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Item GABRIEL FAURE (1845-1924): INNOVATOR OF THE FRENCH MODERN STYLE AS SEEN IN HIS WORKS FOR CELLO AND PIANO(2003) Oh, Jooeun; Elsing, Evelyn; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)Gabriel Faure was a deeply influential leader in establishing modem trends in early twentieth-century French music. His individualistic compositions include both traditional and modern aspects incorporated into his own distinctive style. This doctoral project is a study of Faure's contributions to French chamber-music and explores especially his works for cello. In the first chapter of this dissertation, a brief biography of Faure is presented, and Faure's personal relationships with several influential contemporaries, including Camille Saint-Saens, are discussed. The second chapter describes Faure's highly effective career as Professor and then Director and reformer at the Paris Conservatoire. In the third chapter, Faure's chamber music is discussed, with emphasis on his works for cello. His works can be divided into three time periods, each representative of the composer's unique musical style and illustrative of Faure's stylistic development throughout his career. The fourth and final chapter examines the evolution of Faure's musical approach, while his complete works for the cello are analyzed and compared. Diverse reactions of his contemporary critics to Faure's late-period chamber works are also presented. As part of this doctoral project two recitals of works by Faure and his contemporaries were performed at the University of Maryland School of Music. The works performed in the first recital include Camille Saint-Saens' Romance for Violoncello and Piano, Opus 36 ( 1877); Maurice Ravel's Sonata for Violoncello and Violin ( 1920-22); Claude Debussy's Sonata for Violoncello and Piano ( 1915); and Faure's Violoncello Sonata No. I in d minor, Opus I 09 ( 1917). The second recital incorporated selections from all three of Faure's compositional periods: Elegie for Violoncello and Piano, Opus 2-1 ( 1880); Papillion for Violoncello and Piano, Opus 77 ( 1885), Romance for Violoncello and Piano, Opus 69 ( 1894 ), Sicilienne for Violoncello and Piano, Opus 78 ( 1898, originally 1893 ); Violoncello Sonata No. 2 in g minor, Opus I I 7 ( 1921 ); and Piano Trio in d minor, Opus I 20 ( 1922-1923 ).Item The Many Faces of Paul Hindemith(2006) WANG, SZU-YING; Stern, James; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this project is to present selected violin pieces by Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) against a backdrop of the diverse styles and traditions that he integrated in his music. For this dissertation project, selected violin sonatas by Hindemith were performed in three recitals alongside pieces by other German and Austro-German composers. These recitals were also recorded for archival purposes. The first recital, performed with pianist David Ballena on December 10, 2005, in Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park, included Violin Sonata Op.11, No. 1 (1918) by Paul Hindemith, Sonatina in D Major, Op. 137 (1816) by Franz Schubert, and Sonata in E-flat Major, Op.18 (1887) by Richard Strauss. The second recital, performed with pianist David Ballena on May 9, 2006, in Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the University of Maryland, included Sonata in E Minor, KV 304 (1778) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata in E (1935) by Paul Hindemith, Romance for Violin and Orchestra No.1 in G Major (1800-1802) by Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Sonata for Violin and Piano in A minor, Op. 105 (1851) by Robert Schumann. The third recital, performed with David Ballena and Kai-Ching Chang on November 10, 2006 in Ulrich Recital Hall at the University of Maryland, included Violin Sonata Op.12 No.1 in D Major (1798) by Ludwig Van Beethoven, Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord No.4 in C Minor BWV 1017 (1720) by J.S. Bach, and Violin Sonata Op.11 No.2 (1918) by Paul Hindemith. For each of my dissertation recitals, I picked a piece by Hindemith as the core of the program then picked pieces by other composers that have similar key, similar texture, same number of movements or similar feeling to complete my program. Although his pieces used some classical methods of composition, he added his own distinct style: extension of chromaticism; his prominent use of interval of the fourth; his chromatic alteration of diatonic scale degrees; and his non-traditional cadences. Hindemith left behind a legacy of multi-dimensional, and innovative music capable of expressing both the old and the new aesthetics.Item TEACHING AMERICAN CIVIL WAR MUSIC IDSTORY WITH MODERN EDITIONS OF PERIOD MUSIC FOR FULL CONCERT BAND(2004) French, Otis C.; Wakefield, John E.; Music; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.); Digital Repository at the University of MarylandThis dissertation explores a method of teaching the history of Civil War music and musicians through modern full-band editions of original brass band music. In the study of music history the period of the