Four contrasting recitals were presented to fulfill the requirements for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts. The first recital contained music of miscellaneous composers. Two Preludes and Fugues by the North German Baroque composers Vincent Libeck and Dietrich Buxtehude were separated by Samuel Scheidt's Variations on the Netherlands folk song "Ach du feiner Reiter". The Brahms Chorale Prelude "0 wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen" and the Louis Vierne "Intermezzo" from the Third Symphony represented Romantic-style composition. The major work of the program was the Carl Nielsen Commotio, a large work in orchestral style. The second recital consisted completely of music by J. S. Bach. Four works of contrasting styles were presented: Concerto, Opus 3, No. 8, composed by Antonio Vivaldi and transcribed by Bach, Partita on Sie gegrisset, Jesu gtig, Sonata IV, and Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor. The third recital was the lecture recital: Registration of Orchestral Textures in Organ Music. This lecture was an attempt to deal with the contemporary problem in performance practice of registration of Romantic organ music. The trends in organ building in the twentieth century have ranged from a deeper exploration of the possibilities of the Romantic organ to the reevaluation …

This sonata by Alban Berg is a product of Arnold Schoenberg's teachings and is, indeed, a musical reflection of the Schoenberg of 1907-1908. At this time the musical thought of Schoenberg himself was in a state of metamorphosis, developing from the chromaticism of the late Romantic composers toward the twelve-tone technique which he was to formulate a few years later. The sonata, as a whole and above all, reflects the growth of an important composer, one who is perhaps the most important link between the traditional Classical and Romantic schools and the modern schools. His growth was based on a thorough knowledge of traditional styles and techniques, vestiges of which are seen in the formal design, chromaticism, and evasive harmony of the work. His advance is seen in his peculiar use of polyphony and motivic variation. Compared with many other works for piano, Berg's sonata is perhaps not among the most celebrated. But as indication of the attitude of a great composer who wished to build upon rather than break with his heritage, it is a most significant work.

In order to trace the origin of the chaconne and passacaglia, the much larger classification of basso ostinato, of which the chaconne and passacaglia are two later examples, must be considered. According to one authority, Lili Propper, the earliest beginnings of the basso ostinato can be traced back to the Middle Ages through the use of organ points exemplified in organum purum. A later and more developed use of the basso ostinato can be discovered in the recurring basses of the Montpellier Codex and the masses of the fifteenth century. A freer manifestation of the idea can be found in the reiterated bass motive of the familiar canon, Sumer is icumen in.

A comprehensive study of all nineteenth-century New Orleans composers is far beyond the scope of this paper. There are simply too many. An attempt has been made, however, to include as many possible in the text. Others, about whom there is insufficient information to include in a narrative, have been relegated to the appendix, where they are treated in the style of a biographical dictionary. The two most important and influential composers of the century, Gregorion Curto and Theodore von La Hache, are covered individually in chapters two and three, respectively. Their music represents all three of the important aspects of composition of the era: opera, salon, and sacred music. Louis Moreau Gottschalk, probably the most famous composer and performer of the period, has been omitted from this study (other than incidental references) because he has already received considerable attention from numerous other researchers. Likewise, another composer of note, Ernest Guiraud, has been omitted because, even though a native of New Orleans, he left America at an early age and never returned. He should more appropriately be considered in annals of French music. Research in this field, a vital part of the American musical heritage, is by no means complete. …

Traditions in orchestration can be described by relating the practices of most of the important composers of a particular time. This was done with great success by two composers of the nineteenth century, Hector Berlioz and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, in their books on orchestration. These texts are the basis for the traditional uses of brass instruments appearing in the chapter.

In music, the term verismo usually refers to a realistic or naturalistic movement in Italian operas of the late nineteenth century. From the dawn of Italian opera four features have been manifested--umanita (humanism), sincerity (sincerity), passione (passion), effetto (not only theatrical effect but the supreme dramatic moment). The elements of verismo are among the characteristics present in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi where they reached a zenith of development. It is upon these veristic aspects, as identified in the second chapter, that the operas Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci were based. Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, and La Traviata richly exhibit these elements of verismo which have been identified in the fourth chapter.

The purpose of this study is to describe contemporary plans for training the boy's changing voice and to prescribe ensemble material for these voices. Specific Problems: Analysis of the general problem leads to subordinate questions, or sub-problems, which may be stated as follows: 1. What are the contemporary plans of training the boy's changing voice? 2. What are the most usable musical materials available for use by ensembles which include boys with changing voices?

The English horn has a background of historical confusion because the instrument was built in many different shapes and was given a new name for each change of form.

The purpose of this study is to trace the invention and development of a greatly abused instrument, the saxophone, and its use in the symphony orchestra. The first chapter concerns the instrument's invention and acceptance. The second chapter discusses physical characteristics of the saxophone. The third chapter deals with the particular methods of using the saxophone in orchestral literature by various composers, from its use in the nineteenth century through the present. An appendix provides a comprehensive listing of orchestral literature in which the saxophone is utilized.

The object of this study was to compile a list of solo literature for beginning college voice students and analyze these solos for pedagogical and performance purposes. There is no lack of printed material on the subjects of singing and voice culture. But it is not readily accessible to teachers since it is extremely diversified and rather diffusely distributed throughout a variety of sources, such as books, periodicals, and scientific papers. Several lists and books containing songs for beginners have been compiled.

There is a need for a systematic collection of ideas concerning blend in choral sound. Many authorities discuss blend, but their concepts of the term are very divergent. These divergent concepts lead to emphasis of various factors which are important to the development or achievement of blend in choral sound. This emphasis in turn leads to various methods of achieving blend. Authorities ascribe several definitions to the term blend, as it relates to choral tone. These definitions should be studied collectively in order that a clearer concept of the term blend in choral sound may be developed. In studying blend in choral sound, several factors are generally deemed important. No study has been made which leads to a consensus concerning the relative importance of these factors. Scientific studies have been made of these factors, but the results have not been compiled and presented in one source. Authorities employ various methods in working with the factors which affect blend in choral sound. No study has been made which includes these methods. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the collecting and organizing of ideas regarding blend, including its various definitions and its important factors. It is also hoped that …

In this study, the Anton Webern's music is considered in two groups: that which was written before Webern adopted the twelve-tone technique, Opp 1-16, and that written in the twelve-tone technique, Opp. 17-31. This division is not intended to represent an attempt at periodization of Webern's music, for the changes of style in Op. 17 are not that significant. But the fact that Webern employed the twelve-tone technique in all the works he wrote after Op. 16 makes this a natural point of division for a study of this sort. Besides the music of Webern, two peripheral areas are included in this study. No attempt has been made at an exhaustive biography of Webern, but facts relative to his life, and impressions about the person are presented. Also, to create a proper perspective for the study of Webern's which existed during the time that Webern lived and composed, is presented.