOLATO AND THE USE OF FILM EDITING CONCEPTS IN MUSIC COMPOSITION

Abstract

...come il vento attraverso un paesaggio desolato, a composition for chamber orchestra in one movement (about 19-20 minutes in duration), demonstrates a personal method for writing instrumental music--one that mimics filmmaking processes. Using my own fictional narrative as a guide, I created the piece as a series of scenes made up of musical images. Within each image, I organize the musical materials as a filmmaker organizes elements of the mise en scène. Exploring the parallels between these two media further, I cut from one image to another, manipulating the music with the mindset of a film editor. This paper is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 provides background on the genesis of my approach to instrumental music composition. Chapter 2 offers personal observations on film editing and narrative. Chapter 3 is a brief discussion of connections between film editing and instrumental music. Chapter 4 is an examination of narrative in instrumental music. Chapter 5 explores the concept of the musical image. Chapter 6 is an analysis of ...come il vento attraverso un paesaggio desolato, including: the use of narrative, the translation of mise en scène to the musical image, the translation of film editing concepts to organize musical ideas, my choices in timbre and instrumentation, and, finally, a conclusion on this approach to composition.