Music Dissertations and Theses

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  • Publication
    Viet Cuong's Bull's-Eye: A Conductor's Analysis
    (University of Kansas, 2019-12-31) Landsberg, Nils Fredrik
    Of the more than five-hundred works cataloged in Rodney Winther’s An Annotated Guide to Wind Chamber Music, ninety-six percent include double reed instruments in their orchestration, which limits the repertoire available to ensembles without access to double reed players. To address this lack of accessible repertoire, a consortium of ten institutions and organizations commissioned composer, Viet Cuong (b. 1990), to create a new work for chamber winds. The result of this commission is Bull’s-Eye (2019), a piece that sits at the intersection of the visual and performing arts. This crossroads of the arts generates opportunities for collaboration between conductors, musicians, and visual artists and the creation of unique performance opportunities that synthesize the two art forms. This document will present a conductor’s analysis of Bull’s-Eye. The analysis will explore the composer’s background, source material, form and structure, and offer rehearsal considerations to assist conductors who program the piece for performance with their ensembles.
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    Pre-existent music in the works of Peter Maxwell Davies
    (University of Kansas, 1983-05-31) Tongier, Cheryl
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    A Comparative Analysis of Goals and Programs for College Level Group Piano Instruction in Kansas
    (University of Kansas, 1981-05-31) Umberger, Gayle J.
    This study was a comparative analysis of group piano programs and goals between the secondary two-year schools and the four-year schools of Kansas. A four-part survey was mailed to all group piano instructors of college piano classes; the. results were returned by mail; and the answers were analyzed by computer. Results indicated no significant differences occur between goals and programs of group piano classes in the two-year schools and the goals and programs of the four-year schools.
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    The Accompaniment of Gregorian Chant
    (University of Kansas, 1959-05-31) Burgstahler, Patricia L.
    Although Gregorian Chant is sacred monody that dates from an age in which instrumental accompaniment was not employed for liturgical music, today, particularly in the services of the Roman Catholic Church, the common practice is to use some type of organ accompaniment to the chant sung by the choir or congregation. The present thesis proposes to trace briefly the history of chant and accompaniments to chant melodies, to review the three current leading rhythmic theories, and to arrange a new set of accompaniments for a number of the melodies of the Kyriale and certain selected Mass Propers, taking special cognizance of the more recent studies on medieval harmony1 and on rhythmic interpretation.
  • Publication
    Music and War: Imperial Propaganda and German Patriotism in Wartime Secular Vocal Works of Mozart, Beethoven, and Weber
    (University of Kansas, 2019-12-31) Johanning, Wolfgang Franz Wilhelm
    Music has always been influenced by politics. Political ideas become especially prominent in musical compositions during periods of turmoil, particularly in times of war. Around 1800, Central Europe suffered from extensive warfare, most importantly the Austro-Turkish War (1788–91) and the prolonged wars between Austria and revolutionary and imperial France (1792–1815), and these conflicts also produced large amounts of political music. These wars are sometimes viewed as the incentive for the emergence of modern political music and important political ideologies, especially nationalism. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Carl Maria von Weber created secular vocal works that reflect political events and ideologies of the time. The first chapter investigates how the Austrian Emperor Joseph II is depicted in Mozart’s vocal works “Ich möchte wohl der Kaiser sein” (“I would like to be the Emperor”), K. 539, and “Lied beim Auszug in das Feld” (“Song at the Departure for the Field”), K. 552. The second chapter analyzes Beethoven’s cantata Der glorreiche Augenblick (“The glorious Moment”), written for the Congress of Vienna in 1814, that incorporates ideas regarding the concept of unity, the figure of Emperor Francis, and God. The third chapter explores how Carl Maria von Weber’s cantata Kampf und Sieg (“Battle and Victory”) differs from Mozart’s and Beethoven’s works by incorporating pro-German elements. The fourth chapter shows how the pro-German patriotism in Weber’s work was perceived after its premiere and in the time before the unification of Germany in 1871.
