A conductor's study of the choral works of Daniel Asia

Abstract

Daniel Asia (b.1953) is often referred to as a composer who writes in an "accessible" style. Asia's style of composition evolved from an aleatoric and dissonant style to more lyrical and "accessible." He received commissions from numerous musical organizations. Although Professor Asia's primary compositional focus has been on symphonic music, he has also written five works for chorus. This document will attempt to chronicle Asia's compositional development through a study of his five choral works: (1) Nineteen (published under the title, Sound Shapes) (1973); (2) Why (?) Jacob (1978); (3) She (1981); (4) Celebration (1988); and (5) purer than purest pure (1996). It suggests that these pieces can be performed by auditioned undergraduate choirs, despite their fairly chromatic harmonic idiom and intricate rhythms, if the rehearsals are approached in a pedagogically logical and sequenced manner. Problematic sections of works will be identified, and solutions or exercises provided. The appendix will include bar-line analysis of four of the works. This bar-line analysis will be in the style of "Herford graphs," a system created by Julius Herford and familiar to most choral conductors. A complete list of published works and discography are also included in the appendix.