OU - Dissertations

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Open Access
A CATALOG OF WORKS FOR MARIMBA SOLOIST WITH PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE COMPOSED BETWEEN 1959 AND 2008 WITH ANALYSIS OF SELECTED WORKS
(2009) Bessinger, David Kenneth; Wagner, Irvin||Drege, Lance
This document provides a chronological catalog of works for marimba soloist and percussion ensemble composed between 1959 and 2008. More than 100 works have been composed over the forty-nine year history of the genre. Those that have a record of success were considered for analysis of structure and performance problems. That record of success was determined by two factors. First, the work needed three or more submissions to the Percussive Arts Society's program archive. Those works were then examined for the second factor, a performance at the Percussive Arts Society International Conference. Four compositions were chosen for analysis from the twelve that attained both factors: Minoru Miki's Marimba Spiritual, Lynn Glassock's Off Axis, Gordon Stout's Diptych No. 2 and David Gillingham's Concerto No. 1, Gate To Heaven. These compositions represented large and small ensemble categories. In addition, three of the works were written by commissioned composers, and two were written by performers as composers. The four works were examined using Ralph Turek's analytical categories: formal structure, harmonic/tonal structure, melodic/rhythmic structure and aspects of texture/dynamics and articulation. Performance problems found in the solo part and the ensemble were examined.
Open Access
A HISTORY OF THE LONGVIEW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF LONGVIEW, TEXAS FROM 1968-2011
(2012) Moon, Gene H.; Wakefield, William K||Shames, Jonathan
The Longview Symphony Orchestra is a regional professional orchestra based in Longview, Texas. The orchestra was founded in 1968 under the direction of James Snowden, a local band director who led the charge to develop a high school orchestra program in a district that lacked such a program. Governed by a board known as the Longview Symphony League, the orchestra initially began as a volunteer ensemble whose original mission was to foster the growth of music education in the public schools while offering an outlet for orchestral playing to its community. After forty-four years, the Longview Symphony Orchestra has become an organization whose members are all paid, professional musicians. This study will focus on the organization's development from an orchestra whose membership began as volunteers to that of paid professionals. Special interest will be devoted to the development of the organization's governing board, the Longview Symphony League and the orchestra's three music directors, James Snowden, Frank Carroll and Tonu Kalam.
Open Access
A HISTORY OF THE LONGVIEW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF LONGVIEW, TEXAS FROM 1968-2011
(2012) Moon, Gene H.; Wakefield, William K||Shames, Jonathan
The Longview Symphony Orchestra is a regional professional orchestra based in Longview, Texas. The orchestra was founded in 1968 under the direction of James Snowden, a local band director who led the charge to develop a high school orchestra program in a district that lacked such a program. Governed by a board known as the Longview Symphony League, the orchestra initially began as a volunteer ensemble whose original mission was to foster the growth of music education in the public schools while offering an outlet for orchestral playing to its community. After forty-four years, the Longview Symphony Orchestra has become an organization whose members are all paid, professional musicians. This study will focus on the organization's development from an orchestra whose membership began as volunteers to that of paid professionals. Special interest will be devoted to the development of the organization's governing board, the Longview Symphony League and the orchestra's three music directors, James Snowden, Frank Carroll and Tonu Kalam.
Open Access
A PERFORMANCE GUIDE OF LIGHT LYRIC COLORATURA SOPRANO REPERTOIRE IN FOUR EARLY OPERAS BY JEAN-PHILIPPE RAMEAU (1733-1745)
(2012) Wollenberg, Célia Zambon; Enrico, Eugene
A PERFORMANCE GUIDE OF LIGHT LYRIC COLORATURA
Open Access
A STUDY OF COMPARATIVE INTERPRETATIONS BY STANLEY DRUCKER, ELSA LUDEWIG-VERDEHR, HAKAN ROSENGREN, AND JOHN BRUCE YEH OF THE CLARINET CONCERTO BY CARL NIELSEN
(2009) Giacona, Christina; Etheridge, David
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra is a staple of twentieth-century clarinet literature that requires exceptional musicality and technical mastery to justifiably perform the work. This document aids in the explanation and understanding of the Concerto by examining the interpretations of four prominent soloists: Stanley Drucker (the first American to record the Concerto), Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Håkan Rosengren, and John Bruce Yeh. A chapter has been dedicated to each performer in which I examine his or her relationship to the work, how he or she was introduced to the Concerto, who he or she performed and recorded the work with, different interpretations of style, general impressions of the work, and how each soloist interprets articulations, phrasings, and editorial markings. The last chapter draws conclusions from the similarities and differences present in each performer's interpretation and philosophy. To better explain each interpretation, musical examples have been used to show the differences between the performers' versions and the printed clarinet part.
