Music Commons^™

The Origins And Development Of The Cuban Danzas For The Piano In The Works Of Manuel Saumell, Ignacio Cervantes, Ernesto Lecuona And Gisela Hernandez, Yanet Bermudez Ortiz

Dissertations, 2020-current

This document aims to trace the evolution of the Cuban danza for the piano as seen in the works by Manuel Saumell, Ignacio Cervantes, Ernesto Lecuona, and Gisela Hernandez. The first chapter describes the history and origins of the Cuban danza, ending with Ignacio Cervantes’ compositions. In the following chapters, these composers’ lives and works are contrasted and analyzed in chronological order. Chapter two is dedicated to Manuel Saumell’s compositions, which are framed as the best representative examples of the roots of the Cuban danzas for the piano. Chapter three is centered on Ignacio Cervantes’ compositions and is analyzed …

From Story To Song: Exploring The Storytelling Potential Of Instrumental Music, Celine Darr

Honors Projects

For this project, I have composed a piece of program music with the aim of capturing scenes from Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" through music. The project seeks to answer questions regarding the elements that make instrumental music "programmatic", or able to portray a story.

An Analysis Of Selected Vocal Works By George Walker, Ginger Sharnell Jones-Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

George Theophilus Walker (1922–2018), a prolific composer, pianist, and educator, was born on June 27, 1922, in Washington, D.C. He received degrees in music from Oberlin College, Curtis Institute of Music, and Eastman School of Music. His faculty appointments included Dillard University, Smith College, the University of Colorado, the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and Rutgers University.

In 1998, Walker received a Letter of Distinction from the American Music Center for his significant contributions to the field of contemporary American music, and in 1999 he was elected to the Academy of Arts and Letters. Perhaps most significantly, Walker holds …

Lieder Des Lebens, Andrews University

Concerts and Event Programs 2022-2023

Sunday Music Series Lieder des Lebens

Eun-Jung Auh, soprano Chi Yong Yun, piano

Cinematic Somnium: Piano Solo, David Patterson

Compositions of David Patterson

Cinematic Somnium: Piano Solo by David Patterson. Dream along with my students of composing for the movies, ominous, melodramatic of the silents.

Chopin’S Polonaise In Ab Major, Op.53: Constructing An Informed Interpretation, Arielle X. Lu

Theses : Honours

This dissertation centers around Chopin’s Polonaise in Ab Major and charts the various steps undertaken in forming an interpretation of the work. Four approaches inform the interpretation: 1) early prints and manuscripts, 2) later 19th-century performer editions, 3) analysis of historic recordings, and 4) interacting with relevant secondary literature. The results offer both new findings in relation to the broader field of Chopin studies and also offer scholar-performers new possibilities and paradigms in the performance of Chopin’s piano music.

Robert Heller’S Magical Mystery Tours, Jessie Fillerup

Music Faculty Publications

Robert Heller, a virtually unknown figure in music-historical accounts, trained in the 1840s at the Royal Academy of Music in London and gave the American premieres of Beethoven’s Fourth and Fifth Piano Concertos with the Germania Musical Society. But he also pursued a parallel career in theatrical magic, using his musical virtuosity to elevate his social and artistic stature as a conjurer. Between 1852 and 1878, his magic act was seen by millions in Europe, East Asia, and the United States, including states and territories in the American West never visited by contemporary piano virtuosos like Thalberg and De Meyer. …

They Care If You Listen: Works For Cello And Piano By Migó, Rachmaninoff, Ysaÿe, And Gershwin, Antoni Pizà

Publications and Research

Essay from the liner notes for the CD Cerdanyenca featuring cellist Mark Prihodko and pianist Viktoria Korolionok.

Performance And Interpretation: Beethoven's Opus 110, Izaac J. Masters

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Within the context of professional music making, an increasing number of pianists use both modern and historical pianos as a matter of course. Yet, not infrequently, it seems that there is little awareness of how the inherent acoustic characteristics of each instrument may be used to inform interpretation, and the instrument-specific pianistic techniques that are needed if interpretation is to be optimised. This study explores issues of interpretation and performance as applied to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in Ab major, op. 110. Three different performative interpretations of the sonata are constructed, each relating to a specific grand piano––made by, respectively, Conrad …

Senior Recital - Nancy Wyatt Jensen, Nancy W. Jensen

All Music Department Programs

This recital is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Music in Music Performance.

