Sergei Mikhailovich Liapunov (1859-1924) was a distinguished Russian composer, pianist and teacher of the late 19th and early 20th century whose works are relatively unknown. His piano pieces were highly regarded and performed by pianists such as Konstantin Igumnov, Josef Hofmann, Josef Lhévinne, Ferruccio Busoni, and Vladimir Horowitz. However, they are rarely included in modern pianists' repertoire both in Russia and abroad, and are often viewed merely for their historic significance. Works of Liapunov are characterized by a life-affirming character and monumental beauty largely inspired by the images of nature as well as the sounds of his native Russian folk songs and dances. His music rarely conveys the urgency or profound melancholy which is often seen in the music composed during the same period by Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. Liapunov continued and enriched the great traditions of Russian music started by Glinka and The Mighty Five. He did not discover bold new ways of composing, and at the same time did not succumb to the temptation of following contemporary musical trends. The Twelve Transcendental Etudes, op. 11, dedicated to the memory of Franz Liszt, are masterpieces of immense value both from a technical and artistic standpoint. Just like Liszt's études, they …

The trumpet, or some ancestral form of the trumpet, has existed nearly as long as civilization itself. Despite its long history, however, the trumpet's solo repertoire remained limited and relatively unvaried until the second half of the twentieth century. Like most music, the American trumpet sonatas from the 1950s are a reflection of the culture and history surrounding their composition. The purpose of this research is to show how the trumpet sonatas by George Antheil, Kent Kennan, Halsey Stevens, and Burnet Tuthill are both distinctly American and unmistakably from the 1950s. The post-war era in America is often viewed as a time of unbridled optimism stemming from economic prosperity and the nation's military and industrial supremacy. The decade of the 1950s is often viewed today as a simpler, happier time in America's history. The trumpet sonatas of this era reflect this primarily in their ebullient rhythms and brilliant, often heroic melodies. However, darker characteristics of the decade (the rise of communism, for example) also make veiled appearances in these four sonatas. After an overview of the social and musical trends of the decade, the central chapter of the work delineates formal, thematic, and tonal structures of each of the four …

Franz Liszt composed his Two Episodes from Lenau's Faust between 1856 and 1861. The composer intended to portray two emotionally contrasting scenes from Lenau's Faust in a set for orchestra, the first being The Night Procession and the second The Dance in the Village Inn. Liszt created a duet version of the orchestral set, and also a solo piano version of The Dance in the Village Inn, known as the Mephisto Waltz No. 1. The set was not performed together due to the immense popularity of The Dance in the Village Inn but also due to an unfortunate publication history resulting in the pieces being published separately by Schuberth publishers, published years apart from each other. As a result The Night Procession is largely forgotten today and The Dance in the Village Inn is interpreted as a single work outside of its context in a set. In this dissertation the works are examined from within its context in a set. Background information includes information on Liszt's student Robert Freund (1852-1936), and a solo piano transcription of the orchestral alternative ending to The Dance in the Village Inn. A comparison between Liszt's orchestral, solo and duet versions of the Mephisto Waltz …

The purpose of this document is to examine Richard Strauss's 1918 song cycle Der Krämerspiegel in order to discern compositional intent and to address problems performers may face in communicating the work to a contemporary audience. Examining the existing literature, it is never clearly stated why Strauss composed such an anomalous song cycle that defied aesthetic and generic norms of the day. The premise taken in this study is that Strauss, who was litigiously forced to write the work in order to fulfill a contract with the publisher Bote & Bock, composed certain difficulties into the cycle to make it less marketable and thus less profitable for the firm. Furthermore, he commissioned a text that lampooned the publishing industry in general and certain firms and individuals in particular. Following a brief history of Strauss's involvement with the publishing industry, general considerations for interpretation are examined. The individual songs are then explored, keeping in mind the text's word play and parody, Strauss's use of self-quotation, and the challenges performers and audiences face when confronting Krämerspiegel. Finally, the individual songs are explored, and suggestions for preparation and performance of Krämerspiegel are given suggesting a more operatic understanding of the piece, especially given …

This comprehensive study of Inventio for Piano and Electronic Sound by contemporary Korean composer Sukhi Kang focuses on how the composer transforms music with Korean traditional rhythmic elements into electronic sound, and how he combines the electronic sound with piano. The study aims to aid performers and audiences in understanding and appreciating the work. Besides providing a biography of Kang, including lists of his other compositions and significant performances and recordings, this study provides detailed information about books, articles, and academic publications by and about Kang. Interviews with the composer provide first-hand instructions for performers on how to play Inventio. All examples are from the score.

