Degree Discipline

The Use of the Polish Folk Music Elements and the Fantasy Elements in the Polish Fantasy on Original Themes in G-sharp Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 19 by Ignacy Jan Paderewski (open access)

The Use of the Polish Folk Music Elements and the Fantasy Elements in the Polish Fantasy on Original Themes in G-sharp Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 19 by Ignacy Jan Paderewski

The primary purpose of this study is to address performance issues in the Polish Fantasy, Op. 19, by examining characteristics of Polish folk dances and how they are incorporated in this unique work by Paderewski. The study includes a comprehensive history of the fantasy in order to understand how Paderewski used various codified generic aspects of the solo piano fantasy, as well as those of the one-movement concerto introduced by nineteenth-century composers such as Weber and Liszt. Given that the Polish Fantasy, Op. 19, as well as most of Paderewski's compositions, have been performed more frequently in the last twenty years, an analysis of the combination of the three characteristic aspects of the Polish Fantasy, Op.19 - Polish folk music, the generic rhetoric of a fantasy and the one-movement concerto - would aid scholars and performers alike in better understanding the composition's engagement with various traditions and how best to make decisions about those traditions when approaching the work in a concert setting. Chapter 1 provides biographical and factographical information about Paderewski as a composer, pianist, and statesman. Chapter 2 examines characteristics of Polish folk music with regard to melody, rhythm and tempo. Musical examples of the Polish folk songs …
Date: May 2007
Creator: Choi, Yun Jung
System: The UNT Digital Library
Di/con[ver(gence/sions)]   for Saxophone Quartet by David Dzubay: A Performance Analysis (open access)

Di/con[ver(gence/sions)] for Saxophone Quartet by David Dzubay: A Performance Analysis

The abstract includes a detailed analysis of the quartet as well as idiomatic aspects of the music. In addition, a background of composer/performer relationships is outlined.
Date: May 2007
Creator: Dewhirst, Greg
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analytical Study of Mily Alekseyevich Balakirev's Musical Style in his Early Piano and Orchestra Works: Grande Fantaisie on Russian Folk Songs and Concerto Op.1 in F# Minor. (open access)

An Analytical Study of Mily Alekseyevich Balakirev's Musical Style in his Early Piano and Orchestra Works: Grande Fantaisie on Russian Folk Songs and Concerto Op.1 in F# Minor.

Balakirev's two early piano and orchestra works, Grande Fantaisie on Russian Folk Songs and Concerto Op. 1 in F# Minor, were composed in the middle of the nineteenth century when in Russia there were no particularly important works for piano and orchestra. Balakirev was still a teenager when he wrote these two pieces and unfortunately both remained unfinished. However the beauty and remarkable compositional achievement of these works should be highly recognized. There are six chapters in this essay. The general background, purpose and the state of research are discussed in the first chapter. The second chapter presents Balakirev's biographical information and the overview of his works for piano and orchestra is stated in Chapter III. Individual works, Grande Fantaisie and Concerto in F# Minor are discussed in the chapters IV and V, which including discussing compositional background, analysis and diagram of structural schemes. The last chapter concludes with Balakirev's contribution to Russian music and the development of the Russian concerto coming into its own. It deals particularly with Balakirev's approach to folk songs, which gives the concerto a unique Russian aesthetic, in addition to his ability to write in the European tradition.
Date: May 2007
Creator: Kim, Miyang
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Significance of Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Sonata Op.12 (open access)

The Significance of Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Sonata Op.12

The aspiration of this dissertation is to bring forth the significance of Shostakovich's Piano Sonata Op.12. This sonata is a hybrid of the German musical tradition, Russian Modernism, and Liszt's thematic transformation technique. It demonstrates Shostakovich's highly intellectual compositional skills influenced by the education that he received at St. Petersburg Conservatory as well as the exposure to modern music in the 1920s. This dissertation discusses composition techniques, such as the harmonic piers adapted from Alexander Scriabin, neighboring-tone technique, which involves the application of semitone cell throughout the piece, as well as the technique of thematic transformation borrowed from Liszt. These all come together by Shostakovich's design in the most controversial sonata form. The Piano Sonata Op.12 also sheds light on Shostakovich's early compositional style and proves its contribution to the evolution of sonata genre in the twentieth-century.
Date: May 2007
Creator: Kan, Ling-Yu
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915): An Analysis of His Piano Concerto in E-flat Major and Its Relationship to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 (open access)

Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915): An Analysis of His Piano Concerto in E-flat Major and Its Relationship to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1

This lecture recital seeks to prove that Sergei Taneyev's only piano concerto is a valuable addition to the piano concerto repertoire for historical and theoretical examination. Taneyev's biographical background proves he was one of the major figures in Russian musical life during the late nineteenth century. For one who had such an important role in music history, it is an unfortunate that his music has not been popular. Through letters to contemporary composers and friends, Taneyev's master teacher Tchaikovsky revealed why his music and piano concerto were not as popular as they should have been. This lecture recital examines Taneyev's compositional style and illustrates his influence in the works of his famous student Sergei Rachmaninoff through examples from Taneyev's Piano Concerto in E-flat Major and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2. Taneyev's Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 have both similarities and differences that resulted from the composers' close relationship. Letters between the teacher and student enlighten readers to the compositional process of the two piano concertos and demonstrates the value of Taneyev's Piano Concerto. A detailed theoretical analysis is included in this dissertation. The principal themes and motifs are presented with a detailed analysis of the structure of …
Date: May 2007
Creator: Liu, Louise Jiayin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Susan Botti's  Cosmosis: A Conductor's Analysis with Performance Considerations (open access)

Susan Botti's Cosmosis: A Conductor's Analysis with Performance Considerations

In 2005, composer Susan Botti won the coveted Prix de Rome in musical composition and spent eleven months in residency at the American Academy in Rome. That same year, the University of Michigan Wind Symphony, under the direction of Michael Haithcock, premiered her exciting new work Cosmosis at the College Band Directors National Association Conference in New York City. The bi-annual conference is a venue for the premiere of new works for wind ensembles and bands, and the 2005 conference saw the world premiere of nine works for winds and percussion, many of which were performed in the legendary Carnegie Hall. What made the debut performance of Cosmosis exciting and notable was the composer's own appearance as soprano soloist, and the inclusion of a chorus of women augmenting the ensemble of winds and percussion. Such a combination of elements is unique, and created a fresh and powerful sonority. Botti's inventive approach to composition has expanded the repertoire for both women's chorus and wind ensemble with this distinctive work. This study is intended to serve as a guide to the study and performance of Cosmosis. The information provides a detailed examination of the work from its conception to its premiere performance. …
Date: May 2007
Creator: Schroeder, Angela
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Sarabandes from J. S. Bach's Six Suites for Solo Cello: An Analysis and Interpretive Guide for the Modern Guitarist (open access)

The Sarabandes from J. S. Bach's Six Suites for Solo Cello: An Analysis and Interpretive Guide for the Modern Guitarist

The purpose of this dissertation is to present a comparative analysis of the sarabandes from the six cello suites. Six individual analyses each address the following elements: harmonic reduction, the relationship between the large-scale harmonic and metrical structures, the melodic elaboration of the harmonic-metrical structure, and the type and prevalence of sarabande rhythm. A summary at the end of each analysis provides a cumulative comparison of the results. Knowledge gained from this exercise will provide insight into Bach's conception of the genre by identifying both those features that stylistically unify the sarabandes as well as those that make each unique. In addition, the author will demonstrate the relationship between analysis and interpretation, using the sixth sarabande as an example. This interpretive process will also take into account the idiomatic nature of the guitar.
Date: May 2007
Creator: Todd, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
Motives, Allusions, and Eclecticism: A Panametric Analysis of the First Movement of Christian Lindberg's Mandrake in the Corner Based on the Method of Jan LaRue (open access)

Motives, Allusions, and Eclecticism: A Panametric Analysis of the First Movement of Christian Lindberg's Mandrake in the Corner Based on the Method of Jan LaRue

For more than 20 years, Christian Lindberg has been internationally recognized as the premiere trombone soloist of our time. Few, however, are familiar with his compositions. For over ten years, he has composed many solo and ensemble works for trombone. Many prominent musical organizations in the world have performed Lindberg's music, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the University of North Texas Wind Ensemble. Today, Christian Lindberg has commission requests up to 2010. Christian Lindberg completed Mandrake in the Corner, a three movement concerto for trombone, in 1999. The purpose of this dissertation is to present an analysis of the first movement of Mandrake in the Corner to provide the first in depth study of Lindberg's compositional style. This analysis borrows freely from the method of Jan LaRue, which focuses on sound, harmony, melody, rhythm, and growth of musical structure on the small, middle, and large levels. The focus of this study centers on the aspects of melody, harmony, and rhythm to explain how the piece works despite the lack of a second theme or change of key in the first movement.
Date: May 2007
Creator: Underwood, Michael
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Choral Works of Robert Ward: A View of His Compositional Approach to Text Settings and His Use of Symbols and Allusions (open access)

