Music Commons^™

A Poetic And Musical Analysis Of Fiancailles Pour Rire By Francis Poulenc With Poems By Louise De Vilmorin, Mary Elizabeth Gasson

Theses and Dissertations

Francis Poulenc is known for setting text of lesser-known poets. He set six of Louise de Vilmorin’s poems from Fiancailles pour rire to music. The style in which Vilmorin writes is quite intriguing, while Poulenc’s method of setting the text brings the mysteries of her poems to life. Their collaboration produced a charming work. The author will provide an in-depth poetic and musical analysis of Poulenc’s set Fiancailles pour rire. This study of Fiancailles pour rire may be used as a performance guide.

Painted Faces & Printed Music: Women And Music In The Paintings Of Bartolomeo Veneto And Sebastiano Florigerio, Lauren N. Rosenblatt

Theses and Dissertations

The cultural views surrounding musical performances by women rapidly changed during the sixteenth century. The ideal of the preceding century advised ladies of the court to avoid displaying the frivolous and sinful ways of music-making, but the new notion of the female courtier praised women for performing music, for it could only serve to enhance their beauty and virtue. These two opposing concepts can be seen simultaneously in treatises, correspondences, and artwork of this era. Artists’ depictions of courtesans included music to convey what was considered sensual and immoral; yet other works displayed music instruments as representations of women’s nobility …

Arvo Part, Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: A Transcription For Wind Ensemble, Julian Hartridge Sconyers Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Amongst late twentieth and early twenty-first century music, Arvo Pärt’s compositional style is a unique musical voice and has led to the composer becoming the most performed living classical composer for multiple years. His unmistakable tintinnabuli style is often labeled as part of the post-modernist movement, the minimalist genre, sacred minimalism, or even as neo-medieval. Despite any label, his music is as distinctive as it is revolutionary, and many of his works are considered cornerstone works of the late-twentieth and early-twenty-first centuries. However, despite the popularity of his works, most of his music is written for choir, orchestra, small chamber …

The Political Suppression Of The Saxophone And Its Subsequent Pedagogical Development In Select Non-Democratic Countries, Sheldon Jerome Johnson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Almost universally, the saxophone struggled to gain acceptance in the early years following its invention; however, the obstacles faced were much more arduous in some places than others. The saxophone faced many serious impediments to acceptance, especially in the non-democratic 20th-century countries of China and the Soviet Union. It is the purpose of this research to explore the institutional roadblocks, their removal, and to profile the people responsible for the subsequent development of formidable pedagogical saxophone traditions in recent years.

An Analytical Study Of The Britten Violin Concerto, Op.15, Shr-Han Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Benjamin Britten is known for his opera, vocal and symphonic works. His violin concerto was composed around the time of the second world war. During that time, there were many great violin works produced by composers such as Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Barber, etc., and their violin concertos are still considered staples of the violin repertoire. However, Britten’s violin concerto is not performed as often as other twentieth-century violin concertos. Although the popularity of his violin concerto is increasing in recent years, there is relatively little scholarly work devoted to it. The goal of this paper is to provide guidelines for performers …

The Development Of Contemporary Music By Korean Composers: Analyses Of Piano Works By Isang Yun, Young Jo Lee And U Zong Choe, Song E. Kim

Theses and Dissertations

This study concerns the development of contemporary music by three generations of Korean composers, including Isang Yun, Young Jo Lee, and U Zong Choe, focusing on stylistic analyses of selected piano works by each composer: Fünf Stücke für Klavier by Isang Yun, Korean Dance Suite by Young Jo Lee, and 12 Preludes pour piano by U Zong Choe. The study provides an overview of the history of Western contemporary music in Korea and biographical information of each composer. It also describes and analyzes the style influences and characteristics of these composers‟ output. The analyses include examinations of Western techniques and …

An Investigative Study Measuring Self-Reported Metacognitive Habits Among Collegiate Piano Majors, Steven Phillip Brundage

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate self-reported metacognitive habits among collegiate piano majors. It examined the degree to which participants comprehend and employ practice strategies, recognize their own strengths and weaknesses in learning and performing, accurately predict a performance outcome, and self-evaluate following a performance. A total of twelve (N = 12) participants, six (N = 6) undergraduate and six (N = 6) graduate piano majors, enrolled in applied lessons at the University of South Carolina School of Music volunteered to participate in this study. Participants completed a pretest questionnaire that measured their own metacognitive skills, performed and …

Individual Thought Patterns: Women In New York's Extreme Metal Music Scene, Joan M. Jocson-Singh

Theses and Dissertations

Extreme metal music (EMM) is both an umbrella term and a sub-category of heavy metal. Although women have a small but steady presence in heavy metal, this number shrinks when applied to the EMM scene. Using ethnographic research, participant-observation and interviews, this study surveys women in New York's EMM scene to address participation, gender performativity and feminist musicology.