This dissertation focuses on the clarinet music of Luigi Bassi (1833-1871), an Italian clarinetist and composer. Biographical information and performance history for Luigi Bassi are included. Bassi wrote 27 works for clarinet, including 15 opera fantasies or transcriptions. Most of his works are housed in the Milan Conservatory library. This document provides analysis of all but two of Bassi's 27 works. For Bassi's pieces with ties to opera, I identified his source material and discussed the ways in which he manipulated the material. A brief synopsis of each opera is included. This study serves as a performance guide for those seeking to perform Bassi's clarinet works.

Stanley Friedman is a composer of many works, primarily for brass instruments, that have become part of the standard repertoire. Solus, for Trumpet Unaccompanied, for example, appears on many audition and competition lists, as do others of his works. On the other hand, Laude: Four Character Sketches for Solo Trumpet, commissioned by the International Trumpet Guild in 1980, is unfortunately not widely known among trumpet performers and educators. The intent of this study is to demonstrate, through discussion and analysis, the qualities and potential appeal of this lesser-known work and to renew interest in its performance. Among the six chapters is an overview of Laude, including an explanation of Friedman's peculiar titles for each movement: Nocturne for St. Thomas, Phantasie für Der Wiz, Berceuse for John Julius, and Rondo for Professor Nabob. Other chapters discuss the procedure for analysis of the work and probable sources for melodic material. The motivic development and form of each movement of the work are also explored. The final chapter includes recommendations for the performance of Laude and is followed by a summary and conclusion.

Euphonium concertos and similar masterworks for euphonium have been recorded, written about, analyzed, and discussed at length numerous times in recent years. Unfortunately, the most frequently studied and performed euphonium solos have been almost completely ignored in this regard. These works are useful for performance by the undergraduate-level euphonium player. Solos in this category are played by strong high school players and undergraduate euphonium students all over the world. These solos receive countless performances and play a crucial role in the development of young euphonium players, yet have never received attention in the form of a published pedagogical guide. The pieces of greater difficulty and substantial length have received more attention for obvious reasons, but solo pieces most useful for the developing euphoniumist need to be analyzed and discussed on a pedagogical level. This paper is a pedagogical guide to commonly played euphonium solos by the undergraduate level student. The three pieces used in this study are Sonatina by Warner Hutchison, Sonata for Unaccompanied Euphonium by Fred Clinard, and Lyric Suite by Donald White. Pertinent background information about each piece is presented in order for the reader to understand the historical context in which it was written. A list of …

Three original software programs utilizing improvisation and live sampling are presented here, along with a discussion of aesthetic issues raised by each. They are entitled Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Musiker, Motet, and Gamepad Sampler. These programs vary in the degree of required interaction and in the kind of user control. They are each studies in imitative counterpoint through live sampling, with an approach seeking elegance before solutions. Because of the improvisational nature of these works, there is no standard musical score. Instead the complete Max/MSP source code and a sound recording of performances making use of these programs in varied situations are included. A discussion of issues raised by these works includes aesthetics, ontology, performance, and the role of the composer. Non-interactive indeterminate compositions are ontologically thin, because some composerly agency is required of the performer. An interactive work can be ontologically substantial if it makes distinct and significant contributions to performance, even though it may not make sound on its own. Although reproducibility reduces ontology and eliminates aura, live sampling within a performance can deepen the ontology of the performance by recontextualizing previous events, reframing the original event as the first reference to an abstract musical idea that lies outside …

