The purpose of this study is to analyze the compositional techniques in Choses en soi op.45, by Sergey Prokofiev, and to explore the new aesthetic concepts he claimed to include in this composition. Through the examination of the compositional elements and discussion of its salient characteristics.

Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988) was an English composer-pianist of Parsi descent. Although he composed many works for piano, these compositions remain largely unknown to the public due to the composer's self-imposed 40-year ban on public performances of all his works and the immense technical difficulty of his music. This research proposes a comparative study of Sorabji's two versions of Rapsodie espagnole de Maurice Ravel-Transcription de concert pour piano (1923, 1945). These transcriptions are based on Ravel's orchestral work and are different in terms of the style of their arrangements: the 1923 version is more of a literal transcription, whereas the 1945 version has been expanded upon the former. This dissertation compares the differences between the two versions, as well as identifying how Sorabji infused his own style into the 1945 transcription. This study relies on primary sources including writings and manuscripts of Sorabji, and secondary sources such as articles on interpreting Sorabji's piano works and biographies about Sorabji.

The purpose of this dissertation is to offer a pedagogical guide to Woodsprite and Waterbug Collection (1977) by Dan Beaty (1937-2002) through an analysis of its pedagogical values and teaching applications. This set consists of twelve short, intermediate-level pieces, featuring various contemporary idioms. Each piece is also pedagogically written to help intermediate students to refine specific pianistic techniques beyond the elementary level. In addition, Beaty's collection expands students' musical vision and musicianship for more advanced studies via the incorporation of contemporary music theory and techniques. These qualities make Woodsprite and Waterbug Collection a valuable tool for intermediate piano students. It is also useful for instructors searching for repertoire to introduce contemporary idioms. The author hopes that this study will encourage performers, teachers and scholars to consider this work and Beaty's other piano compositions. By studying Woodsprite and Waterbug Collection, students will be more appreciative of contemporary repertoire and will welcome learning similar pieces in the future.

Unsuk Chin (b.1961), a Korean-born woman composer, was a student of Gyorgy Sandor Ligeti (1923-2006). Chin's work reflects the influence of Ligeti but also undeniably has its own style. This study investigates the six piano etudes so far published from 12 Piano Etudes (1995-2003) by Unsuk Chin and compares them with Ligeti's piano etudes to highlight the influence of the teacher on the student and to aid pianists in facing the unique technical challenges posed by both sets of etudes. The practice guide provided in this study for each specific technical difficulty requires a degree of patience from a student which, if followed, will enhance the performance.

Colombian composer Jaime León (1921-2015) is known for his art songs. Most of the current scholarly literature about León defines him as a nationalist composer even though a majority of his songs do not appear to have nationalist traits. This document examines a representative selection of León's songs divided into three categories: songs influenced by the bambuco (the Colombian genre most present in his songs); songs whose text refers to Colombian culture; and songs without Colombian elements present in their text or music. After examination of these songs, my conclusion is that León, rather than being nationalist, was a cosmopolitan composer who used national elements as rhetorical tools in an isolated and experimental way.

Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927) is a leading American composer, pianist, and educator. Although she composed many outstanding advanced-level piano works, she also believes that composing for other levels is a good discipline for composers. Her two collections Reaching Out and Travels Through Sound contain various contemporary techniques that are highly approachable for intermediate-level students. The purpose of this study is to provide a pedagogical guide to contemporary elements present in these collections, which are ideal for developing skills that can prepare intermediate-level students for more complex modern music. Diemer incorporates such contemporary features as complex rhythms and meters, non-traditional notations, and extended piano techniques, as well as non-traditional textures and forms. These techniques are presented in a compact and informative but not too complicated manner, so that intermediate-level students can master them.

Pianists often have trouble in determining where a phrase ends, or in other words, cadence identification. This is especially true of certain cadences that can be considered either as half cadences or authentic cadences. This analytically ambiguous cadential point can result in different performance decisions, so pianists should make informed decisions about what kind of cadence it is. This study aims to investigate such cadential ambiguity shown at points of phrase boundaries by focusing on Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35, first movement. I offer both possibilities (a half cadence or an authentic cadence) at the phrase ending, suggesting a performance-related strategy based on each possibility. My objective is not to support only one cadential status, but to bring up the cadential problem from the analytical perspective and to demonstrate how cadence identification affects performance results. The dissertation is divided into two parts: analysis and performance, so it relies on a combined method of analytical terminologies and performance-related musical elements. In the analysis, the terminology of William Caplin is employed. The performance part refers to several method books written by prestigious piano pedagogues. After an introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 reviews some literature on cadences. …

