Music Performance Commons^™

A Study Of J.S. Bach’S Sacred And Secular Vocal Works Influenced By Popular Stylized Dance Of The French Baroque Court: A Performer’S Guide, Dione J. Napier

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Among the existing body of literature on J.S. Bach’s massive compositional output, a scarce percentage of this research is dedicated specifically to the study of French Baroque court dances and their influence on Bach’s solo vocal repertoire. This study presents secular and sacred solo vocal works by J.S. Bach that were influenced by popular French court dances of the eighteenth century. The study explores musical and dance traits extracted from some of the most popular French Baroque court dances and incorporated into solo vocal repertoire. The intent of this paper is to provide a resource from a performer’s perspective that …

A Performance Guide To Glenn Kotche's "Monkey Chant", Jonathan Sharp

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Solo percussionist and composer Glenn Kotche has achieved international fame with his experimental percussion-based music, collaborating with and composing for renowned contemporary music ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet, Band on a Can All-Stars, So Percussion, and Eighth Blackbird. One of his most celebrated compositions in recent years is Monkey Chant, which combines acoustic and electronic elements in a solo multiple percussion setting. Written and premiered in 2006, Kotche was inspired to compose Monkey Chant after listening to original field recordings in Bali from the Nonesuch Explorer Series. Found in these recordings is the popular Balinese music and dance …

Italian And Spanish Influence On Selected Works Of Mexican Composers: María Grever, Ignacio Fernández Esperón “Tata Nacho,” And Agustín Lara, Manuel M. Castillo

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The last decades of the 19th Century and the first decades of the 20th Century encompass a revolutionary movement worldwide. The growth and advances throughout all disciplines of study and especially the collaboration across Literature, Music, Performing Arts, Culture and Politics became stronger and more evident than ever before.

As the Mexican Revolution (1910) developed in frightening fights, the country became increasingly insecure and violent. It was the duty of the living artist to create pathways to escape reality, embellishing the surroundings with its music, paintings and poetry. This climate is what paved the way to the bohemian living-style that …

An Examination Of A Conductor’S Performance Preparation Of The Mendelssohn Violin Concerto In E Minor, Robert J. Seebacher

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The music of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-47) has earned a prominent position in the orchestral repertoire. One of his greatest works, and certainly one of the most performed, is his Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. The work enjoys much popularity with, and recognition by, soloists, orchestras, and conductors alike. Even with its fame and familiarity, it remains a work that must be carefully studied and prepared by the conductor. This document presents an examination of a conductor’s performance preparation of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. The purpose of this examination is to equip the conductor with a depth of knowledge …

Beverly, “Music Misses You”: A Biographical And Performance Guide To American Mezzo-Soprano Beverly Wolff’S Career And Her Subsequent Impact On American Opera And Art Song, Sarah C. Downs Trail

Theses and Dissertations--Music

American mezzo-soprano, Beverly Wolff has not received the credit or respect that she deserves in operatic history. Her career began in 1952 and flourished until her retirement from the stage in 1981. Her intense characterizations, innate musicianship, and intelligence made her one of the most sought-after performers from the 1950s to the 1970s. For thirty years, she worked with some of the operatic world’s finest musicians, including Leonard Bernstein, Gian-Carlo Menotti, Samuel Barber, Ned Rorem, Beverly Sills, Norman Triegle, Placido Domingo, among others.

She was represented by Columbia Artists Management Inc (CAMI), one of New York’s oldest and most prestigious …

A Performance Guide To Gabriel Fauré’S La Chanson D’Ève, Op. 95, Sarah E. Klopfenstine-Wear

Theses and Dissertations--Music

In this study, background information, International Phonetic Alphabet pronunciations, poetic translations, and musical analyses of the ten songs that comprise Gabriel Fauré’s La Chanson d’Ève, Op. 95 are provided. Included is the relationship between his original poetry and Fauré’s resultant song cycle. Additionally, a portion is dedicated to an overview of the registers of the mezzo-soprano voice, and it specifically addresses who is best suited to perform La Chanson d’Ève. This document looks at the vocal challenges presented for the mezzo-soprano voice within each song, particularly the subject of vowel modification as it relates to the IPA pronunciation …

