Music Commons^™

Mills Brothers (1924-1981), John A. Drobnicki

Publications and Research

The Mills Brothers were the first African American group musical group to enjoy popularity with white audiences, and had a career that lasted over fifty years.

Listening For The Cosmic Other: Postcolonial Approaches To Music In The Space Age, Paige Zalman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As government programs such as NASA and SETI seek signs of intelligent life in space and privately-funded programs such as SpaceX finalize plans to colonize Mars in the coming decades, representations of space and extraterrestrial life in American culture have become increasingly relevant. Focusing on Jóhann Jóhannsson’s musical score for Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction film Arrival (2016), Terry Riley’s Sun Rings (2002) for string quartet, chorus, and recorded space sounds, and former International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield’s “Songs about Space” Spotify playlist, my research problematizes the ways in which composers, musicians, and even astronauts depict alterity through music and reinforce …

Teresa Carreño’S Early Years In Caracas: Cultural Intersections Of Piano Virtuosity, Gender, And Nation-Building In The Nineteenth Century, Laura Pita

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation studies the musical activities of the Venezuelan pianist and composer Teresa Carreño (1853-1917) during her formative years in Caracas. It examines the sources that pertain to her musical environment, early piano training, and first compositions in the context of the growth in Caracas of the practices of recreational sociability, the increasing influence of virtuosic music, and the tradition of private concert-making sponsored by devoted music amateurs. This study argues that Teresa Carreño’s musical upbringing occurred in a social and cultural context in which Enlightenment-framed ideologies of civilization and social progress, shaped in fundamental ways the perceptions of the …

Remaking The Iconic Lulu: Transformations Of Character, Context, And Music, Jennifer Tullmann

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Using Alban Berg’s opera Lulu as a case study, this dissertation explores the fluid nature of cultural artifacts as they are reborn within new socio-cultural contexts. By examining several Lulu productions, this inquiry seeks to understand the changes of meaning that have occurred through the transformation of canonic works in the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries. Central to this project is the shifting nature of the character of Lulu, not only in Berg’s opera, but also in various artistic genres that preceded and affected his own conceptions, as well as her appearances in selected productions.

This study contrasts modern Lulu productions …

When The Inhuman Becomes Human: An Examination Of The Musical Portrayal Of The Robot In Twenty-First Century Science-Fiction Cinema Through An Analysis Of The Film Scores Of Automata, Ex Machina, And The Machine, Rebecca Ann O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Science fiction film has been telling stories about artificial anthropomorphic robots and androids for almost a hundred years, spawning films, such as Metropolis (1927), Ghost in the Shell (1951), and Blade Runner (1982). Each of these science-fiction films was complemented by a musical score that helped to create an onscreen world dominated by a dystopian view of the future. Influenced by the generations of prior science-fiction films, Automata (2014), The Machine (2013), and Ex Machina (2015) are all concerned with the same narrative in which humanity is in decline while artificial robots are rising up and experiencing life in a …

Exposing Corruption In Progressive Rock: A Semiotic Analysis Of Gentle Giant’S The Power And The Glory, Robert Jacob Sivy

Theses and Dissertations--Music

English progressive rock band Gentle Giant is catalogued under the progressive (or “prog”) rock genre for a variety reasons, including unique instrumentation, virtuosity, and interesting/unconventional musical attributes. The complexity of their music is often warranted by the sophisticated concepts behind their albums and the deep messages of their songs. The Power and the Glory (TPatG), Gentle Giant’s sixth studio album, is a concept album that emphasizes the rise and corruption of power. What makes their music, especially TPatG, worthy of scholarly attention beyond the simple examination of the compositional techniques employed is the way in which the …

Gender, Politics, Market Segmentation, And Taste: Adult Contemporary Radio At The End Of The Twentieth Century, Saesha Senger

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation explores issues of gender politics, market segmentation, and taste through an examination of the contributions of several artists who have achieved Adult Contemporary (AC) chart success. The scope of the project is limited to a period when many artists who figured prominently in both the broader mainstream of American popular music and the more specific Adult Contemporary category were most commercially viable: from the mid-1980s through the 1990s. My contention is that, as gender politics and gendered social norms continued to change in the United States at this time, Adult Contemporary – the chart, the format, and the …

A Musical-Historical Study Of Italian Influences In Three Regina Caeli Of The French Baroque Period, Marie-France Duclos

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The French baroque petit motet was the most prolific genre of seventeenth-century France. In this study, three petits motets, specifically Regina caeli settings of French composers Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Nicolas Bernier and François Couperin are examined with an emphasis on the motets’ historical context in relation to the French monarchy and the Italian concepts that the composers incorporated into each work. All three Regina caeli settings display some Italian compositional techniques of the stile moderno in various degrees and were written in different contextual ecclesiastic milieux.

