Keyboard Tablatures of the Mid-Seventeenth Century in the Royal Library, Copenhagen: Edition and Commentary (open access)

Keyboard Tablatures of the Mid-Seventeenth Century in the Royal Library, Copenhagen: Edition and Commentary

In the history of seventeenth-century European music the court of Christian IV (r. 1588-1648) occupies a position of prominence. Christian, eager for fame as a patron of the arts, drew to Denmark many of the musical giants of the age, among them the lutenist John Dowland and the composer Heinrich Schltz. Sadly, except for financial records and occasional letters still in the archives, few traces remain of these brilliant years in Denmark. The music composed and played during this half century has largely disappeared, most of it probably in the tragic fire of 1794 that destroyed the old Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen and with it the court music archives. Except for the recently-discovered Clausholm Fragments, only three specimens of keyboard music from the period remain: Ny kgl. Saml. 1997 fol. (Obmaus Tablature), Gl. kgl. Saonl. 376 fol. (Copenhagen Tablature), and mu 6703.2131/6 (VoigtlaJnder Tablature). It has generally been assumed that the manuscripts were of German origin. The present study, however, demonstrates a probable Danish origin for the third, possible Danish connections for the second, and establishes that the first is of Austrian provenance. The Obmaus Tablature is an amateur's preservation of a German keyboard style already outdated. This slender manuscript, …
Date: December 1973
Creator: Dickinson, Alis
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Life and Music of Jacques-Christophe Naudot (open access)

The Life and Music of Jacques-Christophe Naudot

Favorable judgment of a work of art, or of a man, usually means that the work of art, or a record of the man, will be preserved for future generations to judge for themselves. An unfavorable judgment may result in a richly deserved obscurity or an irreplaceable loss, unless favorable circumstances combine to preserve the evidence for a more perspicacious generation. One can be forgiven if he distrusts history's judgment; mistakes which have been corrected are legion (the case of J. S. Bach comes most vividly to mind) and skepticism is warranted unless or until the facts are available for confirmation. It is difficult to explain the paucity of information about Jacques-Christophe Naudot, Not that he is another J. S. Bach; neither Fleury, who made the first serious effort to revive interest in his music in the early 1920's, nor Ruf, who has done much in this regard recently, nor this writer makes any such claim. He does not, however, deserve the obscurity that has been his lot. If his music is not always profound, it nevertheless has both intrinsic and historical value, and some of his works reveal considerable contrapuntal skill. It may be that Naudot stood in the …
Date: June 1970
Creator: Underwood, T. Jervis (Troy Jervis), 1932-
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Major Theories of Laryngeal Vibration (open access)

A Comparison of Major Theories of Laryngeal Vibration

The purpose of this study was to compare major theories of laryngeal vibration. The basic hypothesis of the study was that the differences and similarities between the major theories of laryngeal vibration could be made evident and clear through a comparative study. It was assumed that there are two or more theories of laryngeal vibration and that all the major theories of laryngeal vibration from 1945 to the present have been described in written form in English.
Date: December 1972
Creator: Smith, Sue Ellen
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparative Study of the Effects of Two Experimental Methods of Guidance on Vocal Solo Memorization (open access)

A Comparative Study of the Effects of Two Experimental Methods of Guidance on Vocal Solo Memorization

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of guided musical analysis and guided attention to textual understanding on the speed of solo memorization by selected university vocal students. The guided musical analysis consisted of instruction to a subject regarding the melodic elements, rhythmic elements, phraseology, form, and key relationships of the experimental songs. The guided attention to textual understanding consisted of instruction to a subject regarding the meaning and phraseology of the experimental song texts. Subjects were required to rhythmically scan the texts in a declamatory manner. It was concluded that the three conditions of memorization were equally effective. Memorization rates were not significantly altered by historical period of song. Differences in memorization rates appeared to parallel the subjects' academic performances and their performances on the Drake Musical Aptitude Tests. Findings of this study indicated that future memorization experiments should be conducted with larger samples of subjects of a single sex who are music majors.
Date: May 1975
Creator: Reynolds, Martha Helen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Béla Bartók, Out of Doors: A Lecture Recital, Together with Three Recitals of Selected Works of L.V. Beethoven, F. Chopin, J. Brahms, R. Schumann, G. Rochberg, S. Prokofieff, M. Ravel and Others (open access)

