The dissertation consists of four recitals: one chamber music recital, two solo recitals, and one lecture recital. The repertoire of these programs was chosen with the intention of demonstrating the capability of the performer to deal with problems arising in works of varying types and of different historical periods. The lecture recital, Aaron Copland's Concerto for Clarinet, begins with biographical information, followed by a discussion of various other works of the composer and of important stylistic traits that are contained therein. After thus setting the Concerto in perspective to other major works, an investigation is made into various aspects of form and style which make the Concerto atypical in some respects to the composer t total body of works. Particular emphasis is given to rhythmic and melodic characteristics of the piece which are related to jazz and Latin-American popular music. The formal and stylistic analysis is followed by a discussion of problems involved in performing the Concerto with a piano reduction of the orchestral part, and the lecture concludes with a survey of interpretative problems posed by the work. At the conclusion of the lecture portion of the presentation, the Concerto was performed.

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.

The purpose of this thesis is to contrast Wagner's usages of the ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth intervals and chords, as found in Die Walküre, Act I and Götterdämmerung, Act I.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of comparing the medieval musical traditions of two of the world's most influential religions. The similarities are discussed in two major categories: the comparison of liturgical texts and ritual, and the comparison of the music appearing in each ritual. This study has one main purpose. That purpose is to demonstrate how, through musical traditions, each religion has developed through the influence of the other. Samples of the liturgies from the musical portions of the services were obtained from prayer books and references dealing with those religions. Investigations of English translations from the Latin and Hebrew revealed a close identity between the two, not only in scriptural uses, but also in prayers and responses. Musical examples demonstrating similar elements in Hebrew and Christian worship were found in the extensive research of A. Z. Idelsohn and Eric Werner. Due to the dispersal of world Jewry, the best examples of Hebrew medieval music were obtained from the most isolated Jewish communities, such as those of Yemen, Musical similarities included modes, melodic formulas, and hymns and songs. This report concludes that the musical portions of the services of Christianity and Judaism in the Middle …

The lecture-recital, The Development of Woodwind Fingering Systems, traces the evolution of devices for controlling the pitch produced by woodwind instruments from prehistoric times to the present. The addition of keys, and the evolution of collections of individual keys into coordinated systems is particularly stressed, as are the various physical, physiological, and cultural forces which determined the directions of development of these systems. The similarities between the fingerings of various woodwind instruments are explained, a system of numbers is introduced in order to clarify these similarities, and a projection of some possibilities for future development of woodwind fingering systems is offered.

This dissertation consists of four programs: one lecture recital, two recitals for solo trumpet, and one in combination with other instruments and voices. The lecture was an exploration of the contents of Modo per Imparare a Sonare di Tromba, by Girolamo Fantini, published in 16358. Fantini, who was also a trumpet player, included in his volume a wide variety of music for the natural trumpet. In addition to military signals and fanfares, the book contains exercises for developing technical ability on the trumpet, a large number of dance pieces with and without accompaniment, duets for two trumpets, and sonatas for trumpet and keyboard.

Many musicians have theorized that intonation would be improved if all players in a band or orchestral section used instruments of identical dimensions and material. This study consists of a test taken under experimental conditions comparing the Conn 38A cornets used in the North Texas State University Concert Band with a random selection of trumpets, using the same performers for both sets of instruments.

The purpose of this study is to show interrelationships between the thematic contents of those piano works by Alkan that are considered to be representative of his general style and the more commonly used melodic phrases taken from the Jewish Synagogue, mainly prayer chants and accents. An attempt will be made to point out the reason behind consequent unacceptable of Alkan's piano works, despite the efforts of Busoni, d'Albert, and Lewenthal to bring them to public attention. The results of this investigation are presented in a systematic analysis and discussion of Jewish prayer-chants and their structure traceable within Alkan's music and in a presentation in table form of the Jewish accents found among Alkan's melodies. After consideration of the outcome of analysis, elements which are known to be European are also presented. These are mainly keyboard virtuousity and harmony and secondarily, form and rhythm. In this section, Robert Schumann's opinions of Alkan's music are quoted and discussed. Because Schumann's ideas carried into the twentieth century, this gave opportunity for a re-evaluation of the lack of musical beauty inherent in Alkan's music.

The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the reader with the state of the recorder as a musical instrument in this century. Information has been gathered from standard texts and journal articles to gain more recent ideas. The work is divided into three sections: (1) a brief history of the instrument; (2) a biographical sketch of Arnold Dolmetsch, the man who was most responsible for the revival of the recorder in this century; and (3) a detailed examination of the use of the recorder today. This last section includes the recorder in education, music written for it, recorder performance and organizations, and construction of the recorder. An appendix lists recorders that are available to players in this country. It is this writer's conclusion that the recorder today has regained its status as a performing medium.

This study is concerned with the examination of choral symphonies by major nineteenth-century composers. Its purpose is to delineate the common characteristics which these works have. Emphasis is given to the investigation of the choral elements in the symphonies. Detailed musicological studies of nineteenth-century music are minimal; there has. been a particular lack of interest in nineteenth-century works for chorus. Therefore, the principal sources of data for this study were the full scores of the following nine symphonies: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Berlioz' Romeo and Juliet and the Funeral and Triumphal Symphony, Mendelssohn's Lobgesang, Liszt's Faust Symphony and Dante Syrmphony, and Mahler's Symphonies Nos. 2., 3, and 8. Other important sources included major biographies of the composers of the symphonies listed. chapter is devoted to each of these composers, subdivided as follows: a general survey of the composer's other works for chorus and/or orchestra; the historical facts connected with the composition and first performance of the individual symphonies; analysis; and conclusions.

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.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of three common grips used in four-mallet playing. The three grips were referred to as (a) the Musser grip, (b) the cross stick grip No. 1, and (c) the cross stick grip No. 2. A thorough description (including illustrations) was given for each grip. The evaluation of efficiency was made through research testing, which was conducted by the author. Forty individuals participated in the research testing. Four tests were conducted, and each test had ten participants. The individuals who participated in Tests I, II and III had no previous four-mallet experience. The individuals who participated in Test IV had previous four-mallet experience. The evaluation of the efficiency covered by the four tests was limited to (a) horizontal movement of the outside mallet(s), (b) horizontal movement of the inside mallet(s), and (c) horizontal movement of the hand (s). According to Tests I, II and III, the majority of beginning four-mallet players will find the cross stick grip No. 2 the easiest and most efficient (as far as the three movements which were tested are concerned) of the three grips. However, some individuals (a much smaller percentage) will prefer either the Musser …

The lecture recital, "Thema med Variationer, Opus 40, By Carl Nielsen" presented a discussion of the composer's general background and the characteristics of his style. Specific points made were related to the Thema med Variationer; the discussion was followed by a performance of the work in its entirety. In addition to the lecture recital, three other recital programs were organized and public concerts presented to provide the platform for the works studied. Two of these programs were of solo piano music and one was of chamber music with the clarinet and viola in partnership with the piano. All programs were recorded on magnetic recording tape. The spoken portion of the lecture recital in written form is filed with the recordings as a part of this dissertation.