Texture and form in Beat Furrer’s music: an analysis of Presto, and A due

Abstract

Frequently used techniques between the compositions of one specific composer can cause recognizability. It is conceivable to tie compositions to their creator by detecting similar compositional approaches or certain specific techniques and craftsmanship. One of the ways of developing a certain character as a composer is rooted in elaborating and emphasizing a limited number of compositional materials in different frameworks. This thesis aims to show Beat Furrer’s écriture in two of his 1997's works, Presto and a due, which have several common elements and similar approaches in their compositional process. Besides, the thesis traces Furrer’s approach towards compositional crafts in both pieces to explore the gathering of his techniques in using patterns. In these pieces, his patterns' organization includes pitch, pitch class, interval, and rhythmic patterns, which is possible to refer them to a post-serialism approach. In order to grasp this statement, this thesis analyzes texture, form and their relation in Beat Ferrer’s music. By analyzing the two pieces and discussing the mutual methods and procedure between them, this thesis aims to discover his attitudes as a composer for the indicated pieces, which at the end leads to the recognizability of the composer by the listener.