Thoughts from modern martyrs/ edited and arranged by James Anthony Walsh.

http://www.archive.org/details/thoughtsfrommode00walsuoft

GABRIEL URBAIN FAURÉ, THE UNSUNG MODERNIST: A PERFORMANCE SURVEY OF SELECTED LATE WORKS WRITTEN AFTER 1892 FOR PIANO SOLO, AND PIANO IN COLLABORATION WITH VIOLIN, VIOLONCELLO, AND VOICE

Gabriel Urbain Fauré lived during one of the most exciting times in music history. Spanning a life of 79 years (1845-1924), he lived through the height of Romanticism and the experimental avant-garde techniques of the early 20th century. In Fauré's music, one can find traces of Chopin, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Debussy and Poulenc. One can even argue that Fauré presages Skryabin and Shostakovich. The late works of Gabriel Fauré, chiefly those composed after 1892, testify to the argument that Fauré holds an important position in the shift from tonal to atonal composition and should be counted among such transitional composers as Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Richard Strauss, and Ferruccio Busoni. Fauré's unique way of fashioning harmonic impetus of almost purely linear means, resulting in a synthesis of harmonic and melodic devices, led me to craft the term mélodoharmonique. This term refers to a contrapuntally motivated technique of composition, particularly in a secondary layer of musical texture, in which a component of harmonic progression (i.e. arpeggiation, broken chord, etc.) is fused with linear motivic or thematic development. This dissertation seeks to bring to public attention through exploration in lecture and recital format, certain works of Gabriel Fauré, written after 1892. The repertoire will be selected from works for solo piano and piano in collaboration with violin, violoncello, and voice, which support the notion of Fauré as a modernist deserving larger recognition for his influence in the transition to atonal music. The recital repertoire includes the following--Song Cycles: La bonne chanson, opus 61; La chanson d'Ève, opus 95; Le jardin clos, opus 106; Mirages, opus 113; L'horizon chimérique, opus 118; Piano Works: Prelude in G minor opus 103, No. 3; Prelude in E minor opus 103, No. 9; Eleventh Nocturne, opus 104, No.1; Thirteenth Nocturne, opus 119; Chamber Works: Second Violin Sonata, opus 108; First Violoncello Sonata, opus 109; Second Violoncello Sonata, opus 117.

THE EFFECT OF A PROGRAM OF PORTABLE ELECTRONIC PIANO KEYBOARD EXPERIENCE ON THE ACQUISITION OF SIGHT-SINGING SKILL IN THE NOVICE HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS

The problem was to determine whether a method of aural and visual vocal training that included a program of portable electronic piano keyboard experience would be more effective in teaching sight-singing skills to novice high school chorus students than a method that included only aural and visual vocal training. A sub-problem was to determine whether novice chorus students enjoyed playing electronic keyboards in chorus as a reinforcement experience in sight-singing training. Students were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, tested with the Musical Aptitude Profile, Tonal Imagery, part A, and then trained separately. The experimental group sang repetitions of melodic patterns and utilized techniques associated with the Kodály Method while simultaneously playing keyboard. The comparison group received a similar treatment without using keyboards. The students were pre- and post-tested in sight-singing using the Vocal Sight-Reading Inventory. Results of the Analysis of Covariance using MAP scores as the covariate revealed no significant difference (p<.05) between post-test scores of the two groups. Improvement was noted in 96% of students from pre-test to post-test regardless of grouping. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant relationship (p<.006) between aptitude group and post-test score. High aptitude students in both groups were found to benefit more from the training than low aptitude students. High aptitude keyboard group students achieved an average gain score that was 8.67 points higher than the comparison group. Of the total experimental group, 92% enjoyed playing keyboards in chorus. It is recommended that future research be undertaken to study the use of keyboards with advanced high school choruses and with uncertain singers in the high school chorus. Research is also needed to develop graded, valid, and reliable sight-singing tests for use in high school chorus. Techniques of the Kodály Method should be further investigated for use in high school sight-singing training.