Open Access
A STUDY OF COMPARATIVE INTERPRETATIONS BY STANLEY DRUCKER, ELSA LUDEWIG-VERDEHR, HAKAN ROSENGREN, AND JOHN BRUCE YEH OF THE CLARINET CONCERTO BY CARL NIELSEN
(2009) Giacona, Christina; Etheridge, David
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra is a staple of twentieth-century clarinet literature that requires exceptional musicality and technical mastery to justifiably perform the work. This document aids in the explanation and understanding of the Concerto by examining the interpretations of four prominent soloists: Stanley Drucker (the first American to record the Concerto), Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Håkan Rosengren, and John Bruce Yeh. A chapter has been dedicated to each performer in which I examine his or her relationship to the work, how he or she was introduced to the Concerto, who he or she performed and recorded the work with, different interpretations of style, general impressions of the work, and how each soloist interprets articulations, phrasings, and editorial markings. The last chapter draws conclusions from the similarities and differences present in each performer's interpretation and philosophy. To better explain each interpretation, musical examples have been used to show the differences between the performers' versions and the printed clarinet part.
Open Access
Abditory: A piano concerto.
(1997) Hoepfner, Gregory F. F.; Bremer, Carolyn,
This document contains the complete musical score of the piano concerto entitled Abditory. In addition to providing a copy of the full score as an appendix, the document discusses the history of the concerto from its early conception to its modern form and how Abditory fits into the history of the evolution of the concerto. The document also provides an analysis of the concerto, including motivic material, pitch content, structure and form.
Restricted
Accessible Bach Cantatas for Church Choirs Comprised of Amateur Singers and BWV 133 as Demonstration
(2020-05-08) Yoo, Sujeung; Zielinski, Richard; Howard, David; Lamb, Marvin; Saltzstein, Jennifer; Cavazos, Jenel
Johann Sebastian Bach composed five annual sets of sacred cantatas based on the Lutheran liturgical calendar. Bach carefully constructed cantatas with his exceptional musical ability and deep theological understanding to enhance the sermon of the given day. Nevertheless, Bach cantatas have often been left unperformed in modern churches due to the intricacy of the vocal parts, limited resources in modern churches and historical instruments that are no longer readily available. The purpose of this study is to explore accessible Bach cantatas for church choirs comprised of amateur singers. Through the research process, about thirty-five cantatas were revealed to be relatively accessible. The selections are discussed under the following five categories to elucidate general features and facilitate their performance by church choirs: style, orchestration, Baroque instruments, substitution of modern instruments, and issue of vocal range. The last chapter specifically discusses BWV 133, one of the most approachable cantatas, to demonstrate how Bach achieved the spiritual goal of the given day through musical interpretation of the text and his theological acumen. Many church choirs are unfamiliar with Bach cantatas. However, once they work through the whole rehearsal process and completely master an approachable cantata, they will gain confidence to perform more difficult works in the future. In this way, more of Bach’s church cantatas will be heard beyond concert halls, and in the setting for which they were originally intended.
Open Access
The acoustic interaction of voices in ensemble: An inquiry into the phenomenon of voice matching and the perception of unaltered vocal process.