Paganini's 24th caprice still remains to this day one of the most celebrated themes in classical music history. Many composers have used this theme to create variations and each composer attempted to produce stylistically unique variations on this piece. Hamelin's Variations on a Theme of Paganini stands out because his piece incorporates musical borrowing and many different composers' styles. His variations integrate music from different centuries, using pastiche and musical borrowing from figures such as Beethoven, Liszt, Brahms, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff. More provocatively, Hamelin's variations reach outside of Classical music, even adopting elements from salsa and friska. The spectrum of composers and styles included in this set are so radical and shocking that it creates a parody of not only Paganini's theme, but also the tradition of theme and variation pieces it has inspired. Due to its multiple variations juxtaposing extremely different styles, Hamelin's Variations on a Theme of Paganini presents the listener with a musical puzzle that is designed to invoke surprise. The juxtapositions of extremely different styles in these variations create disjointed variations with polystylism. The polystylism in this work diversifies his variations, while unifying these seemingly unbalanced movements through broad musical references. As such, both performers and …

This dissertation provides an interpretive guide to Variationen und Fuge über ein Thema von Händel, Op. 24, written in 1861 by Johannes Brahms (1833–1897), in orchestral terms, using as basis the orchestral transcription by Edmund Rubbra (1901–1986), published as his Op. 47 in 1938. Not only does Brahms' Variationen present players with considerable pianistic difficulties, its intense harmonic and polyphonic structures make the music sound symphonic. The English composer Edmund Rubbra, a great Brahms enthusiast, transcribed the work for orchestra. The transcription in effect represents Rubbra's interpretation of the piano work as well as his respect for it. When both orchestra and piano versions of a composition exist, pianists may obtain essential musical ideas from studying the orchestral version, just as it is advisable for conductors to study the piano versions of symphonic works, not only those arranged by the composer. Brahms himself was not only a composer but also a pianist and conductor. It is possible that he imagined orchestral sound when composing large-scale piano works such as his Variationen. New experiments in interpretation can offer a refreshing perspective. This study focuses on elements from Rubbra's orchestral version of Variationen that can inform pianists' interpretation.

Bohuslav Martinů's "Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra" is one of the most frequently played pieces in the oboe repertoire. For this reason, it is often played with the piano reduction instead of the orchestra in oboe recitals. However, the existing piano reductions include many errors and discrepancies from the orchestral score, misrepresent the orchestration, sometimes fail to make the oboe entries clear, and tend to be unplayable for pianists. Moreover, the scores were published after the composer's death without him supervising the final editing. I have prepared a new, playable piano reduction to represent the orchestration more faithfully and help pianists work with their soloists more easily. Based on the work of Martin Katz, a prominent collaborative-pianist, I establish four principles for creating a new piano reduction. After scrutiny of the deficiencies of existing piano reductions, I suggest solutions for making the passages in question practical and bringing out the leading voices clearly so that the soloist can join in as easily as playing with an orchestra. To aid in reflecting the orchestral texture that Martinů created, I include abbreviated instrument names in many passages to help pianists to understand how to create balance. I have changed some passages …

Marianna Martines (1744-1812) was a highly celebrated composer, singer, and keyboardist during her lifetime in Vienna, praised by such dignitaries as Dr. Charles Burney, and achieving the honor of being the first woman composer to be admitted to the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna in 1773. She composed both large-scale and smaller works, including masses, oratorios, keyboard sonatas and concerti, cantatas, and arias. Yet today, despite a revival of interest in this important composer, she remains largely unknown and her nearly 70 surviving works remain all too underperformed. The purpose of this dissertation is to add to the existing scholarship by exploring the first movement of her Harpsichord Sonata in G Major, the last of her three extant sonatas, which is marked Allegro brillante, and is indeed a work of technical brilliance and difficulty, through various theoretical frameworks. This study demonstrates the extraordinary nature of this work by invoking classical formal theory, topic theory, with particular emphasis on the "brilliant" and "singing" styles, and the more recent feminist studies illuminating gender-coding in music. This theoretical analysis is considered against the backdrop of sociological studies examining the gender politics of Vienna and other parts of Europe during this time period. This study …

Giuseppe Concone's piano études number over a hundred, and are collected in seven various sets. They consist of pieces for elementary, intermediate, and advanced level pianists. A few of them have been printed in anthologies but most of them remain unknown. The present research consists of two parts: an overview of Concone's complete sets of piano études, and a detailed analysis of Op. 30, with a detailed focus on articulation, balancing, voicing, and interpretation. First is a brief overview of the Études Opp. 37, 46, 24, 25, 31 and 34. Then in the analysis of Op. 30, after explaining the salient features of this set of études, there is an illustration of the method by giving an analysis of each étude. Concone's Vingt Études Chantantes Op. 30 are a fine supplement of teaching repertoire for the intermediate piano students. The Op. 30 incorporates a diversity of technical requirements and musical merits that can help students transition from intermediate level to early-advanced level. They may also contribute to being aware of binary and ternary forms, and prepares students for learning other genres of the 19th century piano literature.