El Son De "El Cuervo": The Transformation Of Armonía Practice In The Mariachi Tradition, Adolfo Estrada Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

In mariachi scholarship to date, armonía practices are often overlooked. The armonía instruments provide essential rhythmic and harmonic support, yet their specific practices are assumed to be invariable. Close analysis suggests a more complex story. This work provides an analysis of the armonía within the son jalisciense song form in particular, by comparing several performances of the popular son jalisciense song “El Cuervo ” (The Crow). Analysis reveals that the armonía underwent a homogenization process before arriving at present-day practices, and I argue that the 1965 Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán recording is the point of homogenization on which future …

Music Majors And Meditation Practice: A Phenomenological Study, Travis N. Baird

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine undergraduate and graduate music majors’ perceived experiences while learning and practicing a meditation technique. Guiding research questions included: 1) How did meditation practice alter participants’ thoughts related to music performance? 2) How did meditation practice influence participants’ perceived Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) symptoms? 3) What aspects of meditation practice did participants find most/least helpful in perceived reduction of negative MPA symptoms? 4) How did meditation practice influence post-performance self-evaluation? 5) What influence does meditation practice have on participants during performance preparation? Six music majors were selected as participants and data was …

A History Of The Plagal-Amen Cadence, Jason Terry

Theses and Dissertations

Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, most hymns in the Anglo-American tradition ended with the congregation singing amen following the original stanzas, almost always framed within a plagal cadence. Helping this tradition take root was Hymns Ancient & Modern (1861), an Anglican hymnal that published the “amen” cadence after every modern hymn. This practice was heavily adopted among other denominational hymnals throughout England and the United States, peaking around the turn of the century. By the middle of the twentieth century, a decline in the number of hymnals including this cadence was noticeable; however, it would take until the end of …

The Electric Marimba: A Study Of Selected Works For Marimba With Electronic Effect, Brett Bernard Landry

Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of the last century, literature for the solo marimba has been greatly expanded by a wide variety of composers to include nearly every contemporary style and genre. One such area of expansion is the use of electronic effect, defined as the augmentation of the acoustic marimba using looping and delay technologies in live performance. This study illuminates the history of electronic effect technology and briefly describes the technological options employed in the genre of marimba with electronic effect. Concepts specific to the genre are also addressed; specifically, the terminology of rhythmic delay and harmonic delay. To introduce …

Social Music Interaction Between Three-Year-Old Children And A Music Teacher, Erika Michelle Hubbell

Theses and Dissertations

With the intent of improving music acquisition understanding, the purpose of the study was to examine shared music interactions and shared music understandings in early childhood music classes. The guiding research questions were (a) How do three-year-old children and I, a music teacher, engage in shared music interactions and shared music understandings using a music curriculum based on Gordon’s (2013) music learning theory? (b) What teacher-initiated music activities result in observations of shared music interactions and shared music understandings? (c) What child-initiated music activities result in observations of shared music interactions and shared music understandings.

Participants included myself as a …

Teresa Carreno: Pianist, Composer And Pedagogue. Her Life And Work From The Perspective Of Virtuoso Piano Playing At The End Of The 19th Century, Claudio Olivera

Theses and Dissertations

Teresa Carreño (1853 – 1917) was the first Venezuelan artist to achieve international recognition. As a child prodigy, she impressed pianists such as Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and quickly became a phenomenon in the United States. As an acclaimed pianist, the sheer power of her performances earned her the title of Valkyrie of the piano, and she had an extremely active performing career until months before her death.

Throughout her life, she interacted with the most important musical personalities of the time, including Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein, among many others. She was also a talented singer, as Gioaccino Rossini personally …

The Wind Works Of Louis Andriessen: A History And Comparative Analysis, Paul Adam De Cinque

Theses and Dissertations

Louis Andriessen is the most important composer from the Dutch school of the late twentieth century, if not arguably the most important western art music composer from the Netherlands itself. He took a pioneering role in European minimalism, while also shunning the traditional orchestra and string based ensembles. Given his small catalogue of works for traditional orchestra, many of his major works have had limited performances. This is disappointing, especially since pieces such as De Staat are considered cornerstone works in the post-modernist period.

