The Compositional Thoughts And Techniques In Jorg Widmann’s Freie Stucke And Its Influence On My Composition

Jorg Widmann is among the most active composers, clarinetists and conductors in his contemporaries, whereas only a few analytical studies have been made on his works. Studying with Hans Werner Henze, Wilfried Hiller and Wolfgang Rihm, Widmann is influenced by diverse compositional styles and thoughts. His music comprises a wide range of textures, forms and genres; his compositions draw on different musical language including pantonality, microtone and noise, freely plumbing myriad nuances of sound. These characteristics constitute Widmann’s personal musical style-direct and intensive-in which techniques are incorporated with the emotional expressiveness in an impressive manner.This dissertation is an analytical study on Freie Stucke composed in 2002 for ensemble (or chamber orchestra), in which I attempt to explore Widmann’s musical aesthetics by examining the most striking musical organizing elements and compositional techniques. Widmann’s compositional thinking and techniques also serve as an important inspiration and source for my future musical composition.