Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Music

Supervisor

Ansari, Emily Abrams

Abstract

This dissertation explores the involvement of U.S. composers in Vietnam War protest. The Vietnam War period was a fraught time in U.S. history. Strongly held and antithetical opinions about American involvement in the conflict prompted widespread social unrest and protest. During these turbulent years, many art music composers voiced their opposition to the war through their musical works, through protest concerts, and through non-musical activities. By considering some of these composers and their works in the context of the antiwar movement, changing understandings of American national identity, and the cultural connotations of art music, this dissertation seeks to arrive at a deeper understanding of the experiences of U.S. composers during the Vietnam War. I expose the broad range of ways in which composers responded to this controversial conflict through a selection of case studies addressing specific composers, musical works, and protest events. By focusing on individual case studies grounded in archival research and musical and textual analysis, I explore the nuances of different types of art music protest as well as their role within the antiwar movement. In addition to exploring these specific examples of protest, the case studies in this dissertation illuminate larger themes at work within musical responses to the conflict: an understanding of music and politics as essentially intertwined; shifting conceptions of U.S. national identity; preoccupation with meaning and words; similarities and differences between the Vietnam War and prior U.S. military conflicts; and the implications of the cultural connotations of art music on its protest activities.

Summary for Lay Audience

This dissertation explores the involvement of U.S. composers in Vietnam War protest. The Vietnam War period was a fraught time in U.S. history. Strongly held and antithetical opinions about American involvement in the conflict prompted widespread social unrest and protest. While the Vietnam War is most commonly associated with popular and folk music, many classical composers voiced their opposition to the war through their musical works, through protest concerts, and through non-musical protest activities. Through a selection of case studies focusing on specific composers, musical works, and protest events, I expose the broad range of ways in which composers responded to the Vietnam War as well as the nuances of different types of classical music protest. I consider these case studies within the context of the antiwar movement, changing understandings of American identity, and the cultural connotations of classical music, shedding light on the experiences of U.S. composers during the Vietnam War. In addition to exploring specific examples of protest, the case studies in this dissertation illuminate larger themes at work within musical responses to the conflict: an understanding of music and politics as essentially intertwined; shifting conceptions of U.S. national identity; preoccupation with meaning and words; similarities and differences between the Vietnam War and prior U.S. military conflicts; and the implications of the cultural connotations of art music on its protest activities.

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