COMPOSITIONS FEATURING THE PIANO IN FANTASY FORM: 1820-1920

The Fantasy form offered a composer the freedom to create a work without concerns for fitting into the current stylistic and traditional structures. The flowering of the form seems to be concentrated from 1820-1920 since the composer started to use it as a way to convey a personal idea or to portray a special spirit. This dissertation is comprised of three recitals with fantasies in different genres and styles. Through performing these diverse fantasies, I have been inspired to connect with the imagery and spirit of the compositions in order to capture the unique sentiments of each piece. Also, in order to keep the audience absorbed in the music that is without structure, I have focused on expanding my technical abilities to vary color, sonority, and phrasing. Program one (April 26,2004) includes Fantasie, Op. 17 and Piano Concerto, Op. 54 (assisted by Ya-Hsin Wu) by R. Schumann. Program two (December 10, 2004) includes Three Fantastic Dances, Op. 5 by D. Shostakovitch, Fantasy "Sonataecossaise ", Op. 28 by F. Mendelssohn, Sonata No.2 "Sonata-Fantasy", Op. 19 by A. Scriabin and Fantasie for Piano and Violin, D 934 by F. Schubert with violinist, TaoChang Yu. The last program (November 1, 2005) includes Fantasia baetica by E. de Falla, Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3 by S. Rachrnaninoff, Fantaisie, Op. 49, Impromptu No. 4 '%h.ntasy-hpromptu", Op. 66 and Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61 by F. Chopin.

The Development of Piano Variations in the Romantic Era

The purpose of this study is to illustrate the development of piano variations as a genre during the Romantic era. In order to facilitate this examination of piano variations techniques, a brief look at the types of variation procedures used by composers of previous eras will assist in understanding developments that later occurred in the Romantic period. Throughout the Baroque era, composers preferred the fured-bass, fixed-melody, and harmonic forms of variation. The crowning achievement of Baroque keyboard music, Bach's Goldberg Variations (1725), contains examples of the "constantharmonic" method in its collection of 30 variations, each of which maintains both the bass and harmonic structure of the themes. While most composers of the classical period favored the "melodic-outline" form of variation, Haydn developed hybrid variation procedure that exhibits recurrence of material rather than repetition, alternating variation (ABABA), rondo variation (ABACA), and ternary variation (ABA). Haydn, Mozart and early Beethoven variations also exhibit simpler textures than do their Baroque predecessors. The nineteenth century produced numerous compositions that display variation techniques, some based on such older, classical models as melodic-outline variation and hybrid variation, others in the style of the character variation or fiee variation. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Beethoven and Schubert used such classical variation techmques as melodic-outline variations and hybrid variations. Beethoven's late sonatas displayed such new means of expression as variation, fugue, and dramatic recitatives. The third movement of the Sonata in E major, Op. 109 (1820) has a theme and six variations of the melodic-outline type. Johannes Brahms was particularly fond of composing variations for piano. Among the best known examples of formal-outline variations are those found in the Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, Op. 24 (1861). Character variations, in which styles are characterized by the retention and variability of particular elements, also flourished during the Romantic period. Cesar Franck's Variations Symphoniques (1885) are, perhaps, among the most important examples of free variations. This composition is a one-movement work consisting of three sections, Introduction, Variations, and Finale (all movements played "attaca"). This work combines two independent classical formal structures, the concerto and the variation.

