Move, for string quartet, piano, percussion and electronics

MOVE is a composition for string quartet, piano, percussion and electronics of approximately 15-16 minutes duration in three movements. The work incorporates electronic samples either synthesized electronically by the composer or recorded from acoustic instruments. The work aims to use electronic sounds as an expansion of the tonal palette of the chamber group (rather like an extended percussion setup) as opposed to a dominating sonic feature of the music. This is done by limiting the use of electronics to specific sections of the work, and by prioritizing blend and sonic coherence in the synthesized samples. The work uses fixed electronics in such a way that allows for tempo variations in the music. Generally, a difficulty arises in that fixed “tape” parts don’t allow tempo variations; while truly “live” software algorithms sacrifice rhythmic accuracy. Sample pads, such as the Roland SPD-SX, provide an elegant solution. The latency of such a device is close enough to zero that individual samples can be triggered in real time at a range of tempi. The percussion setup in this work (vibraphone and sample pad) allows one player to cover both parts, eliminating the need for an external musician to trigger the electronics. Compositionally, momentum is used as a constructing principle. The first movement makes prominent use of ostinato and shifting meter. The second is a set of variations on a repeated harmonic pattern, with a polymetric middle section. The third is a type of passacaglia, wherein the bassline is not introduced right away, but becomes more significant later in the movement. Given the importance of visual presentation in the Internet age, the final goal of the project was to shoot HD video of a studio performance of the work for publication online. The composer recorded audio and video in two separate sessions and edited the production using Logic X and Adobe Premiere Pro. The final video presentation can be seen at geoffsheil.com/move.

Pairings: Quintets and Duos from the Collaborative Piano Repertoire

Chamber music with piano comprises some of the greatest masterpieces in the Western canon. The works range from duo sonatas with various instruments through septets. In regard to duo sonatas, the violin is the instrument most frequently paired with the piano. Of all the chamber works for larger ensembles, the most popular is the quintet. In this dissertation, I will be exploring the similarities and differences between the duo sonatas and quintets of a given composer. I will be surveying Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 along with his Violin and Piano Sonata in A Minor, Op. 105. The next pairing will be Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34 and his Piano and Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 108. Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57 and his Cello and Piano Sonata in D Minor, Op. 40 will be the last two works examined in this dissertation. This dissertation project consisted of three recitals, presented in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center of the University of Maryland. The recitals featured works by Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann and Dmitri Shostakovich and took place on March 14, 2014, February 13, 2015 and November 22, 2015. All three recitals were recorded on compact discs, which can be accessed at the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM) and at the University of Maryland Hornbake Library.

Gestural communication of music structure during solo classical piano performance

