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Prizes, Winning, And Identity: Narrative Vocal Music Of The Pulitzer Prize, 2008–2018, Julia K. Kuhlman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis considers the ways in which the Pulitzer Prize for Music shapes and is shaped by music of the moment. Since 1943, the Pulitzer Prize has marked 83 pieces as “distinguished” examples of American music. The financial rewarding of winning composers and the initiation of a reciprocal transfer of prestige and political capital, the Pulitzer’s expert juries and governing body has contributed to the preservation of a perpetually-shifting status quo. By chronicling the year-to-year shifts of administrative power dynamics in prize selections, the Pulitzer Prize has mirrored the changing American musical landscape.

Drawing on methods of reception history, archival …

Roses & Thorns, Stephanie Alaniz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This written thesis has been created alongside the thesis exhibition shown in the Laura Mesaros Gallery at West Virginia University (displayed March 18th to March 22nd). The work presented consisted of drawings, bookmaking, and various forms of printmaking and collage. This body of work is meant to create an analysis of insecurities and body positivity we associate with our physical selves. This work is a collective experience that has been a collaboration with over 80 participants. The number of participants help to create a larger overall collective voice. By creating this collective voice, we can experience these feelings together and …

The Magic Flute: Modern Light On A Classic Opera, Justin E H Burns

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mozart’s The Magic Flute is a classic opera, showcasing powerful visual moments and well-known songs. This particular production’s lighting design approach consisted of modern design ideas and aesthetics, while remaining true to the classic idea of 2 forces working against one another. Focusing on the major themes in The Magic Flute, the lighting design reinforces the feelings of fear, despair, hope and ultimately enlightenment. This paper describes the process and execution of how the lighting design achieved these goals.

Defining The Late Style Of Johannes Brahms: A Study Of The Late Songs, Natilan Casey-Ann Crutcher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Johannes Brahms has long been viewed as a central figure in the Classical tradition during a period when the standards of this tradition were being altered and abandoned. His resistance to innovation creates some difficulty when trying to pinpoint his "late style", and how he fits into the late style concept. While existing scholarship on Brahms's late style tends to focus on his chamber works, this document focuses on his late Lieder. This document proves a study of Brahms's literary considerations, a comparison of his early and late songs, and a comparison between Brahms and some of his contemporaries. In …

Jean Raspail, Michel Houellebecq, And Jenny Erpenbeck: Acknowledging The Barbarian Within, John C. Hawley

English

This paper seeks to discuss recent sites of contestation of the implications one assigns to migration from Africa and the Middle East to Central and Western Europe. It will be predominantly Eurocentric in its data and analysis, dealing less with the motivations of the migrants and the second generation, and more with the various responses to that migration among Europeans (e.g., what are “they” doing to “us”). The major literary texts involved in the paper will be Michel Houellebecq’s Submission (2015), and Jenny Erpenbeck’s Go, Went, Gone (2015), with initial consideration of Jean Raspail’s The Camp of the Saints (1973). …

Musical And Cultural Perspectives Of Héctor Campos Parsi: An Examination Of His Influences And Analysis Of Selected Vocal Works, Cynthia Ortiz-Bartley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper examines the historical and cultural atmosphere in Puerto Rico and how it affected one of Puerto Rico’s most celebrated composers, Héctor Campos Parsi, and two selected works in two different times of his life. The discussion includes events that affected the island with respect to art music from 1898, the birth of Héctor Campos Parsi in 1922, and up to 1986, which marks the date of the second selected work. This document considers three questions about cultural and structural influences about the life and experiences of Héctor Campos Parsi: Does a composer’s life experience and environment and culture …

Folk-Song To Formal Performance: Interpreting The Songs Of Jean Ritchie For Voice Recital, Julianne E. Laird

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to identify the value of incorporating American folk-song into a formal voice recital program, specifically the collections and compositions of Jean Ritchie. This qualitative study identified criteria for choosing specific folk-songs to include in formal recital, assessed quality in a folk-song arrangement, discussed suitable instrumentation for accompaniment, and suggested appropriate performance practices for concert performance. New folk-song literature was discovered through accessing original unpublished sources in the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. Finally, a format and program for incorporating the collected and composed folk-songs of Jean Ritchie in formal recital was …

The Role Of The Chorus Master In Three Contemporary Operas Addressing Social Conflict: A Dramatic Analysis Of Poul Ruders’ (B. 1949) The Handmaid’S Tale (1998), Jake Heggie’S (B. 1961) Dead Man Walking (2000), And Kevin Puts’ (B. 1972) Silent Night (2011)., Richard Allan Latterell

Music

In opera, the opera chorus actively shapes the dramatic structure through interactions with the soloists, commentary after events, and momentum provided toward scene endings. Since the chorus traditionally represents the voice of the people, it also provides a natural access point by which audiences may connect to the unfolding drama. To realize its dramatic potential, an opera chorus must have a resonant, vibrant sound that is more “soloistic” than other genres of choral music. Indeed, there are quantifiable acoustic differences between classical solo and choral singing. The characterizations of the chorus must also be convincing. Yet there is only minimal …