The Scherzo in Selected Works for Piano

This performance project will cover performing issues in terms of technique in the scherzo. The Dictionary of Musical Terms defines technique as "the system of creating music, the musical slull to show personality by controlling tones that is not an abstract theory but a practical ability in composition or performance." My project focuses on techniques in fast tempos, specifically those found in the scherzo form and in concertos containing a scherzo character. The term scherzo has varied in its meaning and form throughout history. In the Baroque period, a scherzo was a work of light vocal or instrumental character. In the Classical period, scherzo still meant light in style, but it also indicated a quick tempo, often in 2/4 time. The scherzo was usually a single movement in a suite or multi-movement work. Like the minuet form, the scherzo contained a contrasting trio section. The scherzo was also standard in Romantic and post-Romantic symphonies and related genres. Because of the high degree of subjectivity in Romantic music, genres that stressed emotional content over abstract form developed rapidly. Some composers even wrote one-movement pieces entitled scherzo. These pieces became very important because they usually expressed a particular character or mood. The objective of my dissertation project is to research scherzo-like concertos, scherzo as single movements in larger forms, and scherzo as independent works. My first recital will consist of two concertos with a scherzo-like character. These are Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9 i ?nl Major; K. 271 and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major. I will perform these works in December 2002 with a second piano. In addition, I will perform the Ravel with an orchestra in 2003. My second recital will consist of two parts. The fxst half presents multi-movement works with scherzo movements. The pieces are Haydn's Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Majol; Hob. WI/9, Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major; Op. 14, No. 2. The second half presents independent four scherzi by Chopin. The final program will also include multi-movement works containing scherzo and independent scherzo. These are Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14, Grieg Lyric Pieces Op. 54, Schubert Zwei Scherzi D. 593 and Copland Scherzo humoristique; Le Chat et la Souris (The Cat and the Mouse).

SELECTED NINETEENTH CENTURY VARIATIONS FOR PIANO

The beauty and artistry of the variation form were fully developed and represented in the nineteenth century. The treasures of nineteenth century piano variations are a significant part of the total piano repertoire. The main goal of this dissertation is to show how various composers of the nineteenth century used the variation form to project their imagination and coloring of a simple melody. They used many different techniques to vary melodies and create their own music. Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major Op. 26 breaks with the conventional sonata design by using variation form instead of sonata-allegro form for the first movement, and having no movement in sonata-allegro form. Chopin's Variations Brillantes on "Je Vends des scapulaires" Op. 12 and Henri Herz's Variations on 'Non piu mesta" from "La Cenerentola" shows how they applied their art to composing variations on opera themes. Mendelssohn's Variations Serieuses Op. 54 was a reaction against the salon music in the 19" century. Schubert applies the variation form to his Impromptus in B-flat D. 935 No. 3. Schurnann's Symphonic Etudes represents a perfect example of the arts of variation, using counterpoint, and special coloring; and Faure's Theme and Variations Op. 73 represents one of the most outstanding nineteenth-century works in variation form. As a traditionalist in the nineteenth century, Brahms favored the variations over other classic forms. I have performed three of his most important sets of variations: including Variations on a theme by Schumann Op. 9, Variations on a Theme by Handel Op. 24, and Variations for two pianos on a Theme by Haydn Op. 56b. The variations listed above were divided into three recitals. These variations represent a very important part of the piano music of the nineteenth century. By discovering, preparing, and performing these wonderful works, I have grown, both as a pianist and as a musician.