Andriessen wrote many of his wind pieces for Orkest de Volharding, an ensemble whose instrumentation can …

21st Century Choral Performance Practice: Presenting The Mash-Up With Practical Applications, Justin Xavier Carteret

Theses and Dissertations

Recent paradigm shifts in music production have generated a newly recognized texture formed by blending two or more pre-existent and pre-recorded songs together. Originating in pop culture, mash-ups often sample from genres and cultures otherwise not typically associated. This new form requires formal definition, codification, and application. Developments in digital coding and dissemination of the latter twentieth century expanded the diapason of music composition, revealing the mash-up as a naturally occurring product of harmonic evolution. A description of the computer software Audacity and its capabilities depicts an uncomplicated aural-based method for composition which generated the early mash-ups of the 2000’s. …

An Analysis Of Selected Art Songs For High Voice By Adolphus Hailstork, A Performer's Guide, Angela Renee Blalock

Theses and Dissertations

Adolphus Hailstork, one of the best-known African American composers of the latter half of the twentieth century, is an innovator of American art song literature. Hailstork issignificantly recognized as a composer of instrumental genres, and his songs represent an important contribution to this genre, his overall output, and are currently not well known. Songs of Love and Justice (1992) is a song cycle for voice and piano set to the writings of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. The texts are not poetic, and relate to a period of unrest in the United States of America referred to as …

A Comprehensive Examination Of The Saxophone Chamber Music Of John Fitz Rogers, Gabriel Michael Anthony Fadale

Theses and Dissertations

The body of classical saxophone chamber repertoire is an ever-evolving collection of music. Presently, many contemporary composers endeavor to write for the saxophone, some more successfully than others. Modern musical language can be overly obtuse and convoluted with avant-garde techniques and sounds that, when performed, may cause an emotional and intellectual disconnect between the performer and the audience. When new pieces are composed that are of high quality and use language that is accessible to performers and audiences alike, it is important for saxophonists to be aware of these compositions and the composers creating them. This document presents the music …

Post-Genre: Understanding The Classical-Jazz Hybrid Of Third Stream Music Through The Guitar Works Of Frederic Hand, Ralph Towner, And Ken Hatfield, Andrew Jurik

Theses and Dissertations

Gunther Schuller coined the term “third stream” in 1957 as a reference for a style of music that blends the practices of both the classical and the jazz traditions. Despite a fair critical reception and the efforts of like-minded musicians and composers, third stream as a musical concept failed to achieve much commercial success, and by the 1970s it was considered a passing modernist fad. Nonetheless, the fusion of classical and popular musical genres that embodies spirit of third stream thrives today, although most practitioners tend to neglect the term itself. The purpose of this document is to examine the …

Creating And Implementing Community-Based Performance Programs: A Guide For The Applied Studio Teacher, Lauren Watkins

Theses and Dissertations

As performers, many professionals in the fields of chamber music and orchestral playing participate in educational and community programming. In an effort to help graduates meet these new challenges, 21st century music schools are creating diverse performance and education experiences for their students to gain skills for success beyond graduation. Until recently, not many music schools offered opportunities for students to learn and develop skills in the area of community programming. In the current music school curriculum, there exists a largely untapped potential for applied teachers to create and institute community performance-based programs for their students. Participation in these programs …

A Survey Of Attitudes Towards Burnout Among Music Students At The University Of South Carolina School Of Music, Philip David Castro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to define burnout specific to musicians. The study explored the attitudes towards burnout of student musicians at the University of South Carolina School of Music. A survey was created based on models in the research literature, and was administered to music students with the permission of the School of Music administration. Internal review board approval was obtained. The survey was available via the Internet. Participation was voluntary and student anonymity guaranteed.

The population of the survey consisted of 416 undergraduate and graduate music students enrolled in the 2016 spring semester. Of the 416 total …

Exploring The Life And Music Of Percy Grainger Through Transcription, Francisco Javier D. De Alba

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this lecture recital was to demonstrate how Percy Grainger’s life affected his compositional works and arrangements, as well as the stylistic choices made in my transcriptions of his music. This was achieved through a discussion of the different occupations that Percy Grainger had throughout his life, such as a pianist, composer, and ethnomusicologist. In addition, the lecture included an analysis of five pieces by Percy Grainger: Country Gardens, Eastern Intermezzo, Mock Morris, Spoon River, and Handel in the Strand. Transcriptions of these pieces were performed and comparisons were made to Percy Grainger’s original scores.

