Breathing Music

This thesis is a composition for symphonic orchestra accompanied by an analytical document. Entitled Breathing Music, the composition is a single continuous movement approximately 14 minutes long, with a formal structure and musical language based on a personal interpretation of the concept of breathing. The background to the piece and its position within my work are presented in the Introduction, followed by a description of how breathing functions as the inspirational concept for the piece, and how the qualities of breathing are used as models within the composition. The document also contains an analysis of Breathing Music, which is organized into three chapters that present an explanation of the form, a detailed description of musical materials and procedures, and a discussion of the characteristics of the orchestration used, illustrated with excerpts from the composition. The last chapter of this document provides an aesthetic statement on this particular composition and on my creative work in general, followed by the full score of Breathing Music.Arts, Faculty ofMusic, School ofGraduat