TALLY HORN! ECHOES OF HOOFBEATS AND HAUNTS: RECORDED SELECTIONS FOR HORN AND PIANO

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the European hunting horn was an instrument associated with the thrill of the chase, rustic scenes, and the pageantry of royal hunts. The sound of this horn and the music that evolved from its heritage would inspire composers writing for the modern horn. TALLY HOrn! Echoes of Hoofbeats and Haunts: Recorded Selections for Horn and Piano are two compact discs of works for horn and piano as well as solo horn reflecting this association with the hunt and include additional works of expressive contrast – lyrical pieces and nocturnes. Nine of the pieces reflect the modern horn’s beginnings and they are Abbot’s Alla Caccia, Berge’s Horn-Lokk, Boutry’s Chassacor, Bozza’s En Fôret, Büsser’s La Chasse de St. Hubert, Pessard’s In the Forest, Piantoni’s Air de Chasse, Schmid’s Im Tiefsten Walde, and Vinter’s Hunter’s Moon. By contrast, three of the selections, Gliére’s Nocturne, Strauss’ Nocturno, and Van Ecchaute’s Nachtpoëma are nocturnes that showcase the expressive quality of the horn. In addition, Bush’s Autumn Poem, Bacon’s Song After the Rain, and Webber’s Summer Pastures are included for their lyric qualities and evocations of nature. The largest work of the project is John Williams’s Concerto for Horn. Its five movements feature both hunting horn traits and expressive qualities. Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez and Grace Cho were the two pianists engaged for the recording. The recording engineer was Edward Kelly. The producer was Carlos Rodriquez. The pieces were recorded at the Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist Church sanctuary in Spencerville, Maryland between November 2010 and February 2011.

A GLOBAL SAMPLING OF PIANO MUSIC FROM 1978 TO 2005

Pianists of the twenty-first century have a wealth of repertoire at their fingertips. They busily study music from the different periods -- Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and some of the twentieth century -- trying to understand the culture and performance practice of the time and the stylistic traits of each composer so they can communicate their music effectively. Unfortunately, this leaves little time to notice the composers who are writing music today. Whether this neglect proceeds from lack of time or lack of curiosity, I feel we should be connected to music that was written in our own lifetime, when we already understand the culture and have knowledge of the different styles that preceded us. Therefore, in an attempt to promote today’s composers, I have selected piano music written during my lifetime, to show that contemporary music is effective and worthwhile and deserves as much attention as the music that preceded it. This dissertation showcases piano music composed from 1978 to 2005. A point of departure in selecting the pieces for this recording project is to represent the major genres in the piano repertoire in order to show a variety of styles, moods, lengths, and difficulties. Therefore, from these recordings, there is enough variety to successfully program a complete contemporary recital from the selected works, and there is enough variety to meet the demands of pianists with different skill levels and recital programming needs. Since we live in an increasingly global society, music from all parts of the world is included to offer a fair representation of music being composed everywhere. Half of the music in this project comes from the United States. The other half comes from Australia, Japan, Russia, and Argentina. The composers represented in these recordings are: Lowell Liebermann, Richard Danielpour, Frederic Rzewski, Judith Lang Zaimont, Samuel Adler, Carl Vine, Nikolai Kapustin, Akira Miyoshi and Osvaldo Golijov. With the exception of one piano concerto, all the works are for solo piano. This recording project dissertation consists of two 60 minute CDs of selected repertoire, accompanied by a substantial document of in-depth program notes. The recordings are documented on compact discs that are housed within the University of Maryland Library System.

IMPROMPTU: FROM PUBLISHER'S IMPULSE TO AN ESTABLISHED SMALL­ SCALE GENRE IN PIANO LITERATURE

The word 'impromptu' began to appear in music literature in the early 19th century, specifically as title for a relatively short composition written for solo piano. The first impromptus appear to have been named so by the publishers. However, the composers themselves soon embraced the title to indicate, for the most part, fairly short character pieces. Impromptus do not follow any specific structural pattern, although many are cast in ternary form. The formal design ranges from strict compound ternary in the early impromptus to through-composed and variation forms. The peak of impromptu's popularity undoubtedly came during the middle and late19th century. However, they are still being composed today, albeit much less frequently. Although there have been many variants of impromptus in relation to formal design and harmonic language over the years, the essence of impromptu remains the same: it is still a short character piece with a general feeling of spontaneity. Overall, impromptus may be categorized into several different groups: some appear as part of a larger cycle, such as Dvorak's G minor Impromptu from his Piano Pieces, B. 110; many others use an element of an additional genre that enhances the character ofthe impromptu, such as Liszt's Valse-Impromptu and Antonio Bibalo's Tango Impromptu; yet another group consists of works based on opera themes, such as Liszt's Impromptu Brillant sur des themes de Rossini et Spontini and Czerny's Impromptus et variations sur Oberon, Op. 134. My recording project includes well-known impromptus, such as Schubert's Op. 142 and the four by Chopin, as well as lesser known works that have not been performed or recorded often. There are four impromptus that have been recorded here for the first time, including those written by Leopold Godowsky, Antonio Bibalo, Altin Volaj, and Nikolay Mazhara. I personally requested the two last named composers to contribute impromptus to this project. My selection represents works by twenty composers and reflects the different types of impromptus that have been encountered through almost three hundred years of the genre's existence, from approximately 1817 (VoriSek) to 2008 (Volaj and Mazhara).