The intersections of, as well as distinctions between, musical ideas of traditional French style …

A Selected Comparison Of Music Librarians' And Musicologists' Self-Archiving Practices, Rachel E. Scott

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

The importance of open access (OA) advocacy is well-documented in the literature of academic librarianship, but previous research shows that librarians' OA behaviors are less conclusive. This article compares the self-archiving practices of music librarians and musicologists to see how librarians rank in OA adoption. Availability of articles published from 2013 to 2017 in six green OA journals in music librarianship and musicology indicates a need for continued advocacy and enhanced understanding of OA policies and opportunities.

A Survey Of The History Of The Concertmaster Through The Baroque, Classical, And Romantic Eras, Leah E. Bonas

Theses and Dissertations

During the evolution of the orchestra from 1600-1900, the concertmaster remained a key leadership figure who held great influence over the ensemble. This paper examines the concertmaster’s changing role in the orchestra throughout the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras and studies the examples of exceptional concertmasters from each era, giving further historical insight into the lives and duties in of these orchestral leaders and musicians. During the Baroque era, when ensembles lacked conductors, the concertmaster shared control of the orchestra with the keyboard-player or time-beater. During the Classical Era, the concertmaster gained a larger role in the orchestra and often …

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 …

A Compendium Of Opera In Spain And Latin America, Michelle S. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Spain and Latin America have a rich operatic tradition, however this opulent body of operatic work is mostly overlooked or ignored in mainstream histories of opera. This document focuses on opera in Spain and the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America. Opera was both composed and performed in Spain and Latin America, and both regions demonstrate the development of national opera traditions. Spanish drama was closely linked to the beginnings of national opera, and Italian influence is evident in opera compositions from both regions. The output of national operas varies by country, with Spain, Mexico, and Argentina claiming the majority of …

Cover

Soundboard Scholar

The scene of angel musicians on our cover is a detail shot of the topmost portion of the famous “Paradiso” fresco in the Cathedral of Orvieto, Italy. It was painted by Luca Signorelli in 1499, at the very time of Columbus’s third voyage, when (as Richard Pinnell explains in this issue) Spanish guitarras and vihuelas were first being introduced to the New World. The Signorelli fresco’s music-historical interest for us lies in the guitar-like instrument depicted in the hands of the highest angel in the heavenly ensemble—a position of no small honor for her or her instrument. It is approximately …

Editor's Letter, Thomas Heck

Soundboard Scholar

An introduction to the contents of this issue.

The Early Guitar In The New World: Its Route From Seville To Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, And Cubagua (1497–1550), Richard T. Pinnell

Soundboard Scholar

Pinnell discusses the history of guitar in the New World. The third voyage of Christopher Columbus was not only the first of the Columbian voyages to reach South America along the Venezuelan coastline; it was also the first that explicitly included musical instruments and trained musicians. "Their Catholic Majesties" (Los Reyes Católicos), so designated by Pope Alexander VI upon their defeat of the Moors, had already been quite disappointed with the lack of stability and growth in the grim encampments established by Columbus, so this time they proposed a unique list of professions and skills among the passengers to ensure …

Los Romeros: Royal Family Of The Spanish Guitar By Walter Aaron Clark, Richard Long

Soundboard Scholar

A review of Los Romeros: Royal Family of the Spanish Guitar by Walter Aaron Clark.

Corbetta: La Guitarre Royalle (Elias), Ellwood Colahan

Soundboard Scholar

A review of Corbetta: La Guitarre Royalle, album by Elias, Izhar.

Works From La Guitarre Royalle (1671) And Italian Guitar Music Of The Seventeenth Century, Battuto And Pizzicato (Eisenhardt), Ellwood Colahan

Soundboard Scholar

A review of Works from La guitarre royalle (1671) and Italian Guitar Music of the Seventeenth Century, Battuto and Pizzicato.

Francesco Corbetta: La Guitarre Royalle (Carter), Ellwood Colahan

Soundboard Scholar

A review of Francesco Corbetta: La Guitarre Royalle, album by Carter, William.