Béla Bartók, Out of Doors: A Lecture Recital, Together with Three Recitals of Selected Works of L.V. Beethoven, F. Chopin, J. Brahms, R. Schumann, G. Rochberg, S. Prokofieff, M. Ravel and Others

The lecture recital was given January 31, 1971. A discussion of Bartok's Out of Doors, a suite consisting of five movements entitled "With Drums and Pipes," "Barcarolla," "Musettes," "The Night's Music," and "The Chase" included biographical material, general analysis of Bartok's musical style, and specific analysis of the suite itself. The suite was then performed by memory. In addition to the lecture recital three other public recitals were performed. Two of these consisted entirely of solo literature for the piano, and the other was a vocal chamber music recital. The first solo recital was on June 7, 1970, and included works of Alfredo Casella, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, and Bartok. Part of the preparation included the writing of program notes of a historical and analytical nature.The other solo program, on July 5, 1971, consisted entirely of twentieth-century works by George Rochberg, Sergei Prokofieff, and Maurice Ravel. The chamber music recital was performed with a visiting soprano, Jane Paul, on February 28, 1971. Emphasis was given to German Lieder by Schumann, Joseph Marx, and Alban Berg, but Spanish songs of the Renaissance, by Juan del Encina and Fuenllana, as well as a modern English song cycle by Peter Warlock were also programmed.
Date: August 1971
Creator: Kincaid, Desmond, 1931-
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Oboe in Early American Music, 1600-1861 (open access)

The Oboe in Early American Music, 1600-1861

There are no records to substantiate that one of the passengers on the Mayflower brought an oboe with him in 1620, but diaries, journals, and newspaper articles document its presence and utilization in the United States a few years after that date. A reference to musical instruments occurs in the inventories of the goods of two neighboring New Hampshire "plantations" taken approximately ten years after they were originally settled. At "Newitchwanicke, ld of Julie, 1633. . . in the Great House, 15 recorders and hoeboys" were listed, while "at Pascattaquack 2d Julie, 1633," one day later, there were no less than "hoeboys and recorders 26" and "1 drume"!1 By 1635 New Hampshire had 56 oboes and recorders alone. 2
Date: June 1970
Creator: Rager, Brenda Marie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Late Seventeenth-Century Italian Trumpet Concertos of the Bologna School: a Lecture Recital; Together with Three Other Recitals (open access)

Late Seventeenth-Century Italian Trumpet Concertos of the Bologna School: a Lecture Recital; Together with Three Other Recitals

The lecture was given on March 3, 1974. The discussion of the Bolognese trumpet works consisted of an exploration of the local agencies that nurtured the compositional activity centered around San Petronio, biographical details of the principal composers, and stylistic and formal analyses of the works that were performed. Selections were performed from the early, middle, and late segments of the period, represented by the composers Maurizio Cazzati, Petronio Franceschini, and Giuseppe Torelli. In addition to the lecture recital three other public recitals were given. Two of these consisted primarily of solo literature for the trumpet, and the third featured chamber music with trumpet. The first solo recital was presented on July 31, 1972, and included works of Tommaso Albinoni, G. Ph. Telemann, Thérèse Brenet, and Wayne Bohrnstedt. The second solo recital, on July 22, 1974, featured French music of this century. Compositions by Ravel, Fauré,Varèse, Henri Tomasi, Pierre-Max Dubois, Benno Ammann, and Théo Charlier were presented. The chamber music recital displayed the trumpet in combination with other solo instruments and voice, together with varied accompaniments. A group of three arias for soprano and trumpet--by Purcell, Handel, and Bach--and a suite of arias for oboe and trumpet by Telemann were …
Date: August 1974
Creator: Jackson, David L., 1944-
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Stylistic Development of the Tiento on the Iberian Peninsula from Cabezón to Cabanilles, A Lecture Recital, Together with Three Recitals of Selected Works of C. Franck, J. Alain, J. S. Bach, M. Reger, F. Liszt, W. A. Mozart and Others (open access)

