Music
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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 Singing in Brazilian Portuguese: an Introductory Guide to Diction, IPA, and Repertoire(2019) Nunes, Juliana Franco; Ziegler, Delores; Randall, Martha; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Brazil has a rich culture and a large body of art song repertoire, largely unknown to singers and audiences. One reason for this under-representation is the language. The diction of Portuguese in singing is often seen as a challenge by native and non-native speakers alike. In 2005, a group of Brazilian phoneticians and professional singers met and voted on standard pronunciations and published a document titled PB Cantado − Normas para a Pronúncia do Português Brasileiro no Canto Erudito. This document was first published in the Brazilian Association of Singing Bulletin. It was revised and published again in 2007 in both Portuguese and English versions. In 2017, Marcia Porter published Singing in Brazilian Portuguese, the first and only book about lyric diction in Brazil. The author used symbols, without explanation, that seem to be a combination of those found in two articles published prior to the official Brazilian IPA of 2005. These symbols are confusing even for those experienced with IPA. As a native Portuguese speaker and professional singer, one of my objectives was to create an accessible manual to serve as a guide for those interested in exploring Brazilian repertoire, using the approved 2005 standards. I included a brief history of Brazilian Portuguese, provided basic rules for pronunciation, guidance in producing the sounds, a comparison of European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, challenges for the non-native speaker, suggested repertoire, useful links, and some examples of songs with IPA. I believe that my research will be useful to everyone, but especially to those with a basic knowledge of IPA. My hope is to produce a work accessible to both amateur and professional singers, as well as to choral conductors.Item The Legacy of Mason Jones: A Study of His Pedagogical and Musical Philosophies(2019) Fries, Michael Richard; Miller, Gregory; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the pedagogical and musical philosophies of horn player Mason Jones. Through his many years of performing and teaching in world-class institutions, Mason Jones influenced a generation of horn players who have themselves become world-class performers and teachers. With the passing of Mason Jones in February of 2009, along with the passing of many of his contemporaries and students, there is a growing urgency to document this knowledge before it is lost. As much of this knowledge has been passed down orally, through lessons and masterclasses, this study was conducted by interviewing family members, students, and colleagues of Mr. Jones in order to gain a deeper understanding of his approach to teaching and his approach to musical performance. Transcriptions of these interviews are included in order to preserve the accuracy of the first-hand accounts. Additionally, stories and information about Mason Jones’ career have been included in order to provide a documented history of his contributions to the development of horn playing in North America.Item 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).Item When the Cello Speaks Alone: Cello Cadenzas in Chamber Music Duos(2019) Borowsky, Frances Grace; Kutz, Eric; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation explores chamber duo works in which the cello has one or more significant solo passages. Works studied are sonatas for cello and piano by Luigi Boccherini (1771), Anton Rubinstein (1855), Edvard Grieg (1883), Alexander Tcherepnin (1924), and Marcus Paus (2009); show pieces by David Popper (Hungarian Rhapsody, 1894), Sulkhan Tsintsadze (Five Pieces on Folk Themes for Cello and Piano, 1950), Joachim Stutschewsky (Three Hebrew Melodies, 1934), and Buxton Orr (A Carmen Fantasy, 1985); and two duos with violin by Zoltán Kodály (1914) and Bohuslav Martinů (1927). Short biographical notes are provided on each composer and cadenzas are analyzed for their role and placement in each respective composition. Works have been organized according to the following categories: improvised cadenzas, cadenzas that prolong harmonic tension, virtuosic cadenzas based on folk and ethnic traditions, cadenzas providing an introduction or transition, and reflective cadenzas. In the conclusions, it is noted that post-Classical era composers place the cadenzas in a variety of locations, including at the opening of the work, before the recapitulation, and between themes of the recapitulation. Some composers use the cello alone for transitions or to introduce material at the beginning of the piece or movement. Few of the cadenzas include previously stated themes, and most cadenzas discussed in this paper wholly abandon the traditional function of delay. In all of these, the inclusion of a cello cadenza augments the emotional and textural dimension and variety.