The Commedia dell'arte was a form of Italian comedy prevalent from about 1560 to 1760. It was rooted in the comedy of ancient Greece and Rome, and it first appeared during the Middle Ages. An example of this is the comic opera The Love for Three Oranges, scored by Sergei Prokofiev.

It is the purpose of this thesis to present a study of music written for the clarinet during the period from 1600 to 1800. The first part is a history of the clarinet showing the stages of development of the instrument from its early predecessors to its present form. Part one also explains the acoustics of the clarinet and its actual invention. The second part deals with composers and their music for the clarinet. No attempt is made to include all music written for the instrument during the prescribed period; rather, the writer's intention is to include chiefly those works by composers whose musics has proven to be outstanding in clarinet literature or interesting historically. The order in which the works themselves are taken up is chronological, by composers, with comment on their styles as to form, harmonic content, melodic content, rhythmic content, problems in phrasing, or any other general technical problem. All of these elements are illustrated with examples taken from the music.

This study examines what makes a keyed brass instrument, early keyed brass instruments, and keyed brass instruments of today. Focuses on the Cornett, the Serpent, the Basshorn and Russian Bassoon, the Ophicleide, the Horn, the Keyed Trumpet, and the Keyed Bugle.

The significance of the application of valves to brass instruments will be better understood by a brief discussion of conditions immediately preceding this innovation.

This study seeks to examine the history of the ricercare, specifically in the baroque era. In this work, all types of keyboard compositions that utilize imitative counterpoint have been examined. Late baroque fugues have been examined to determine which characteristics of the earlier ricercare remained in general use and which specific compositions contain elements causing them to resemble strongly the parent form.

Sowerby's compositions based on hymn tunes cover the extent of his career - from 1913 to the time of this study. There are two purposes in selecting them for study: to describe the development of Sowerby's musical style; and to show, from a study of these compositions, the various devices, forms, and techniques which are effective in this area of composition in general.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the uses of the falsetto voice in training the male singer. Developing the upper voice is one of the most difficult problems facing the male singers. A most controversial approach to solving this problem is the use of the falsetto. The falsetto has been a subject of mystery among singers and vocal teachers for centuries. Some authorities have ignored it; some have denounced; others have greatly extolled this vocal enigma. Many myths and misconceptions surround the subject of falsetto. Even in the present age of scientific research and knowledge, there is little understanding of the falsetto--of its value and its use. The material dealing with falsetto is very brief and inconclusive in most pedagogy books. Therefore, there seemed to be a need for a systematic collection of pedagogical ideas concerning the male falsetto. This report will attempt to present all sides of the controversy.,

Whereas general conceptions of Menotti's style are available in various articles, none of the previous writings on this subject have attempted to give a detailed analysis of the techniques and devices used by Menotti in his operas. As has been stated, Menottils greatest asset as a composer of opera is his genius for employing a unique fusion of music and drama. The purpose of this study, then, is to isolate the various concepts and devices of composition used by Menotti and deduce how he has used them to create dramatic impact. The work chosen for this analysis is The Medium, which established Menotti as the foremost composer-librettist of modern opera.1 4 It is felt that this opera offers a cross section of the concepts and devices used in all of the operas composed thus far by Menotti.

The poems of Mignon have inspired song writers for almost two centuries. They have served as the texts for more composers than almost any other single set of poetry. The Romantic composers were especially fond of the words. The poems are full of sadness and yearning and composers found they could be set in different moods. Some settings are in major tonalities while other settings of the same poem can be found in minor. Simple harmonies are used in some settings while others contain more complex harmonies. There are those composers who would have Mignon appear as a lost soul throughout all the poems with each song quietly sung, while others use a variety of dynamics adding drama to the setting and picturing Mignon as full of optimism at the end.

Inasmuch as this investigator can determine, no major study has been done concerning music's relation to the "isms" selected for this discussion. The contemporary interest in the movements themselves has been so widespread that the documentation of them, in scattered accounts, is enormous. It is disappointing that these records provide little or no information about the musical aspects of the movements; the graphic and literary accounts, on the other hand, have been accorded generous treatments. Since futurism, cubism, and surrealism, in their origins, were oriented toward the visual and literary arts, it is not surprising that these two aspects would receive the greatest amount of attention. The meager attention to music and the distortion of its role in the movements, as has largely been the case, has created an artistic imbalance, This writer's efforts have been directed toward an exhaustive search for factors which have, in some way or other, linked music with these movements. Musical futurism has been the easiest to identify, although its underlying theories are not always clear, since the futurists, in explaining their theories, were not always convincing, perhaps even to themselves. This writer's main attempt has been to interpret ideas that were frequently vague and …

