Musicology Commons^™

The Guitar In America As Mirrored In Cadenza (1894–1924), Peter Danner

Soundboard Scholar

No abstract provided.

Of Self And Circumstance: Music And Representation In The Works Of Rodrigo, Walter Aaron Clark

Soundboard Scholar

Though Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-99) is renowned for his guitar works, especially the Concierto de Aranjuez, less well known is the fact that his compositions embrace a wide variety of genres, styles, and media, from piano solos to art songs and from orchestral tone poems to film scores. This article proposes a novel way of organizing and comprehending the roughly 200 works in his catalogue. Rather than the standard method of organization by chronology or medium, it surveys his oeuvre through multiple lenses, including literary, folkloric, virtuosic, sacred, historical, theatrical and descriptive. Each of these categories represents the salient dimension …

Notes On Some Early-American Guitar Concerts, Peter Danner

Soundboard Scholar

No abstract provided.

The Guitar In Nineteenth-Century America: A Lost Social Tradition, Peter Danner

Soundboard Scholar

This article is one of a series of five by Peter Danner on the history of the guitar in the United States from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Written between 1977 and 1994, these articles first appeared in early issues of the GFA’s magazine Soundboard. They are reprinted here in tribute to Danner’s pioneering contribution to guitar research and to bring them to the attention of a new generation of scholars. The author has generously provided a newly written introduction to the series.

Archetypes (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad, Third Coast Percussion), Nathan Cornelius

Soundboard Scholar

A review of  Archetypes, by Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad, and Third Coast Percussion (Cedille 201, 2021, 1 compact disc).

"The Lutenist!": Anxieties, Ambiguities, And Deviations In Julian Bream’S Discography, Sidney Molina

Soundboard Scholar

The recent passing of English guitarist Julian Bream (1933–2020) has prompted a reevaluation of his artistic legacy by critics around the world. In this article, I propose a way of reading Bream’s discography in relation to that of his predecessor, Andrés Segovia, utilizing Harold Bloom’s theory of influence, a methodology that I first proposed in application to music in 2006. After dividing Bream’s fifty albums into phases inspired by Bloomian categories, I examine the works that Bream chose to record more than once, with a focus on those to which he returned three or more times.

On The Need For A Scholarly Edition Of Tárrega’S Complete Works, David J. Buch

Soundboard Scholar

In this guest editorial, the author provides evidence of the unreliable nature of the majority of Tárrega’s first editions, and the substandard quality of most modern editions. The author argues that in light of the recent availability of formerly inaccessible primary sources, the time is right for a scholarly edition of Tárrega’s complete works with state-of-art editorial methods.

How I Got Into This: Toward A Social History Of The Guitar In America, Peter Danner

Soundboard Scholar

An introduction to a series of five articles by Peter Danner on the history of the guitar in the United States from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Written between 1977 and 1994, these articles first appeared in early issues of the GFA’s magazine Soundboard. They are reprinted here in tribute to Danner’s pioneering contribution to guitar research and to bring them to the attention of a new generation of scholars. The author has generously provided this newly written introduction to the series.

A Noteworthy Early-American Guitar Treatise: James Ballard’S Elements Of 1838, Peter Danner

Soundboard Scholar

No abstract provided.

Return With Us Now: Featured Facsimiles, Peter Danner

Soundboard Scholar

No abstract provided.

A Tribute To Vladimir Morkov (The Czar’S Guitars), Ellwood Colahan

Soundboard Scholar

A review of A Tribute to Vladimir Morkov, by The Czar’s Guitars (John Schneiderman & Oleg Timofeyev) (Hänssler Classic HC20018, 2020, 2 compact discs).