Tyler Ninalga Junior Piano Recital, Andrews University

Student Degree Recitals 2022-2023

Tyler Ninalga - Pianist

Rediscovering Argentine Repertoire Written In The 1930s: A Performative Study Of Concert Piano Works By Lita Spena And Celia Torrá, Florencia Zuloaga

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

A survey of the piano repertoire written during the decade of 1930 in Argentina reveals the rising number of several works written by women composers. For the first time, the years that followed the inauguration of the National Conservatory of Music and Theater in 1924 witnessed a professionalization of women in the field of music composition, and two figures made great strides in this regard. Celia Torrá and Lita Spena stood out among the first female composition students at the National Conservatory and some of the first to succeed as professional composers. Furthermore, they were among the first women to …

The Romantic Style In The Piano Works Of Manuel M. Ponce, Oscar Vazquez Medrano

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Manuel M. Ponce is one of the most recognized Mexican composers of the twentieth century. He is known for his contributions to the guitar and piano literature, but more importantly, for his efforts to introduce musical nationalism in a world where Romantic opera and salon music dominated Mexico’s music scene.

This document has an introduction, six chapters, a conclusion, a bibliography, and three appendixes. The introduction includes pertinent background on Ponce’s music and the types of research dedicated to him, as well as the stylistic division of his music by Ponce scholars.

Chapter one explains the historical context in Mexico …

Adult Recreational Music-Making And Its Place In Piano Pedagogy: An Examination Of The Value Of Rmm To Both Student And Teacher, Jen Bowlds

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This project aims to answer the following research question: How can the piano pedagogy community embrace the Recreational Music Making movement to expand its reach among adults and transform the piano teacher’s sense of professional satisfaction and career sustainability? I will examine the opportunities that exist within piano pedagogy and the growth potential for RMM as a valuable pedagogical approach for adult group piano classes. As is routinely used in strategic business planning, a SWOT analysis will be conducted to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the RMM movement within the piano pedagogy field. A relatively new (and …

Fred And Dinah Gretsch School Of Music Newsletter, Georgia Southern University

School of Music: News & Publications (2017-2023)

• Alumni Events
• Coming Events
• Support the Gretsch School of Music

Interpreting Jean Coulthard's Concerto For Piano And Orchestra (1963): A Pianist's Perspective, Jocelyn Lai

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Jean Coulthard (1908-2000) is recognized as one of Canada’s most prolific and important female classical composers in the twentieth century. She remained creatively active from her hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, for eight decades, resulting in a catalog of over 350 works representing most classical music genres. Her music continues to be performed and recorded by renowned ensembles and soloists such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Purcell String Quartet, pianists John Ogdon and Jane Coop, and contralto Maureen Forrester. Coulthard is known for her distinctive coloristic sonorities reminiscent of those in works by European composers …

The Integration Of Performance Practice And Stylistic Understanding In The Realization Of Schubert's Sonata D. 845, I. Moderato, Becca Hanson

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Franz Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 845 was written in 1825 and is considered to be one of his late works. The first movement shows Schubert’s mature and unique approach to Sonata Form while reflecting his song, dance, and orchestral writing styles. To develop an artistic and informed conception of this piece, a seasoned performer must have an approach that integrates numerous areas of music scholarship, including a stylistic comprehension of the music and its composer. One complication in interpreting this movement originates from the inconsistency between its original instrumentation—the fortepiano—and the most probable modern choice of instrumentation—the …

The Modern Keyboardist In Commercial Music, Cooper R. Thompson

Recital Papers

This paper provides an understanding of the skills and knowledge needed for the modern keyboardist to successfully function in commercial music. An overview of multiple keyboard instruments is presented and includes a brief history of each instrument, performance techniques specific to that instrument, and sound replication options available to the keyboardist. This paper also shows the influence of keyboards in commercial music.

Charles Griffes's Piano Sonata As Emblematic Of Mature Style, Jacob A. Browning

Music Theses - Archive

Composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes has had many labels placed upon him as an early figure of 20th century music in America, most of which place much weight on his American nationality within the context of musical trends outside of the continent. Recognized most prominently for his impressionistic piano compositions, Charles Griffes had multiple periods of stylistic influence that are less-often discussed. His later works are experimental and modernist in nature, and as lesser-known works from a lesser-covered composer it is uncommon for scholars to cover them. The music of Griffes has much importance to both the history of American art …

Don't Lose Your Keys: Exploring The Transition From Harpsichord To Piano, Justice Post

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper explores keyboard technology in music from the Baroque era to today. Central focus is on the initial dominance of the harpsichord in Western music and how this shifted to the piano. Using this context of evolving instrumentation, the paper considers how this coincided with changing styles of music composition. Finally, the paper considers the question of how a keyboardist of today should handle music written in eras before the piano existed, and whether it is appropriate to perform harpsichord music using a modern piano.