The Stylistic Development of the Tiento on the Iberian Peninsula from Cabezón to Cabanilles, A Lecture Recital, Together with Three Recitals of Selected Works of C. Franck, J. Alain, J. S. Bach, M. Reger, F. Liszt, W. A. Mozart and Others

The lecture recital was given July 22, 1974. A discussion of the tientos of Cabezon, Aguilera de Heredia, Coelho, Correa de Arauxo, and Cabanilles included an analysis of eight specific works, a comparison of styles, and information about performance practices. The eight works were then performed. In addition to the lecture recital three other public recitals were performed, consisting entirely of solo literature for the organ. The first solo recital, on July 2, 1971, included works of Titelouze, deGrigny, Franck, and Alain. The second solo recital, on June 18, 1973, consisted of works by Bach, Klebe, Bruhns, Reger, Heiller, and Liszt. The final solo program, on June 7, 1974, included works by Boyvin, Buxtehude, Mozart, Alain, and Reger. All four programs, recorded on magnetic tape, are filed, along with the written version of the lecture material, in the North Texas State University library.
Date: December 1974
Creator: Stevlingson, Norma
System: The UNT Digital Library
San Juan Ixcoi Mass: A Study of Liturgical Music in Northwestern Guatemala (open access)

San Juan Ixcoi Mass: A Study of Liturgical Music in Northwestern Guatemala

The San Juan Ixcoi Mass is part of the San Miguel Acatan Repertory which was found in the northwestern highlands of Guatemala before being purchased by the Lilly Library at Indiana University. Even though the authorship and date of the mass cannot be established, the mass is similar to works from the Josquin generation. Not discounting the few transcription difficulties as well as isolated compositional weaknesses, the San Juan Ixcoi Mass demonstrates the reasonably high quality of music that was performed and even possibly composed in northwestern Guatemala three centuries ago. A modern performance edition of the mass complete with critical notes and commentary on the transcription is included within the thesis.
Date: August 1979
Creator: Garven, Richard O.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Guide for the Performance of Trumpet Mariachi Music in Schools (open access)

A Guide for the Performance of Trumpet Mariachi Music in Schools

The purpose of this study is to provide a guide for the instruction of a trumpet mariachi performance ensemble in a music curriculum. The fulfillment of this purpose is dependent upon the data supplied in answer to the sub problems: (1) What socio-cultural information provides authentic trumpet mariachi music; (2) What trumpet mariachi literature illustrates the repertoire and style; (3) What instructional source materials may be developed such that Mexican American and non-Mexican American instructors build a competency in repertoire and style; (4) How could this guide be evaluated in its functional design for a music curriculum? The data collected for use in this study has been presented in three major categories: (1) the history and milieu in which the trumpet, mariachi crystalized; (2) the repertoire--its history and function in Mexican society and the transcriptions of types demonstrating the musical structure; and (3) the technical information relative to the instruction of the particular mariachi instruments. An evaluative instrument has been supplied in an attempt to establish the validity of the information and examples provided in this practicum. The validity of the research seems to rest on its authenticity and its serviceability. The findings of this study are stated as assertions …
Date: August 1979
Creator: Bennett, James G., fl. 1979-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Zweyer Gleich-Gesinnten Freunde Tugend- und Schertz-Lieder by Johann Jacob Löwe and Julius Johann Weiland (open access)

Zweyer Gleich-Gesinnten Freunde Tugend- und Schertz-Lieder by Johann Jacob Löwe and Julius Johann Weiland

The purpose of this thesis was to make available for performance and study an edition of the twenty-two secular songs published in this collection by Johann Jacob Löwe and Julius Johann Weiland in 1657. The thesis contains twenty-two secular songs for one, two, or three voices with continuo accompaniment and ritornellos for one or two violins, and/or viola, as well as translations of Lowe's preface and dedication and a poem to Lower and Weiland by Heinrich Schaffer. The work contains three chapters, the first covering Lowe's life and work and association with Weiland, the second the state of German secular song in 16050, and the third a critical commentary on the editing of the songs. Editorial corrections are included.
Date: May 1978
Creator: Clayton, Nancy Jean
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Lute Books of Giulio Cesare Barbetta: A Polyphonic Transcription of the Composer's Complete Works and an Analysis of the Fourteen Fantasias Volume I (open access)

