This paper investigates Ronald Stevenson's unique treatment of large-scaled structure in his Passacaglia on D S C H. This piece's unusual eighty-minute length, use of traditional forms and unusual piano techniques, musical references to other cultures and a massive triple-fugue over a ground bass will be examined as they relate to its overall form. The elements of rhythm, melody/mode, harmony, counterpoint, piano techniques, and tonality are also used as means of highlighting many unifying elements of the piece which contribute to its overall cohesiveness. Tributes to other composers, among them Dimitry Shostakovich to whom the piece is dedicated, are discussed in addition to many references to world cultures and events which support Stevenson's views on what he terms world music. Rarely is a piece written that encompasses such a wide range of musical elements that possess the ability to engage an audience for an uninterrupted length of eighty-minutes. As of yet, an in-depth scholarly investigation of Stevenson's treatment of formal unity in this landmark piano work has not been done. This analysis reveals Stevenson's approach to composing in such a large form, as well as illustrating his mastery of variation, counterpoint and unending ingenuity for innovative piano techniques. The composer's …

This documents aims at the identification of the sources of influence upon the styles of selected 20th century Chinese composers. Personal influences are reflected as well as those general influences specific to the different stylistic periods discussed. Most important, however, is the description of the methods by which these composers employ contemporary compositional devices to project musical gestures that are uniquely Chinese: elements of culture which are fundamentally programmatic and intimately related to the lives of the Chinese people. The introduction of Western music and musical instruments to China in the early 17th century and cultural exchanges with Japan served to gradually westernize the musical environment and training. The establishment of decidedly Western schools was accomplished at the beginning of this century, with the founding of Peking University and Shanghai National Conservatory. Music theory was taught, as well as history and composition, but with an emphasis on the practices of the 18th and 19th centuries. Compositions from this period reflect Western techniques from these eras, with some use of the pentatonic scale. In the 1930's, nationalism arose, a mirroring of the 19th-century European nationalistic trends. This philosophical conception has remained essentially unchanged to the present, as composers have aimed to …

During Aaron Copland's long and productive life, he has written many compositions of distinction; among his piano compositions are the Passacaglia, Piano Variations, and Four Piano Blues. These three piano works were composed during a span of over twenty years and reflect many different influences in the composer's musical life. The Passacaglia, an early work, was written under the direction of Copland's teacher, Nadia Boulanger. It was strongly influenced by her and the French neoclassic school. The influence of jazz is most prominent in the Four Piano Blues, whereas the Piano Variations were influenced by Arnold Schoenberg and other composers of the twelve-tone school. This study contains an examination of each of three piano pieces mentioned, with emphasis upon aspects of thematic development, harmony, rhythm, and sonority; then a comparison between the pieces is made.

Enrique Granados, Frank Marshall, and Alicia de Larrocha are the chief exponents of a school of piano playing characterized by special attention to details of pedalling, voicing, and refined piano sonority. Granados and Marshall dedicated the major part of their efforts in the field to the pedagogy of these principles. Their work led to the establishment of the Granados Academy in Barcelona, a keyboard conservatory which operates today under the name of the Frank Marshall Academy. Both Granados and Marshall have left published method books detailing their pedagogy of pedalling and tone production. Granados' book, Metodo Teorico Practico para el Uso de los Pedales del Piano (Theoretical and Practical Method for the Use of the Piano Pedals) is presently out of print and available in a photostatic version from the publisher. Marshall's works, Estudio Practico sobre los Pedales del Piano (Practical Study of the Piano Pedals) and La Sonoridad del Piano (Piano Sonority) continue to be used at the Marshall Academy and are available from Spanish publishing houses. This study brings information contained in these three method books to the forefront and demonstrates its relevance to the performance of the music of Granados, specifically the Escenas Romanticas. Alicia de Larrocha, …

The lecture recital was given January 22, 1977. A discussion of Elliott Carter's Piano Sonata emphasized those compositional techniques which foreshadowed important compositional procedures in many of his later works. The following compositions were discussed: Concerto for Orchestra, Double Concerto for Harpsichord and Piano with Two Chamber Orchestras, 8 Etudes and a Fantasy for Woodwind Quartet, Holiday Overture, Piano Concerto, Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello, and Harpsichord, Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, String Quartet No. 1, String Quartet No. 2, String Quartet No. 3, Variations for Orchestra. The Piano Sonata was Ty and Schumann. In addition to the lecture recital, three public solo recitals were performed. The first solo recital, performed on April 2, 1973, consisted of works by Bartok, Debussy The second solo recital, performed on October 28, 1974, included works by Bach and Liszt. The final solo recital, performed on March 7, 1976, consisted of works by Beethoven and Chopin. All four programs were recorded on magnetic tape and are filed, along with the written version of the lecture recital, as part of the dissertation. performed.