The production and perception of music is a multimodal activity involving auditory, visual and conceptual processing, integrating these with prior knowledge and environmental experience. Musicians utilise expressive physical nuances to highlight salient features of the score. The question arises within the literature as to whether performers’ non-technical, non-sound-producing movements may be communicatively meaningful and convey important structural information to audience members and co-performers. In the light of previous performance research (Vines et al., 2006, Wanderley, 2002, Davidson, 1993), and considering findings within co-speech gestural research and auditory and audio-visual neuroscience, this thesis examines the nature of those movements not directly necessary for the production of sound, and their particular influence on audience perception. Within the current research 3D performance analysis is conducted using the Vicon 12- camera system and Nexus data-processing software. Performance gestures are identified as repeated patterns of motion relating to music structure, which not only express phrasing and structural hierarchy but are consistently and accurately interpreted as such by a perceiving audience. Gestural characteristics are analysed across performers and performance style using two Chopin preludes selected for their diverse yet comparable structures (Opus 28:7 and 6). Effects on perceptual judgements of presentation modes (visual-only, auditory-only, audiovisual, full- and point-light) and viewing conditions are explored. This thesis argues that while performance style is highly idiosyncratic, piano performers reliably generate structural gestures through repeated patterns of upper-body movement. The shapes and locations of phrasing motions are identified particular to the sample of performers investigated. Findings demonstrate that despite the personalised nature of the gestures, performers use increased velocity of movements to emphasise musical structure and that observers accurately and consistently locate phrasing junctures where these patterns and variation in motion magnitude, shape and velocity occur. By viewing performance motions in polar (spherical) rather than cartesian coordinate space it is possible to get mathematically closer to the movement generated by each of the nine performers, revealing distinct patterns of motion relating to phrasing structures, regardless of intended performance style. These patterns are highly individualised both to each performer and performed piece. Instantaneous velocity analysis indicates a right-directed bias of performance motion variation at salient structural features within individual performances. Perceptual analyses demonstrate that audience members are able to accurately and effectively detect phrasing structure from performance motion alone. This ability persists even for degraded point-light performances, where all extraneous environmental information has been removed. The relative contributions of audio, visual and audiovisual judgements demonstrate that the visual component of a performance does positively impact on the over- all accuracy of phrasing judgements, indicating that receivers are most effective in their recognition of structural segmentations when they can both see and hear a performance. Observers appear to make use of a rapid online judgement heuristics, adjusting response processes quickly to adapt and perform accurately across multiple modes of presentation and performance style. In line with existent theories within the literature, it is proposed that this processing ability may be related to cognitive and perceptual interpretation of syntax within gestural communication during social interaction and speech. Findings of this research may have future impact on performance pedagogy, computational analysis and performance research, as well as potentially influencing future investigations of the cognitive aspects of musical and gestural understanding.

RACHMANINOFF AND MEDTNER: SELECTED WORKS FROM THE SOLO AND COLLABORATIVE PIANO REPERTOIRE

Sergei Rachmaninoff and Nikolai Medtner occupy a special place in the history of Russian music. Both composers were exceptional pianists and left us some of the greatest works in the piano repertoire. Although these composers shared many similarities, and were often compared, their musical languages and views on composition were very different. Unfortunately, Medtner’s music, which Rachmaninoff admired greatly, has remained neglected for several generations of performers and listeners. In my dissertation I will explore the similarities and contrasts in Rachmaninoff’s and Medtner’s music. Through these performances, I hope to encourage other musicians to discover the imaginative power of Medtner’s music. Of course, no such encouragement is needed for Rachmaninoff’s extremely popular music; however, the technical and musical challenges of performing that repertoire are an invaluable part of every pianist’s education. This dissertation project was presented in three recitals which were performed in Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center of the University of Maryland on May 8, 2014, December 5, 2014 and March 21, 2016. The following pieces comprised the survey of Rachmaninoff music: Vocalise Op. 34, Variations on a Theme of Corelli Op. 42, Piano Concerto No 2 Op. 18, Selected Songs Opp. 4 and 8, and two Moments Musicaux Op. 16 - Nos 3 and 4. The following pieces were included to represent Medtner: Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 57 in E minor “Epica”, Fairy Tales for solo piano Op. 20 No 1, Op. 26 No 3 and Op. 51 No 1, and Selected Songs Op. 6 and 15. My partners in this project were Lilly Ahn, soprano, Jennifer Lee, violin and Nadezhda Christova, piano. All three recitals can be found in the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM).

Piano solo no jazz - prática e ensino

Relatório de Estágio para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ensino da Música