THE PIANO MUSIC OF ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856) AND JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833- 1897): A SURVEY OF CONCERTI, VARIATIONS, AND CHARACTER PIECES

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), in some ways Robert Schumann's artistic descendant, are the most important and representative German piano composers during the Romantic period. Schumann was already a mature and established musician in 1853 when he first met the young Brahms and recognized his talents, an encounter that had a long-lasting affect on the lives and careers of both men. After Schumann’s mental breakdown and death, Brahms maintained his admiration of Schumann’s music and preserved an intimate relationship with Clara Schumann. In spite of the personal and musical closeness of the two men, Schumann’s music is stylistically distinct from that of Brahms. Brahms followed traditions from Baroque and Classical music, and avoided using images and expressive titles in his music. Brahms extraordinarily intermingled earlier musical forms with multicolored tones of German Romanticism. In contrast, Schumann saw himself as a radical composer devoted to personal emotionalism and spontaneity. He favored programmatic titles for his character pieces and extra-musical references in his music. While developing their own musical styles as German Romantic composers, Schumann and Brahms both utilized the piano as a resourceful tool for self-realization and compositional development. To investigate and compare the main characteristics of Schumann and Brahms’s piano music, I looked at three genres. First, in the category of the piano concerto, I chose two major Romantic works, Schumann’s A minor concerto and Brahms’s B-flat major concerto. Second, for the category of piano variations I included two sets by Brahms because the variation framework was such an important vehicle for him to express his musical thoughts. Schumann’s unique motivic approach to variation is displayed vividly in his character-piece cycle Carnaval. Third, the category of the character piece, perhaps the favorite medium of Romantic expression at the piano, is shown by Schumann’s Papillons and Brahms’s sets of pieces Op.118 and Op.119. This performance dissertation consists of three recitals performed in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park. These recitals are documented on compact disc recordings that are housed within the University of Maryland Library System.

USE OF VARIATION AND FUGUE IN PIANO MUSIC FOLLOWING THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

The variation and fugue originated from the 15th and 16th centuries and blossomed during the Baroque and Classical Periods. In a variation, a theme with a particular structure precedes a series of pieces that usually have the same or very similar structure. A fugue is a work written in imitative counterpoint in which the theme is stated successively in all voices of polyphonic texture. Beethoven’s use of variation and fugue in large scale works greatly influenced his contemporaries. After the Classical Period, variations continued to be popular, and numerous composers employed the technique in various musical genres. Fugues had pedagogical associations, and by the middle of 19th century became a requirement in conservatory instruction, modeled after Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. In the 20th century, the fugue was revived in the spirit of neoclassicism; it was incorporated in sonatas, and sets of preludes and fugues were composed. Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy presents his song Der Wanderer through thematic transformations, including a fugue and a set of variations. Liszt was highly influenced by this, as shown in his thematic transformations and the fugue as one of the transformations in his Sonata in b. In Schumann’s Symphonic Études, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Copland’s Piano Variations, the variation serves as the basis for the entire work. Prokofiev and Schubert take a different approach in Piano Concerto No. 3 and Wanderer Fantasy, employing the variation in a single movement. Unlike Schubert and Liszt's use of the fugue as a part of the piece or movement, Franck’s Prelude Chorale et Fugue and Shchedrin’s Polyphonic Notebook use it in its independent form. Since the Classical Period, the variation and fugue have evolved from stylistic and technical influences of earlier composers. It is interesting and remarkable to observe the unique effects each had on a particular work. As true and dependable classic forms, they remain popular by offering the composer an organizational framework for musical imagination.