The Choral Works of Robert Ward: A View of His Compositional Approach to Text Settings and His Use of Symbols and Allusions

Robert Eugene Ward's impressive body of work encompasses almost every genre of music. He has composed symphonies, operas, large orchestral pieces, chamber works, solo instrumental pieces, extended choral works, short choral pieces, ceremonial works, a ballet, theatre pieces, and even jazz and swing band pieces. Ward's name is recognized in most musical circles but usually only for his opera The Crucible, a work for which he earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1962. In fact, a survey of all the dissertations, articles, interviews, and books written about Robert Ward shows that the vast majority of these studies focus on his most famous opera. His choral works, though they comprise some of Ward's most expressive work, have received little attention. Ward's works show a deliberate use of symbols and allusions. While this use is far from an innovative concept in composition, Ward distinguishes himself with a consistent and purposeful application of these devices establishing an unmistakable interweaving of text, composition, and context. This study examines several of Ward's short choral compositions as they relate to the composer's use of symbols and allusions. Comparisons are made to Ward's use of these devices in his operatic works as a means of determining the consistency …
Date: May 2007
Creator: Tucker, Carlton S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Historical and Analytical Examination of the Stravinsky Octet for Wind Instruments, with a Guide to Performance Preparation of the Two Trumpet Parts (open access)

A Historical and Analytical Examination of the Stravinsky Octet for Wind Instruments, with a Guide to Performance Preparation of the Two Trumpet Parts

The Octuor pour instruments a vents (or Octet), written in 1922-1923 by Igor Stravinsky, is a piece in three movements for a curious assortment of instruments: two trumpets, two trombones, flute, clarinet and two bassoons. It is one of four influential chamber works for winds by Stravinsky to include trumpet. Of these pieces, the Octet contains the fewest number of players but is no less complex and important in Stravinsky's oeuvre. The Octet helped mark the beginning of the neoclassical period in twentieth-century music. Chapter 2 examines the life and musical background of the composer. It also reveals the history surrounding the origin of the Octet and its role in neoclassicism. Chapter 3 discusses the role of the Octet in the wind ensemble and orchestral repertoire, and includes a representative performance history, including the premiere. Chapter 4 provides analytical insights into the construction and format of the piece. Chapter 5 provides suggestions regarding style in Stravinsky's music, including interviews with important figures in the trumpet world. Chapter 6 concludes the guide with specific suggestions regarding preparation and performance of the Octet.
Date: May 2007
Creator: Wood, James J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An historical and analytical survey of the Transcendental Etudes by Sergei Liapunov. (open access)

An historical and analytical survey of the Transcendental Etudes by Sergei Liapunov.

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 …
Date: August 2007
Creator: Chernyshev, Igor
System: The UNT Digital Library
The American Trumpet Sonata in the 1950s: An Analytical and Sociohistorical Discussion of Trumpet Sonatas by George Antheil, Kent Kennan, Halsey Stevens, and Burnet Tuthill. (open access)

The American Trumpet Sonata in the 1950s: An Analytical and Sociohistorical Discussion of Trumpet Sonatas by George Antheil, Kent Kennan, Halsey Stevens, and Burnet Tuthill.

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 …
Date: August 2007
Creator: Dearden, Jennifer Lorien
System: The UNT Digital Library
Franz Liszt: (1811-1886): The Two Episodes from Lenau's Faust as a Unified Work (open access)

Franz Liszt: (1811-1886): The Two Episodes from Lenau's Faust as a Unified Work

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 …
Date: August 2007
Creator: Grobler, Pieter Johannes Christoffel
System: The UNT Digital Library
Interpreting Richard Strauss's Der Krämerspiegel from the perspectives of the performers and the audience. (open access)

Interpreting Richard Strauss's Der Krämerspiegel from the perspectives of the performers and the audience.