Jazz, identidade musical e o piano Jazz em Portugal

Ao longo de todo o séc. XX, o jazz construiu um espaço alternativo às dicotomias heurísticas tradicionais, como por ex. tradição/inovação, erudito/popular, composição/improvisação, entre outras. Por entre discursos polarizados, o jazz afirmou-se como domínio musical conciliador de diferenças culturais e sociais, configurando um espaço novo de mediação, um “jazz art world” como definido pelo sociólogo Paul Lopes. Nesse espaço, a individualidade sempre assumiu enorme centralidade, em virtude do papel particularmente criativo do performer e também da sua relação elástica com os «modelos» referenciais para a performance. Assim, o jazz afigura-se um domínio privilegiado para a expressão da individualidade e, por conseguinte, para a construção e identificação de uma «identidade musical», tal como a expressão é proposta nesta tese. Para a discussão destes problemas conceptuais, esta tese recorre, como estudos de caso, a um conjunto de pianistas portugueses: António Pinho Vargas (1951-), Mário Laginha (1960-), João Paulo Esteves da Silva (1961-) e Bernardo Sassetti (1970-2012). É traçada a sua trajectória pessoal e formativa, e é apresentada uma análise da sua produção musical, com recurso à «teoria das tópicas» enquanto modelo particularmente orientado para a análise da música popular. No sentido de compreender os processos de construção das identidades musicais destes pianistas, são ainda abordadas outras temáticas, como a própria definição de «jazz», o jazz enquanto música dialógica, ou os fluxos diaspóricos do jazz (incluindo as respectivas implicações e variantes terminológicas, como “jazz diaspora”, “musical cosmopolitanism” e “glocalization”). Recorrendo a pesquisa bibliográfica, trabalho de campo (mormente a entrevista) e técnicas de análise musical, esta tese realiza uma exploração aprofundada destes tópicos e do trabalho dos músicos em particular. Desta forma, pretende oferecer um contributo para uma reflexão conceptual sobre o jazz em geral no âmbito dos jazz studies, e também para um mapeamento estilístico e identitário do jazz em Portugal.

“Primavera de Piano – Portimão 2016” - Festival com mais de 60 pianistas e 16 horas de música

Relatório de Estágio para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ensino de Música

El repertorio infantil para piano en la creación española contemporánea (1975-2014). Aspectos analíticos y pedagógicos

En los primeros años de formación de un pianista es vital que el material que se utilice sea adecuado y progresivo, desde el punto de vista técnico, pero que además le aporte musicalmente una iniciación a las diferentes estéticas compositivas de los periodos históricos más representativos. A través de mi experiencia docente he observado que la música contemporánea apenas está presente en la formación reglada de los conservatorios en el Grado Elemental, que corresponde a los primeros cuatro años de estudio (de los ocho a los doce años aproximadamente). Por ello en la presente investigación se ha trabajado con obras españolas para piano pensadas para niños, editadas y compuestas entre 1975 y 2014. Se ha elegido el año 1975 como inicio del estudio por ser un punto de inflexión en la Historia de España. No obstante, se trata previamente el repertorio español para niños en el siglo XX hasta 1975 como contexto creativo previo. También se estudian las obras clave de la historia del repertorio pedagógico para niños, que son el punto de referencia en la formación de todo pianista, desde J. S. Bach, R. Schumann, C. Debussy o B. Bartók, así como otros compositores del siglo XX. Dentro del repertorio español infantil analizado se seleccionan aquellas obras que están editadas, y son accesibles, haciendo la investigación desde dos puntos de vista: 1. Analítico-histórico: importancia de la obra dentro de la producción del compositor a través de breves datos biográficos y catálogo de la producción para piano. 2. Pedagógico: importancia y adecuación de la obra dentro de la formación técnico-pianística en el Grado Elemental...

Seis miniaturas de Mesías Maiguashca: análisis de seis de las siete piezas para piano

La presente tesis de maestría tuvo como propósito analizar seis de las 7 Piezas para piano de Mesías Maiguahsca. Se llevó a cabo una investigación bibliográfica-histórica que nos revela el trabajo de un compositor ecuatoriano de vanguardia desde sus inicios como pianista hasta sus recientes propuestas creativas, enfocándose principalmente en la producción musical realizada para piano. El trabajo se dedica al análisis de seis de las 7 Piezas para piano pero no sin antes conocer el contexto creativo, el cual es de importancia ya que esto nos proporciona una aproximación al lenguaje en la música instrumental de Mesías Maiguashca; en este caso: música sin transformaciones ni mixturada con algún otro elemento sonoro-musical. Esto permitió conocer sobre las influencias y materiales utilizados para la creación de una obra de carácter pedagógico para piano solo. El estudio se basó en la singularidad de cada una de las seis piezas, es decir, no existen parámetros estrictos y fijos para el análisis del corpus de la obra, sino que cada pieza dada su originalidad, ha sido objeto de un estudio particular; por supuesto que algunos aspectos del análisis se comparten pero la metodología propuesta es distinta en cada una de las piezas. Para finalizar se aporta un video donde el compositor explica y describe brevemente estas piezas para piano y una entrevista donde expone el modo de construcción de la pieza “Tres melodías”; estos elementos permitieron recabar información sobre las demás piezas y coadyuvaron a la resolución de cuestiones analíticas

