The evolution of the role of the trombone as a solo instrument in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries can be traced most effectively through four schools of playing, with the music of today's avant-garde being a logical historical culmination of these four schools. It will be demons t rated that the avant-garde's use of the solo trombone has merely continued the evolutionary process started in the early nineteenth century. The contribution of the early nineteenth-century virtuosi was the establishment of the idea that the trombone could compete on its own terms with other instruments as a solo instrument. In addition to expanding the technical capabilities, they also left a basic solo repertoire. With the death of the virtuosi the trombone as a solo instrument went into a decline. For the remainder of the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth century the Paris Conservatoire was influential. Standards of solo performance were brought to new heights by excellent study material and contest solos. The next important step came from the late nineteenth-century American band virtuosi. Their influence helped the public to accept the idea of the trombone as a solo instrument. The American jazz trombonists of the 1930's and 1940's also …

After considering Petrouchka's historical and compositional background and the orchestral revision of 1947, this thesis analyzes the composition, dealing specifically with formal, harmonic, and melodic aspects. The study's most important discovery is of a common formal design for all the scenes and the piece as a whole, where the outer thirds of ternary structures are equal in length. The thesis also examines Stravinsky's transcriptional procedures, cataloging and contrasting them with those of the nineteenth century. The solo transcription of Petrouchka is fully discussed in the light of Stravinsky's singular treatment of and writing for the piano. In addition to the recorded performance of Trois Mouvements de Petrouchka, this dissertation includes three tape recordings of selected piano works of J. P. Rameau, L. V. Beethoven, F. Chopin, F. Liszt, C. Franck, A. Scriabin, and G. Crumb.

This paper analyzes Ralph Vaughan Williams' Songs of Travel and asserts that the songs are a song cycle rather than just a collection of songs set to to the poetry of Robert Louis Stevenson. Richard Porter Cole performs a musical and poetic analysis of the songs and makes suggestions to aid performers of the piece.

This paper analyzes Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantata No. 52, Falsche Welt, dir trau' ich nicht. Janette Cook Williams presents findings on the evolution of the sacred solo cantata and examines the style of Bach's work.

The minor choral works are those exclusive of the well-known choral works. Symphonic movements for chorus are also excluded. Conflicting and incomplete information from the composer himself and from secondary sources were principal research problems. The published letters, the memoirs, and a small number of secondary sources, containing little more than passing references, form the body of the research material beyond the scores themselves. The arrangement is by opus number, with unpublished works inserted chronologically by date of composition. A description of the circumstances surrounding each work' s composition precedes a study of the music within each chapter. The last chapter delineates stylistic characteristics of the minor choral works.

The purpose has been to prove that there are connections between the visual arts (including architecture) and music. In the development of the argument it is shown that common themes exist in the arts, such as style, form, balance, line, color, and texture. Examples of piano music are offered from the last 100 years that show, to a greater or lesser extent, the influence of art. In some cases this is simply a matter of titles, whereas in other instances, such as Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, the influence goes deeper. In the final chapter the proposition is presented that the composer himself sometimes acts as a painter, portraying concrete images directly in music. Examples are offered of piano pieces depicting people, animals, places, objects or activities.

German Chorales is a great resource of church music in use today. This study investigate the Seventeen German Protestant Chorales. The researcher hoped that the important work of reviving the invaluable source of inspiration and sacred song will continue and grow.

It would seem that the thematic structure of the sonata is at least as important as the tonal scheme, if not more so. With this possibility in mind and with the recognition that composers continue to employ "sonata" as a title, a study of the contemporary sonata seems both useful and valid.

This paper analyzes the piano compositions of Sergei Prokofieff and identifies four elements evident in the literature: classicism, innovation, toccata, and lyricism. Elisabeth Euwer Roberts traces the history of his works and the evidence of these elements in them.

This paper analyzes the music of the Liederkreis, Op. 39 to provide insight into the nature and style of the piece. Robert Farias Austin, Jr. explores the history of the German Lied and the life of the composer, Robert Alexander Schumann.

This paper explores the musical significance, history, and development of Vincenzo Bellini's four chamber arias. Nancy W. Barfield discusses the life of composer Vincenzo Bellini, his musical style, and the style of the arias themselves.

This paper discusses the development of jazz that occurred in the Storyville district of New Orleans. Bernard Norman Rose explores the history of the area and the influences that resulted in a synthesis of music.

This paper describes the creation and impact of Franz Liszt's "Dante" Sonata. Bill Blaine gives historical context and elaborates on the literary and philosophical influences evident in the piece before providing an examination of the music.