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The Mutability Of The Score: An Examination Of The Value Of Score Alteration In Virtuosic Piano Repertoire, Wayne Weng

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is a defense of the value of score alteration in virtuosic piano repertoire. Score alteration is a performance practice, much heard during the so-called “Golden Age” of pianism, in which pianists would freely modify the score in order to suit their interpretation and make their performances more effective. In our present age of urtext editions and absolute fidelity to the score, I believe that a re-examination of score alteration is crucial to any modern performer.

I have examined numerous recordings and performances (many of them rare and not commercially released), to explore how the practice of score modification …