The Catalan Guitar, Part 1: Four New E-Books By Brian Jeffery And Josep María Mangado, Richard M. Long

Soundboard Scholar

A review of four new biographical studies of Fernando Sor:

• Brian Jeffery, Fernando Sor: Composer and Guitarist, 3rd edition (N.p.: Tecla, 2020), PDF or ePub
• Josep María Mangado Artigas, Fernando Sor (1778–1839), vol. 1, Aportaciones biográficas (Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona: Self-published, Tecla, 2020), PDF
• Josep María Mangado Artigas, Fernando Sor (1778–1839), vol. 2, Documentos inéditos: Reflexiones e hypótesis (Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona: Self-published, Tecla, 2018), PDF
• Josep María Mangado Artigas, Fernando Sor (1778–1839), vol. 3, La actividad guitarrística en París (1825–1839) (Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona: Self-published, Tecla, 2010), PDF

The Catalan Guitar, Part 2: Two New E-Books By Josep María Mangado, Richard M. Long

Soundboard Scholar

A review of two studies by Josep María Mangado of the history of the guitar in Catalonia:

• Josep María Mangado Artigas, La guitarra en Cataluña, 1769–1939: Con especial referencia a los guitarristas José Ferrer (1835–1916), Sor, Brocá, Viñas, Bosch, Costa, Más, y otros, version 2.0 (Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona): Self-published, Tecla, 2010), PDF
• Josep María Mangado Artigas, Los conciertos de guitarra en el Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona): Desde sus inicios en 1908 hasta el estreno en 1940 del Concierto de Aranjuez (Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona: Self-published, Tecla, 2018 [2019?]), PDF

"For Andrés Segovia": Francisco De Lacerda’S Suite Goivos (1924), Pedro Rodrigues

Soundboard Scholar

Suite goivos by Francisco Lacerda (1869–1934) stands out not only as one of the first examples of symbolist literature for guitar but also as the first work written for guitar by a Portuguese non-guitarist composer. So far, however, it has remained in relative obscurity. In this article, I first explore the suite’s context and history: its origin in meetings and correspondence between Lacerda and the work’s dedicatee, Andrés Segovia; its place among new works commissioned by Segovia from non-guitarist composers; and available manuscript sources for the work. I then argue for the work’s importance as music, highlighting its innovative features, …

Spanish Guitarists In Nineteenth-Century São Paulo, Flavia Prando

Soundboard Scholar

This article explores the presence and activities of guitarists in nineteenth-century São Paulo. Drawing on reviews written by the pianist Alexandre Levy in 1890, I analyze concerts by Martínez Toboso and Gil-Orozco, two Spanish guitarists whose duo seems to have been the first to perform formal concerts in São Paulo. I also investigate Gil-Orozco’s subsequent work in São Paulo, where he lived for seventeen years (1890–1907), playing an essential role in the guitar’s development in the city.

The Flight Of The Maiden: Representations Of Women And The Guitar In Brazilian Culture, Cláudia Araújo Garcia

Soundboard Scholar

This article examines the relationship between women and the guitar in the context of both Brazilian literary discourse and the instrument’s culture and history. To this end, I have sought out texts that illustrate intersections between women and the guitar from the perspective of both female and male authorship. We see that the guitar provides a vehicle for the woman’s voice in all its restlessness, violation, and libertarian desire; but equally, it enables the perpetuation of stereotypes linked to the mirroring of the guitar and the female body. In the absence of literary and historic records of the guitar in …

Soundboard Scholar No. 7: Cover

Soundboard Scholar

Cover image: José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior (1850–1899), O violeiro (The Guitarist). Oil on canvas, 1899. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Cover design by Colleen Gates.

Death Of The Composer: How Mahler’S Preoccupation With Death Reveals Itself In His Orchestral Works, Reid Cox

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

Gustav Mahler is a man of juxtapositions, and it shows in his compositions. Between the deaths of his siblings, his parents, eldest daughter, and a fatal heart condition, Mahler was surrounded by ideas and the possibility of death. This likely motivated many of his works, with pieces such as Das Lied von der Erde ending with Mahler confronting his own mortality. Throughout these works, death is treated differently, for example, in the Fourth Symphony, Death is personified and is presented as a solo fiddle. However, many of these pieces end with a hopeful note, such as in the Second Symphony …

Examining The Neoclassicism In Ravel’S Composition: Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This article mainly analyzes the neoclassicism in Ravel's works to have a deeper understanding of Ravel. The first part of this article will discuss the definition of neoclassicism and roughly analyze the elements of neoclassicism in other arts, such as architecture and painting. Ravel's works include neoclassical elements. The third part carefully analyzes which parts of the score reflect neoclassicism and explains the reasons in detail.