The romantic piano literature contains three important collections of nocturnes. The nocturnes of John Field (1782-1837) were the first to appear, and were followed by collections from Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) and Gabriel Faure (1845-1924). While the relationship of the nocturnes of Field to those of Chopin is well documented, the corresponding relationship between Faure and Chopin is not. This study contains a detailed examination of this relationship, and shows the precise nature of Chopin's strong influence on Faure's early nocturnes, as well as the nature of Faure's growth from that influence. Chopin's influence was strongest in the area of harmonic language, as Faure carried certain of Chopin's techniques to logical extremes. Faure also adopted ternary form as the important form for the piece from Chopin. Faure's use of this form shows both similarities and differences from that found in Chopin. Faure's early nocturnes employ the same basic textures as Chopin's nocturnes, but Faure's later works abandon this in favor of increasingly contrapuntal writing. Chopin's influence is weakest in the area of melodic construction, as Faure's melodies often show a rigorous motivic construction which is not found in Chopin.

Difficulties are encountered in any discussion of Copland's style, for his works cover the spectrum from harsh, dissonant works to folk music. To avoid the task of defining a style which encompasses this array of vastly different pieces, a sharp distinction is frequently made between the abstract and popular works. However, Copland has repeatedly objected to such categorization, claiming that he composed from a single vision. A careful examination of his total output proves the validity of his claim. Many common characteristics are found throughout works from all categories and time periods. These traits include a basic economy of materials, emphasis on thirds, consistent method of development, use of declamation, jazz-influenced rhythms, cyclicism, and a slow/fast/slow sequence of movements, as well as within single movements. This document uses the Piano Sonata as a model of Copland's style, for it exemplifies these characteristics more clearly than any other major piece for piano. By making numerous comparisons with other works, Copland's single vision is revealed.

Frank Martin, while assimilating many of the features of serial technique, found other of its features incompatible to his temperament. The Eight Preludes for Piano mark a point of decision regarding these features. While rejecting the twelve-tone row, he extracted prime cells from the octatonic scale and subjected them to the serial approach. One of these cells, G-flat - F - A - A-flat, evokes the B-A-C-H motive. In view of Martin's admiration for Bach, this similarity is probably not accidental. In any event, this four-note motive permeates the preludes and binds them into a coherent and unified set. Along with some evidence of partial form in the preludes, the concept of continuous variation is the compelling force molding the overall form. Martin disdained atonality on personal and artistic premises. Despite their contemporary textural qualities, the listener perceives c-sharp as a tonal center for the set. Tempo, rhythm, and texture contrasts and complementation between the preludes reveal an obviously preplanned format for the fulfillment of set unity. The consummate knowledge of pianism demonstrated in the preludes places them as a major contribution to twentieth-century piano literature.

The lecture recital was given July 18, 1977. The lecture began with the performance of the Three Preludes and a discussion of these final works in relation to the composer's last period of composition which included the Sonata for Piano. After the biographical foundation was laid, the Sonata for Piano was detailed concerning form and compositional techniques. All works were performed from memory. In addition to the lecture recital, three public recitals were performed. The first solo recital, performed on August 11, 1975, consisted of works by Schubert and Liszt-Busoni. The second recital, a chamber recital, performed March 29, 1976, consisted of solo and chamber works of Messiaen. The final solo recital, performed on August 1, 1977, consisted of works by Clementi, Satie, and Rubinstein. All four programs were recorded on magnetic tape and are filed, along with the written version of the lecture recital, as part of the dissertation.

The lecture recital was given April 2, 1973. A discussion of Liszt's late piano works included information about specific compositional techniques and innovations which influenced twentieth-century composers. Five selections of the late works were performed by memory. In addition to the lecture recital, three public solo recitals were performed. The first solo recital, performed on April 9, 1972, consisted of works by Haydn, Beethoven, Ravel, and Chopin. The second solo recital, performed on August 4, 1974, included works by Beethoven, Debussy, and Brahms. The final solo recital, performed on April 5, 1976, consisted of works by Bach, Chopin, and Prokofieff. All four programs were recorded on magnetic tape and are filed, along with the written version of the lecture recital, as part of the dissertation.