  • Publication
    THE ECCENTRIC HUMOR IN ERIK SATIE’S PIANO MUSIC
    (University of Kansas, 2019-12-31) CHANG, CHINGWEN
    In early 20th century France, Eric Satie was regarded among the leading figures of humor in high-art music. Many of Satie’s compositions contain different types of humor, such as parody, irony, and satire, and the eccentricity of these works left audiences baffled yet amused. Satie’s compositions with eccentric humor were influenced by his experience working as an arranger and accompanist in cabarets for over twenty years. In the Chat Noir cabaret, Satie, along with other artists, challenged the traditional aesthetic and bourgeois conventions. They composed absurdist songs and plays, providing texts full of eccentric humor in the cabaret’s own journal. These works prefigured the spirit of Dadaism. The purpose of this study is to examine the eccentric humor in Eric Satie’s piano music. First, I will select one piano duet from the period when he studied counterpoint in the Schola Cantorum from 1905 to 1912. I will discuss how he expressed eccentric humor in this contrapuntal work. Second, I will examine some short pieces from his humoristic piano suites written around the years of 1912-1915. Almost all of these pieces parodied music from existing compositions, and Satie liberally sprinkled eccentric annotations throughout the scores of these pieces. Third, I will examine a piano duet inspired by the comic, bizarre, and satiric literature of Francois Rabelais, who was a master satirist and writer in the French renaissance.
  • Publication
    Multicultural Influences in Debussy’s Piano Music
    (University of Kansas, 2019-12-31) Wuthiwan, Tharach
    Debussy has been known for integrating different subjects into his music such as pictures, scenes of nature, poems, and elements from other cultures that leave the listener with the impression that Debussy tries to capture in his music. This paper focuses on multicultural influences on Debussy’s Estampes, a suite published in 1903 that contains references to three different cultures: Javanese, Spanish, and French cultures. The first piece, Pagodes, evokes the musical culture of the Javanese Gamelan of Indonesia, which Debussy first encountered in a performance he saw at the Paris Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in 1889. Debussy uses pentatonic, pedal-tone, and polyphonic texture to imitate the sound of the Javanese gamelan instruments. Besides Pagodes, Debussy uses similar techniques in Prelude from Pour Le Piano and Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut from Images Book 2. La soirée dans Grenade evokes the musical character of Granada in Andalusia, Spain by using the habanera dance rhythm, melodies inspired by the Moorish heritage of Spain, and the rolled chords that imitate the strumming gesture of the Spanish guitar. Jardins sous la pluie is a composition from Debussy’s native French culture. Debussy uses different modes–major, minor, whole-tone, and chromatics–to present different shades of moods. He also quotes melodies from two French children’s songs in this piece, which serve as reference for the child-like scene and enrich the expressiveness of the piece. This document is based on historical and cultural research, musical analysis, and performance practice.
  • Publication
    A Pedagogical and Performance Analysis of Francis Poulenc’s Works for Two Pianos and Four Hands
    (University of Kansas, 2019-12-31) Li, Mai
    Francis Poulenc’s piano duo music has not received the same detailed scrutiny as the solo piano music, even though this relatively small body of repertoire (just five pieces in total) is quite valuable. Its emotional scope ranges from the farcical comedy found in the Capriccio and Sonata for Four Hands to the utmost seriousness of the Sonata for Two Pianos. The music is both approachable by children (L’embarquement pour Cythère) and understandable only by those possessing good musical taste (Élégie). It is technically varied, full of harmonic interest and thematic beauty, readily received by audiences. This document will seek to show why the literature is important for Poulenc researchers in a study of his life and art. These works span the length of his career, with the earliest work written in 1918 and the last work in 1959 nearly four years before his death, providing valuable insight into the evolution of his compositional styles. It will further delve into specific stylistic aspects of Poulenc’s music. Finally, it will provide collaborative and performance practice considerations of the repertoire and will give specific and detailed analyses of each of the pieces.
  • Publication
    The History of the Fine Arts School at the University of Kansas
    (University of Kansas, 1941-12-31) Turk-Roge, Janet Louise Coulson
    The history of the Fine Arts School at the University of Kansas begins, in a sense, with the history of Lawrence. As early as 1854 there were musical influences in the town, which, after the founding of the university in 1866, were to be found also in the activities of certain early faculty members and musical groups. These factors all contributed to the establishment of the Department of Music, and culminated ultimately in the organization of the School · of Fine Arts. The first chapter of this work deals with these early musical influences leading to the organization of the Department of Music and the appointment of the first Dean. The remainder of the thesis is divided into chapters covering the administration of each Dean of the Fine Arts School.