The Evolution Of The Clarinet And Its Effect On Compositions Written For The Instrument, Victoria A. Hargrove

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this lecture recital was to reflect upon the rapid mechanical progression of the clarinet, a fairly new instrument to the musical world and how these quick changes effected the way composers were writing music for the instrument. There are many factors to the contribution of the clarinet repertoire in which some are explored in the following research. This research revealed that the evolution of the clarinet depended on many individuals both composers, performers, and instrument makers alike.

The Development Of Western Classical Piano Culture In Postwar Asia, Yejin Cho

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the past, present and future of the development of Western piano culture in Northeast Asia and the musical, social, political and economic facets thereof. Western piano was first introduced to general public as part of the Westernization process during and after World War II in Asia. During the second half of the twentieth century, Asian piano culture has experienced a period of rapid development and mass popularization along with dramatic cultural, economic and technical developments. Quantifiable evidences for this are given in the number of competition winners and graduates of prestigious institutions …

The Future Of Arabic Music: No Sound Without Silence, Nesma Magdy Khodier Vcuq

Theses and Dissertations

For centuries, Arabic music has been intrinsically linked to Arab culture and by extension bonded to the environmental landscape of the region, reflecting their emotions, moods, and behaviors. Numerous technological advancements in the latter half of the twentieth century, have greatly affected the rich legacy of Arabic music, significantly impacting the natural progression of traditional Arabic musical genres, scales, and instrumentation.

This thesis serves as an introduction to generative methods of music production, specifically music generated through gestures. Through generative music, and its unique ability to map gestures to different musical parameters, music can be produced using computer algorithms.

The …

Samuel Barber’S Settings Of James Joyce’S Chamber Music: A Proposal For A Posthumous Song Cycle, Michael Pierre Laroche

Theses and Dissertations

Samuel Barber’s Opus 10 songs are some of his most well-known vocal works. These settings from Chamber Music by James Joyce were published in 1939, but posthumous research by biographer Barbara Heyman and a complete vocal recordings project by Thomas Hampson, Cheryl Studer, and John Browning led to the discovery and recording of ten additional songs, including three more Joyce settings. Schirmer published these Ten Early Songs around the same time as the Deutsche Grammophon. Research has shown the dates of composition to be within days of the published Opus 10 songs, but no other information on these songs exists …

Effects Of A Music Literacy Integration Intervention On Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Proactive Attitudes Toward Music Integration In Classroom Instruction, Mary Louise Keyloun Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

With the adoption of the common core state standards, pressure to raise the achievement of young learners was intense. Classroom teachers were scrutinized to teach lessons with high levels of thinking and rigor. Teachers were inclined to eliminate or ignore artsenriched lessons that would benefit students. The reason for this action was associated with the efficacy of the classroom teacher toward music integration in literacy curriculum. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the Music Literacy Integration Intervention (MLII) on the self-efficacy and proactiveness of teachers at a small elementary school in Florida toward integration of …

Music For Caroline: Including Students With Autism In The Elementary General Music Classroom, Meredith B. Dayoub

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose ofthis paper is to research and analyze the history ofspecial education, special education in music, and Autism. The goal is to provide elementary general music educators with a detailed understanding ofthe history ofspecial education and ways to modify lessons to accommodate students with special needs, specifically Autism. Through an analysis of special education history and the legislation that has impacted special education, music educators may find new ways to teach students of varying learning levels. Understanding the medical definition and characteristics of Autism should help educators modify existing lessons or develop new lessons that allow all students, including …

The Choral Music Of Daron Aric Hagen And A Conductor’S Analysis Of Flight Music, Jay B. Aiken

Theses and Dissertations

Daron Aric Hagen is an American composer, educator, pianist, conductor, librettist, and stage director of contemporary classical music and opera. He has written nine operas and is currently commissioned to produce a tenth. While he is most noted for his operas, he has composed numerous choral works. Flight Music, a six movement piece for treble chorus is the topic of this study. It is about the ultimate flight of Amelia Earhart. This document will provide a conductor’s analysis of Flight Music and show how Hagen used this choral piece as a precursor to his opera Amelia. A biography of …

A Performance Practice Guide For Select Baroque Transcriptions For Clarinet, Michael Brady Hough

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to provide a performance practice guide of selected works from the Baroque period that are transcribed for clarinet.

The Baroque period has an important but often overlooked wealth of literature for clarinet players. Although there are few original works for the clarinet that were composed during this period due to the clarinet's later development, there is still much that clarinet players can learn from this important body of work.

Performance practice of Baroque transcriptions is particularly significant. For instance, taking music written for a string instrument and transcribing it for a wind instrument brings …