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The Significance of Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Sonata Op.12

Description: The aspiration of this dissertation is to bring forth the significance of Shostakovich's Piano Sonata Op.12. This sonata is a hybrid of the German musical tradition, Russian Modernism, and Liszt's thematic transformation technique. It demonstrates Shostakovich's highly intellectual compositional skills influenced by the education that he received at St. Petersburg Conservatory as well as the exposure to modern music in the 1920s. This dissertation discusses composition techniques, such as the h… more
Date: May 2007
Creator: Kan, Ling-Yu
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Lowell Liebermann's Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 12: An Historical and Analytical Study

Description: Lowell Liebermann, born in New York City in 1961, is one of America's most distinguished living composers. In addition, he often conducts and performs as pianist in his own works. His musical language is unique and unmistakably rooted in the grand tradition of Western music; however, his style combines old and new, simple and complex, emotional and intellectual aspects. It combines tuneful, catchy melodies with a rich harmonic language, all framed by a strong formal design. This study begin… more
Date: May 2010
Creator: Chang, Hsiao-Ling
Partner: UNT Libraries
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An Instructional Approach to Introducing Twentieth-century Piano Music to Piano Students From Beginning to Advanced Levels: a Graded Repertoire for Mastering the Challenges Posed by Logan Skelton’s Civil War Variations

Description: Beginning and intermediate piano students typically study the repertoire of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This pedagogical approach leaves them underprepared to approach compositions written since the latter part of the twentieth-century which are significantly different in terms of harmony, rhythm, meter, and compositional procedure. Therefore, a step-by-step method is necessary to prepare a student for the challenges of learning twentieth and twenty-first century piano music. Civil… more
Date: December 2013
Creator: Kim, Dajeong
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Idea of the “Modern”: Developing Variation in the Piano Concerto in C Sharp, Opus 17

Description: This study examines the Piano Concerto in C sharp, Op.17 (1923), by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), in light of developing variation, techniques that transform motivic ideas and create musical continuity in this work. The troublesome reception history of Korngold’s piano concerto derives from its complex musical features, which have created difficulties in understanding and evaluating this piece. Consequently, critics and scholars often label the highly sophisticated yet tonal musical lang… more
Date: May 2014
Creator: Huang, Shu-Yuan
Partner: UNT Libraries
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John Ireland's Piano Sonata (1918-1920) and the Influence of Johannes Brahms

Description: John Ireland is one of the most important British composers of the twentieth century. Many scholars believe the works of his early period were deeply influenced by Brahms. After graduating from the Royal College of Music, Ireland went on to develop a much more individual musical language, with influence from contemporary French composers. However, the young composer found himself confronted with the challenge of finding a new and personal style without turning wholly to impressionism or to chro… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Su, I-Shan
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Assessing Perception and Attitude of Pianists toward Ergonomically Scaled Piano Keyboards (ESPK): Raising Awareness about ESPK and Evaluating Changes of Attitude through an Educational Survey

Description: As epidemiologic research demonstrates health concerns for hand problems among pianists, scientists are measuring historic piano keyboards and realizing that much of the piano literature was composed for and played on pianos with smaller keys compared to what is used on the modern piano. Having to play this literature on a larger keyboard is especially difficult for small-handed piano students and professionals. Fortunately, smaller keyboards are now available for use with standard pianos - and… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Son, Youjoo
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Kaikhosru Sorabji's Rapsodie Espagnole de Maurice Ravel, Transcription de Concert pour piano: A Comparison of the Two Versions from 1923 and 1945

Description: Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988) was an English composer-pianist of Parsi descent. Although he composed many works for piano, these compositions remain largely unknown to the public due to the composer's self-imposed 40-year ban on public performances of all his works and the immense technical difficulty of his music. This research proposes a comparative study of Sorabji's two versions of Rapsodie espagnole de Maurice Ravel-Transcription de concert pour piano (1923, 1945). These transcrip… more
Date: December 2018
Creator: Chu, Fang-Yi
Partner: UNT Libraries
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An Instructional Guide to Teaching Dan Beaty's Woodsprite and Waterbug Collection for Intermediate Piano Students and Instructors

Description: The purpose of this dissertation is to offer a pedagogical guide to Woodsprite and Waterbug Collection (1977) by Dan Beaty (1937-2002) through an analysis of its pedagogical values and teaching applications. This set consists of twelve short, intermediate-level pieces, featuring various contemporary idioms. Each piece is also pedagogically written to help intermediate students to refine specific pianistic techniques beyond the elementary level. In addition, Beaty's collection expands students' … more
Date: December 2018
Creator: Hung, Sophie (Shuo-Hui)
Partner: UNT Libraries
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A Comparative Study of Piano Etudes by György Sandor Ligeti and Unsuk Chin: A Technical and Stylistic Guide to Mastering the Difficulties of Their Etudes