(2002) Woodruff, Neal Wayne.; Shrock, Dennis,
For Group 2, acoustic placement alone provided the best alliance of acoustic analysis and auditor/singer preference, at a rate of 50% each for close and lateral spacing. Attention to acoustic placement alone was shown to be superior to spacing alone, and the combination of acoustic placement and close spacing was shown to be equal to the combination of acoustic placement and lateral spacing.
Open Access
The Acting System of Konstantin Stanislavski as Applied to Piano Performance
(2019-12-06) Johnson, Andrea; Fast, Barbara; Magrath, Jane; Robbins, Rockey; Enrico, Eugene; Lipinski, Igor
This document presents methods to address common performance challenges faced by college-level piano performance majors by adapting techniques from the acting System of Konstantin Stanislavski, a Russian actor, director, writer, and founder of the Moscow Art Theater (MXAT) who lived from 1863-1938. The common performance challenges addressed in this study are performance anxiety, physical tension in performance, interpretation challenges, and stage presence—the “visual rhetoric” of piano playing. The methods suggested in this study are presented as sixteen Activities that are adapted from Stanislavski’s System for stage actors. Because the impact of Stanislavski’s methods on piano pedagogy is not widely understood, this study also gives background and context for the influence of Stanislavski on a generation of Russian-born and other influential pianists and teachers who became part of the American system of piano pedagogy in the first half of the twentieth century. Chapter 1 (Introduction) provides support and context for the four performance challenges addressed in the study from writings in the field of piano performance and pedagogy. This chapter also explores the relationship between acting (particularly the methods of Stanislavski) and piano performance through statements and writings by pianists and pedagogues including Theodore Leschetizky, Heinrich Neuhaus, George Kochevitsky, Rosina Lhévinne, Sviatoslav Richter, and Artur Rubenstein. Chapter 2 is a review of literature which examines five intersecting topics: (i) the key writings of Konstantin Stanislavski; (ii) writings about Stanislavski and his System; (iii) key writings on piano performance, skills, and interpretation; (iv) dissertations and theses which propose a connection between the System and music performance; and (v) dissertations and theses which propose connections and applications of the System to fields outside of music. An overview and selected biography of Stanislavski’s life and work are included in Chapter 3 along with an overview of the Stanislavski’s acting System, outlining what Stanislavski described as a lifelong process of learning and implementing his theory of performance. Following this, chapter 4 presents sixteen specific Activities adapted for college-level pianists which address performance challenges using concepts from the System such as relaxation, public solitude, attention, round-table analysis, imagination, subtext, emotion memory, communication, stage charm, and creating a score of physical actions. This document concludes with chapter 5 which provides a summary, reflections by the author on important aspects of the System and the Activities as well as recommendations for further study. This document also contains a bibliography and appendices including a glossary of key terms.
Open Access
Allison Nelson: Pianist, Teacher and Editor
(2015) Worcester, Lynn; Magrath, Jane; Beus, Stephen; Gates, Edward; Fast, Barbara; Enrico, Eugene; Havlicek, Joseph
This study documents the varied and significant contributions of Allison Nelson (b. 1927) to the field of piano through her work as a solo and collaborative pianist as part of the piano duo Nelson and Neal and teacher, primarily as a faculty member at the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM), and as a writer and editor of the Nelson and Neal Piano Study Series and seventeen piano ensemble publications for Alfred Music. Nelson’s career has spanned over seventy-five years. Beginning in 1938, performances as a child prodigy in Australia both on the radio and in public venues for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) launched what became a distinguished career. As part of the highly regarded Nelson and Neal piano duo, Allison Nelson toured the United States and Canada from 1950 to 1968 with her husband, Harry Neal, performing approximately 1,500 concerts. Following Neal’s death in 1968, Nelson served as artist-in-residence at UTM from 1971 to 1989 where she helped establish the bachelor of music in piano performance degree program at UTM and founded the UTM Piano Ensemble, a course for music majors led by Nelson that created performance opportunities for its students. Nelson first wrote and edited the Nelson and Neal Piano Study Series in the 1960s, and in her retirement began extensive editing work with co-editor Dr. Maurice Hinson on piano ensemble publications for Alfred Music. This editing work began in 2005 and continues to this day. Nelson’s contributions as a pianist, teacher and editor are characterized by her seriousness as a musician and her deep understanding of the nuances of solo and collaborative performance. The author interviewed Nelson as well as professional colleagues who worked with her in various capacities to profile Nelson’s contributions. The author also gathered information through mailed questionnaires from additional colleagues as well as from former students of Nelson. This study contains seven chapters and several appendices. Chapter 1 introduces the subject, contains a description of the procedures and sources used, and includes a review of similar studies. Chapter 2 contains a biographical sketch of Nelson. Chapter 3 reviews Nelson’s contributions as a pianist including her years as a child prodigy in Australia, beginning at age ten in 1938, her time at the Curtis Institute (1944-1949), her Nelson and Neal duo years (1949-1968) and her service as artist-in-residence at UTM and beyond. Chapter 4 considers Nelson’s contributions as a teacher, and includes her years as artist-in-residence at UTM where she helped establish the bachelor of music in piano performance degree program, the UTM Piano Ensemble and the University Trio at UTM. Chapter 4 also considers Nelson’s attributes as a teacher and the assimilation of her teaching philosophies as seen through the eyes of former students and colleagues who participated in this study. Chapter 5 explores Nelson’s contributions through her work on the Nelson and Neal Piano Study Series and chapter 6 documents her collaboration and work for Alfred Music on piano ensemble editions. Chapter 7 summarizes Nelson’s contributions and makes recommendations for further research. The appendices provide lists of work produced by Nelson as well as information on and methodology used for the research, including interview guides and questionnaires mailed to Nelson’s colleagues and former students.
Open Access
Alto solo cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, and their appropriate application to contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types.
(2003) Bubar, Cheryl Ann.; Daniel, Sean,
The study deals primarily with historical and pedagogical information for each of the alto solo cantatas which will ensure singers and teachers of singers access to information necessary when deciding whether to explore these works as repertoire or as teaching tools. An appendix at the conclusion of the study also provides abbreviated information on all additional solo arias found in Bach's cantata repertoire with recommendations as to their appropriateness for either the contralto or mezzo-soprano singer, as well as their level of difficulty.
Open Access
Amy Beach's Sonata For Violin and Piano in A Minor, op.34: analysis and its Implications for violin Performance
(2023-05-12) Huang, Yixuan; Lee, Gregory; Swinkin, Jeffrey; Ruck, Jonathan; Miranda, Shaila
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867–1944) is a largely forgotten American master composer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Her Sonata for Violin and Piano in A minor, op. 34 dates from 1896 and is a masterwork worthy of study and performance. Presently, the Sonata remains under-appreciated, which is a significant loss. This document consists of the following components: 1) Beach's biographical sketch; 2) Beach’s general compositional style and background on her Violin Sonata; 3) theoretical analysis of four movements; 4) technique difficulties in each movement; 5) three different interpretations played by Gabrielle Lester duo, Tasmin Little duo, and Vera Vaidman duo. The historical overview, analysis, and performing editions into Beach’s Violin Sonata serve to aid performers to learn and form their own interpretations of this Sonata.
Open Access
An Analysis of John Adams' Grand Pianola Music
(2010) Traficante, Debra; Wakefield, William K
Grand Pianola Music, composed in 1982 by John Adams, was written for pairs of winds, extended percussion, three female vocalists, and two pianos. Due to critic and audience disapproval, by way of booing after its 1983 east-coast premiere at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, the work receded into the shadows of the composer's output. After reflecting on the work for more than ten years, Adams determined that Grand Pianola Music is representative of his true musical-self and was worthy of performance. Adams conducted and recorded the work with the London Sinfonietta in 1993, finally converting many cynics that existed ten years earlier.
Open Access
An Analysis of Selected Percussion Ensemble Arrangements
(2010) Moyer, Iain; Wakefield, William K||Drege, Lance
The emergence of the percussion ensemble in the early twentieth century and its continued expansion into the twenty-first has resulted in a substantial amount of new music for this relatively young musical genre. This unique collection of instruments has fostered not only original compositions, but also countless arrangements in a wide variety of styles.