The purpose of this study was to determine and describe ways in which music education can be used in Protestant churches. During the last twenty years, participation in church music has grown very rapidly. The increase is a result of the growth of music in general. Music has become an important part of home, school, church, and community functions. This is evidenced by many facts: symphony orchestras, as well as community instrumental and choral groups have increased in number to the extent that there are more today than at any time in history; school music has taken tremendous strides since 19257 and church music programs have been developed to such a degree that they attract large numbers of people. In spite of the tremendous advance of music in general, and in the field of church music in particular, there is still much that needs to be done in church music. For example, when "Sacred Music" is mentioned to an average group of Americans, some will respond with blank and uninterested stares. Others will mention some of the well-worn sentimentalized, semi-religious songs such as "He," "The Man Upstairs," "You'll Never Walk Alone," or other examples of commercialized religion, Those people, and …

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.

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. …

Since the time of Johann Sebastian Bach many musical compositions have been written on the letters of his last name. In German musical notation, these letters are the equivalents of out B flat, A, C, and B natural. This study traces the use of this motive in works written for the organ throughout the past two centuries. The discussion in these chapters has been an attempt to illustrate the use of the motive B A C H in organ compositions from before the time of Bach up to the present. Time limitations required that this study limit itself to those works appearing in generally available editions.

Since the nineteenth century the Two Part Inventions have become standard repertoire for piano students. However, piano teachers have often failed to give serious consideration to the suitable selection of Inventions for study. Piano students have commonly formed a dislike for Bach's piano music because of an ungratifying initial experience. There is little material written in English dealing with the Two Part Inventions. Those studies of the Inventions which do exist consist mainly of brief articles in periodicals and limited discussions in piano literature books. Therefore, there seemed to be a need for a systematic collection of pedagogical ideas concerning the Two Part Inventions. In addition, it was felt that an analysis of the problems in each piece and a subsequent graded list of the Inventions would be a step toward a more intelligent and more knowledgeable approach in the teaching of these compositions.

Except for a group of three songs, the two piano concertos were the last things Ravel wrote. They have been said to be the culmination of Ravel's style; and, since they were written simultaneously, much attention has been drawn to a comparison of the two, particularly with emphasis on their divergent features. It is the purpose of this paper to show the interesting circumstances under which these concertos came to exist, to acknowledge the differences recognized by authors and critics, and to point out some important ways in which these concertos are similar to each other.

The purpose of this report is to present a plan of study for a course in vocal pedagogy.

In this thesis, Ned Rorem's Poems of Love and the Rain is analyzed, with conclusions being drawn in the sphere of musico-textual relationships within individual songs.

The five Preludes, Op. 15 were composed in the year 1897 while Scriabin was occupied in concert tours with his friend and publisher, Beliaef. This year brought no less than forty-seven short preludes written at various times and collected in five sets: Opp. 11, 13, 15, 16, and 17. These preludes, though clever and original in melody, show the great influence of Chopin on Scriabin.

There are two major purposes in selecting Couperin's programmatic clavecin pieces for study; to prove their importance in the evolution of programmatic music and to prove the value of their study by the modern pianist. Due to the enormous number of Couperin's programmatic pieces, a detailed analysis of each piece will not be attempted in this paper. Instead, a general survey will be made.

The purpose of this research is to program cycles or units of study which may be used with the Cyclo-Teacher Learning Aid, a commercial teaching machine produced by the Field Enterprises Educational Corporation of Chicago. The program will consist of the mechanics of music and will be designed for use with the seven- and eight-year-old child in primary choirs of the graded choir program of Southern Baptist churches.

The purpose of this study was to examine the justifications for and production problems of presenting elementary children in public performances.

The purpose of this study was to design a rehearsal method for presenting the historical and theoretical aspects of selected works for concert band. 1. 'What systematic approach can be designed for studying the historical aspects of a musical work? 2. What systematic approach can be designed for studying the theoretical aspects of a musical work? 3. What compositions can be used to demonstrate historical and theoretical elements? 4. What rehearsal method can be devised by applying the systematic approaches for studying historical and theoretical aspects to the selected works?

The harmonic practices of the late romantic period are often discussed in general terms, categorical phrases, and a score of subjectivisms characteristic of the era. It is the purpose of this thesis to clarify certain aspects of the harmonic vocabulary which developed in the late romantic period.