PIANO AS A PARTNER IN TWENTIETH­ CENTURY ART SONG REPERTOIRE: A RECORDING PROJECT

The piano's role in art song repertoire has evolved from a modest one during its formative years to the versatility, complexity and creativity found in the twentieth-century. The art song repertoire of the twentieth century is vast and has secured the reputation for being the most diverse, innovative, illustrative, atmospheric and colorful in all of art song literature. Within this time period, there are compositions that reach back to the romantic works of nineteenth century, others which combine old and new traditions, and finally those which adopt new means and new ends. In choosing the material for this project, I have focused on compositions with uniquely challenging and unusual piano accompaniments in order to achieve a balance between well- known and rarely performed works, as well as those pieces that combine various languages and styles. Selections range from Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss, Sergey Rachmaninoff, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Roger Quilter, Francis Poulenc, Fernando Obradors, and Joaquin Rodrigo to composers such as Samuel Barber, Marc Blitzstein, Dominick Argento, William Bolcom, and John Duke, including arrangements of traditional spirituals by Harry T. Burleigh and Florence B. Price, all of which helped to establish the American Art Song. My objective is to trace the development of the twentieth-century art song from the late Romantic Period through nationalistitrends to works which show the influences of jazz and folk elements. The two CD's for this dissertation recording project are available on compact discs which can be found in the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM). The performers were Daniel Armstrong, baritone, Giles Herman, baritone, Thomas Glenn, tenor, Valerie Yinzant, soprano, Aaron Odom, tenor, Jennifer Royal, soprano, Kenneth Harmon, tenor, Karen Sorenson, soprano and Maxim Ivanov, baritone.

THE LESSER-KNOWN PIANO CHAMBER MUSIC OF CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS: A RECORDING PROJECT

Throughout his long and industrious lifetime, Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) devoted himself unconditionally to music both as a composer and a performer. Saint-Saens was a self-described traditionalist and musical purist, yet his works are distinctly expressive and imaginative, and they reflect the composer's own unique musical language which incorporates recognizably modem traits such as chromaticism and frequent modulation. As a performer, Saint-Saens preferred to premiere his own works and often included his chamber music in his concert programs. Regarded primarily as a symphonic composer in the present day, however, his extensive and varied collection of chamber music works is sadly neglected. Six varied small-ensemble works with piano from his chamber music repertoire have been selected for study and recording for this project: Piano Trio No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 (1864); Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 inC Minor, Op. 32 (1872); two pieces for two pianos, Le Rouet d'Omphale (The Spinning Wheel ofOmphale), Op. 31 (1871) and Phaeton, Op. 39 (1874); piano duet Konig Harald Haifagar (King Harald Haarfager), Op. 59 (1880); and a wind quartet, Caprice sur des airs Danois et Russes (Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs) for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Piano, Op. 79 (1887). Analyses of the forms and harmonic structures of these compositions will be included in this dissertation paper as well as studies from the viewpoint of Saint-Saens' compositional style, ensemble characteristics, and writing for the piano. The recordings for this project were made in four sessions in LeFrak Concert Hall at Queens College, the City University of New York. On September 24, 2003, Op. 31, Op. 39 and Op. 59 were recorded with Professor Morey Ritt, piano. On March 2, 2004, Op. 18 was recorded with Elena Rojas, violin, and Clare Liu, cello, and on March 15, 2004, Op. 32 was recorded, also with Ms. Liu. The Caprice, Op. 79 was recorded on June 27, 2008 with Laura Conwesser, flute; Randall Wolfgang, oboe; and Steve Hartman, clarinet. The recordings may be found on file in the library at the University of Maryland, College Park.