Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Problem-Solving Pedagogy: A Foundation For Restructuring, Updating, And Improving Undergraduate Theory And Musicianship Curricula, Michael T. Simonelli

Masters Theses

The goal of this thesis is to provide the ideological and practical foundation for an improved approach to undergraduate theory and musicianship pedagogy. I will discuss the structure of conventional theory programs and explore problems inherent to traditional curriculum design. Problem-solving pedagogy, an approach rooted in creative composition and improvisation, will be presented as a complement to traditional theory pedagogy. Balancing problem-solving pedagogy with a more traditional pedagogical approach will provide a practical foundation for improving undergraduate theory and musicianship curricula.

Venerable Style, Form, And The Avant-Garde In Mozart’S Minor Key Piano Sonatas K. 310 And K. 457: Topic And Structure, Andrew L. Moylan

Masters Theses

Although the topoi and elements of what has been described as the “Venerable Style” (V.S.) are found in many places in Mozart’s solo keyboard sonatas, the obsessive juxtaposition of these elements against brilliant, concerted, Empfindsamer Stil, and Sturm und Drang topoi can be shown to define the first and third movements of his minor key piano sonatas K.310 and K.457. This thesis will investigate using the theoretical tools developed by a range of Topic Theory authors such as Ratner (1980,) Allanbrook (1983,) Hatten (2004,) and Monelle (2000, 2006,) a newly developed analytical concept known as topical expansion, and …

The Impact Of Rhythm And Meter On Form In Two Works By David Maslanka: Mother Earth: A Fanfare (2003) And Symphony No. 8 (2008), Renee K. Morgan

Masters Theses

For pieces that do not lend themselves to an analysis of form based completely on tonal harmony and thematic material, an analysis based on rhythm and meter can enrich the reading of a piece and prove to be a more successful endeavor for the analyst. This thesis will provide such a form analysis of Mother Earth: A Fanfare (2003) and Symphony No. 8 (2008) by David Maslanka, paying special attention to the rhythmic and metrical events in addition to shifts in theme, texture, and harmony.

Chapter 1, “Introduction,” addresses information about the composer, the need for research, and challenges that …

Augmentation Of Delusion, Christopher Lynn Adams

Masters Theses

Augmentation of Delusion is a single-movement piece for chamber orchestra composed by Chris L. Adams. The piece was originally written for a four-person percussion ensemble in 2013 and orchestrated in 2014. This document will analyze the major musical elements of form, harmony, melody, rhythm and meter, and genre of the piece, as well as compare and contrast these variables with other composers’ works.

Music theory terminology and figures will be applied in this document as follows:

1. Set theory functions will be expressed as:
a. Normal order indicated by brackets – [2367]
b. Prime form indicated by parentheses – (0145) …

The Wilderness For String Quartet, Samuel Moore Lewis

Masters Theses

The Wilderness is a single-movement work for string quartet with a performance time of approximately 14 minutes. This piece was completed in the spring of 2014.

The purpose of this paper is to place the composition within the context of concert music by analyzing its form, melody, harmony, rhythm, and meter and comparing those elements with those in similar examples by 20^th and 21^st century composers, in particular the post-Romantic string quartet literature.

Les Vosges A Suite For Orchestra, Glenn Robert Kahler

Masters Theses

Les Vosges, a programmatic suite for orchestra in three movements, features dance-like rhythms, folksong-influenced melodies, and formal characteristics and stylistic qualities that combine elements of modern composition with those reminiscent of Baroque dance. Les Vosges was composed in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree Master of Music with a concentration in Composition from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

This paper offers a supplementary analysis of the Les Vosges while referencing influential compositions and composers of the last century (Milhaud, Grofe, Kodaly, and Holst) regarding musical parameters of form, melody, harmony, rhythm and meter, and genre.

The Larsen Motive: A Survey Of Motivic Usage In Libby Larsen's Corker, Slang, And String Symphony, Iii, Shelise Nicole Washington

Masters Theses

Libby Larsen presents a rhythmic motive in Corker (1977), Slang (1994) and “Ferocious Rhythm” from String Symphony (1999) as more than a memorable melody or tune. Her rhythmic motive has multiple connections within each piece. It has value and purpose that can be explained through multiple musical parameters. Larsen varies the application of her signature motive in these pieces over a period of 20 years. Its general rhythmic structure is a common thread that links these three works together, but the overall motive is used in individualized ways in each of the pieces.

This thesis will demonstrate that the rhythmic …

Tunes, Textures, And Trends: The Transformation Of Johann Walther’S Geistliches Gesangbüchlein (1524, 1525, 1537, 1544, 1551), Emily Marie Solomon

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the contents of Geistliches Gesangbüchlein, a sixteenth-­‐‑ century German Lutheran hymnal by Johann Walther, published in five editions between 1524 and 1551, the contents of which were substantially augmented, particularly between the 1525 and 1537 editions. Specifically, this project focuses on the twelve hymns with multiple settings, one or more of which were published in the first two editions and replaced by one or more settings in the last three editions, while assessing the characteristics across the original and removed settings and noting discernable trends of revision employed by Walther. Observable revision trends include length increase …