After examining biographical and stylistic influences on the work of J. C. Bach and C. P. E. Bach, this study analyzes and compares the two sonatas under discussion. Each sonata is placed in historical perspective by relating its outstanding formal and stylistic features with conservative Baroque or more progressive Classical tendencies. In addition to the recorded performance of the Sonata in E-Major, Op. 5, by Johann Christian Bach, and the Sonata in G-Major from Fur Kenner und Liebhaber, Vol. 1, by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, this dissertation includes three tape recordings of selected piano works of D. Scarlatti, F. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. V. Beethoven, F. Schubert, F. Mendelssohn, F. Liszt, S. Rachmaninoff, and C. Debussy.

The purpose of this study is to identify some of the performance problems associated with contemporary piano music, using the Sonata No. 2 for Piano by Karel Husa (1921 - ) as the basis for the discussion. In so doing, this study identifies Karel Husa as an important contributor to twentieth century piano repertoire. Personal interviews and correspondence with the composer provided biographical, analytical, and stylistic insight for this study. Supplemental information on Karel Husa was obtained from journals, newspaper articles, and dissertations. The first chapter provides biographical information gleaned from the interview, with emphasis on Husa's keyboard compositions and early compositional influences. The second chapter offers a detailed formal analysis of the Sonata No. 2 from the perspective of motivlc development and cyclic unity. The final three chapters focus on twentieth century performance problems as exemplified in Karel Husa's Sonata No. 2 for Piano. In Chapter 3, the discussion of notation provides a general background on notational developments in pitch and rhythm in the twentieth century, with the Sonata illustrating these procedures. The fourth chapter concentrates specifically on Husa's individual rhythmic language. The final chapter is devoted to Husa's coloristic use of the piano, addressing his unique contributions to …

Franz Liszt, who was the greatest virtuoso pianist in the nineteenth-century, was also a productive composer. But his tremendous technique brought the misunderstanding that his compositions were just flashy and superficial, thus creating an obstacle for appreciating his music. The purpose of this study is to encourage an understanding of the value of Liszt's music, especially his Schubert Lieder transcriptions. The study starts with an introduction, which states the revival of the art of transcription, gives the muscial background of Liszt and describes the instruments that were available to him. Then follows a discussion about his experimentation with the conventional piano techniques and how he applied them to the song transcriptions. Two transcriptions "Hark, Hark, the Lark" and "Der Lindenbaum" are analyzed in detail to show the transcriptive procedure and the relation between the poetry and the musical expression. A conclusion summarizes the study.

Ernst Krenek is noted and often criticized for the diversity of his overall output. However, one finds that his entire output is held together by a unique temperament regardless of stylistic changes. It is significant to compare the piano works to one another as the piano was the instrument he repeatedly turned to while testing new stylistic ideas. In writing about Krenek's music, Glenn Gould states eloquently and concisely that three qualities prevail in all of Krenek's mature output: the lyric, elegiac, and euphonic. These qualities are present in the early Toccata und Chaconne uber den Chorale, "Ja, ich glaub an Jesum Christum," Op. 13. It is lyrical in that melody is of utmost importance. One finds that melodic writing prevails in the other piano works as well regardless of when they were written. The elegiac also permeates the work. The Toccata and Chaconne shares with other later works this quality of seriousness, repose, and deep meaning. The Toccata and Chaconne is also euphonic. Krenek's overall style is one which does not shock or offend an audience. In a detailed comparison of the Toccata and Chaconne to later piano works, one may clearly see what Krenek specifically does musically to …

The lecture recital was given November 6, 1989. Five Preludes by Claude Debussy were preformed following a lecture on some important considerations of approaching the pedaling complexities in his solo piano works. In addition to the lecture recital, three other solo piano recitals were performed. The first solo recital consisted of works by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann, and was performed on November 17, 1980. On March 1, 1982, the second solo recital was presented. This performance consisted of works by J. Brahms, W.A. Mozart, S. Prokofieff, and A. Schoenberg. The third solo recital was performed on November 21, 1988 and included the works of L. van Beethoven. A. Berg, F. Chopin, and C. Debussy. The four programs were recorded on tape and filed with the written version of the lecture as part of the dissertation.

This document identifies elements of a stylistic change which occurred in several of the pieces Rachmaninoff wrote during the last years of his life. These elements reflect a progressive trend in his music, which certainly maintained in spite of the change, its characteristic sound. The Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42 illustrate these new developments in their lean, angular unison sonorities, stripped of chordal padding and virtuosic display, in their percussive, staccato and incisive ostinato rhythmic figures, astringent chromatic harmony and modern air of detachment. The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 confirms this stylistic development in its remarkable similarity to the Corelli Variations. In the last twenty-six years of his life in exile from his homeland, making his way around the world as a concert pianist, Rachmaninoff wrote only six major works. Perhaps his increasing age, separation from homeland, and the musical revolutions surrounding him in the Western world produced this stylistic development.

