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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
open access

A Conductor's Guide to Un-Yung La's Choral Music as Reflected in Easter Cantata

Description: Un-Yung La was one of the first Korean composers of Western style choral music who used Korean folk elements in his composers. According to Un-Yung La's musical theory, which he demonstrated in Easter Cantata. Korean-style melody and rhythm were created based on Korean traditional scales and he also used Western-style harmonization. He attempted a new Korean style of expression through Sikimsae technique in Korean traditional vocal music genres: Pansori and Sijo. The purpose of this paepr is to… more
Date: August 2016
Creator: Ryu, Hanpil
open access

The Re-Unification of Dr. Edwin Fissinger's Prairie Scenes: A Choral Cycle

Description: Edwin Fissinger (1920-1990) was a conductor and prolific choral composer. His compositional techniques, settings of text, jazz-influenced harmonies, and melodic propulsion fulfill an important role in each of his compositions. In the eight choral cycles he composed, Fissinger unified each cycle through thematic and textual elements. Although this resulted in a logical progression of poetry and music, Fissinger's final choral cycle, Prairie Scenes, was not published as he intended. Rather, indiv… more
Date: August 2016
Creator: Jilek, Dean
open access

Sven-David Sandström's Matthäuspassion: Examining J.S. Bach's Influence and Sandström's Compositional Language, Use of Symbolism, and Religious and Spiritual Motivations

Description: Beginning with his High Mass written in 1994, popular Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström modeled multiple compositions after famous canonical works using the same texts and/or instrumentation. Sandström wants to be compared to the greatest, specifically in how a twenty-first century composer responds to a text set , in the case of J.S. Bach's , over 250 years ago. His setting of Matthäuspassion (MP), which uses the same libretto as J.S. Bach, is his most extensive non-operatic work, one he c… more
Date: August 2016
Creator: Jilek, Dwight
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)
open access

William Byrd's Motet "Tristitia et anxietas" through Elizabethan Eyes: Performance Practice based on an Examination of Sixteenth-Century Sources

Description: By considering sixteenth-century English chorister training, modern singers of Renaissance vocal music are informed of the practical and academic demands unique to Elizabethan musicians and audiences. Clauses in relevant choirmaster contracts provide an insight into pedagogical expectations of teachers and their choristers. Studies included plainchant, grammar, Latin, rhetoric, improvisation, poetry, morality, instrumental instruction on organ and viols, and composition. For those not associate… more
Date: August 2016
Creator: Irving, John (John Wells)
open access

Johannes Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem: A Comparison of the Reduced Orchestration Techniques in Joachim Linckelmann's Chamber Ensemble Version to Brahms's Four-Hand Piano Version

Description: Recognizing the challenges small groups have to program a major work, in 2010, Joachim Linckelmann created a chamber ensemble arrangement of Johannes Brahms's "Ein deutsches Requiem." In 1869, J.M. Reiter-Biedermann published Brahms's four-hand piano arrangement of "Ein deutsches Requiem." Brahms's arrangement serves as an excellent comparison to the chamber ensemble version by Linckelmann, since it can be assumed that Brahms chose to highlight and focus on the parts he deemed the most importan… more
Date: December 2016
Creator: Hawley, Aaron (Michael Aaron)
open access

British-Style Brass Bands in U.S. Colleges and Universities

Description: Since the 1980s, British-style brass bands - community ensembles modeled after the all-brass and percussion bands of Great Britain - have enjoyed a modest regeneration in the United States. During this same period, as many as 23 colleges and universities in the U.S. have founded their own curricular or extra-curricular brass band. The purpose of this research study was: to discover which schools sponsor a brass band currently; to discover which schools formerly sponsored a brass band but have s… more
Date: December 2016
Creator: Taylor, Mark A. (Mark Amdahl)
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)
open access

The West Point Band's Wind Commissioning Project in Celebration of the Bicentennial of the United States Military Academy