Mauro Giuliani And Austrian Folk Music, Stefan Hackl

Soundboard Scholar

Mauro Giuliani, one of the most important figures in the growth and development of the guitar in the earlier nineteenth century, spent his most productive years in Vienna from 1806 to 1819. He was well connected with the cultural and social life of the imperial city, at the time a melting pot which welcomed talented artists with diverse backgrounds from throughout the provinces and neighboring states. Here, Hackl discusses Giuliani's folk songs.

Soundboard Scholar No. 5 (Complete)

Soundboard Scholar

No abstract provided.

21st-Century Spanish Guitar (Levin), Nathan Cornelius

Soundboard Scholar

A review of 21st-Century Spanish Guitar, album by Levin, Adam.

Nineteenth-Century Guitar Songs: An Idiosyncratic Survey, By Ian Gammie, Richard Long

Soundboard Scholar

A review of Nineteenth-Century Guitar Songs: An Idiosyncratic Survey, by Ian Gammie.

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 …

Featured Facsimile: Mauro Giuliani’S ZwöLf Neue Wald-LäNdler (Twelve New Forest-LäNdler), Op. 23, Mauro Giuliani

Soundboard Scholar

Giuliani's Zwölf neue Wald-Ländler (Twelve New Forest-Ländler), Op. 23, in score. It was first published by the prestigious firm of Artaria & Co., with plate no. 2710, advertised for sale on 27 January 1810. Characteristic of these waltzes were the chordal (triadic) melodies, inspired stylistically by yodelers and yodeling. The intervallic tuning of the guitar favors the performance of such melodies as these, which evoke a style of folk music that runs deep in Austrian musical consciousness. Usually performed in sets of twelve, all in the same key, a Ländler-reihe (set, or row) usually began slowly, accelerated gradually toward the …

Re-Composing Feminism: Australian Women Composers In The New Millennium, Talisha Goh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the age of postfeminism and fourth-wave feminism online, Australian women composers are theoretically able to “have it all,” however, the proportion of women in the occupation appears to have plateaued in recent years. In this thesis, I explore the multiple ways in which gender and feminism interact with practising Australian women composers. Feminist musicology has had a large impact on the Australian musicological scene, with theorists such as McClary and Macarthur bringing the subject of women in music to the fore in the 1990s, aiding efforts to advocate for reform on behalf of women composers. Additionally, third-wave feminist scholars …

The Marvel Sonic Narrative: A Study Of The Film Music In Marvel's The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, And Avengers: Endgame, Anthony Walker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document explores the music of three films in the Marvel Avengers enterprise: Marvel’s The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. It does not examine the second film of the series, Avengers: Age of Ultron. The document seeks to uncover and further understand the music’s function in each film and to determine its continuity throughout all three films. This study uses a combination of film music studies and theory-based analysis to support the findings with the aim of identifying connecting musical elements that stretch throughout these three films. This includes the use of leitmotif/themes, previously …

Music Technology, Gender, And Sexuality: Case Studies Of Women And Queer Electroacoustic Music Composers, Justin Thomas Massey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document aims to contribute to the established scholarship that highlights the role gender and sexuality has with one’s fundamental relationship to composition and music technology. The profession of electronic music composition and music production are strongly associated with notions of power and control, as much of this technology was built during the World Wars and Cold War. These aggressive views have created gendered language and metaphors in the field. Metaphors are the primary way in which we accommodate and assimilate information and experience to our conceptual organization of the world. It is at the source of our capacity to …

Featured Facsimile: Two Arrangements For Five-Course Guitar From La Muse Lyrique (1787), The First By Trille Labarre, Barthélemy Trille Labarre

Soundboard Scholar

No abstract provided.

Musical Introductions To Cavalleria Rusticana: Giuseppe Perrotta's "Bozzetto Sinfonico" And Pietro Mascagni's "Preludio", Ronaldo Augusto Teles Dos Santos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Giovanni Verga’s Cavalleria rusticana has inspired a variety of musical works, among them Giuseppe Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” (an overture to Verga’s play), and Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (a one-act opera based on a libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci). Each composition represents a genre on which scholarship is scarce: late nineteenth-century incidental music and the late nineteenth-century operatic prelude. Considering both Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” and Mascagni’s “Preludio” as musical introductions to stage works, this study undertakes a complete hermeneutic analysis of both works (chapters 2 and 3). The analysis of Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” is guided by a letter in …