Jon Christopher Nelson’s Fantasies and Flourishes: An Interactive Concerto for Disklavier and Orchestra (1995) is the first interactive work to present the Disklavier as the solo instrument in a concerto with orchestra. The purpose of this study is to provide an analysis of Fantasies and Flourishes and advice on how to successfully present it in performance. Fantasies and Flourishes reveals the composer’s interest in the music of Elliot Carter, in particular his A Symphony of Three Orchestras. The entire work is based on the two all-interval tetrachords also used by Carter; in Fantasies and Flourishes, these tetrachords are combined to form seven octachords that are used in various manipulations. The Disklavier is an acoustic piano that can be played by a performer, can play by itself, or can be controlled by a computer program. In interactive works for Disklavier, a pianist plays on the Disklavier while the Disklavier plays by itself, much like if a pianist were to play on a player piano while the piano was also playing by itself. However, in interactive Disklavier music the pianist’s performance affects what the Disklavier plays; particular notes in the piano part trigger the Disklavier’s music. Chapter I provides an introduction to …

Research has been conducted on prominent mid-twentieth century French trumpet concertos and their composers. Jolivet, Bozza, and Tomasi have all been the subject of research. Charles Chaynes' music is equally valuable to modern trumpet repertoire as that of Jolivet, Bozza, and Tomasi. Chaynes' exclusion from research leaves a void in resources available to future trumpet students. A study of Charles Chaynes and his trumpet concertos is essential to preserving the history of the valve trumpet's young modern repertoire. Lack of understanding of Chaynes' trumpet concertos can only lead to misconceptions when interpreting these pieces. The thirty-nine year gap between Chaynes' Trumpet Concerto No. 1 and Trumpet Concerto No. 2 is a remarkable time span between major compositions, and examining the works gives insight to the evolution of the trumpet concerto throughout the twentieth century. This project highlights Charles Chaynes' contribution to the trumpet repertoire from both the beginning and end of his compositional career, and fills the research gap concerning his concertos. It includes correspondence with Charles Chaynes and others, in order to gain information not found in common source materials. It highlights examples from each concerto that are representative of the composer's compositional style.

Despite being recognized as one of the most important compositions in the twentieth¬ century wind band repertoire, the William Byrd Suite presents many obstacles for the conductor and ensemble members. Since its initial publication in 1924, the piece has contained many discrepancies of pitch, articulation, rhythm, dynamics, and phrase completion that appear in the score as well as the parts. Although the work was reissued by Boosey & Hawkes in 1960 and 1991, many of the original errors remained intact. The sheer amount of inconsistencies causes great difficulties for the musicians involved in the rehearsal process, slowing efficiency and resulting in a frustrating impediment to a quality performance. The primary purpose of this study was the creation of a critical edition of Jacob's William Byrd Suite that eliminates errors of extant editions, incorporates modern instrumentation, and considers the source material. To accomplish this, the present project looks at all sources, including the autograph manuscript, orchestral version, published editions, and errata. The editorial process examines the governing philosophy, subsequent editorial decisions and indications, and the final organization of the parts. The study concludes with the inclusion of the full score of the new critical edition.

Alberto Grau is arguably one of the most influential contemporary Venezuelan choral composers and conductors of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This thesis explores the synthesis of Venezuelan nationalism with global internationalism found within his works. As a student of the nationalistic generation of composers (Vicente Emilio Sojo, Juan Bautista Plaza, and Ángel Sauce) Grau's works display the distinct characteristics found in Venezuelan music. His output also exhibits international influences, using texts associated with social and environmental events and concerns including literary and musical influences of other nations and cultures. The first section of the thesis traces the lineage of Venezuelan choral composers beginning with the colonial period and the Escuela de Chacao to the nationalistic composers from the Santa Capilla generation. The second section describes Alberto Grau's compositional style as exemplified in his work Kasar mie la gaji (The Earth is Tired). The final section of the document comprises interviews with Alberto Grau and his wife, the Venezuelan choral conductor, María Guinand. Guinand studied piano and conducting with Alberto Grau and was his assistant at the Orfeón Universitario Simón Bolívar and the Schola Cantorum de Caracas. She is the founding conductor of the Cantoría Alberto Grau and the editor …