Search Results

open access

A Multidimensional Polymetric Analysis of Excerpts from the Wind Band Music of Dan Welcher and Yo Gotō

Description: Polymetric writing is an integral technique in contemporary compositional practice. Dan Welcher and Yo Goto are principal employers of this practice in the wind band medium. Their methods endure even the results of modern scholarship showing limited human perception of polyrhythmic events. This dissertation provides a comprehensive metric analysis of excerpts from the music of Welcher and Goto. Five examples are explored from major band works of each of the two composers. The analytical process… more
Date: December 2016
Creator: Robinson, David D. (David DeWitt)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Music for the Saxophone Duet Genre: an Annotated Bibliography of Selected Original Music

Description: In 1861, Jerôme Savari (1819-1870) composed Duo for Soprano Saxophone and Alto Saxophone. Since then, more than 400 duets were written, yet many musicians are not aware of this repertoire. The lack of recommended repertoire and insufficient information regarding this genre reduces the use of the saxophone duet in both pedagogical and concert settings. The purpose of this study is to examine the importance of the saxophone duet genre by identifying the standard repertoire and creating an annotat… more
Date: August 2015
Creator: Chien, Wei-Lun
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Music of the Spheres: Astronomy and Shamanism in the Music of Urmas Sisask

Description: In 1619, Johannes Kepler published his magnum opus Harmonices mundi in which the astronomer derived distinct pitches and scales for each known planet in the solar system from calculations of various aspects of their orbital motions. This was the first theoretical realization of the ancient tradition of musica universalis (also called musica mundana), or music of the celestial bodies. It was not until the Estonian composer Urmas Sisask (b. 1960) began his compositional career by deriving his o… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Edmonds, David Michael
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Musical Borrowing in the Choral Music of Andrew Rindfleisch

Description: American composer Andrew Rindfleisch (b. 1963) has contributed twenty-one pieces to the repertoire of contemporary choral literature to date. His works have been commissioned, premiered, and recorded by notable choral ensembles and performed in significant venues around the country. Influenced by his own early choral singing experience in his native Wisconsin, much of Rindfleisch’s choral music is infused with influences of the music of earlier composers and choral idioms. With these works, … more
Date: December 2015
Creator: Glann, Kerry
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Musical Time and Memory: A Bergsonian Interpretation of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op. 32 No. 10 in B Minor

Description: This study uses Bergson's concepts of duration and spontaneous (now termed episodic) memory to reveal how musical material in Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op. 32 No. 10 in B Minor (1910) turns back on itself in recurring remembrances of its own past, bringing the listener out of ordinary time; a process that mirrors themes both from Rachmaninoff's life, and Arnold Böcklin's Die Heimkehr, the painting that inspired this piece. Time perception slows or even suspends when one reflects on the past, eithe… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Buxton, Robert S.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Mystery of the “Althorn (Alto Horn) Sonata” (1943) by Paul Hindemith

Description: A unique and significant composition, the Althorn Sonata by Paul Hindemith contains several enigmas and anomalies: details about the premiere remain unknown; scored for the alto horn, a band instrument of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the piece seldom finds itself performed on that instrument; although Hindemith composed his instrumental sonatas as composition exercises, for the instruments he intended to use in his large-scale works, his sonata for alto horn marks an unusual… more
Date: August 2015
Creator: Hemken, Jennifer Ann
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Mystery of the Chalumeau and Its Historical Significance as Revealed Through Selected Works for Chalumeau or Early Clarinet by Antonio Vivaldi: A Lecture

Description: Factual evidence concerning the ancestry of the clarinet has been a perpetual topic of debate among musicologists and organologists. Scholars have widely agreed that the clarinet, first documented in 1710, emerged from the baroque invention of the chalumeau (invented circa 1690), which in itself was an improvement upon the recorder. Considering the chalumeau's short lifespan as the predominant single reed instrument in the early eighteenth century, the chalumeau inspired a monumental amount of … more
Date: May 2016
Creator: Braun, Lindsay Taylor
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Naples and the Emergence of the Tenor as Hero in Italian Serious Opera

Description: The dwindling supply of castrati created a crisis in the opera world in the early 19th century. Castrati had dominated opera seria throughout the 18th century, but by the early 1800s their numbers were in decline. Impresarios and composers explored two voice types as substitutes for the castrato in male leading roles in serious operas: the contralto and the tenor. The study includes data from 242 serious operas that premiered in Italy between 1800 and 1840, noting the casting of the male leadin… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Ekstrum, Dave
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A National Idiom Universally Understood: Brazilian Tradition and Personal Evolution in Osvaldo Lacerda's "Variações e Fuga para quinteto de sopros"

