The Scriabin Mystic Hexachord as a Structural Harmonic and Motivic Device in Three Parables for Solo Instruments by Vincent Persichetti

This thesis will demonstrate that the Mystic Hexachord popularized by AlexanderScriabin functions as a key structural element in three Parables by Vincent Persichetti.The Mystic Hexachord provides the harmonic basis for each piece on many differentstructural levels. Chapter 1 explores Persichetti’s compositional process and philosophybehind his Parables, illuminating the key aspects that interconnect them. Chapter 2explores the structural properties of the Mystic Hexachord and its potential for generatingcompositional structures. The final chapters contain analyses of three of Persichetti’sParables for brass instruments examined through the analytical lens crafted in Chapter 2.The compositions analyzed in Chapters 3–5 are: 1. Parable VIII for Solo Horn, Op. 120 (analyzed in Chapter 3) 2. Parable XIV for Solo Trumpet, Op. 127 (analyzed in Chapter 4) 3. Parable XVIII for Solo Trombone, Op. 133 (analyzed in Chapter 5)