The Influences of American Popular Music upon Twentieth-Century Song and Chamber Music

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Files

umi-umd-2898.pdf (85.46 KB)
No. of downloads: 1502
DMA1.wpl (2.66 KB)
No. of downloads: 280
DMA2.wpl (1.98 KB)
No. of downloads: 238
DMA3.wpl (2.63 KB)
No. of downloads: 252

Publication or External Link

Date

2005-11-07

Citation

DRUM DOI

Abstract

American concert music enters the 21st century having found its voice. The "Great Cultural Melting Pot" has resulted in a blending of different types of original

American popular music with European forms to create a sound that is uniquely

American. This dissertation focuses primarily on this combination through the

presentation of three recitals of song and chamber music. The American popular music

genre includes ragtime, blues, jazz, folk-music, and musical theater.

I have incorporated many different combinations of instruments and voices to

create interesting, varied programs of American music. These recitals represent the

gradual inclusion of the original American genre onto the classical concert stage. In

order to make my dissertation topic relevant to the present day, I have included many

works of living composers with whom I have had personal contact, either in coachings or

masterclasses. They are: William Bolcom, John Musto, Richard Hundley, and Ricky Ian

Gordon. Other important represented composers are Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland,

Andre Previn, David Schiff, Morton Gould, and George Gershwin.

The originality of this music is helping to establish a national music for the United

States. The quality and variety of the music confirms the importance of this repertoire to

the world of music. This dissertation comprises three recitals that showcase American art

song and chamber music, which took place on December 10, 2002, May 11, 2004, both in

Ulrich Recital Hall, and on May 19, 2005 in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall of the Clarice

Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park, Maryland. Recordings of these recitals

may be obtained in person or online from the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library of

the University of Maryland, College Park.

THE INFLUENCES OF AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC

UPON TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN

SONG AND CHAMBER MUSIC

by

Robert Timothy McReynolds

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the

University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

2005

Advisory Committee:

Professor Rita Sloan, Chair

Professor Ira Berlin

Professor Dominic Cossa

Professor Linda Mabbs

Professor Martha Randall

Table of Contents

Recital I: A Lecture Recital on William Bolcom (b. 1938)

Graceful Ghost Rag

Second Sonata for Violin and Piano in F Major

Summer Dreams

Brutal, fast

Adagio

In Memory of Joe Venuti

Michael Keelan, violin

Over the Piano

from Cabaret Songs, Vl.1

The Crazy Woman

from I Will Breathe a Mountain

Amor

Waitin'

from Cabaret Songs, Vl. 1

Toothbrush Time

from Cabaret Songs, Vl. 2

Twilight: After Haying

from Briefly It Enters

Never More Will the Wind

from I Will Breathe a Mountain

Love in the Thirties

from Cabaret Songs, Vl. 3

At the Last Lousy Moments of Love

from Cabaret Songs, Vl. 4

Satisfaction

from Cabaret Songs, Vl. 3

George

from Cabaret Songs, Vl. 1

Carolyn Black-Sotir, soprano and Siobhan Kolker, soprano

ii

Recital II

Sonata for Violin and Piano (1943) Aaron Copland

Andante semplice (1900-1990)

Lento

Allegretto giusto

Michael Keelan, violin

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Leonard Bernstein

Grazioso (1918-1990)

Andantino, Vivace e leggiero

Lynda Dembowski, clarinet

Shadow of the Blues John Musto

Silhouette (b. 1954)

Litany

Island

Could Be

Phillip Collister, baritone

After Hours Suite for Flute and Piano David Schiff

Waltz for Strayhorn (b. 1945)

Tomcat

Bluebird

Café con Leche

Jessica Dunnavant, flute

iii

Recital III

Two Pianos Morton Gould

Chords (1913-1996)

Blues

Waltzes

Echos

Triplets

Susan Slingland, piano

Will There Really Be a Morning? Richard Hundley

(b. 1931)

Will There Really Be a Morning? Ricky Ian Gordon

(b. 1956)

Will There Really Be a Morning? Andre Previn

(b. 1929)

Ah Hong, soprano

Summer Ricky Ian Gordon

Leneida Crawford, mezzo-soprano, and Ah Hong

Coyotes Ricky Ian Gordon

Waterbird Richard Hundley

The Elephant is Slow to Mate Richard Hundley

Leneida Crawford

Porgy and Bess Fantasy for Two Pianos arr. Percy Aldridge Grainger

(1882-1961)

George Gershwin

(1898-1937)

Arno Drucker, piano

He Loves and She Loves George Gershwin

The Babbit and the Bromide

Our Love is Here to Stay

Summertime/Prelude II/Prelude I

Carolyn Black-Sotir, soprano

Tom Williams, double bass

Notes

Rights

NOTICE: Recordings accompanying this record are available only to University of Maryland College Park faculty, staff, and students and cannot be reproduced, copied, distributed or performed publicly by any means without prior permission of the copyright holder.