An analytical study of Dies irae sequences by Schnittke, Penderecki, and Han

The poem Dies irae, written in the thirteenth century and commonly part of the requiem mass, has been a source for many composers ever since, including several composers from the 20th and 21st centuries. This dissertation presents an analysis of musical features of two Dies irae sequences from the twentieth century: Alfred Schnittke’s Requiem (1971) and Penderecki’s Polish Requiem (1980-84), as well as my own composition, Dies irae for Chorus and Orchestra (2012-14). Introduction states a brief history of the music set to the Dies irae text, whether a part of a requiem or an independent piece. Since the Dies irae sequence is part of requiem mass, I also present some general features of requiem music. Chapter one examines the Dies irae sequence from Schnittke’s Requiem. I explore Schnittke’s use of multiple motives, the harmonic structure, as well as monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic textures. Chapter two investigates the Dies irae sequence from Penderecki’s Polish Requiem, including his use of motives, harmonic structures, and textures. Chapter three introduces my own choral-orchestral piece, Dies irae (2012-14). I introduce the motives and their variations, harmonic materials, and textures. I also present the personal interpretation of the texts and their relationship with harmonic language and textures.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference