Composition and performance in contemporary New York City big bands (1989--1999).
Item
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Title
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Composition and performance in contemporary New York City big bands (1989--1999).
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Identifier
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AAI9969737
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identifier
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9969737
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Creator
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Stewart, Alexander.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Stephen Blum
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Music | Anthropology, Cultural | Sociology, General
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Abstract
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This dissertation explores big bands' significance in light of the growing influence of jazz in cultural and educational institutions, the emergence of the repertory movement, heightened interest in jazz composition and the increasing participation of women.;Big bands are central networks within which New York City jazz musicians make contacts, share knowledge and compete for recognition. Jazz orchestras also fulfill the requirements of large public spaces and concert halls, while offering composers greater sonic resources. Many composers are directly involved in the performance of their works and have formed their own bands or attached themselves to existing networks. Their compositions are collaborative to the extent that soloists contribute their own ideas through improvisation and that performers and leaders become actively involved in editing and interpreting works.;The concepts of Pierre Bourdieu and Howard S. Becker help clarify the complex relationships that exist between communities or "art worlds" and the "fields" (political, critical, academic, economic, etc.) in which they compete. Jazz communities are often characterized by strongly held ideologies, particularly understandings of "history." In addition to establishing the criteria and terms of discourse by which musicians evaluate each other, ideologies affect the relationship of networks to broader fields. In each of these domains big band networks find different degrees of support for their activities and effectiveness of their rhetorical strategies.;Central to this study are the social interactions involved in music making, which are often clearly evidenced in styles of ensemble blending. In jazz (unlike, say, classical music) the range of approaches to ensemble blend is extremely wide, from homogeneous styles, in which players carefully balance and merge their sounds, to individuated styles, in which players' concern with blending is minimal or in which they stridently bring out their own voices. Enculturated blending practices and related procedures of composition embody some of the attitudes toward gender, ethnicity, history, politics, education and professionalism articulated within networks.;After a broad survey and relevant historical, background, prominent bands are examined more closely: the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Mingus Big Band, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, avant-garde bands and all-women bands. Works from selected composers including Bob Mintzer, Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely and Wynton Marsalis are analyzed.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy Restricted.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.