The Structural Basis of William Schuman's "George Washington Bridge"
Michael J. Harrer♦
Dr. Warren Gooch, Faculty Mentor
American composer William Schuman's musical work "George Washington Bridge" is a pillar of the wind band repertoire. The composer succeeds in accurately representing the bridge's "human personality" and physical expansiveness using massive bitonal harmonies and extended melodic phrases. The presenter will demonstrate that a three-note motive provides the primary element that unifies the melodic and harmonic aspects of the work. Several musical examples that demonstrate the composer's use of this motive throughout the composition will be presented.
Keywords: Music Theory, Primary Motive, William Schuman, George Washington Bridge
Topic(s):Music
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 57-1
Location: VH 1010
Time: 2:45