Sometimes Dreams Do Come True: Thea Musgrave’s Exploration of Dramatic-Abstract Forms in her Instrumental Music

Abstract

This chapter traces the impact of a most unusual event upon my composing methodology: namely, that of a very powerful dream I had about fifty-five years ago, just after a period in Paris, studying conducting with composer, pianist and conductor Jacques-Louis Monod. To pay heed to this dream in any substantial way posed a significant challenge to my conception of self—I have always prided myself on being a practical Scotswoman, and therefore never at all subscribed to the mystical power of dreams to foretell the future. In fact, I would rather cynically and skeptically challenge anyone who did! And yet, this dream changed the course of my thinking in ways I never would have predicted, resulting in my approach to many of my orchestral works. I call this technique “dramatic-abstract form.” In the following, I detail its application in several of my post-1960s compositions, including concerti, opera and orchestral works.