Description: The career of Osvaldo Lacerda (1927-2011) spanned a critical time in the development of Brazilian nationalist music. Though he was an outspoken nationalist composer, he was also influenced by European trends and training. Even within his nationalist compositions, evidence of a shift in style that mirrors the European movements of Modernism and Postmodernism is found in his works. Among his thirty-six chamber works, three are wind quintets, written between 1962 and 1997. Although all three works… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Leffler, Hannah
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Native American Elements in Piano Repertoire by the Indianist and Present-Day Native American Composers

Description: My paper defines and analyzes the use of Native American elements in classical piano repertoire that has been composed based on Native American tribal melodies, rhythms, and motifs. First, a historical background and survey of scholarly transcriptions of many tribal melodies, in chapter 1, explains the interest generated in American indigenous music by music scholars and composers. Chapter 2 defines and illustrates prominent Native American musical elements. Chapter 3 outlines the timing of sev… more
Date: May 2010
Creator: Thomas, Lisa Cheryl
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Oration, Concerto Elegiaco by Frank Bridge: A Practical Guide for Performance

Description: English composer Frank Bridge (1879-1941) is well known as Benjamin Britten's teacher and to a lesser degree for his chamber music. Because his mature creative period occurred between the First and Second World War, his works were not well studied or performed until the 1970s, well after his death. This dissertation discusses Bridge's life and his music, how World War I affected in this work, and specifically the work Oration Concerto Elagiaco. Oration is considered historically in terms of its… more
Date: August 2019
Creator: Yoo, Kyungjin
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Orchestral Clarinetist's Guide to Selected Second Clarinet Excerpts

Description: Orchestral excerpt books have become a staple in instrumental study for those pursuing a career in the orchestra. Many of these books, especially those for clarinet, are catered towards the popular and prolific clarinet solos found in principal clarinet parts. However, there is a lack of quality resources geared towards those pursuing second clarinet positions. Former materials might be outdated or are filled with inconsistencies or mistakes. The purpose of this document is to provide a resourc… more
Date: May 2017
Creator: Lapinski, Bobby (Robert M.)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Orchestral Etudes: Repertoire-Specific Exercises for Double Bass

Description: In this project, frequently required double bass orchestral audition excerpts as well as their individual technical difficulties are identified. A survey of professional double bass players and teachers currently and formerly employed by major orchestras, universities, and conservatories have participated to validate the importance of four of the most frequently required orchestral excerpts: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mvt. 4, and Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 3; Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenle… more
Date: August 2011
Creator: Unzicker, Jack Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Orchestral Excerpts for Conductors

Description: "Orchestral Excerpts for Conductors" is a compilation of sixty-five full score excerpts from the orchestral repertory arranged for string quartet and piano. The purpose of this collection is to provide conducting students with a pedagogical resource for learning how to handle technically challenging excerpts in orchestral music. This dissertation serves as a plan for the final publication of the excerpts book; while it includes the full score excerpts, it does not include the arrangements for s… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Morel, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Orchestral Mentality of Johannes Brahms' Piano Sonata No. 3

Description: Although the current, exhaustive studies of Brahms' works have covered many aspects of the composer's art, it is still surprising that his large-scale, five-movement Piano Sonata No.3 has in many ways been insufficiently studied by scholars who have emphasized the genre of the piano sonata and the aspect of performance practice over the work's more diverse features. Another reason that this early work has been understudied could in fact be that his later compositions in other genres, such as hi… more
Date: August 2017
Creator: Hsu, Yu-Ching
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Original Viola Study Literature: Analyzing the Pedagogical Contributions of Marco Frank

Description: Viola pedagogy has historically been closely intertwined with and highly dependent upon violin repertoire. As the viola emerged as an instrument worthy of independent study, many still rely on transcriptions of violin etudes. Fortunately, the efforts of performers, teachers, and scholars have brought forth discoveries of original viola literature and thus shifted toward the perception that viola should begin to embrace its individual pedagogy. Viennese composer and violist Marco Frank contribut… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Salinas, Ashley
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Osvaldo Lacerda’s Sonata for Flute and Piano (1959): A Performance Guide with Historical Background of Brazilian Genres Embolada, Serestra, and Baião

