THE DIVERGENT PATHS OF OPERA IN THE CLASSICAL PERIOD AS SEEN THROUGH THE OPERATIC WORKS OF CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK AND WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Although evidence of Gluck's influence on Mozart is sometimes discernible, by examining the two operas I have performed and a recital of arias by these two composers we can see clear contrasts in their approach to and expression of classical opera. The two operas discussed are Gluck's Armide and Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. Gluck and Mozart were both innovators but in very different ways. Gluck comes from a dramatic background (his principles have been compared to those of Wagner) and Mozart brings together dramatic excellence with the greatness of his musical genius, his gift of melody, and his ensemble writing, which is arguably unequaled in the repertory. A well-rounded performer strives to understand what the composer is really trying to say with his work, what the message to the audience is and what his particular way of conveying it is. The understanding of a composer's approach to drama and character interaction plays a huge role in character development. This applies no matter what role you are preparing whether it is baroque opera or late romantic. Discovering the ideals, style, and purpose of a composer contributes to an effective and rewarding performance experience, for those on stage, those in the pit, and those sitting in the seats.

VARIATION FORMS: A SURVEY THROUGH FOUR CENTURIES OF VIOLIN REPERTOIRE

Variation, or the re-working of existing musical material, has consistently attracted the attention of composers and performers throughout the history of Western music. In three recorded recitals at the University of Maryland School of Music, this dissertation project explores a diverse range of expressive possibilities for violin in seven types of variation form in Austro-German works for violin from the 17th through the 20th centuries. The first program, consisting of Baroque Period works, performed on period instrument, includes the divisions on “John come kiss me now” from The Division Violin by Thomas Baltzar (1631 – 1663), constant bass variations in Sonate Unarum Fidium by Johann Heinrich von Schmelzer (1623 – 1680), arbitrary variation in Sonata for Violin and Continuo in E Major, Op. 1, No. 12 “Roger” by George Friedrich Händel (1685 – 1759), and French Double style, melodic-outline variation in Partita for Unaccompanied Violin in B Minor by Johan Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750). Theme and Variations, a popular Classical Period format, is represented by the Sonata for Piano and Violin in G Major K. 379 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) and Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, Op. 47 No. 9 the “Kreutzer” by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827). Fantasy for Piano and Violin in C Major D. 934 by Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828) represents the 19th century fantasia variation. In these pieces, the piano and violin parts are densely interwoven, having equal importance. Many 20th century composers incorporated diverse types of variations in their works and are represented in the third recital program comprising: serial variation in the Phantasy for Violin and Piano Op.47 of Arnold Schoenberg (1874 – 1951); a strict form of melodic-outline variation in Sonate für Violine allein, Op. 31, No. 2 of Paul Hindemith (1895 – 1963); ostinato variation in Johan Halvorsen’s (1864 – 1935) Passacaglia for Violin and Viola, after G. F. Handel’s Passacaglia from the Harpsichord Suite No. 7 in G Minor. Pianist Audrey Andrist, harpsichordist Sooyoung Jung, and violist Dong-Wook Kim assisted in these performances.

The Legacy of Oboist and Master Teacher, Robert Bloom

Robert Bloom (1908-1994) was legendary in the education and performance world. Often hailed as one of the last performers of the Golden Era of classical music and a favorite of conductors ranging from Stokowski to Stravinsky to Shaw, Bloom was an orchestral oboist and English hornist, oboe soloist, chamber musician, teacher (Eastman, Yale, Hartt, Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard and Philadelphia's University of the Arts), composer, conductor, editor of masterworks of the 18th century, and, as a founding member of the Bach Aria group, a seminal influence in the post-WWII revival of Baroque music in America. In The Robert Bloom Collection and the Art of Robert Bloom CD and video archives, we see what his musical ideals were in 1)18th-century performance practices, 2) writing new music for the instrument and commissioning new works, and 3) and transcribing music for the oboe and English horn. As an oboist, I believe it is important that Bloom's teachings, historical performance practices and ideas for expanding repertoire are propagated. Therefore, the works chosen for this dissertation illustrated this legacy. My recitals included 1) some of Bloom's published 18th-century baroque elaborations (his term for ornamentation), as well Baroque works which I have elaborated, 2) works written by him and by other oboists/composers (Labate, Roseman) as well as a flute/oboe duo that I commissioned by Dr. Marcus Maroney and 3) transcriptions by both Bloom and myself (Bach, Donizetti, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Handel, Schumann and Telemann). In these three dissertation recitals, I hope to have illustrated some of Robert Bloom's lasting contributions and impact on the oboe world, and to have demonstrated the potential for carrying forward this legacy by studying his teaching and emulating his example.

Dance Based Music on Piano

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of dance is “to move your body in a way that goes with the rhythm and style of music that is being played.” As you can see in that definition, these two important ways of expressing human feelings, music and dance, are very closely related. Countless pieces of music have been composed for dance, and are still being composed. It is impossible and useless to count how many kinds of dances exist in the world. Different kinds of dances have been developed according to their purposes, cultures, rhythm and tempo. For this reason, the field of dance-related music necessarily expanded significantly. A great deal of dance music has been written for orchestras, small ensembles, or vocals. Along with them, keyboard music also has a huge repertoire of dance pieces. For example, one of the most famous form in Baroque period was suites. Suites usually include 5 or more dance movements in the same key, such as Minuet, Allemende, Courant, Sarabande, Gigue, Bourree, Gavotte, Passepied, and so on. Nationalistic dances like waltz, polonaise, mazurka, and tarantella, were wonderful sources for composers like Chopin, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. Dance-based movements were used for Mozart and Beethoven’s piano sonatas, chamber works and concertos. Composers have routinely traveled around the world to collect folk and dance tunes from places they visit. For example, Bartok and Balakirev's pieces that are based on folk dances from where they had traveled became famous and are still thought to be valuable for studying and performing today. For these reasons, it is clear that dance-related music is a very important part of keyboard music. In three dissertation recitals, to expand my performing repertoire and to understand dance-related music deeper, I tried to explore many different styles of dances, and compare interpretations between composers. This program note contains information about each pieces’ composers, related dances, and backgrounds. I hope this will be helpful for a future performer who’s seeking an effective dance based keyboard piece.