Description: Unsuk Chin (b.1961), a Korean-born woman composer, was a student of Gyorgy Sandor Ligeti (1923-2006). Chin's work reflects the influence of Ligeti but also undeniably has its own style. This study investigates the six piano etudes so far published from 12 Piano Etudes (1995-2003) by Unsuk Chin and compares them with Ligeti's piano etudes to highlight the influence of the teacher on the student and to aid pianists in facing the unique technical challenges posed by both sets of etudes. The practi… more
Date: December 2018
Creator: Jang, Miyoun
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Brazilian Adaptations of Baroque and Classical Elements in the Piano Sonata in F Minor, Op. 9, by Alberto Nepomuceno (1864–1920)

Description: Alberto Nepomuceno was one of the leading figures in developing Brazilian art music at the turn of the twentieth century. He became widely known for his Brazilian art songs and kept promoting Brazilian music and the use of Portuguese as an "art language" throughout his life. Nepomuceno has widely been seen as a nationalist composer, yet some of his works adopt a more European style. In this study, I argue that Nepomuceno incorporates European musical languages in his Piano Sonata in F Minor, Op… more
Date: May 2023
Creator: Wu, Qifan
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Lowell Liebermann's "Four Etudes on Songs of Brahms," Op. 88 (2004) and "Four Etudes on Songs of Robert Franz," Op. 91 (2005): A Pedagogical Guide

Description: The purpose of this dissertation is to introduce and provide a pedagogical guide for two etude works by Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961): Four Etudes on Songs of Brahms, Op. 88 (2004) and Four Etudes on Songs of Robert Franz, Op. 91 (2005). It includes a brief biography and observations on the compositional style of the composer; a history and development of the etude from the eighteenth century to Liebermann's time; research on Liebermann's works based on songs of other composers; and a pedagogical… more
Date: May 2023
Creator: Lee, Jieun
Partner: UNT Libraries

Stephen Chatman's Piano Fantasies (1993): An Instructional and Performance Guide for Teachers and Intermediate Piano Students

Description: Contemporary repertoire is not commonly taught or explored by teachers during the intermediate level, when a student's musical training is transitioning to an advanced level. Nonetheless, it is important for piano instructors to be open-minded about contemporary music and have some perspective on the development of music repertoire in the future. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a performance and pedagogical guide to Stephen Chatman's (b. 1950) Fantasies, from both technical and a… more
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Date: May 2019
Creator: Li, Hanhan
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Building an Effective Piano Technique while Avoiding Injury: A Comparison of the Exercises in Alfred Cortot's "Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique" and Carl Tausig's "Daily Studies for the Pianoforte"

Description: It is the teacher's responsibility to guide students in building an effective and injury-free piano technique. Improper technique, poor training and bad posture at the instrument all may cause problems such as lack of muscle control, weakness, or tension in the hands. Many teachers are interested in finding information about specific exercises dealing with finger strengthening, stretching, and warm-up strategies, as well as guidelines for safe practicing. It is therefore important for both teac… more
Date: May 2017
Creator: Woo, Laehyung
Partner: UNT Libraries
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An Introduction to the Piano Works of William Mason (1829-1908) and a Performance Guide to Selected Repertoire for Intermediate Students

Description: William Mason (1829–1908) was a well-known American composer, pianist, and pedagogue. Researchers have mainly focused on Mason's career as a pedagogue in the United States and his pedagogical treatises, which are widely considered and used as the conceptual core of teaching materials on the nineteenth century. However, there has been only an annotated catalogue of Mason's music works, and no performance guide to his piano compositions. This dissertation is designed to be the first performance g… more
Date: May 2021
Creator: Chen, Ying-Chieh
Partner: UNT Libraries
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The Solo Piano Collections "Reaching Out" and "Travels Through Sound" by Emma Lou Diemer: Pedagogical Guidelines for Contemporary Techniques for Intermediate-Level Students

Description: Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927) is a leading American composer, pianist, and educator. Although she composed many outstanding advanced-level piano works, she also believes that composing for other levels is a good discipline for composers. Her two collections Reaching Out and Travels Through Sound contain various contemporary techniques that are highly approachable for intermediate-level students. The purpose of this study is to provide a pedagogical guide to contemporary elements present in these co… more
Date: December 2019
Creator: Yum, Ji-Eun
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Marc-André Hamelin's "Variations on a Theme of Paganini": The Effect of Polystylism through Pastiche and Musical Borrowing in Variations

