Date of Graduation

Fall 2016

Degree

Master of Music

Department

Music

Committee Chair

John S. Prescott

Abstract

Throughout the history of Western art music there have been composers who were remarkably successful at creating works that stayed within the guidelines of what was viewed as "acceptable". These composers often were greeted with praise from critics and the general public for these works because they were understood and did not stray outside the boundaries of the expected. While these composers were vital to the development of music, they will not be discussed in this paper. Instead the composers who will be discussed are those who stepped outside the lines of what was viewed as customary. Works ranging from those by Claudio Monteverdi to Igor Stravinsky will be analyzed to determine the theoretical aspects such as harsh dissonances and formal discrepancies that listeners found radical and that were criticized by entities from a variety of directions.

Keywords

music theory, criticized composers, controversial music, nontraditional, innovative

Subject Categories

Music

Copyright

© Grant Tyler Simms

Open Access

Included in

Music Commons

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