A Study of "A Child's Reliquary" by Ricahrd Danielpour

Abstract

Richard Danielpour is becoming one of the most highly acclaimed and sought-after composers of his generation. As a recipient of numerous honors and awards, he has been commissioned by many of the world's leading musical institutions, and regularly collaborates with some of the most renowned performing artists of our time. His mature style, which is often described as neo-Romantic, is influenced by an eclectic mix of musical and cultural sources. His music is most directly influenced by nineteenth and twentieth-century European and American art music, as well as vernacular styles such as pop, jazz, rock and folk music from all over the world. Various religions and philosophies from ancient through modern cultures also become the inspiration for many of his compositions. Dualities, the juxtaposition of opposing harmonies and ideas, and symbolism, the use of certain musical gestures to represent extra-musical ideas, also play a large role in many of his compositions. This study considers Danielpour's A Child's Reliquary, written in 1999 as a memorial for the eighteen-month old son of his close colleague and friend, Carl St. Clair. The work demonstrates many of Danielpour's compositional characteristics, such as references to tonal music traditions, dualities, and symbolism. This study serves to illustrate these characteristics that appear in A Child's Reliquary. The first chapter provides a brief biographical background and a general description of his musical style. The second chapter is a discussion of the background of A Child's Reliquary, as well as an in-depth look at some of the symbolism found in the work. Chapters three through five are a detailed analysis of each movement, and chapter six provides a summary and conclusion.