UCLA

Between March and November of 2020, I composed my piano cycle, Arcanum Perpetuum, in partial fulfillment of this dissertation. I consider this work to be a significant milestone in my compositional development not only due to its large scale but also because of its personal nature. In many ways, this work is an amalgamation of the composers and works that have greatly influenced my compositional style. Some aspects of this influence I have intentionally integrated into the various movements of my cycle, while others have subconsciously affected my compositional process. Examination of these influences brings me to four specific large-scale works for piano: J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations (1741), Ludwig van Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations (1823), Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt Regards Sur l’Enfant J�sus (1944), and Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic (2020). This monograph will illuminate connections between my own piano cycle and these great works that inspired it. My goal is not to provide in-depth analysis of these works; however, I will discuss details that reflect their individual brilliance and their seminal places in the history of piano repertoire. The following chapters will consider these four cycles in chronological order, exploring the stylistic elements that most greatly impacted my own composition. It is my hope that through this process of discovery, I can illuminate the way that powerful and significant works, both old and new, contain essential lessons for young composers who are striving to make their own contributions to the repertoire.