Civil War is rarely discussed, or at best, mentioned only if a student takes a specific course on the history of bands and happens to look deeply into the background of some of the early band pioneers such as Patrick Gilmore, who served in the Union Army as a bandmaster. The history of the musicians, bands, and music performed during the Civil War deserves study to provide a way for students and audiences to learn this history. This project includes lesson plans that can be used with the arrangements of the period music as well as select published music that is also representative of the period. Included with the historical information are four arrangements of original brass band music now scored for full concert band. Each arrangement includes a section scored for brass only with optional brass band parts. Historical information is provided on the Civil War period bands and how each side used them, on the composers of the music, and also on the individual compositions. The historical information can be used to supplement the lesson plans to teach the history, as well as for program notes for audiences. The research involved locating information on both Union and Confederate bands available in books, other dissertations, articles, and interviews with Civil War music historians. The original brass band music is scored for full band. This method will allow teachers and conductors to highlight this period of wind band history and to share it with both students and audiences. Included with this project are photos and video footage taken during a visit with the 1st Brigade Band of Watertown, Wisconsin, an historical organization dedicated to recreating the music and performances of an actual Civil War era band.Item Post-1945 Danish Piano Trio Literature: A Recording Dissertation(2004) Fukasawa, Natsuki Anne; Sloan, Rita; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This recording dissertation surveys post-1945 literature written for piano trio (violin, violoncello and piano) by ten Danish composers. The literature was first considered for inclusion by searching a database provided by the Danish Music Information Center (www.mic.dk). Scores were rented from the publisher Edition Wilhelm Hansen AS, or purchased from the publisher Samfundet til Udgivelse af Dansk Musik. An additional score published by Viking Musikforlag was used as well. The music was then studied and evaluated for selection. During the selection process, the following criteria were considered: 1) quality of the compositions; 2) recognition of the composers at the national or international level; 3) whether the compositions had been previously recorded; and 4) variety of compositional styles. The selected works are written by Niels Viggo Bentzon, Vagn Holmboe, Anders Koppel, Herman D. Koppel, Bent Lorentzen, Anders Nordentoft, Per Norgard, Michael Nyvang, Karl Aage Rasmussen, and Poul Rovsing Olsen. The selected compositions were practiced, rehearsed, and performed under direct supervision of the composers and other expert musicians. In order to better understand the compositional style of each composer, relevant books, articles, and recordings were researched and studied. This recording dissertation is supported by a written document. A subjective preference for program balance was exercised to determine the order of recorded works. The written document is divided into chapters defined by composer, following the order of the recorded document, which include the composers' biographies and notes referring to the recorded compositions. The recording took place at the Manzius Gaarden, Birkerod, Denmark during three sessions: July 31-August 2, 2002, March 2 and 3, 2003, and June 2-4, 2003. The music for this dissertation was recorded by the members of the Jalina Trio; Line Fredens, violin, Janne Fredens, cello and Natsuki Fukasawa, piano. Aksel Trige, a well-respected recording engineer, was engaged for the recording and editing. Additionally, a Hamburg Steinway concert grand piano was rented and a Joseph Guarnerius filius Andreas Cremona violin (1706) was provided by the Augustinus Fonden, Denmark. The cellist used her own instrument, Vuillaume of Paris (c. 1850). The expense of this recording was partially paid by generous grants from the Augustinus Fonden, the Solist Foreningen af 1921, and the Dansk Musikerforbunds Kollective Rettighedsmidler. The compositions selected for this recording dissertation are assumed to be previously unrecorded, with the exception of Poul Rovsing Olsen's Trio II.Item THE SOLO KEYBOARD VARIATION REPERTOIRE: A RECORDING PROJECT AND DOCUMENT EXPLORING THE NUMEROUS METHODS COMPOSERS HAVE ADOPTED TO MOLD VARIATION FORM ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN MUSICAL STYLE AND HISTORICAL REFERENCE(2004) Forney, Deborah J.; Gowen, Bradford; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In music, the term "variation" describes both a technique and a form. The technique of variation, the alteration of a musical idea, pervades every form, style and period of music from Gregorian chant to Serialism. Variation is fundamental. When this fundamental technique becomes the overriding