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 …
Date: August 2007
Creator: Hurst, Michael Shane
System: The UNT Digital Library
A study of Sukhi Kang's Inventio for Piano and Electronic Sound (open access)

A study of Sukhi Kang's Inventio for Piano and Electronic Sound

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.
Date: August 2007
Creator: Hwang, Hooshik
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Examination of the Clarinet Music of Luigi Bassi (open access)

An Examination of the Clarinet Music of Luigi Bassi

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.
Date: August 2007
Creator: Johnson, Madeline LeBaron
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Examination of Laude: Four Character Sketches for Solo Trumpet in B-flat or C by Stanley Friedman, together with Three Recitals of Selected Works by Joseph Haydn, George Fredrick Handel, Eric Ewazen, and Others (open access)

An Examination of Laude: Four Character Sketches for Solo Trumpet in B-flat or C by Stanley Friedman, together with Three Recitals of Selected Works by Joseph Haydn, George Fredrick Handel, Eric Ewazen, and Others

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.
Date: August 2007
Creator: Lambert, Adam
System: The UNT Digital Library
A pedagogical study and practice guide for significant original euphonium solo compositions for the undergraduate level student. (open access)

A pedagogical study and practice guide for significant original euphonium solo compositions for the undergraduate level student.

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 …
Date: August 2007
Creator: Meixner, Brian Daniel
System: The UNT Digital Library
Live Sampling in Improvised Musical Performance: Three Approaches and a Discussion of Aesthetics (open access)

Live Sampling in Improvised Musical Performance: Three Approaches and a Discussion of Aesthetics

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 …
Date: August 2007
Creator: Morris, Jeffrey Martin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Jon Christopher Nelson’s Fantasies and Flourishes: An Interactive Concerto for Disklavier and Orchestra: A Performance Analysis (open access)

Jon Christopher Nelson’s Fantasies and Flourishes: An Interactive Concerto for Disklavier and Orchestra: A Performance Analysis

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 …
Date: August 2007
Creator: Marosek, Scott
System: The UNT Digital Library
An historical and stylistic examination of Charles Chaynes' Concerto Pour Trompette and Deuxième Concerto Pour Trompette, with an interview of the composer. (open access)

An historical and stylistic examination of Charles Chaynes' Concerto Pour Trompette and Deuxième Concerto Pour Trompette, with an interview of the composer.

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.
Date: August 2007
Creator: Reed, Marc Allen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Toward a Critical Edition of Gordon Jacob's William Byrd Suite: A Comparison of Extant Editions with The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (open access)

Toward a Critical Edition of Gordon Jacob's William Byrd Suite: A Comparison of Extant Editions with The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

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.
Date: August 2007
Creator: Trachsel, Andrew Jason
System: The UNT Digital Library
Alberto Grau: The Composer, Selected Works, and Influence upon the Venezuelan and International Choral Community (open access)

Alberto Grau: The Composer, Selected Works, and Influence upon the Venezuelan and International Choral Community

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 …
Date: August 2007
Creator: Yu, Julie
System: The UNT Digital Library
"Between the Staves" - Adaptations of Debussy's Six épigraphes antiques and Creative Tasks of the Performer (open access)

"Between the Staves" - Adaptations of Debussy's Six épigraphes antiques and Creative Tasks of the Performer

The Six épigraphes antiques represent a cross-section of Debussy's creative output that traces the composer's germ-seed from his original setting of the work in 1901 as incidental music to accompany the recitation of several poems, to the four-hand piano version of 1914, and its consequent reduction for solo piano. What can be gleaned by the methods of derivation from his original sketches to the final, mature works is an understanding of Debussy's use of musical metaphor and his connection to the poetry - the Chansons de Bilitis of Pierre Louÿs. Embedded literary procedures create a new musical expression of the work whereby text and music become integrated. Rather than serving as accompaniment to the poems, the Épigraphes function as the primary vessel for the conveyance of these ancient scenes. Several of Debussy's hallmark symmetrical and structural moulds, such as the whole-tone, chromatic, octatonic, and mirroring techniques reflect the omnipresent symmetry of Classical Greece. Various other artistic creations emanated from the Épigraphes, most significantly the orchestration of Ernest Ansermet in 1939. A look at the techniques used by Ansermet for the augmentation of the piano work serves to extrapolate the multifarious layers relevant in performance. In order to facilitate the four-hand …
Date: December 2007
Creator: Astilla, Christopher
System: The UNT Digital Library