A docência no piano : representações sociais de professores de escolas de música em Taguatinga

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Artes, Departamento de Música, Programa de Pós-graduação em Música, 2015.

De los niños, cartas con corazón y letras grandes, el último mensaje dale el piano a francés, papi, Jaime de rabia quebró el "bidrio" : a veces llegan cartas 7

Fondo Margaritainés Restrepo

Alicia Montfort Rubín: reconocida maestra de piano que traspasó las fronteras

Desde niña creció en un floreciente ambiente de arte y cultura, Alicia Montfort es una de las ejecutantes decanas del piano en Monterrey; junto a su hermano Héctor integró uno de los dúos de piano más reconocidos a nivel internacional. Virtuosismo y disciplina que transmitió en las aulas de aquella Escuela de Música que contribuyó a convertirla en Facultad.

Análisis ejecutivo-interpretativo de la Sonata para piano no.1, op.22 de Alberto Ginastera

Este artículo pretende ofrecer herramientas analíticas acerca de diversos aspectos que sean de utilidad a los pianistas profesionales o en formación, para el estudio y ejecución de la Sonata para Piano No.1, Op.22 del compositor argentino Alberto Ginastera -- Se incluye un corto contexto histórico de la obra, con especial enfoque en el período creativo del que hace parte la Sonata, con el fin de familiarizar al pianista con la producción del compositor -- Cuenta el artículo además con un análisis de la estructura de la obra y de cada uno de sus movimientos y con consejos prácticos enfocados al aspecto técnico ejecutivo-interpretativo, cuyo fin es facilitar, tanto el estudio como la ejecución misma de la obra -- Se incluye también un breve análisis de tres grabaciones de la Sonata con comentarios generales relacionados con los asuntos puntuales atendidos en el artículo

Estudio comparativo de tres interpretaciones de la sonata I Op. 45 en Bb mayor para violonchelo y piano de Félix Mendelssohn

En el presente trabajo se realiza un Estudio Comparativo de tres Interpretaciones de la Sonata I Op. 45 en Bb Mayor para Violonchelo y Piano de Félix Mendelssohn. El mismo que fue analizado con ayuda del performance de tres grandes violonchelistas como son: Natalia Gutman (Rusia 1942), Inbal Segev (Israel 1974) y Xenia Jankovic (Serbia 1958), en donde se puede examinar cada una de sus ejecuciones comparando varios aspectos técnicos y estilísticos; los mismos que apoyaron al desarrollo musical y técnico de la autora del trabajo. Además, fue reforzado por material teórico acerca de la vida de cada una de ellas, como de la obra estudiada. Las conclusiones brindan un soporte técnico, fraseológico y de precisión de las dinámicas que pueden ayudar al lector a tener una nueva perspectiva interpretativa

A graduate piano recital : an analytical study

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a historical and musical analysis that illustrates characteristic features of musical compositions from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth century styles. The structural analysis of the pieces reveal the evolution in the musical expression regarding line, texture, form, and the technical skills employed by the composers through polyphonic, homophonic, and twelve-tone procedures. The works of this recital represent four different styles: The prelude and fugue among the important forms of the Baroque style; the sonata embodying the principles of balance and unity of the Classical style; the etude and waltz as representative of the Romantic style; and the nocturne as an illustration of the transformation of the melody, harmony, and rhythm in the music of the 20thcentury.