Faculty Letter of Support 1
Bringing Light and Order to
Chaos: Jean-Philippe Rameau's Traité de
l'harmonie (Excerpt)
The
project she has chosen to undertake holds a great deal of interest
for me, not so much in the area of investigation as in the methods
and the basic principles involved. My principal area of
research and expertise is the music of the late Renaissance.
My dissertation and subsequent research explores, in the sixteenth
century, topics and approaches that are in large part parallel to
what the student will be exploring in the eighteenth century.
My dissertation focused on an Italian theorist and composer, Pietro
Pontio, examining both his theoretical writings and musical
works. The goal was to integrate theoretical principle and
practical application within a clearly defined period and
style. Further research has concentrated on specific
theoretical topics addressed by his treatises and illustrated in
his musicóspecifically modality, parody technique, and
counterpointóin order to apply them within the scope of
late sixteenth-century style. For me, it will be most useful
to see this kind of approach applied to another period. For
my own research, it will be helpful to validate the principles,
with which I have worked so closely in a limited period, on a
broader scale. I am firmly convinced of the efficacy of this
avenue of investigation, and excited to see this student pursuing
it. I greatly look forward to working with her on this
project.
Student
Proposal