Artefact Creation

The Emulation Project

The Project

You are required to emulate three of the pieces listed below according to the rules below. You are recommended to emulate these specific pieces, but you may choose another specified piece by the same composer and use that. All recordings and scores should be available in the Library.

Beethoven	String Quartet Op 18 No 1 in F Major
Messiaen	Quartet for the End of Time (esp I - Liturgie; V - Louange; VI - Danse)
Webern	Concerto
Stravinsky	Ebony Concerto or Milhaud La Creation du Monde
Bartok	String Quartet No 4
Palestrina	Missa Papae Marcelli

NB A piece of your choice (may be used for emulations one and two only).

The General Process

In order to emulate something, you will need to understand it. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to study the object of your emulation. You will need to listen carefully to, and look at the scores of the composers involved and try to work out what it is about the way they work that makes the music what it is. Emulating earlier composers will generally seem easier as their styles will be more familiar to us. However, because of this, to emulate them well is often more difficult. There are already elements of emulation in other courses and these generally are emulations of earlier styles.

Look specifically at the way harmony, counterpoint and melody are used. Is the style melody and accompaniment, or contrapuntal. If the style is contrapuntal are there any rules associated with it that you can spot? Are there any books available that can help? The resultant pieces should aim at being in a similar style to the composer and/or the sample. Bear in mind that some composers use highly varied styles (for example, Stravinsky) which you may like to investigate.

Emulations One and Two

Two of the emulations should be short, possibly "extracts", lasting no more than 1 minute each.
You should use no more than four instruments for either emulation.
These emulations should be given in during your Emulation Project Workshop space. Each emulation should be accompanied by a brief resume of what you think is important about the style of the composers you have chosen.
The emulations may emulate directly the extracts used, or alternatively, and more imaginatively, they may take elements from other works known to you by the same composer.

The Third Emulation

The third emulation should be more extended, but no more than about two to three minutes.
It should be a complete piece in itself.
The third emulation will be performed live in the Emulation Project Workshops. You may use as many instruments as you wish but please bear in mind it will be your responsibility to organise the performers.
In addition, you are asked to provide six copies of a programme note indicating what elements you have considered in your emulation and how you went aboutcreating it.

Good luck!