How Music Theory Sequencing Can Improve Classroom Management And Attention Issues In Beginner Students' Piano Lessons, Greta Dilyte

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This research has been inspired by an observation of the different music-theoretical concepts and their sequencing in different piano methods. After working in three different countries as a piano teacher I wanted to explore differences and similarities as well as improve my lesson engagement level by beginning students, which is admittedly the most complicated level to teach mainly due to the focus maintenance issues. This is the evidence of my preliminary research which can be used and explored by any piano teacher who is interested in incorporating music theory concepts in their classroom, to help with attention issues, more all-rounded …

Focal Dystonia: Roads To Rehabilitation Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

A look into the different pathways of rehabilitation of musicians of developed focal dystonia in terms of different types of treatment and ways to cope with the condition.

The Evaluative Rubric Of 19th Century Parisian Operagoers: Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

My research seeks to identify the rubric used by 19th century Parisians to evaluate the quality of a given “Grand Opéra.” The works listed below shed light on that rubric. They particularly emphasize the importance of formal adherence, cultural relevance, totality, and sexual gratification to the Parisian operagoer.

The Evolving Philosophical Stance Of Richard Wagner And The Effects On His Female Characters From Senta To Kundry, Aoife Shanley

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This bibliography analyzes the multiple effects of the philosophers Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche on the works of Richard Wagner. By analyzing the contradictions of these philosophers and the different manifestations of their ideas in the different works of Wagner, it is easy to see which philosopher held the greatest hold on Wagner at a certain time. Wagner marries the philosophies of Hegel and Schopenhauer despite the fact they considered themselves to be on polar opposites of the philosophical spectrum. However, asceticism and a quest for purity ultimately seem to be the driving forces behind Wagner’s operas and depictions of women …

Works Cited, Lucy Prichard

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Parts Of The Voice - Why Learning Vocal Structure Early Makes A Difference: Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This annotated bibliography describes the sources used to support the statement that vocal anatomy should be implemented into early music education.

Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This is an annotated bibliography in regards to Baroque Ornamentation in The Bach Partita No. 2 in D Minor.

The “Jazz Chopin”: How Bill Evans’ Music Was Influenced By French Impressionists: Annotated Bibliography, Lucas Larreau

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This is an annotated bibliography of sources which identify, support, and analyze the connection between French Impressionist music and Bill Evans' musical style.

Tunesmith Terror Techniques: Identifying Patterns In The Music Of Horror Video Games: Annotated Bibliography, Sean Kelliher

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

Ludomusicology, the study of music in video games, is a relatively new field in musicology that faces unique obstacles, like the lack of a standardized analytical method. This paper will use the ALI model proposed by Isabella van Elferen along with techniques suggested by Tim Summers to analyze various video games in the horror genre. Along with using analysis of other games as sources, this paper will compare the compositional techniques used to identify patterns that do or do not show up.

Maria Schneider’S Voicing Techniques: Annotated Bibliography, Aaron Fradin

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

Since her emergence on the jazz scene, Maria Schneider has made a name for herself all around the world with her unique compositional voice. Despite her ever-increasing prominence and influence as a jazz composer, there is a startling lack of scholarly work on how she writes for her ensemble. It is my aim to begin to fill that gap by examining how she voices chords at critical moments in her pieces and juxtaposing the techniques in her earliest works, latest works, and traditional writing techniques.

The Progression Of The Musical Theatre Belt In Upper Voices: Annotated Bibliography, Kathryn Cymerman

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

A pedagogical look into the progression of the musical theatre belt in upper voices, with emphasis on the introduction of the mix.