principle that lends structure to a musical composition, variation is elevated from technique to form. If variation technique is the process, then variation form is the result. Accordingly, variation form derives from continuous and systematic variation technique. Variation form is governed by the idea of retention and alteration. With each variation, a composer chooses to retain some elements of the theme while altering others. In doing so, he realizes that each variation promises new combinations of constants and changes. The balancing of innovation and continuity and its limitless possibilities account for the form's universal appeal. This dissertation explores the numerous methods that composers have adopted to mold the Variation form according to their own musical style and historical reference. The repertoire discussed and recorded focuses on independent strophic variation sets written for the keyboard. A survey of this repertoire produces the following categorizations: Harmonic Variations (basso ostinato and constant-harmony), Melodic Variations (constant-melody and melodic-outline), Character Variations (formal-outline and fantasy/free), Serial Variations, and Hybrid Variations. Certain variation types, namely constant-melody, serial, and fantasy/free, are synonymous with a particular time and repertoire because they wholly identifY with the aesthetics of a given historical period or style. Constant-harmony, melodic-outline, formal-outline and hybrid types are more pliable and thus produce a more diverse repertoire from multiple historical periods. The remaining form, basso ostinato, engenders a keyboard variation repertoire that spans six centuries; it is truly a universal form. While these conclusions are legitimate, they do not accurately convey the diversity of the variation repertoire. In the end, composers of all periods make individual choices in selecting which form or combination of forms best expresses their creative impulse.Item THE COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS OF VINCENT PERSICHETTI: A RECORDING DISSERTATION(2004) Takao, Naoko; Rodriguez, Santiago; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This recording dissertation aims to expose the twelve piano sonatas of Vincent Ludwig Persichetti (1915-1987) which have never been recorded as a complete set. Vincent Persichetti is considered as one of the America's most influential and prolific composers of the twentieth-century. He was admired not only as a virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor, but also as a lucid theorist-teacher with nearly encyclopedic knowledge of music by other composers. His piano compositions-- including two solo concertos, twelve sonatas, three volumes of Poems, six sonatinas, etudes, and works for piano four-hand and duo pianos as well as other smaller solo piano works--were written throughout his fifty-eight years of productive compositional career and are representative of Persichetti's varied styles. His piano sonatas, in particular, stand out as the most significant among his piano compositions; and as a set, they provide a cross section of his eclectic language, exhibiting his firm grasp of keyboard technique as well as his thorough knowledge of traditional and twentieth-century compositional styles. Unfortunately, a large portion of his solo piano music has never been recorded, and many of the works that have been recorded are not available today. As for the twelve sonatas, it has never been recorded as a set, and only the Third Piano Sonata is available on compact disc. It is ironic that his works for piano, the instrument he showed most affinity to, have not received the due recognition in today's performing scenes except for a few exceptions of two-piano works and some of the smaller works such as the Poems and etudes. It is strongly hoped that the recording of the twelve piano sonatas will heighten the public awareness of the work of this important American composer and to inspire more pianists to incorporate his music into their repertoire. In preparation for the recording, general research on his biography and sampling of recordings available of the composer's works for both piano and other instruments were done in order to better understand his compositional style and the significance of the piano sonatas, after which the written document was prepared to accompany this recording dissertation. The written document includes an introductory chapter with pertinent biographical information and background of his compositional philosophy, as well as the discussion of the sonatas. The sonatas are discussed individually except for instances where it is more suitable to be discussed in groups, highlighting the stylistic traits, placing them in the context of his life when appropriate, and searching for the common threads amongst the seemingly bewildering assortment of styles. The chapter entitled Observations Through Performance includes a commentary based on practical observations taken during the process of learning and performing the sonatas. The appendix lists the piano sonatas with movement titles, year of composition, and premiere information. The twelve sonatas were recorded in four recording sessions of three hours each, scheduled approximately a month apart. The ordering and pairing of the sonatas for the recording sessions were decided with careful consideration to the length, difficulty, and physical and mental stamina required for each sonatas to ensure efficient use of time. For the finished CDs, the sonatas are presented according to the chronological order of composition. The recording took place at the Joseph and Alma Gildenhom Recital Hall at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, College Park during the following dates: December 22, 2003, January 24, 2004, March 4, 2004, and March 25, 2004. Antonino Maria Paolo D'Urzo, of the Opusritetm Audio Productions was engaged for the producing, recording and editing of this dissertation recording.Item CANCIONES ARGENTINAS (SONGS OF ARGENTINA): A RECORDING PROJECT(2004) Teasley, Linda; Mabbs, Linda; Music; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.); Digital Repository at the University of MarylandThis Dissertation Project comprises recordings of Argentine art songs. The discs are approximately 40-60 minutes in length and consist of songs from the traditional art-song repertoire for voice and piano. This project is particularly appropriate because of the very limited number of recordings of Argentine songs, which are notable both not only for their high quality but for their accessibility of performance for voice teachers, students, and professional singers alike. Art songs in the Spanish language are a welcome resource, and the poetry included in this project is of an outstanding quality. Some of the poets set to music are Gabriela Mistral (a poet laureate of Chile and the first Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature), Pablo Neruda (also a Nobel laureate), Luis Cernuda, and Leon Benar6s. The lyrics of some songs are based on traditional sources, and the melodies and rhythms of all are representative of South American-indigenous and European immigrant cultures. The composers represented here will be familiar to some listeners but more than likely unfamiliar to most. Yet Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) is considered to be the greatest of all Argentine composers. Alberto Williams (1862-1952) is known as the father of the Nationalist School of composition in Argentina, and Carlos Lopez Buchardo (1881-1963) is a most influential composer and pedagogue after whom the national Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aries is named. Two composers who remain relatively unknown outside of South America, Abraham Jurafsky (1906- 1993) and Julio Perceval (1903-1963) are also represented in this project. A complete compact disc is devoted to the works of Carlos Guastavino. Known as the "Argentine Schubert", Guastavino has over 250 songs to his credit. Chiefly a composer for piano and voice, his recent death (October 2000) makes a recording of his works especially appropriate. This project also includes a written component, a supportive dissertation briefly describing the history of the Argentine art song and the lives and influences of the composers and poets represented in the studio recordings. The CD recordings are held in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library at the University of Maryland.Item THE SOLOISTIC VIOLA: SELECTED TWENTIETH CENTURY VIOLA WORKS BY EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN COMPOSERS(2004) Kwon, Yoon-Hee; Fischbach, Gerald; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Considered a magnificent instrument for chamber music since the eighteenth century, the viola nevertheless had difficulty establishing itself as a solo instrument. Its rich, sandy tone and middle range, indeed the very qualities that make it an ideal chamber music partner, historically deterred composers from placing the viola in the spotlight. Early violas were constructed with short necks in proportion to their size, making position playing extremely difficult, if not impossible. Further, oversized violas of the day greatly restricted the player's technical dexterity and limited the composer's efforts to exploit the instrument's resources. During the second half of the 18th Century, some violin virtuosos wanted to demonstrate their skills on viola, so violinmakers started making smaller violas. This resulted in a number of viola concertos written by viola player/composers. Stamitz, Mozart, Dittersdorf, and Hoffmeister provided the violist with masterworks in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Solo compositions by Brahms, Berlioz, and Schumann represent the nineteenth century and bring the violist to more fertile fields, musically and technically. It has only been in the twentieth century, however, that the viola has come into its own as a solo instrument. The three dissertation recitals for this project present eleven works written by selected American & European composers in the twentieth century who made major contributions viola solo literature. In each case, they had close relationships with virtuoso violists and were influenced by