Description: Paganini's 24th caprice still remains to this day one of the most celebrated themes in classical music history. Many composers have used this theme to create variations and each composer attempted to produce stylistically unique variations on this piece. Hamelin's Variations on a Theme of Paganini stands out because his piece incorporates musical borrowing and many different composers' styles. His variations integrate music from different centuries, using pastiche and musical borrowing from fig… more
Date: December 2019
Creator: Kim, Warren
Partner: UNT Libraries
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A Pedagogical Guide to Teaching Tone Production for Elementary-Level Piano Students, with Examples from Appropriate Elementary-Level Music

Description: The early stage of piano students' training is one of the most important, because it is then that they establish their habits for life. Those who teach beginners need clear principles for developing a solid technical foundation and for preventing bad technical habits. One of the most difficult principles to inculcate in young students is that of tone production and quality. The primary purpose of this study is to provide a pedagogical guide to help piano teachers teach tone production to elemen… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Kim, Gyuwan
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Bohuslav Martinů's Oboe Concerto, H. 353: A New Piano Reduction of the Orchestral Score

Description: Bohuslav Martinů's "Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra" is one of the most frequently played pieces in the oboe repertoire. For this reason, it is often played with the piano reduction instead of the orchestra in oboe recitals. However, the existing piano reductions include many errors and discrepancies from the orchestral score, misrepresent the orchestration, sometimes fail to make the oboe entries clear, and tend to be unplayable for pianists. Moreover, the scores were published after th… more
Date: December 2020
Creator: Jeoung, Ko Eun
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Mikrokosmos and 32 Piano Games: Introducing Contemporary Musical Language and Developing Piano Technique for the Beginning Student

Description: As new musical styles have emerged in the twentieth century with characteristic sounds, chords, forms, meters, and intervals, teachers need to broaden and re-define the way they introduce musical concepts to beginning piano students. The purpose of this study is to offer different instructional possibilities aside from conventional methods of teaching beginning pianists. This is accomplished through a comparison of the two different approaches of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók and the Ameri… more
Date: August 2011
Creator: Song, Hyun-Joo
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Ross Lee Finney's 32 Piano Games and Stephen Chatman's Amusements: A Comparison of Two Pedagogical Approaches to Contemporary Musical Elements and Techniques

Description: Piano instructors often have to work as a bridge connecting music from the past and the future. From a pedagogical viewpoint, contemporary works should be considered just as important as those in the standard repertoire. Yet, most piano instructors are skewed towards modern music and their teaching materials are focused on eighteenth and nineteenth century repertoire. It is essential for them to introduce various kinds of music from different periods and cultures in order to fully develop a stu… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Kim, Sooyun (Pianist)
Partner: UNT Libraries
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A Study of Neoclassical Elements in Ernst Krenek's George Washington Variations, op. 120

Description: The purpose of this study is to explore neoclassical elements present in Krenek’s George Washington Variations. By identifying the stylistic features associated with the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, the study will examine Krenek’s application of his neoclassical tendencies. Key neoclassical elements include musical form and structure, key relationships, melody and harmony, and chromaticism. Since at this time there is little research on Krenek’s piano works, and none on the George Washin… more
Date: May 2016
Creator: Jeon, Eun Deok
Partner: UNT Libraries
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The First Movements of Sergei Bortkiewicz's Two Piano Sonatas, Op. 9 and Op. 60: A Comparison including Schenkerian Analysis and an Examination of Classical and Romantic Influences

Description: The purpose of this study is to analyze the first movements of Sergei Bortkiewicz's two piano sonatas and compare them with works by other composers that may have served as compositional models. More specifically, the intention is to examine the role of the subdominant key in the recapitulation and trace possible inspirations and influences from the Classical and Romantic styles, including Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. The dissertation employs Schenkerian analysis to elucidate the structure … more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Chen, Yi Jing
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Navigating Musical Tensions: African American Themes against Western Structure in Florence B. Price's (1887-1953) Piano Sonata in E minor

Description: Florence Price (1887–1953) was one of the most important African American woman composers of the early twentieth century. Price's music is known for combining techniques of Western art music with elements of the African American musical heritage. Although Price composed many works for piano, from large virtuoso pieces to characteristic miniatures, this study will address only her Piano Sonata in E minor. The purpose of this study is to analyze this sonata and discuss her compositional technique… more
Date: December 2021
Creator: Chun, Yeo Hun
Partner: UNT Libraries
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