In Full Swing (Toby Stone - CE Project)

In Full Swing (Toby Stone - CE Project)

Abstract

This thesis explores the parameters involved in writing a swing jazz composition for a full orchestra in the context of scoring for visual media. The composition is used to score a montage sequence from Baz Lurman’s film adaptation of F . Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby . This montage sequence highlights the protagonist’s first impressions of one of many wild parties hosted by the namesake of the book, Jay Gatsby. By utilizing the sound and style that were common throughout the 1920’s and later, this composition offers a stark contrast to the modern pop song that is utilized for the scene in the film. It also presents a challenge to both the composer and recording orchestra, posing the question, “How can a traditional orchestra best relate a style which is not typically considered idiomatically conventional?” Through the use of jazz harmony, experimental and textbook orchestration, meticulous notation, and research of the style and its idiosyncratic elements, the music draws a unique approach to scoring for full orchestra. Despite a limited recording time of 21 minutes at AIR Studios at Lyndhurst Hall, this work aptly demonstrates the robust and exciting experience of a “swinging party” and achieves an appropriate sonic aid to the visual images of the aforementioned film.

Publication Date

7-1-2026

Campus

Valencia (Spain) Campus

Keywords

Jazz; Orchestra; New York; Film Score

In Full Swing (Toby Stone - CE Project)

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