Florence Price (1887–1953) was one of the most important African American woman composers of the early twentieth century. Price's music is known for combining techniques of Western art music with elements of the African American musical heritage. Although Price composed many works for piano, from large virtuoso pieces to characteristic miniatures, this study will address only her Piano Sonata in E minor. The purpose of this study is to analyze this sonata and discuss her compositional techniques and musical style as a combination of African American elements and Classical European procedures, combined and coordinated yet remaining in tension. Traditional European harmony, tonality, and form are successfully combined with African American characteristics: pentatonic scale, spirituals, syncopations, repetition, and dance rhythms. Indeed, Price's work is a considerable achievement, and she is one of the important African American women composers who should be better recognized today.

Henglu Yao is a contemporary Chinese composer who has composed a large number of intermediate piano works using a blend of traditional Chinese musical elements and modern Western compositional techniques. This dissertation uses Yao's Mikrokosmos from Chinese Nationalities, composed in 2017, to conduct a comparative study with last three volumes of Bartók's Mikrokosmos, exploring the folk music characteristics of the two composers' respective nationalities. Furthermore, this dissertation observes the musical and technical similarities and differences in modern piano teaching repertoire, especially those that are influenced by their respective national musical traditions. The comparison and elaboration of the two composers' use of modern harmony, modern rhythms, imitation of folk instruments, and application of mathematical concepts are detailed in the text. In addition, I provide pedagogical suggestions on the challenges of practicing the contemporary music in Yao's Mikrokosmos, including aural training, asymmetrical rhythmic training, and phrasing practice. Lastly, I provide detailed suggestions for certain pedaling and fingering aspects with which students may struggle.

Ping Gao is a composer-pianist in China. The purpose of this research is to provide a pedagogical analysis of Ping Gao's solo piano suite Distant Voices (1999), with intent to introduce Chinese folk music and contemporary characteristics in the twentieth century to early advanced piano students. After an introduction, chapter 2 presents an overview of Ping Gao's biographical information and his compositional style. Chapter 3 provides resources and information of folk music tradition related to this selected work. Chapter 4 analyzes Distant Voices with respect to the Chinese folk idioms, including folk songs, the sound of the folk instruments, and pentatonic modes and scales. Chapter 5 then analyzes the work with respect to its contemporary characteristics, including non-traditional harmony (secundal, quartal, and quintal chords) and contemporary rhythm and meter (shifted accents, asymmetric meters, and mixed meter). Chapter 6 examines some further technical challenges in performing the work. This work can be considered a helpful source for piano teachers to incorporate folk music styles from different regions of the world into their teaching, cultivating students' appreciation for other cultures and music styles.

This dissertation provides comprehensive performance perspectives for the interpretation of the published keyboard toccatas by Michelangelo Rossi (ca.1602-1656) in his collection, Toccate e Correnti d'Intavolatura d'Organo e Cimbalo (c. 1634). This document consults the following sources on keyboard practice in the early-Baroque period: Girolamo Diruta's Il Transilvano Dialogo Sopra Il Vero Modo Di Sonar Organi, & Istromenti da penna (1593); Adriano Banchieri's Conclusioni nel Suono dell'Organo (1609); Costanzo Antegnati's L'Arte Organica (1608); and the prefaces to Girolamo Frescobaldi's publications Toccate e Partite d'Intavolature di Cembalo, Libro Primo (first version 1615; second version 1615, 1616, 1628; and third version 1637), and Fiori Musicali (1635). These sources provide information on most aspects of keyboard—and specifically organ—playing in the decades leading up to, and at the time of, the initial publication of Rossi's toccatas: including the toccata as genre, Italian organs from the late-Renaissance/early-Baroque, registration, tempo, pedaling, fingering, articulation, and ornamentation. In addition to the performance perspectives, this dissertation also provides a new modern edition of the ten toccatas by Michelangelo Rossi. This edition is based on the 1657 Bologna facsimile. The goal of this edition is two-fold. First to present an accurate text of the facsimile and second to adjust certain beam-groupings, …

