Music Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2796

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End date: 2019Subject: search.filters.subject.Performing arts

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    VIOLA FROM IRAN: CONTINUING AND EXPANDING THE TRAJECTORY OF A RICH CULTURAL HISTORY
    (2019) Hesabi Amnieh, Kimia; Murdock, Katherine; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The Middle Eastern country of Iran has been home to thousands of years of art, poetry, and music. The history of classical music of Iran can be traced back to 3000 BCE. This rich history has inspired the composition of a vast variety of music in different genres and styles. While there has been some scholarly research on the topic of Iranian classical music, the contemporary music of Iran largely remains an unknown territory to Western audiences. In the current social and political climate in the United States, there is an urgent need to open a new window into Iran through the arts. Most news in the U.S. regarding Iran appears to create a negative image, portraying it as a country that lacks culture, stability, and the desire for peace. Additionally, there is a gap in knowledge about Iran specifically when discussing the arts. This gap exists not only in an academic setting through scholarly work, but also with regard to performing and displaying works by Iranian artists. This dissertation introduces works composed for viola by Iranian contemporary composers and aims to display a wide range of styles and approaches in contemporary Iranian music. These works include commissions, U.S. premieres and world premieres; some were performed on a recital and some were included in a recording project. Each chapter of this document highlights one composer and their represented work in this project. The recital and the recording project can be found in the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM).
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    THE IMPACT OF GENRE FUSION AND IMPROVISATIONAL ELEMENTS IN 21ST-CENTURY OPERAS ON VOCAL PEDAGOGY AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICE
    (2019) DuBose, Sequina; Balthrop, Carmen; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In the 21st century, opera composers are expanding beyond traditional boundaries by incorporating improvisatory elements and musical style elements from non-classical genres. The purpose of this study is to point to the impact these trends will have on vocal pedagogy and performance practice. The opening chapters of the dissertation provide historical context by examining the role of improvisation in the Baroque era and beyond, along with details concerning key shifts in audience culture, vocal aesthetic and performance practice throughout history. Chapter two also incorporates narratives from key industry practitioners, voice pedagogue Dr. Rachelle Fleming, and American Opera Projects Artistic Director, Mila Henry. Chapter three consists of a discussion of the research methodology and the key researchers and methodologists that influenced the study. This study is a narrative inquiry that employs an analysis of narrative approach and paradigmatic reasoning in its analysis, inducing themes and relationships between the concepts that reveal themselves in the data and literature. Chapter four includes narrative research and analysis based on interviews that have been conducted with composers and singers from four innovative operas: Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (Daniel Schynder), I Dream: A Rhythm and Blues Opera (Douglas Tappin), Blue Viola (Peter Hilliard), and The Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7 o’clock (David Lang; the composer intentionally uses lowercase script in the titles of his works). Each composer and singer offers a unique perspective regarding the interpretation of and preparation for contemporary operatic works and furthers the argument that academic voice programs will benefit from an expanded curriculum that prepares singers to meet the evolving demands of the opera industry. The final chapter provides personal testimony from the author and suggested vocal and dramatic exercises for incorporating improvisation in a manner that may be of use in university opera workshops, group voice classes, and voice studios. This body of research documents the stylistic and technical considerations that modern opera singers and teachers take into account in order to branch out and explore operatic works that have genre-bending and/or improvisative elements. Based on the findings from this study it is recommended that voice teachers cross-train by teaching classically trained singers to adapt their singing methods to various styles.
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    TRACING THE EVOLUTION OF STYLE AND TECHNIQUE IN UNACCOMPANIED VIOLIN WORKS SPANNING THE SEVENTEENTH THROUGH TWENTIETH CENTURIES
    (2019) Wright, Audrey; Salness, David; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Violin playing on a universal level encompasses a vast history of stylistic and technical traditions. By studying the evolution of the styles and techniques of violin playing–while not always obvious or expected–one can further understand and have a greater appreciation for the genre as a whole. The specific realm of unaccompanied polyphonic violin repertory is a unique one, for the violin itself was never physically ideal for chordal playing, and yet, composers have expanded their idiomatic writing through this very genre in truly ideal ways from the early-Baroque Era until now. My approach with this performance dissertation has been to highlight solo polyphonic works of both standard and non-standard reputation, to show a wide scope of the styles and techniques that have been used over centuries to shape how we experience violin playing today. What we discover is that despite the leaps and bounds taken by composers of this genre to reach the current trends, the simplest and most widely applied violinistic traditions over time are the ones that composers continue to rely on the most.