Description: Osvaldo da Costa Lacerda (March 23, 1927-July 18, 2011), one of the most significant Brazilian composers of the twentieth century, wrote more than 250 compositions. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a history and analysis of the Brazilian genres characterized in Osvaldo Lacerda’s, Sonata for Flute and Piano. Written in 1959, the sonata represents traditional Brazilian rhythms within a classical structure and modern harmony. The work provides a basis for the exploration of the embol… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Gimenes, Marilia Gabriela do Nascimento
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Overview and Introduction to the Organ Music of Alsatian-american Composer René Louis Becker (1882-1956)

Description: This dissertation provides the first biographical overview and annotated catalog of the organ music of Alsatian-American organist and composer René Louis Becker. Born and educated in Strasbourg, Alsace, Becker emigrated to the United States in 1904 and remained active as a composer and church musician for the next 50 years. in addition to providing sources for his biographical information, documentation of the specific organs with which Becker was professionally associated is included for the p… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Spritzer, Damin
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

An Overview and Performance Guide to Johannes Möller's "Shenandoah Fantasy for Two Guitars"

Description: Johannes Möller's 2014 composition Shenandoah Fantasy for Two Guitars, is a theme and variations on the American folksong Oh Shenandoah and is the composer's only work dedicated to American music. An informed performance of this work requires biographical information. Since no scholarly work on this composer is currently available, this paper includes Möller's biographical information, compositional background and performance suggestions. This information was acquired through a recorded video i… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Douglas, Charles William
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

An Overview and Performance Guide to the 10 Etudes for Guitar by Giulio Regondi

Description: The 10 Etudes for Guitar by Giulio Regondi represent the pinnacle of technical achievement for nineteenth century guitar performance. Dense textures, large stretches, fast scales and arpeggios, and obscure modulations are used in combinations that were unrivalled among his contemporaries. The etudes were not published until the late twentieth century and have not had generations of guitarists solving their challenges and teaching them to younger generations of students. Right-hand fingerings ar… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Lochbaum, Stephen
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

"Para qué recorder": Preserving the Legacy of María Grever through Selected Vocal Compositions for Study and Performance

Description: María Grever (1885-1951) overcame racism and gender bias during a pivotal era in American music history to become the first commercially successful Mexican female composer and more specifically, a pioneer of popular music during the first half of the 20th century. Though named the "Madonna of song," her legacy is largely overshadowed by other compositional giants of the era, such as the Gershwin brothers, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. Grever's music is sophisticated, heartfelt, and worthy of … more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Canchola, Amy
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Passion Settings of the 20th- and 21st- Centuries Focusing on Craig Hella Johnson's Considering Matthew Shepard

Description: Craig Hella Johnson (b. 1963) has emerged as a leader in choral music over the last 20 years. As the conductor of the Austin, TX based chorus Conspirare Johnson implemented the European model of bringing singers together from all over the country to assemble for concerts and recordings over a short period of time. He is known for his collage programs which bring together many styles of music bound by a central theme. Through these programs he has written and arranged many pieces which are now p… more
Date: August 2016
Creator: Ward, Robert (Robert Clark)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Paul Hindemith's Septet (1948): A Look Back to Neue Sachlichkeit

Description: In the early 1920s, Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub created a fine arts movement that began in Weimar, Germany, which questioned artistic Expressionism. In 1923, he formed an art exhibition to display new art works of simplicity that were of his anti-Expressionist goal. This exhibition was termed Neue Sachlichkeit, or New Objectivity, and quickly became associated with all fine arts. Music of Neue Sachlichkeit ideals during the 1920s and 1930s began to exhibit anti-Expressionist concepts of form, … more
Date: August 2010
Creator: Shaffer, Benjamin Eric
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Paul Robert Fauchet's Symphony in B-flat: A Performance Edition for Modern Wind Band Instrumentation

Description: Paul Robert Fauchet's Symphonie pour Musique d'Harmonie, known in the United States as Symphony in B-flat, is a four-movement composition spanning nearly thirty minutes in length and written in the style of the late romantic composers. Despite its place as one of the first symphonies for wind band, a performance of the piece that represents the composer's 1926 orchestration is difficult due to the inclusion of instruments that are no longer in common practice, including bugles, alto horns, and … more
Date: May 2016
Creator: Kitelinger, Shannon
Partner: UNT Libraries
Back to Top of Screen