Music that is categorized as part of the Indianist movement in American music (ca. 1890-1925) typically evokes Native American culture, ritual, story, or song through compositional gestures. It may also incorporate Native American tunes. Amy Beach (1867-1944) is considered to have composed five Indianist works, but her Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, op. 80 has not been included as one of them. This thesis rethinks categorization of the piece, seeking the "Indian" in it through examination of its gestures, instrumentation, and relationship to contemporary Indianist compositions.

Despite being recognized as one of the most important compositions in the twentieth¬ century wind band repertoire, the William Byrd Suite presents many obstacles for the conductor and ensemble members. Since its initial publication in 1924, the piece has contained many discrepancies of pitch, articulation, rhythm, dynamics, and phrase completion that appear in the score as well as the parts. Although the work was reissued by Boosey & Hawkes in 1960 and 1991, many of the original errors remained intact. The sheer amount of inconsistencies causes great difficulties for the musicians involved in the rehearsal process, slowing efficiency and resulting in a frustrating impediment to a quality performance. The primary purpose of this study was the creation of a critical edition of Jacob's William Byrd Suite that eliminates errors of extant editions, incorporates modern instrumentation, and considers the source material. To accomplish this, the present project looks at all sources, including the autograph manuscript, orchestral version, published editions, and errata. The editorial process examines the governing philosophy, subsequent editorial decisions and indications, and the final organization of the parts. The study concludes with the inclusion of the full score of the new critical edition.

The Concierto Romántico for Piano and Orchestra is one of Manuel M. Ponce's outstanding compositional accomplishments from his Romantic period, reflecting both the state of Mexican music at the turn of the 20th century, and his early nationalist tendencies. However, it remains the only concerto in Ponce's output in need of a more comprehensive analysis. This treatise focuses on a global investigative that examines descriptive and analytic references to the work, as well as a comparison and clarification of the existing score sources. An analytical and stylistic musical study using conventional theoretical techniques leads to a musicological interpretation of the work's extra-musical meaning, based on close assessments of Ponce's compositional practice and social principles.

Sergei Mikhailovich Liapunov (1859-1924) was a distinguished Russian composer, pianist and teacher of the late 19th and early 20th century whose works are relatively unknown. His piano pieces were highly regarded and performed by pianists such as Konstantin Igumnov, Josef Hofmann, Josef Lhévinne, Ferruccio Busoni, and Vladimir Horowitz. However, they are rarely included in modern pianists' repertoire both in Russia and abroad, and are often viewed merely for their historic significance. Works of Liapunov are characterized by a life-affirming character and monumental beauty largely inspired by the images of nature as well as the sounds of his native Russian folk songs and dances. His music rarely conveys the urgency or profound melancholy which is often seen in the music composed during the same period by Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. Liapunov continued and enriched the great traditions of Russian music started by Glinka and The Mighty Five. He did not discover bold new ways of composing, and at the same time did not succumb to the temptation of following contemporary musical trends. The Twelve Transcendental Etudes, op. 11, dedicated to the memory of Franz Liszt, are masterpieces of immense value both from a technical and artistic standpoint. Just like Liszt's études, they …