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    PARADOX AND PARALLEL: ALFRED SCHNITTKE'S WORKS FOR VIOLIN IN CONTEXT
    (2019) Chernicoff, Lydia; Stern, James; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In his works for violin, Alfred Schnittke explores and challenges the traditional boundaries of Western composition. This dissertation project is founded on the conviction that these works by Schnittke, despite their experimental and idiosyncratic nature, hold an integral place in the standard violin repertoire as well as in the broader canon of Western classical music. The argument will be supported by three recital programs that place the works in the context of that canon and an investigation of how Schnittke’s compositional language relates to that of the western European composers, revealing his complex and distinctive voice. By tracking his deconstruction and reworking of the music of other composers, we see Schnittke’s particular formality and musical rhetoric, as well as his energetic and artistic drive, and we see that his works are not merely experimental—they renew the forms whose boundaries they transgress, and they exhibit a gravity, a timelessness, and a profound humanity, earning the composer his rightful place in the lineage of Western classical music. The first and third recitals were performed in Ulrich Recital Hall, and the second recital was performed in Gildenhorn Recital Hall, all at the University of Maryland. Recordings of all three recitals can be accessed at the University of Maryland Hornbake Library.
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    Tailor-made: Does this song look good on me? The Voices that Inspired Vocal Music History
    (2019) Bickham, Theresa Rose; Balthrop, Carmen; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The history of tailor-made repertoire is celebrated, and, in many cases, the composer and the works live on in perpetuity while the performing artist is remembered only in historical documents. Timbres, agilities, ranges, and personalities of singers have long been a source of inspiration for composers. Even Mozart famously remarked that he wrote arias to fit singers like a well-tailored suit. This dissertation studies the vocal and dramatic profiles of ten sopranos and discovers how their respective talents compelled famed composers to create music that accommodated each singer’s unique abilities. The resulting repertoire advanced the standard of vocal music and encouraged new developments in the genres and styles of compositions for the voice. This is a performance dissertation and each singer is depicted through the presentation of repertoire originally created for and by them. The recital series consisted of one lecture recital and two full recitals performed at the University of Maryland, College Park. I was joined in the performance of these recitals by pianist Andrew Jonathan Welch, clarinetist Melissa Morales, and composer/pianist Dr. Elaine Ross. The series was presented chronologically, and the first recital included works of the Baroque and Classical music eras written for Marie Le Rochois, Faustina Bordoni, Catarina Cavalieri, and Adriana Ferrarese del Bene. The second recital advanced into the nineteenth-century with repertoire composed for Anna Milder-Hauptmann, Giulia Grisi, and Mary Garden. Finally, the concluding recital explored music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that was made famous by sopranos Conxita Badía, Leontyne Price, and Renée Fleming. This recital culminated in a commissioned work for the author composed by Dr. Elaine Ross. Additional featured music included works by Lully, Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Rossini, Bellini, Debussy, Massenet, Granados, Rodrigo, Gerhard, Barber, and Previn.
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    Interpreting Music in the Age of Recording: The Collaboration Between Mstislav Rostropovich and Benjamin Britten
    (2019) Clopton, Kacy Anne; Kutz, Eric; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Benjamin Britten, a prolific and distinguished English composer, and Mstislav Rostropovich, a virtuoso Russian cellist were both at the height of their popularity mid-twentieth century and were highly celebrated internationally. Upon their meeting in 1960, Britten and Rostropovich formed a uniquely personal and musical bond, and the resulting six pieces written for cello as well as their many recordings together demonstrate the depth of that friendship and collaborative inspiration. This paper considers the question of musical authority and what may be considered a definitive interpretation, particularly when peering through the lens of recordings. When one is presented with the knowledge that a piece has been composed for the artist performing on the recording, it can become limiting when attempting one’s own interpretation. However, said recording can also provide valuable insight into the wishes of the composer, and the evolution of the music from paper to sound through the subjective perspective of the performer. I suggest that as modern performers, we need a balance of both absorbing what has come before and affirming what we do now. Reflecting on the work of Britten and Rostropovich together as colleagues and friends, I aim to study the meaning of this kind of collaboration and its larger implications for ensuing generations of musicians, particularly in how it is expressed through the aural heritage of recordings. I hope that through exploring the collaborative output but more importantly the friendship between Britten and Rostropovich, I am able to shed new light on the impact they made together.
