Music Theory Commons^™

Domenico Scarlatti: The Beginnings And Creation Of The Classical Piano Sonata, Megan R. Stuart

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The keyboard sonata is a musical work that many instrumentalists understand and have played at one point or another during their years of mastering their instruments. Many composers have tried their hand at writing a sonata and for some, their sonatas have been their crowning achievements. Some composers are more renowned for their sonatas compared to others, examples being Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Clementi, and Domenico Scarlatti. The sonata began to be developed during the Baroque era and even has its roots before this time, yet the largest development stage of the sonata is seen during the late Baroque era, especially …

Film Music And The Cinematic Experience, Brian Campbell

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Ever since the invention of cinema, film producers have always played music with movies. The addition of quality music to a well-crafted film can change the feel of the entire film. Over its one hundred and thirty years of existence, cinema has evolved into an extremely diverse art form that addresses a wide array of subjects. Given all these factors, this paper explores how film music is extremely diverse and can be used in a wide variety of ways to enhance, affect, and contribute to the way we experience a film. It explores storytelling methods as a narrative device, mood …

The Doctrine Of Affections: Emotion And Music, Kristen E. Jarboe

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The Doctrine of Affections originated in and is interpreted into the musical realm of the Baroque Era in the music of Bach, Handel, and others. The Doctrine of Affections is a theory created in the Baroque era that seeks to explain the effect that music has on the body. It seeks to personify music, and prove that music itself has the ability to produce a particular feeling, independent of the listener. This theory assumes that music has the ability to be an emotion, and that the particular emotion is located in the properties of the music itself. Johann Mattheson, the …

From Modal To Tonal: The Influence Of Monteverdi On Musical Development, Haley J. Perritt

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

In efforts to prove the transition from modality to tonality in the late Renaissance era, this paper uses examples from the works of Monteverdi to reveal the shift to tonal music. By examining his background in music theory and his involvement within the church, it is evident that Monteverdi’s upbringing in music later affected his musical compositions. Being raised in Cremona, a city in close proximity with Milan, he was exposed to a wide variety of music and excellent instruction, especially from the church cantor Marc’ Antonio Ingegneri. Through score study and evaluation of Monteverdi’s early madrigals and his famous …

Film Score: The Romantic Ideal, Michael Carbaugh

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Though film scores bear the marks of modern music in many ways, they are, in themselves, a Romantic endeavor. In this paper, I will discuss the history and development of film score as a musical style. I will then discuss the modern elements of film score. Finally I will categorize film score as a Romantic endeavor and make some predictions based on the implications of this idea. This style developed during the 20th century, so it does indeed bear some marks of modern composition. The biggest influence form the modern era is simply the vast diversity in compositional approaches and …

A Blend Of Traditions: The Lute’S Influence On Seventeenth-Century Harpsichord Repertoire, Audrey S. Rutt

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The close relationship between the harpsichord and lute traditions is commonly claimed but rarely elaborated upon, and many experts disagree on the manner in and extent to which the two are related. Often, texts covering the early harpsichord literature will limit discussion of the lute’s influence to a brief mention of the style brisé, if the important connection between the two traditions is even mentioned all. The lute’s impact on the harpsichordists of the seventeenth century is not a facet that can be ignored; rather, an understanding of the lute tradition is essential to an understanding of the harpsichord tradition. …

The Partimento Tradition In The Shadow Of Enlightenment Thought, Deborah Longenecker

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

This presentation investigates the relationship between partimento pedagogy and Rameau’s music theories as influenced by Enlightenment thought. Current research on partimento has revealed its importance in Neapolitan music schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Along with counterpoint, partimento was a core subject in the study of composition in the Neapolitan schools; however, as pedagogy and theory began to be influenced by Enlightenment ideals such as the scientific method or a preference for clear systemization, the partimento tradition began to wane. In this presentation, I examine Rameau’s music theory as an example of Enlightenment thought in music, juxtaposing the central …

The Doctrine Of Affections In Music: Where Art Meets Reason, Sharri K. Hall

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The Doctrine of Affections was a widespread understanding of music and musicality during the Baroque era. The Doctrine was a result of the philosophy of reason and science as it coincides with music. It aimed to reconcile what man knew about science and the human body, and what man thought he knew about music. It was a reconciliation of practical musicianship and theoretical music which had begun to rise in the time. Though it is generally understood as being apart from Enlightenment thinking, the Doctrine is a result of Enlightenment-style philosophy. As the Enlightenment sought to explain why things occurred …

Musica In Tempore Belli: An Analysis Of “Black Angels”, Calvin D. Hitchcock

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Described as “…extraordinarily haunting” and “[the] intoxicating magic of…sound,”(Steinitz, 1978) the music of George Crumb is some of the most evocative and expressive music of the 20th century. His extensive use of extended techniques (many of which he pioneered) is in part what makes his music so memorable. Also known for its liberal use of theatricality, Crumb’s music has become a standard of the 20th century, as well as in the contemporary music canon overall.

“Black Angels” for Electric String Quartet, subtitled “Thirteen Images from the Dark Land” was written as a response to the Vietnam War and is one …

Coursing With Coils: The Only Orchestral Instrument Harder Than The French Horn, Sarah R. Plumley

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Playing the horn has become not only more sophisticated and accurate, but simpler and more efficient for the horn player than what it was three hundred years ago. The natural horn, used in a variety ways in early history, demanded an incredible level of skill and precision, more than our valved horn today in some ways because it required a more accurate ear, more embouchure dexterity, and the necessity of wrangling crooks for different keys. Thus, it required many practiced skills of the player that are no longer as necessary as they once were. This paper discusses each of these …

Development Of Renaissance Era Counterpoint: Senseless Stipulations Or Scientific Study, David J. Anderson Iii

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Music of today is composed using countless rules that have developed over the years. During the Middle ages, basic harmony was first used, but it was not until the Renaissance that harmony really flourished to become standard in most music. Counterpoint is, at its core, the study of harmony or quite literally point against point (note against note.) This paper delves into the conception of counterpoint and shows how it progressed to become a widely used technique that has unequivocally changed music to this day by exploring the different facets of counterpoint and studying the music theorists who pioneered and …

Slashes, Dashes, Points, And Squares: The Development Of Musical Notation, Carolyn S. Gorog

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The development of musical notation has long been a popular topic of discussion among musicologists. All cultures in the world have music and different cultures had methods of notating music. The purpose of the research was to trace the development of music notation and to see if the modern methods of notation are superior to the older methods. The development of music notation in western music was closely tied to the church and the Gregorian chant. Early neumes resembled points and slashes, which developed into squares when the staff stated to develop. The first staff was only four lines where …