Eclectic Compositional Styles in the Piano Works of Craig Walsh

Abstract

Craig Walsh (b. 1971) is an American composer whose music has earned him a worldwide reputation. His versatile output includes electronic music, instrumental music and the combination of the two. While modernism and pop music engage his compositional attention, a wider variety of musical styles that evoke many prominent composers of the twentieth century contribute to and enrich his musical language. An eclectic tendency is present in much of Walsh’s music, and the fusion of styles is distinct in each work. The purpose of this study is to examine the eclectic styles found in the three solo piano works by Craig Walsh: Rhapsody, Black Scissors for prepared piano, and Lines. The research will provide a formal analysis and a detailed investigation into the stylistic characteristics of each work. The discussion on Rhapsody will focus on the influences of Igor Stravinsky and Cecil Taylor, as well as the resemblance between this work and Aaron Copland’s Piano Variations. The study of Black Scissors will examine the disparate musical influences Walsh absorbed in New York City in the 1990s, including the music of the minimalists, Morton Feldman, John Cage, Gamelan orchestra, and the funk music style of James Brown. The investigation into Lines will demonstrate Walsh’s organic compositional approach, the post-composition examination of the Golden Mean, and its diverse compositional settings including impressionistic textures and the Messiaen-like chords.