The Lute Books of Giulio Cesare Barbetta: A Polyphonic Transcription of the Composer's Complete Works and an Analysis of the Fourteen Fantasias Volume I

The great number of musical sources preserved in manuscript and printed form clearly reflects the prominent position held by the lute as a musical instrument during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Only a relatively small portion of this vast literature is presently available to scholars and interested laymen in the form of modern transcriptions. Referred to as "l'instrument noble par excellence," the lute's popular and fashionable appeal is evidenced by the large number of composers who dedicated themselves to this instrument. Among the number of outstanding lute composers living in Italy during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries was Giulio Cesare Barbetta (c. 1540-after 1603). During his lifetime Barbetta published a total of four books of lute pieces containing arrangements of polyphonic compositions of various Renaissance composers as well as a large number of original compositions including .preludes, airs, fantasias, and dance pieces. Although Barbetta achieved importance as a leading figure in the Italian school of lute composition, there is little readily available material, either biographical or musical; this study provides the scholar, the performer, and the listener with biographical data and a modern edition of the composer's complete works.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Thomas, Benjamin W., 1937-
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Acoustical Study of Individual Voices in Choral Blend (open access)

An Acoustical Study of Individual Voices in Choral Blend

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of choral blend through acoustical analysis of individual vocal sounds. One aspect of the study involved identifying and comparing the acoustical qualities of sounds produced in the usual solo manner and sounds produced by the same singers attempting to blend with a unison ensemble. Another aspect of the study involved identifying and comparing the acoustical qualities of vocal sounds identified as blending well and poorly with a unison ensemble. Singers attempting to blend adjust their overall intensity not only to affect the perceived loudness of their tones, but also to facilitate other acoustical changes which are helpful for achieving blend. Vocal blend apparently may be achieved more readily on vowels having few upper partials than on vowels having numerous upper partials. Where vibrato is employed, certain vocal sounds can achieve a good blend even though their fundamental frequencies only approximate the theoretically correct frequency. There apparently is an interaction between the vibrato of a vocal tone and its spectral features, making it advantageous for the singer to adopt mutually beneficial approaches to both factors in order to blend. Vowel modification effective for achieving vocal blend- -at least for sopranos-- appears …
Date: December 1977
Creator: Goodwin, Allen W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The French Cantata: A Survey and Thematic Catalog (open access)

The French Cantata: A Survey and Thematic Catalog

The musical compositions known collectively as the French cantata have remained relatively unknown since their popularity waned in the middle of the 18th century. In order to establish a foundation for their systematic study and to bring them to the attention of a wider audience, this survey and catalog have been prepared. The cultural mileu in which the cantatas were written, their formal structure, and principles related to their performance have been presented along with pertinent biographical and bibliographical information.
Date: 1970
Creator: Vollen, Gene E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Harmonic Interval of the Seventh in the Works of Representative Composers of Italian Madrigals, 1542-1614 (open access)

The Harmonic Interval of the Seventh in the Works of Representative Composers of Italian Madrigals, 1542-1614

This study is an attempt to shed some light on the treatment of one dissonance—the seventh—in the works of the following composers: Cipriano de Rore (1516-1565); Philippe de Monte (1521-1603); Giaches de Wert (1535-1596); Luca Marenzio (1553-1599); Carlo Gesualdo (ca. 1560-1613); and Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). The purpose of this thesis is to discover (1) the frequency of occurrence of primary (relatively accented) sevenths and their inversions (^ chords, etc.) in a selection of each composer's madrigals; and (2) the methods of handling sevenths employed by each composer, with particular emphasis on the relationship between these methods and sixteenth century theory.
Date: December 1976
Creator: Dowden, Ralph D.
System: The UNT Digital Library