A stylistic analysis of three flute pieces by David Froom: Circling for flute and clarinet, To Dance to the Whistling Wind for solo flute, and Lightscapes for flute and piano

Authors

Candice Behrmann, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

12-2010

Document Type

Article

Comments

A DOCTORAL DOCUMENT Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, Major: Music, Under the Supervision of Professor John R. Bailey. Lincoln, Nebraska: December, 2010
Copyright 2010 Candice Behrmann

Abstract

American composer David Froom has worked with groups such as the New York New Music Ensemble and the 21st Century Consort. His music has been performed extensively, and he continues to receive commissions from individuals throughout the United States. He is best known for his piano sonata (1980) and his chamber concerto (1991); his flute music is relatively unknown.

This study focuses on three of Froom‘s flute works: Circling (2002), To Dance to the Whistling Wind (1993), and Lightscapes (2006). It provides an analysis of each work and examines Froom‘s use of motivic and intervallic relationships in each movement. Scores and interviews with the composer provide the primary source material. There are four chapters: the first provides a biography of Froom and introduces hallmarks of his compositional style, and each of the following three chapters focuses on one of the aforementioned flute works and includes a discussion of the genesis and premiere of each work, a formal analysis of each movement, and an examination of specific compositional techniques used. The Conclusion shows the connections and similarities among the three flute works. It recaps the numerous compositional techniques Froom uses, and demonstrates how an understanding of these aspects and the formal construction of each movement will ultimately aid in performance and influence musical decisions.

The aim of this study is to increase awareness and understanding of Froom‘s music, thus encouraging further investigation and performances of his works. The three pieces examined contain a representative sampling of six of Froom‘s compositional techniques (use of set classes (025) and (027), conflation of form, cross-movement relationships, references to other movements in multi-movement works, cadential rhetoric in both pitch-centric and atonal compositions, and continuous variation). Further research may suggest that these same techniques are found in his other works as well.