Open Access
AN ANALYSIS OF SIX SONG SETTINGS OF SHAKESPEARE'S "WHEN ICICLES HANG BY THE WALL" FROM LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST
(2011) Olsen, David; Enrico, Eugene
This study analyzes six song settings of Shakespeare's "When Icicles Hang by the Wall" from his play Love's Labour's Lost. The song settings under discussion are written by Thomas Arne, Hubert Parry, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Roger Quilter, Gerald Finzi, and Dominick Argento. Although these composers are well known in the realm of vocal music, and many of their songs enjoy great popularity, their settings of "When Icicles Hang by the Wall" are generally unknown and have received considerably less analytical attention than their better known works. This document aims to supply insights into these six song settings by providing original musical analysis and performance considerations to aid musicians in the preparation, performance, and appreciation of these pieces.
Open Access
AN ANALYSIS OF SIX SONG SETTINGS OF SHAKESPEARE'S "WHEN ICICLES HANG BY THE WALL" FROM LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST
(2011) Olsen, David; Enrico, Eugene
This study analyzes six song settings of Shakespeare's "When Icicles Hang by the Wall" from his play Love's Labour's Lost. The song settings under discussion are written by Thomas Arne, Hubert Parry, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Roger Quilter, Gerald Finzi, and Dominick Argento. Although these composers are well known in the realm of vocal music, and many of their songs enjoy great popularity, their settings of "When Icicles Hang by the Wall" are generally unknown and have received considerably less analytical attention than their better known works. This document aims to supply insights into these six song settings by providing original musical analysis and performance considerations to aid musicians in the preparation, performance, and appreciation of these pieces.
Open Access
AN ANALYSIS OF TEXTURE, TIMBRE, AND RHYTHM IN RELATION TO FORM IN MAGNUS LINDBERG'S GRAN DUO
(2013) Wolfe, Brian Thomas; WAKEFIELD, WILLIAM K
Gran Duo (1999-2000) by Magnus Lindberg (b. 1958) is the result of a commission by Sir Simon Rattle, former conductor of the City of Birmingham (England) Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Festival Hall to commemorate the third millennium. Composed for twenty-four woodwinds and brass, Lindberg divides the woodwind and brass families into eight characters that serve as participants in an attentive twenty-minute conversation.
Open Access
An Annotated Bibliography of Published Compositions for One Trumpet and Organ, 1998-2008
(2013) Heetland, Jesse William; Wagner, Irvin||Sievers, Karl
Based on the number of new original publications for one trumpet and organ, the
Open Access
An Application of the Principles of Anatomy, Physiology, and Neurology to the Balancing and Playing of the Flute
(2010) Fain, Susan Dawn; Watts, Valerie L||Etheridge, David E
Flutists encounter significant physical problems in the course of their everyday playing of the instrument and frequently are not given the detailed and accurate scientific teaching and training that would prevent the problems in the first place. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and scope of performance-related problems among flutists and then to provide science-based teaching about how the body organizes itself to play the flute. Physical difficulties related to playing the flute are analyzed through a large-sample online survey and personal interviews with six prominent flutists. The second half of the document is a scholarly application of the scientific knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and neurology to the physical action of flute playing. The survey data encompasses the combined responses of 181 respondents with results indicating that a majority of flutists experience pain related to their playing yet have little training in prevention. The dramatic stories of performance-related injuries by the selected interviewees serve to underscore the need for more education for musicians and research by scientists in the field of performance arts medicine. Applying the facts and principles of anatomy, physiology, and neurology to the playing of the flute presents today's flutists with many new science-based concepts to consider while they are practicing or performing. Because of the asymmetrical body position required to play the flute and the unstopped arrangement of our embouchure, flutists must put more emphasis on achieving a healthy posture and balanced stance for playing that supports the active respiratory demands of the instrument.