Sofia Gubaidulina is one of the leading composers in the contemporary music world. Her compositional interests have been stimulated by the exploration of and improvisation with rare folk and ritual instruments, and by a deep-rooted belief in the mystical properties of music. Gubaidulina is the author of orchestral and choral works, compositions for solo instruments, chamber music, as well as electronics music. Gubaidulina's Piano Sonata sums up the composer's thinking within her piano music, and at the same time projects the development of her spiritual vision within other genres that are to come. The analytical approach in this paper is based on the correlation between each of the elements of the musical material (form, rhythm, sound, etc.) and its contextual meaning in terms of musical dramaturgy. Set-theory is applied to the analysis of motivic components of the work. The traditional form is just the basis for the original intonational structure within a modern musical idiom. Varieties of rhythmic patterns, as well as an unconventional sound production, make this work breath with an impetuous power. The examination of the Sonata's musical language and content should give some insight not only into Guabaidulina's piano music, but also into a consequent development of …

An examination of the musical style, compositional techniques and performance practice issues of American composer Thom Ritter George with special attention paid to his Quintet No. 4 written in 1986. The document also includes a short history of brass instruments in chamber music, history of the brass quintet in America, discussion of the role of the trumpet in the quintet, overview of the composers contributions to music and brass quintet in America, discussion of the role of the trumpet in the quintet, overview of the composers contributions to music and brass quintet, and background information on the composer.

This document consists of the following elements: (1) an examination of Healey Willan's background in the English Cathedral tradition; (2) a study of the formation of his compositional style based on his knowledge of English composers and treatises of the day; (3) a look at the German influences on his compositional style; and (4) an analysis showing how he merged these styles into a unified whole to create a monumental work for the organ. Included are musical examples of English and German keyboard works compared with examples from Willan's introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue in order to illustrate the use of similar compositional devices and stylistic traits. Also included is a discussion of the evidence of Willan's individuality as a composer in spite of numerous derivative sources.

An interpretive analysis of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Concerto for Bass Tuba which compares tempi, interpretation of the melodic line, ornamentation, dynamics, pitches, rhythms. phrasing and articulations as utilized by four prominent tuba performers. Performers selected to share their interpretations include Arnold Jacobs, Donald Little, Richard Nahatzki and Harvey Phillips. Little, Nahatzki and Phillips provided a copy of their solo parts with their personal markings. Jacobs gave permission to transcribe his interpretation from the recording he made with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Performers' biological information is included along with musical reviews of Concerto for Bass Tuba.