Description: The United States Military Academy Band, also known as the West Point Band is the oldest active band in the United States Army and the oldest unit at the United States Military Academy, and is considered to be one of the finest military musical organizations in the world. The band has also been instrumental in facilitating the creation of new works for wind band.As the commissioning of new music has been essential to the expansion of the wind band's repertoire, several major commissioning proje… more
Date: May 2017
Creator: Morse, Matthew C., 1967-
open access

Rediscovering James Robert Gillette's Vistas

Description: James Robert Gillette (1886-1963) was an early advocate for original wind band music at a time when marches and band transcriptions of orchestral music contributed heavily to the wind band repertoire. Primarily known as an influential, in-demand organist and composer, Gillette became the director of the Carleton College band program in Northfield, Minnesota in 1924. Taking an innovative approach to building, organizing, and programming, Gillette transformed that group into the Carleton Symphony… more
Date: December 2017
Creator: Kitelinger, Jennifer
open access

Fence, Flavor, and Phantasm: Balancing Japanese Musical Elements and Western Influence within an Historical and Cultural Context

Description: Given the diversity found in today's Japanese culture and the size of the country's population, it is easy to see why the understanding of Japanese wind band repertoire must be multi-faceted. Alongside Western elements, many Japanese composers have intentionally sought to maintain their cultural identity through the addition of Japanese musical elements or concepts. These added elements provide a historical and cultural context from which to frame a composition or, in some cases, a composer's c… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Desjardins, Kelly
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
open access

The Renaissance of the American Symphony for Wind Band as Exemplified by the Recent Symphonies of Donald Grantham, David Dzubay, James Stephenson, and Kevin Walczyk

Description: Since the 18th century, composers have utilized the symphony to communicate thoughts and ideas through the vehicle of a large ensemble composed of a variety of instrumental colors. Though the structure of the symphony has understandably been subject to the varied interpretations of composers over the past 300 years, several characteristics of the traditional symphony do seem to have stood the test of time. In this document, the recent developments of the American symphony for wind band is discu… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Townsend, Jacqueline
open access

A Performance Guide to Se Enkhbayar's Choral Tone Poem Önchin Botog (A Lonely Baby Camel) for SATB Soloists and SATB Chorus (with Divisions) A Cappella

Description: Se Enkhbayar (b. 1956) is one of the most important contemporary Mongolian composers in China. His choral tone poem, Önchin Botog, integrates the traditional Mongolian musical elements Urtiin Duu (long song) and Khöömii (throat singing) with modern choral music and is one of the most representative works in the genre of modern Mongolian choral music. The purpose of this study is to provide a performance guidance for non-Mongolian musicians on Se Enkhbayar's work, Önchin Botog, by presenting his… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Lin, Pei-Chi
open access

Themes of Social Justice in the Choral Music of Jake Runestad

Description: With his thought-provoking and socially relevant music, American composer Jake Runestad has quickly become one of the most performed choral composers of the 21st century. Although music and social justice have been tied together for centuries, there is a new movement bringing social justice to American choral music in a noticeably increased manor, and Jake Runestad is a leading composer in this movement. In this paper, I provide a detailed analysis into the social justice themes employed by Run… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Hathaway, Christopher M.
open access

Visual Music: The Use of Film Composition Devices to Develop Form in the Wind Band Music of Bruce Broughton

Description: As a film composer, Bruce Broughton uses themes, motives, gestures, tropes, and other film composition devices; however, he is also able to develop them into compelling formal structures through the use of film composition techniques in his concert music. Traditional musical form is not necessarily applicable to film music. The film dictates the pacing and structure, whereas concert music allows for the creation of form and more complex musical development. Through his extensive experience comp… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Blasko, Benjamen
open access

The Impact of American Conductors on the Development of Japanese Wind Band Repertoire as Evidenced in the Programming of Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Musashino Academia Musicae, Showa Academia Musicae, Senzoku Gakuen School of Music, and Tokyo University of the Arts