It is often challenging for early advanced piano students to move from intermediate level repertoire to standard repertoire because the techniques and difficulties present in the new repertoire are simply too overwhelming for them. "A Holy Night: 10 Arrangements of Timeless Carols" can help bridge the gap between the two repertoire categories by introducing several advanced techniques and combinations of techniques to early advanced students in a non-overwhelming way. Several standard techniques that were widely used by composers of different styles are addressed in the arrangements: legato and chord playing, orientation in different keys, pedaling, dynamics and octave playing. The topic of fingerings is also covered since using correct fingerings is a key for any technique to work. The arrangements help to prepare early advanced students for standard repertoire by allowing them to learn, practice, and perform a variety of standard repertoire techniques in short and engaging pieces. This dissertation is intended to demonstrate to private piano teachers ways in which this arrangement of mostly well-known seasonal tunes can be used to assist in the transition to more advanced repertoire.

In the world of chamber music, programmatic suites are more rarely composed and consequently more rarely presented in recital than other musical forms. Perhaps partially for this reason, George Enescu's Impressions d'enfance for violin and piano, his last chamber piece written in the tumultuous year of 1940, has been overlooked for a long time; even the composer himself did not make a recording of this seldom performed piece. This dissertation examines Impressions d'enface in order to explore the relationship between the underlying Romanian folk rhythmic and melodic patterns, to provide an analysis, as well as to serve as a performance guide to assist performers in surmounting the technical challenges and thus create a more effective ensemble. I hope this dissertation will encourage more duos to experiencing the joy of George Enescu's richly fulfilling Impressions d'enfance for themselves.

A Poem Carved in Stone, a work for piano solo by Washington DC-based Chinese composer Wu Yiming was composed in Spring 2020 and is dedicated to the author of this dissertation. The piece is inspired by the poetry of Han Shan, a recluse who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). His poetry is in Chan (Zen) tradition. Wu depicts the imagery and philosophy in Han Shan's poetry through highly complex rhythms, extreme sound effects and pitches, tone clusters, and extended piano techniques. This dissertation provides practical instructions for achieving these effects and executing the unconventional techniques found in this piece, which include playing inside of the piano, various standing and sitting positions, and coordination and balance. A guide to interpret this piece is from both the composer's and the performer's perspective. Observations are drawn directly from communications and coaching received from the composer. This study briefly explores the historical and cultural context of Han Shan's poetry and discusses how Wu's use of modern western compositional devices reflects the Zen philosophy. An interview with the composer is included along with an overview of both his compositions and those of composers who influenced him. It is hoped that this dissertation will …

Young Ja Lee (b. 1931) is regarded as one of the most important living female composers in Korea. She leads and contributes to the Korean classical music society as a gifted composer and a dedicated educator. This study focuses on how she has combined Western compositional techniques with elements of Eastern traditional music in some of her compositions, in particular, her Variations pour piano "Umma ya, Nuna ya." An interpretation of her Variations pour piano "Umma ya, Nuna ya" reveals that the composition features many of the particular and sublime aspects of Western compositional techniques in conjunction with traditional Korean music style. This study is an investigation of the interaction and assimilation of these disparate elements. The results of this study may inspire further research into traditional Korean music and bring recognition to important Korean composers, as well as encourage music educators to teach Korean composers' compositions.

Wanghua Chu (b. 1941) is an outstanding Chinese composer and pianist, who has written extensively for piano. This dissertation offers a pedagogical analysis of Seven Chinese Folk Songs (1999), one of his most famous and well-regarded piano solo works. The present study has two broad and related aims: to introduce Wanghua Chu's Seven Chinese folk songs to a broader community of pianists outside of China; and to provide a pedagogical analysis so that pianists of a late-intermediate level and higher can learn it effectively and teachers can teach it successfully. Chapter 2 provides an overview of Wanghua Chu's artistic career and major works, as well as the composition background of Seven Chinese Folk Songs. Chapter 3 introduces the seven original Chinese folk songs that are used in this work, both the actual songs and the song types. Chapter 4 provides an analysis of the musical form of each movement of Seven Chinese Folk Songs. Chapter 5 analyzes the technical difficulties of this work and provides specific practice methods to solve them. Seven Chinese Folk Songs exposes the pianist to the diversity and richness of Chinese folk songs and offers them a different kind of learning opportunity in which they not …