UC Davis

The music theory part of my dissertation is an analysis of Kaija Saariaho’s Circle Map fororchestra and electronics. Circle Map is a six-movement work based on six quatrains by Jalal ad- Din Muhammad Rumi. In my analysis, I focus on the relationship between these quatrains and music. The main material of the piece is generated from Arshia Cont’s voice reciting the quatrains in Persian. Saariaho has analyzed and used the sound of Cont’s voice to compose both the electronic and orchestral parts. In addition, she has utilized various strategies, such as word painting, to reflect the poetic and conceptual qualities of the quatrains. I examine Circle Map’s harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, timbral, and textural aspects to understand the structure of the individual movements and their overarching similarities. Along with my personal observations, I use the Expression Parameter system, developed by the Russian musicologist Valentina Kholopova, to examine the relationship between the orchestra and electronics and their impact on the form of the piece.