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    Re-Examining Viola Transcriptions Through Informed Historical Performance
    (2018) Mondragon, Eva; Murdock, Katherine; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In this performance dissertation, I re-examined transcriptions of standard viola literature which were originally written for other instruments, such as the clarinet, voice, string trio, arpeggione, violin, cello and viola da gamba, and performed these works from extant modern editions in three recitals. The composers wrote idiomatically for the original instruments, but many details do not transfer well from the originals to the viola transcriptions. In exploring the unique qualities of these various instruments, as well as in studying the original editions and historical performances practices from the time of the selected repertoire, a new approach to interpretation emerges, one that can richly augment a violist’s interpretation of these pieces. The first recital features the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas and Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, works that require the breath and vocal elements. In the second recital, works from the eighteenth century were performed, including Beethoven’s Notturno, Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata and the Franck Sonata. The final recital included only works of Bach. New transcriptions of these works done by the author, which incorporate ideas discussed in this dissertation, will be published separately in the near future. The recitals were performed on May 7, 2017, December 11, 2017, and April 26, 2018 in Smith Hall and Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the University of Maryland School of Music. Dr. Hui-Chuan Chen and Josiah Stocker assisted me on piano and harpsichord respectively. The recitals were recorded on CDs, which can be found in the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM).
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    Voices from the Holocaust, Remembered: Selected Works for Cello
    (2018) Jones, Molly; Kutz, Eric; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    During the Holocaust, many prominent Jewish composers’ lives and careers were cut short in their prime. Their music was banned and they had to abandon their homes and emigrate in order to survive. Tragically, many were shipped off to concentration camps where they were murdered. These composers were stripped of all possible advantages. As a result, their music often fell into obscurity. I chose to explore the lives and works of six of these composers: Hans Gál, Hans Krása, Gideon Klein, Erwin Schulhoff, James Simon, and Alexander Zemlinsky. Through my dissertation, I hope to promote their compelling music and bring some measure of justice to the tragedy of lives and careers cut short by the Holocaust.
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    A Survey of Czech Piano Cycles: From Romanticism to Modernism (1877-1935)
    (2018) Ahn, Florence; Dedova, Larissa; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The piano music of the Bohemian lands from the Romantic era to post World War I has been largely neglected by pianists and is not frequently heard in public performances. However, given an opportunity, one gains insight into the unique sound of the Czech piano repertoire and its contributions to the Western tradition of piano music. Nationalist Czech composers were inspired by the Bohemian landscape, folklore and historical events, and brought their sentiments to life in their symphonies, operas and chamber works, but little is known about the history of Czech piano literature. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the unique sentimentality, sensuality and expression in the piano literature of Czech composers whose style can be traced from the solo piano cycles of Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884), Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904), Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), Josef Suk (1874-1935), Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1935) to Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942).
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    BEETHOVEN AND SCHUBERT: SELECTED LATE-PERIOD PIANO SONATAS
    (2017) Carmichael, Sean Anthony; Tsong, Mayron; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The piano sonata genre sits at the apex of formal experimentation and expression within the solo piano repertoire. Since its introduction, the term ‘sonata’ has represented short instrumental pieces in binary form, pieces containing fantasy elements and multi- movement dance suites in the same key, to name a few. The modern definition of a sonata ultimately emerged as a work containing three or four movements: a sonata- allegro movement, a scherzo or minuet and trio, a slow cantabile movement, and an upbeat [typically] rondo finale. Following Beethoven’s piano sonatas, numerous composers have contributed to the genre in novel ways; however, none have produced an output of any comparable magnitude. This may be due in part to a sentiment felt by his contemporaries and expressed by Schubert, who commented, “Secretly, in my heart of hearts, I hope to make something of myself, but who can do anything after Beethoven?” While Beethoven and Schubert’s nearly coterminous deaths marked the end of the Viennese classical sonata, the passing of Beethoven in 1827 undoubtedly alleviated some pressure for Schubert as an instrumental composer. Composing a total of twenty-two piano sonatas (albeit some remaining incomplete), it was in this year that Schubert composed his final three, D. 958, 959 and 960. In this dissertation, I will examine four late-period sonatas of Beethoven and Schubert, exploring their influences and the characteristics that position them between the classical and romantic eras. The sonatas examined are Beethoven’s Op. 101 in A major and Op. 110 in A-flat major and Schubert’s D. 959 in A major and D. 960 in B-flat major. The dissertation was recorded by Antonino d’Urzo in the Dekelboum Concert Hall at the School of Music, University of Maryland and edited by Sean Carmichael. These recordings can be found in the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM).