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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 Voices of the Cello: Speak, Sing, Play; An Aesthetic Examination of Style Periods in the Cello Repertoire and How They Relate to the Viability of Transcription(2019) Singer, Daniel Pecos; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)This dissertation was produced in conjunction with three cello recitals as part of a Performance Dissertation Project. Each recital focuses on music from style periods ranging from the Baroque to the twenty-first century and seeks to demonstrate how the aesthetic language of a composer or style period affects the viability of transcription. The recitals also highlight the unique qualities of the cello, both when playing music originally for another instrument and when performing music specifically written for it. The first recital includes music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Franz Schubert. Bach’s Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012—performed on a five-string Baroque cello—shows how the spoken quality of the Baroque idiom in Bach’s music allows for transcription between instruments. The Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821 by Schubert offers an opportunity to expose the vocal quality of the ello while exploring the limitations of transcription in this aesthetic language so inspired by song. The second recital focuses on transcriptions within the violin family of instruments by including a transcription of the Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78 by Johannes Brahms, as well as César Franck’s Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano. While the Franck only needs minor adjustments for the cello version (the piano part is untouched), the Brahms is transposed from G major to D major in order to be suitable for the cello. The final recital completes the arc by culminating in music written specifically for the cello—music that would be impossible to imagine on any other instrument. First the Sonata for Solo Cello, Op.8 by Zoltán Kodály develops the unique sound of scordatura by lowering the pitch of two lower strings by one half step (from C and G to B and F-sharp). Similarly, the Sonata for Solo Cello by György Ligeti is so cellistic in its conception that it is essentially unviable on any other instrument. Finally, Crest, Clutter, Clamor by Bradley S. Green was designed specifically for the physical characteristics of the cello, thus making it a quintessential example of cello specific writing. The first recital was performed on November 26, 2018, with Ruth Bright on the piano in Ulrich Recital Hall. The second recital took place on March 6, 2019 in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall with Andrew Welch and Alexei Ulitin on the piano. The final recital was completed on May 5, 2019 in Ulrich Recital Hall.Item The Clarinet Repertoire and Musical Aesthetic of William Thomas McKinley(2019) Morales, Melissa; DiLutis, Robert; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)The clarinet repertoire of William Thomas McKinley is varied and interesting, but seldom performed today. The few recordings that exist were created by an elite contingency of soloists and chamber musicians who were close friends and colleagues with McKinley. Outside their premieres and these few recordings, his music has seldom been performed. While many of his works are challenging and engaging, most were never published and thus remain inaccessible. Through several engraving projects and performances, this dissertation brings light to a corner of the clarinet repertoire seldom explored and heard today. For this project, I have completed performance editions of several McKinley works and presented them on recital. I plan to make the editions themselves available through later publication. This will make his music more accessible for performers and audiences alike. A recital on McKinley’s influences, including Aaron Copland, Mel Powell, Gunther Schuller, and Lukas Foss, took place on December 7, 2018 in Gildenhorn Recital Hall. The recital on April 19, 2019 in Leah Smith Recital Hall concentrated on McKinley’s development and career trajectory, featuring For One, Mostly Blues, Two Romances for clarinet, violin, and piano, and Intermezzos No. 1 & 2. The final recital took place on May 4, 2019 in Ulrich Recital Hall and featured what could be considered his greatest works and clarinet duos, Clarinet Duets Book 1, Clarinet Concerto No. 2, and Clarinet Sonata. The recitals were recorded on compact discs and are archived within the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM).Item DESPERATE MEASURES: RECORDING OF THE COMPLETE PIANO WORKS OF ROBERT MUCZYNSKI(2019) Samogray, Dmitry; Dedova, Larissa; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The aim of this dissertation is to help assimilate the solo piano works of Robert Muczynski into the active 20th century piano repertoire, by providing pianists, musicologists, and listeners with the composer’s complete solo piano output on CD, for the first time. Of the fifteen compositions contained therein, only eight can be found on commercial CDs, with another two available on out-of-print LPs, and the last five never recorded on any recording medium. This circumstance diminishes Muczynski's piano music - the largest part of his catalogue - to a footnote in the American chapter of this instrument’s history. The ultimate goal is to have these recordings commercially released as a two-disk set. This release will follow an earlier disk of Muczynski's chamber music with piano, recorded for Brilliant Classics and released in the spring of 2017.Item BLACK COMPOSERS OF THE CLASSICAL MUSIC GENRE FROM THE EIGTHTEENTH CENTURY TO THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY(2019) Joyner, Amyr; Salness, David; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation research paper will be an examination of a number of prominent Black composers in the Classical music genre and their influences and contributions to the Classical music violin literature. The overall intent of the paper is to act as an additional resource for violinists and musicians that are interested in exploring the composers and their works, while also increasing exposure to and awareness of Black classical composers. While the purpose of this dissertation lies specifically with exploring influential Black composers, their chosen works in the programs, and how they fit within the broad spectrum of classical music, I am hopeful that it will nevertheless promote a further discussion regarding incorporating a more extended study of minority and women composers in the general curriculum of music institutes, as well as encourage more widespread practice and performances of their works along the likes of Bach, Beethoven, Mahler, and Bartók.Item TEXTBOOK COMPOSERS: A PERFORMANCE STUDY OF AMERICAN MODERNISM(2019) Stocker, Josiah; Sloan, Rita; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The technical difficulties we face and the interpretive decisions we make when playing 20th century music are essentially the same as with music from earlier periods. When playing more recent works, we benefit from first-hand accounts which are more readily available, and have greater interpretive freedom in playing music that does not have an established tradition. Studying a composer’s writings on theory will aid in analyzing a piece which may not follow traditional rules of form and harmony, and descriptions by their contemporaries can help us in understanding the printed markings in pieces which contain improvisation, extended techniques, or other unusual instructions. For my dissertation, I have addressed some difficulties unique to American music from the early- to mid-twentieth century. I selected music for three programs, using scores, the writings of composers, critics, and performers, as well as recordings, in my background research. My program notes document this process, and present conclusions which I hope will be useful to other musicians. The repertoire includes art song, chamber music, and solo piano music by Henry Cowell, Elliott Carter, and Vincent Persichetti. These three composers wrote books and essays about the theoretical and artistic ideas behind their own music and that of their contemporaries. Cowell’s groundbreaking New Musical Resources gave a remarkably concise and prescient overview of possible innovations in rhythm, texture, and harmony, many of which are worked out in his later compositions. Carter published collections of essays which contain detailed introspection on his influences and development. And Twentieth Century Harmony by Persichetti remains the most comprehensive and nuanced summary of the various developments and sub-currents from the first half of the century; it is also an invaluable key to understanding Persichetti’s indefinable yet immediately recognizable style.Item "AMBER LEAVES" FOR SOLO SITAR AND ELECTRONICS(2012) Regulski, Thomas; Delio, Thomas; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Amber Leaves is a composition for solo sitar and live electronics. The work constitutes a fusion between Western musical composition and Indian classical music, which I have been studying simultaneously for the past seven years. The sitar's music draws heavily upon its traditional performance technique, while also introducing a number of extended techniques developed specifically for this piece. Compositionally, I rely minimally on the tonal elements of Indian music, choosing instead an approach to tonality consistent with my recent work. The instrument is amplified by four loudspeakers, which are positioned in a square around the audience. At the same time, a microphone is picking up the sound and sending it to a computer, where it is modulated in various ways. Once processed, the computer sends the sound out to the same loudspeakers. The speakers themselves play an important role in the composition, as the sound is constantly moving from one to another. A large portion of the electronic processing occurs in a patch that I programmed in Max/MSP. The patch creates a variety of musical responses based on a real-time spectral analysis of the sitar performance. This initial process establishes a fundamental relationship between the synthesized sound and the sitar's music. Furthermore, I make use of the programming language Lisp to perform a number of algorithms that aid in the generation of these sounds.Item The American Contemporary Clarinet Concertos of John Corigliano, William Bolcom, Joan Tower, and John Adams(2019) Rynes, Matthew; DiLutis, Robert; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The clarinet concertos by John Corigliano, William Bolcom, John Adams and Joan Tower are among the most technically demanding pieces for the instrument of the last half-century. Each of the four composers utilizes a unique musical language that borrows from earlier pieces and musical styles. All four concertos also challenge the clarinetist’s ability to interpret various musical styles from contemporary and popular genres. This document outlines the form of each concerto, the various compositional languages utilized by each composer, and the popular and contemporary genres borrowed in each concerto.Item Preluding for Wind Instrumentalists: Historical and Contemporary Applications(2019) Kaufman, Laura; Frisof, Sarah; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The practice of extemporaneous preluding was ubiquitous in performances in the Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic eras. Preludes were improvised before beginning a piece of music. Performers preluded in order to have the opportunity to warm up on stage, tune their instruments, and establish the key and atmosphere of the piece they were about to perform. The style of the preludes were meant to match the style of the compositions; as compositional styles and techniques evolved, preludes evolved as well. Traveling virtuoso instrumentalists would champion preluding as a means to show off their improvisational and technical skills in an effort to appeal to a wide audience; preluding became etude-like and lacked emotional depth. The second half of the nineteenth century marked a gradual decline of preluding in performances. The formerly conjoined roles of performer and composer diverged into two separate entities. In the mid-to-late Romantic era, compositions started to become more substantial in quality, and performers of preluding were unwilling or unable to adjust to serve the music appropriately. In addition to the shallow nature of preluding, students were no longer being taught compositional and improvisational skills. References involving wind players preluding ceases at the end of the nineteenth century. This dissertation explores the practical and historical development of preluding throughout the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras as well as possible applications for preluding in modern performances.Item Born in the Twentieth Century: Contemporary Flute Works by East Asian Female Composers(2019) Wang, Grace Ju-Yeon; Frisof, Sarah; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)One of the primary changes to classical music within the last few decades has been an increased focus on the music of underrepresented populations. This has led to a major push to promote and perform the music of female composers. Unfortunately, the contribution of East Asian female composers has received less attention. The music of East Asian female composers is infrequently performed despite the fact that there are many composers who have written major repertoire for the flute. The goal of this performance dissertation is to introduce and publicize the flute repertoire of these East Asian female composers. I have selected twelve compositions embracing a wide range of musical characteristics, techniques, and instrumentation. One of these works was commissioned specifically for this dissertation. The works performed and discussed in this dissertation are the following: Mari Takano—Corridors of Light for solo flute; Haruna Miyake—Musik for piccolos, flutes and guitar; Karen Tanaka—Invisible Curve for flute, violin, viola, cello and piano; Yuko Uebayashi—Sonate for Flute and Piano; Chen Yi—Memory for solo flute; Faye Chiao—Songs of a Lost Bird suite for flute and harp; Wang Jie—From New York, with Love II for flute, viola and harp; Chen Yi—The Golden Flute for flute and orchestra; Hi-Kyung Kim—Instant Breath for solo flute; Hyo-Shin Na—Four Books for flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon and horn; Binna Kim—Return of the Repressed for flute, cello and piano; Hee-Yun Kim—Memoir of Dong-Hak for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano. This dissertation may be found on ProQuest and all the recordings associated may be found through the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland.