Borrowing existing material, and irony: compositional strategies and their aesthetic context

Abstract

The thesis “Borrowing Existing Material, and Irony: Compositional Strategies and their Aesthetic Context” “Olemasoleva muusikalise materjali korduskasutamine ning iroonia: kompositsioonistrateegiad ja nende esteetiline taust”) is part of a creative research doctoral project and it investigates the compositional process of creating new music by borrowing existing musical material to fulfill a personal ironic intent. The studies on borrowing actions show how the selection and use of existing musical material has a deeper meaning than just inspiration to a tradition or style. In this thesis, the concept of irony triggers and gives meaning to such actions, expressing a personal vision of the world. The aim of this research is to show how I developed a structured approach that satisfies a technical and an aesthetic need at the same time. How can composers effectively borrow existing musical material to satisfy personal aesthetic goals? The autoethnographic approach led an introspective reflection on personal artistic interests, experiences, and compositional processes, aiming to gain deeper self-awareness and insight into the creative decision-making process. Furthermore, following the Information Theory, the thesis addresses the description of the creative process by dividing semantic information and aesthetic information. Thus, the research reports how the composition process involves selected musical conventions (melody and musical form), the borrowing actions (quotation and allusion), compositional strategies (recontextualization and modification), and eventually how the music created incorporates the element of irony, which remains a personal artistic and aesthetic choice. Reflecting on the outcomes of the research, the study underscores the importance of introspection and self-awareness in the compositional process. By critically examining personal interests and creative impulses, composers can cultivate a deeper understanding of their artistic identity and refine their compositional approach. Finally, the insights gained from this research have potential applications in pedagogy, as exemplified by the development of the "Composing with 14th Century Technique" course at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.