them. Recital repertoire choices represent 201 Century Viola repertoire in 3 primary ways: 1. Media: The selections include representative works for A. Solo Viola B. Viola with Piano C. Viola with other instruments 2. Musical styles: The selections present a variety of musical styles and languages 3. Composers of varying degree of prominence. From a large number of possible works under initial consideration (over 300 sonatas, 650 solo pieces, etc.), recital programs were constructed to include the above features while also considering each work's length, character, key, comparative difficulty, and how the works appealed to the author/performer.Item SELECTED TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITISH & AMERICAN ENGLISH SONG REPERTOIRE WRITTEN FOR SOPRANO(2004) Hsu, Ya-Hui; Mabbs, Linda; Music; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.); Digital Repository at the University of MarylandEnglish language song (both British and American) is influenced by a variety of cultures, races, and musical forms and has produced a broad range of song repertoire. Like songs in all countries and throughout history, these songs can be classified into three categories: imitative songs, experimental songs, and songs of individuality. Music experimentation, necessary and welcome as it is, can hardly command broad international attention. Thus, the songs of this dissertation performance project are chosen from the first and third categories: imitative songs and individual songs in the composer's own unique style. This project concentrates its exploration on twentieth-century solo songs written in English. Although twentieth-century British & American composers also produced solos and chamber music in other languages, this dissertation focuses upon their English repertoire. This performance project consists of three programs: one British repertoire and two American. The first program titled An Evening of British Song examines twentieth-century British song written by Roger Quilter, Peter Warlock, William Walton, Benjamin Britten, Thomas F. Dunhill, Ivor Gurney, and Frank Bridge. It was presented on December 12, 2001, in Homer Ulrich Recital Hall with the collaborative pianist Meriel Owen. The second program titled An Evening of American Song I comprises music written by Dominick Argento, Samuel Barber, Ned Rorem, Leonard Bernstein, and Lee Hoiby. It was presented on October 23, 2002, in Joseph & Alma Gildenhorn Recital Hall with the collaborative pianist R. Timothy McReynolds. The third program titled An Evening of American Song II written by John Duke, John Corigliano, Charles Ives, Richard Hundley, Lori Laitman, Frederick Loewe, George Gershwin, and Jerome Kern was presented on December 18, 2003, again in Joseph & Alma Gildenhorn Recital Hall with the collaborative pianist R. Timothy McReynolds and the flutist Jessica Dunnavant. Each of these three dissertation recitals occurred at the University of Maryland in College Park and was recorded. These CD recordings are held by the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library at the University of Maryland.Item NINETEENTH-& TWENTIETH-CENTURY LYRIC SONG: REPERTOIRE FOR THE SOPRANO VOICE(2004) Lee, Jung-Soo; Mabbs, Linda; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The nineteenth and twentieth century produced a vast and varied amount of beautiful vocal music including songs, chamber music and of course opera written specifically for the Lyric soprano voice. This dissertation performance project explores the broad variety of these compositions through three programs highlighting the different musical styles, languages, and vocal techniques needed to sing them. The first program was presented on May 13, 2002 in Ulrich Recital Hall at the University of Maryland. This recital included nineteenth- and twentieth-century art songs by Wolf-Ferrari, Hector Berlioz, Fernando Obradors, Alban Berg, and Benjamin Britten. This presentation utilized three different collaborative pianists and in the way different musical styles, techniques, and even the power of individual interpretations were highlighted. The second project program presented songs and chamber music by Claude Debussy, Chales Griffes, Franz Schubert, Manuel de Falla, and Serge Rachmaninoff. This concert was given in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on October 28, 2002. The third program was performance of selections from La Boheme and Madama Butteifly. One cannot explore the romantic vocal music of the last two centuries without embracing opera and especially the operatic compositions of Puccini. His operas display beautiful and lyric warmth and lovely melodic lines that still influence composers of the present day. This final program was presented on December 13, 2002 in Ulrich Recital Hall at the University of Maryland. These three programs are meant to represent in a very broad way, the vast variety of delightful repertoire that is found in the lyric writing of the nineteenth and twentieth century. All of three of these performances are available on CD in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Library in the University of Maryland.