“We Sang Alleluia, Praise The Lord!”: African-American Identity And The Use And Reception Of Music Within A Seventh-Day Adventist Church In New York City, 1970 – 2010, Jeryl Lee Cunningham-Fleming

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Ephesus Seventh-day Church, one of the first Black SDA churches that were formed in the New York City area during the late 1920s and early 1930s, is one church that has been faced with the challenge of maintaining traditional repertoire and musical practices, while including more popular genres and styles that lay outside the SDA guidelines. Located in Central Harlem, Ephesus is surrounded by the cultural and historical influences within the Harlem community. The Ephesus Church, based on extant hymnals and the recollections of church members, continued in the Euro-centric musical traditions of early SDA churches until the 1960s, …

Reconsidering Brazilian Representations In Choros No. 5 And Bachianas Brasileiras No.4 For Piano By Heitor Villa-Lobos, Paula Maria Lima Galama

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study offers a reconsideration of the music of Villa-Lobos and its relationship to diverse musical expressions and musical syntheses in Brazil. Its primary purpose is to present a line of interpretative thought for Heitor Villa-Lobos’s piano compositions, emphasizing significant elements reflective of the folk and popular culture of Brazil that the composer integrates with stylistic features influenced by European art music traditions. It highlights Villa-Lobos’s adaptation of characteristic Brazilian dances, dance rhythms, melodies, direct quotations, and fragments of folk and popular tunes in Choros no. 5 (Alma Brasileira) and Bachianas Brasileiras no. 4 (Brazilian Bachianas no. 4). In the …

The 10,000-Hour Threshold: Interviews With Successful Percussionists, Colin J. Hill

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Musicians are universally reliant on practice to improve and perfect their craft and there is substantial evidence that suggests mastery can only be achieved after 10,000 hours of practice early in life. This dissertation explores the validity of this theory as it pertains to master percussionists and examines their discoveries and recommendations as to how those 10,000 hours should best be spent. Research sources include selected published literature and personal interviews with thirty-six percussionists, conducted between 2010- 2013. The research is summarized in the following six sections: the 10,000-hour threshold; planning a practice session; warming up; learning new music; problem …

A Conductor’S Guide To David Del Tredici’S In Wartime, Joe David Moore

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici (b. 1937) has gained recognition as a composer for both instrumental and vocal settings. Although his instrumental contributions include solo, chamber, and orchestral works, to date he has only written one composition for wind band. A conductor must devote himself / herself to score study and analysis in order to form an accurate interpretation and to conduct effective rehearsals. A vital part of score study and analysis is familiarity with the composer’s technique and style of writing.

A brief biographical sketch presents Del Tredici’s background, education, honors and awards, academic career, and influences, as …

A Progressive Guide To Commercial Trumpet Playing, Eric R. Murine

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The commercial genre of trumpet playing has been overlooked by educators for years. The goal of this project is to author a book, A Progressive Guide to Commercial Trumpet Playing, to address this issue. Commercial music can be defined as music for the mass consumer audience with the intent to produce monetary profits.

This approach will take a student stylistically from blues through the popular music of the 21st century. The ultimate goal of this book is to fill the pedagogical void in trumpet performance study material, providing a more complete foundation for the trumpet performer. Each chapter will …

Opera And The Modern Culture Of Film: The Genesis Of Cinemopera, Its Intertextuality And Expansion Of Operatic Source Material, Yuell "Chuck" E. Chandler Iv

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The boundaries of opera, as in all art forms, are constantly being re-evaluated. This analysis examines one of the most recent developments in opera-the use of film as source material, and connections to the film world- through analyzing three operas: Austrian composer, Olga Neuwirth’s opera, Lost Highway, Chinese-American composer, Tan Dun’s opera, The First Emperor, and acclaimed American film composer, Rachel Portman’s opera, The Little Prince. Each of these works exemplifies the modern relationship of opera and film in different ways. To classify these newly film-influenced works, the term cinemopera is used in describing operas connected to …

Elegies For Cello And Piano By Bridge, Britten And Delius: A Study Of Traditions And Influences, Sara Gardner Birnbaum

Theses and Dissertations--Music

In the western classical tradition, the violoncello has developed a reputation for its soulful, vocal qualities. Because of this distinction, many composers have written elegiac works for the cello. This document comprises studies of three twentieth-century British elegies for cello and piano, each explored against a backdrop of poetic, societal and musical influences. The results reveal several common tropes of mourning, both musical and extra-musical, which can be applied to further studies of musical works.

Expression In Technical Exercises For The Cello: An Artistic Approach To Teaching And Learning The Caprices Of Piatti And Etudes Of Popper, Leah Hagel

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Caprices of Piatti and Etudes of Popper are considered by most cellists to be fundamental components of the cello literature designed to provide a solid technical basis for the student. This document will provide an alternative approach to teaching and learning these works by focusing on the qualities of expression that can be developed during the process of integrating these studies into one's repertoire. After providing contextual information for the both composers and the works, I will examine how this concept of "artistry through technique" has been adopted by other art forms, used in training students on different instruments, …

Christopher Rouse: An Exploration Of Three Percussion Standards, Brian T. Nozny

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The percussion ensemble is still a relatively young ensemble, with the first works by Edgard Varèse and Amadeo Roldan composed in the first third of the 20th century. Because of this youth, it is important to examine significant works for the percussion ensemble which establish themselves as staples to the repertoire. Christopher Rouse, a Pulitzer-Prize winning composer has written three such works, Ogoun Badagris (1976), Ku-Ka-Ilimoku (1978), and Bonham (1989). This study will closely examine each of these works, providing background, detailed analysis, and performance practice for each of these works.

Strategies And Methods For Improving Sight-Reading, Ming-Hui Kuo

Theses and Dissertations--Music

A student's sight-reading ability directly affects the speed and quality of their learning, especially for those at the beginning and intermediate levels. Sight-reading on keyboard percussion instruments is typically very challenging for percussionists because percussion instruments are the only kind of instruments that the player doesn't physically touch when they play them. The player is removed from contact with the instrument through the use of mallets. This document will cover the topics of body movements, kinesthetic sense, music pattern recognition, sight-reading strategies in different levels, and music resources for instructors. Students who develop better sight-reading skills will learn new music …

Recreational Music-Making In Music Pedagogy: A Manifesto For Change, Brandon Keith Wood

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The arts are an essential part of any student’s well rounded education. The future of music in education will depend on its ability to deliver relevant, effective, and measurable outcomes. However, the expectations and performance nature of traditional curricula often foster a sense of musical elitism and ostracizes students that are solely interested in music as a recreational outlet. Incorporating recreational music-making into education can provide opportunities for students to experience self-expression, creativity, social connection, and enjoyment. These values will not only enhance their education, but also lead to acquired skills for use in all areas of their lives. Activities …

Language As A Performance Parameter: The Marcel Bitsch Vingt Etudes, Evan Benjamin Duke

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Bitsch Vingt Études are a significant part of the trumpet performers repertoire. They are taught in many university trumpet studios across the United States. David Baldwin, professor of trumpet at the University of Minnesota, has recorded all of them for the International Trumpet Guild. The editor, Raymond Sabarich, is considered the founder of the modern French school of trumpet playing.

Articulation is a significant component in performing on a brass instrument. By varying the attacks of the tongue, different timbres can be successfully achieved on the trumpet. Because of the volume the trumpet can generate, any defective articulation will …

Adolphe Nourrit, Gilbert-Louis Duprez, And Transformations Of Tenor Technique In The Early Nineteenth Century: Historical And Physiological Considerations, Jason Christopher Vest

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The April 1837 debut of tenor Gilbert-Louis Duprez at the Paris Opéra sparked uproarious applause and inspired a new group of tenors with a different vocal technique from tenors of the previous generation. Whereas previous tenors of the nineteenth century sang in a graceful, light, and flexible style that complemented the operatic compositions of Gluck, Rossini, and Bellini, Duprez sang in a powerful, forceful voice that brought new dramatic fervor to the existing repertoire of French Grand Opera. Duprez’ stentorian vocal representations of Arnold in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell and Robert in Meyerbeer’s Robert le diable, among others, inspired composers …

[Review Of] Percussion Discography: An International Compilation Of Solo And Chamber Percussion Music, Robert A. Aken

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.