Twelve-tone Techniques in a Work for Guitar by Milton Babbitt

TL;DRAbstract

For Milton Babbitt, twelve-tone techniques are indispensible in the compositional process. One of his works for guitar, entitled Sheer Pluck (Composition for Guitar), is a remarkable exemplar of such techniques, yet is largely overlooked in the analytical literature. Babbitt's piece utilizes an incredibly complex structure based on the D-hexachord called an all-partition array. Chapter one of this study includes the state of research on the analysis of this composer's works and justifies the need for additional work. Chapter two provides an extensive analysis of the work with emphasis on form, array structure, and its projection both in the pitch and rhythmic realms. Chapter three suggests areas of further study.

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