Description: The wind bands in Japan are considered by many scholars and wind band conductors to be among some of the finest ensembles in today's wind ensemble medium. The literature and repertoire of Japanese ensembles have evolved from orchestral transcriptions, patriotic music, and military marches to original compositions by European, American, and Japanese composers. British conductor Timothy Reynish states that Japanese wind band music has looked traditionally towards the United States and occasionall… more
Date: December 2018
Creator: Lo, Albert
open access

A Conductor's Guide to Hyo-Won Woo's Choral Music as Reflected in "Oh! KOREA"

Description: The choral music of Hyo-won Woo, the composer of Oh! KOREA, is being widely performed by universities and professional choruses in Korea, as well as throughout the world. The work exhibits Woo's remarkable compositional style, which displays traditional Korean musical influences. Hyo-Won Woo's Oh! KOREA consisting of four movements, is for chorus, two pianos, and both Eastern and Western percussion instruments. Woo's Oh! KOREA employs an excellent introduction to the Korean choral repertoire fo… more
Date: December 2018
Creator: Noh, Wonil
open access

Liszt's Portrayal of Goethe's Faust Using Flat 6th Scale Degree as Harmonic Organizing Principle in the Faust Movement from His Faust Symphony

Description: Franz Liszt's Faust Symphony has suffered neglect since its premiere in 1857. The analysis in this study aims to clarify some of the misunderstandings which have led to this neglect, particularly concerning Liszt's formal structure and character portrayal. In the Faust movement, the flat 6th scale degree (♭6) plays a prominent role in harmonic organization. Nineteenth-century composers sometimes used the distinct sonic color of chromatic-third progressions, as Liszt does here between C and E ra… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Li, Chao (Conductor)
open access

Eak Tai Ahn's Korea Fantasy: His Life, Historical Context, and Compositional Style

Description: Eak Tai Ahn is not only the first generation of Korean musicians, composers and conductors to have studied Western music and given successful musical performances in Western countries, but also is among the first to introduce the music of Korea to the West utilizing the Western music system. Korea Fantasy is an important work that helped Ahn win international acclaim. Korea Fantasy is an orchestral piece that evolved along with Ahn's unique life experiences shaped by the state of his native cou… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Baek, Da Mi
open access

A Descriptive Study of the Musical Backgrounds of Orchestral Concert Attendees, with an Emphasis on Past Participation in School Music Programs

Description: This was a descriptive study that was completed to gather information about musical backgrounds of orchestral concert attendees, and to determine if those attendees perceived relationships between past participation in school music programs and current patronage of classical music concerts. Participants completed a survey about their musical experiences from childhood through adulthood, as well as memories from school music programs. Results and analysis of the responses identified common theme… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Pearce, Kevin (Conductor)
open access

Four Evening Service Settings of Joel Martinson: An American's Contribution to Anglican Evensong Repertoire

Description: The Evening Service settings of great British composers like Charles Stanford, A. Herbert Brewer, Charles Wood and Herbert Howells are well known and performed often throughout the world. However, little is known about the body of settings created by American composers. There are currently approximately 75 American composers dating from 1890 to the present, with Evening Service settings in print. Joel Martinson, based in Dallas, Texas, is an American composer, church musician, concert organist,… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Gordon, Gary (Gary Adrian)
open access

Beyond the Binary: The Intersection of Gender and Cross-Cultural Identity in Reena Esmail's Life and Choral Works

Description: Beyond the Binary explores the intersection of gender with cross-cultural identity in composer Reena Esmail's professional life and choral music. This intersection manifests in her musical style, which accesses the resonant spaces between Western and Indian classical music. I argue that it is through the convergence of Esmail's gender identity with her cross-cultural identity that her compositions challenge gender norms and break down perceived barriers between East and West, inviting her liste… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Pope, Lindsay (Choral conductor)
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