The objective of the dissertation is to examine certain correlations between Busoni the philosopher and Busoni the composer. His aesthetic and theoretical points of view, which are of vital importance for an appreciation of his compositions, are reviewed. The manifestation of his musical thinking in his own compositional practice is substantiated through an analysis of two of his late works for the piano: the Sonatina seconda and the Toccata. In addition to the lecture recital, based on the dissertation and given on February 18, 1991, three other public recitals were performed. The first, on November 30, 1987, included works of Bartok, Brahms, Mozart, and Granados. The second program, a chamber recital on January 16, 1989, featured works by Brahms. The third recital was performed on April 23, 1990, and included works by Beethoven, Prokofieff, and Chopin.

This study is an examination of the Surrealist movement and its influence on the piano music of twentieth century American composers. The first chapter explores the philosophies of the Surrealists as well as the characteristics found in Surrealist art and literature. The characteristics discussed include: 1) the practice of automatism; 2) the juxtaposition of unrelated themes or images; and 3) the creation of dream-like atmospheres.

Volumes one and two of Annees de Pelerinage contain travel impressions. The pieces in volume three serve as a means of expressing a religious pilgrimage. The religiousmeaning is implied by the titles and by letters Liszt wrote concerning specific pieces. For the pieces to have programmatic significance, the music must support the verbal clues. This dissertation maintains that selected pieces in Annees de Pelerinage III are programmatic and that Liszt provided musical clues that have not been discovered or, if noticed, have not been analyzed in detail. Also, the dissertation explores similarities between selected pieces of Annees de Pelerinage III and other programmatic or texted works by Liszt sharing the same subject. The findings reinforce the premise that Liszt deliberately intended to express certain extra-musical ideas within the music itself. The paper briefly analyzes the musical reasons for labeling Annees de Pelerinaae III a cycle. Different sources call these pieces cyclic, citing the shared common religious theme as the reason. This dissertation discusses musical reasons that reinforce the idea of a cycle. Chapter II discusses Liszt's views on program music. Chapter III identifies common themes in Liszt's programmatic works and discusses the symbolic significance of thematic transformation. Chapter IV suggests …

Charles Valentin Alkan (1813-1888), one of the great genii in music history, was widely misunderstood by his contemporaries because of his highly idiosyncratic ideas. From the perspective of the late twentieth century, his innovations can be better understood, and his music is now gaining wider appreciation. Yet, today many musicians still do not know even his name, much less his achievements. The year 1988 marks the one hundredth year since his death. In commemoration of this centennial anniversary, this thesis is presented as a plea for a greater awareness of the achievements of this important figure in the development of piano music.

One of the most important compositional theories of Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977), Russian-American composer and pianist, is the Eurasian ideology, which was a result of the influence of Eastern culture. Inspired by this theory, Tcherepnin not only extricated himself from his own compositional techniques, but also intensified his search for musical folklore. In April, 1934, he began a world tour which was to include China, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Egypt, and Palestine, to search for "musical folklore." He became so fascinated with the culture of ancient China that he cancelled the rest of his arrangements, and, except for visits to Japan, he remained in China for three years, until the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in July, 1937. During his three-year stay in China, Tcherepnin was greatly attracted to Chinese culture, and as a result, Chinese culture influenced his music to a significant degree. This essay examines the manner in which Tcherepnin's music was influenced by his experiences in China. In order to precisely analyze the close affiliation between Chinese musical elements and Tcherepnin's "Chinese Mikrokosmos," many original Chinese sources proved indispensable in this study. These sources include Chinese folk music, theater music, instrumental music, religious music, and Chinese periodicals and …

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 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.

The lecture recital was given October 15, 1971. The subject of the discussion was Brahms and the Character Piece: Emotion Guided by Intellect, and it included historical and biographical information, an analysis of Brahms' romantic-classic style, a general analysis of the six character pieces in Opus 118, and performance of Opus 118 by memory. In addition to the lecture recital, three other public recitals were performed. These three programs were comprised of solo literature for the piano. The first solo recital was on April 15, 1971, and included works of Brahms, Chopin, Mozart, and Ravel. The second program, presented on April 28, 1972, featured several works of Beethoven. Performed on Septemhber 25, 1972, the third recital programmed compositions by Chopin, Debussy, and Prokofieff. Magnetic tape recordings of all four programs and the written lecture material are filed together as the dissertation.