Fred And Dinah Gretsch School Of Music Newsletter, Georgia Southern University

School of Music: News & Publications (2017-2023)

• Student News
• Faculty News
• Alumni News
• Coming Events
• Support the Gretsch School of Music

Jeremy Lee In A Student Composers Recital, Jeremy Lee

Honors Thesis

This recital and collection of original sheet music represent the culminating work for senior Music major (Contemporary Styles and Practices concentration) Jeremy Lee at Loyola Marymount University. The program features a selection of musical compositions that encapsulate different styles, genres, and unique compositional devices. Pieces also utilize a variety of arrangements and mediums, including compositions for multiple instruments and for film. Program notes for the included selections describe the historical influences and/or the personal stories and inspirations behind each piece. Performed live on April 21^st, 2022, in Murphy Recital Hall.

Ivan Rachath Graduate Piano Recital, Andrews University

Student Degree Recitals 2021-2022

Ivan Rachath, in his graduate piano recital themed "The Hunt. Featuring works by Beethoven, Bach and Prokofiev.

The Sounds Of Home: A Composition Portfolio, Paul Gabriel L. Cosme

Music Honors Projects

What does home sound like? I have spent most of my recent life outside my homeland, the Philippines, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, and this question of what home is has become a persistent thought, if not, a necessary inquiry. This composition portfolio attempts to answer that question in three varying pieces. The first, The Sounds of Home, is a string quartet in three movements where each one tells a personal story by invoking Filipino folk and indigenous themes. The second, Commuting in Manila, is a wind septet that sonically emulates the commuting experience in Manila from the …

Approaches To Teaching Music Counting To Piano Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sunghun Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to interview five internationally and nationally recognized professionals currently teaching piano to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to explore their approaches to teaching music counting to students with ASD. The interview questionnaire contained 5 sections. Sections 1, 2, and 3 focused on teacher experience and training, studio demographics, and educational curriculum. Sections 4 and 5 of the questionnaire focused on pedagogical practices in teaching music counting to piano students with autism spectrum disorder, including questions regarding pedagogical approaches in teaching meter, rhythm, and steady pulse. Section 6 emphasized pedagogical practices to teach …

Piano Master Class - Ian Hobson, Andrews University

Concerts and Event Programs 2021-2022

Ian Hobson leads a masterclass with Andrews University Piano Studio.

Sunday Music Series- Ian Hobson, Andrews University

Concerts and Event Programs 2021-2022

IAN HOBSON: Pianist and conductor Ian Hobson-called "powerful and persuasive" by The New York Times- is recognized internationally for his command of an extraordinarily comprehensive repertoire, his consummate performances of the Romantic masters, his deft and idiomatic readings of neglected piano music old and new, and his assured conducting from both the piano and the podium. In addition to being a celebrated performer, Mr. Hobson is a dedicated scholar and educator who has pioneered renewed interest in the music of such lesser-known masters as Ignaz Moscheles and Johann Hummel. He has also been an effective advocate of works written expressly …

Emily Jurek Senior Piano Recital, Andrews University

Student Degree Recitals 2021-2022

Emily Jurek piano recital themed, The Wanderer featuring works by Schubert, Ravel and Chopin.

A Bird’S Eye View: Large-Scale Tonal Structures In Robert Schumann’S Four Song Cycles (Op. 42, 24, 39, And 48), Peter Kramer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Some of Robert Schumann’s most notable works are his Lieder for solo voice and piano accompaniment. Schumann's Lieder are considered some of the best compositions in this genre, engendering various interpretations by performers and exciting vigorous debate among musicologists and theorists. Robert Schumann’s early music was almost entirely composed for the piano alone; it wasn’t until 1840 that he started to compose almost exclusively Lieder and song cycles inspired by his predecessors Beethoven and Schubert. This was a prolific year for Schumann compositionally, in part due to his marriage to Clara Schumann who was one of Europe’s most preeminent piano …

Honoring Creative Women: Minerva Teichert Award Winner 2021, Ally Christiansen

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.