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    A history of music education at the University of Kansas from 1866-1936
    (University of Kansas, 1976-12-31) Kirchoff, Kim Allyson
    The primary purpose of this study is to trace the development of music education at the University of Kansas from its inception through the time·when Otto Miessner became the Department's chairman in 1936. Tracing that development will show how and why music education holds the position it has today at the University of Kansas. Several questions arise while pondering the present position of music education at the University. 1. What were the attitudes of the early Kansas settlers toward music and what were the backgrounds that fanned these attitudes? 2. Where did education, in general, rank in importance to the lives of the settlers and how did they provide for it? 3. When did the University of Kansas begin to include music as a part of its curriculum and what emphasis did they place on it? 4. What kind of musical training did the early Normal students receive? 5. When did teacher training become a recognized need within the Department of Music and how did its curriculum develop? 6. When did music become a part of the public school curriculum and why? 7. Once Public School Music became a department within the School of Fine Arts, how did it become involved with the School of Education? The answers to these questions are vital in determining how and why music education developed. This study will also shed light on the development of music education not only at the University of Kansas, but in public schools, colleges, and universities throughout the Midwest and West because of the similarities of backgrounds of the settlers.
  • Publication
    "We Shall Go Forth": A Musical Analysis of the Women's Music Movement, 1969-1985
    (University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Freyermuth, Jessica
    In the wake of the social and political movements that defined the 1960s, the women’s music movement emerged as a means to cultivate an outlet for young lesbian musicians who saw themselves as equal to their straight male counterparts, but were unwilling to compromise their musical integrity in order to perform on major labels. The movement became a social experience, as women’s music artists would tour coffee shops, college campuses, and feminist bookstores to perform their woman-identified woman music to all-female audiences. The concerts eventually grew into larger events, such as the National Women’s Music Festival and the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, which offered women of myriad backgrounds a safe space to gather as friends, family, and lovers. Within this cultural movement were musicians Margie Adam, Meg Christian, Alix Dobkin, Kay Gardner, Holly Near, Linda Tillery, Mary Watkins, and Cris Williamson. Together they created a soundtrack for lesbians throughout the 1970s. There was no unifying genre to the music produced during this movement. Some women were folk singer-songwriters, while others were classically trained musicians and composers. Their experiences were eclectic, and often encompassed other social and political causes of the decade. Many songs dealt with the topic of sexual identity. Some were anti-war anthems, while others explored non-western cultures and the medicinal power of music. It is because the music of this movement has not been analyzed in previous discussions of this topic that these pieces require attention. This dissertation surveys a selection of songs from each of the eight artists listed above during the period from 1969-1985. These pieces demonstrate the diverse output of this movement. They are also indicative of a variety of influences, which can be linked to mainstream popular artists and classical composers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
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    Rachmaninoff's "Concealed Variation" Principle: Inspiration for Motivic Unity in his Preludes, Op. 32
    (University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Young, Jonathan
    Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) is considered one of the greatest pianist-composers of the Late Romantic Era. Specifically, his twenty-four piano preludes stand as hallmarks of the Russian solo repertoire, inspired by the prelude cycles of Johann Sebastian Bach and Frédéric Chopin. Rachmaninoff’s preludes are regularly performed today by students and virtuosos alike. The composer experienced early success with the release of his Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2. The international triumph of the piece followed him throughout his career and resulted in his exasperation over the work’s popularity. During his middle period of composition Rachmaninoff completed his cycle of preludes by writing and publishing Op. 32 in 1910. The swift penning of this set displays remarkable continuity in motive, melody, harmony, and rhythm within the work. Since the release of the Op. 32 preludes, many musicians have noticed the similarities between Op. 32 and his early Op. 3, No. 2 prelude. In 2006, Rachmaninoff scholar Valentin Antipov revealed aspects of monothematicism within Rachmaninoff’s cycles of piano pieces. He also conditionally proposed the twenty-four preludes as a cycle of “concealed variations” on Rachmaninoff’s own Prelude in C-sharp Minor. It is hardly possible to assemble an exhaustive listing of the compositional methods used by Rachmaninoff to obscure the Op. 3 theme. However, in this document I seek to support the claim that two distinct motives in Op. 32 are drawn from Rachmaninoff’s universally acclaimed masterpiece, the Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2.
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    The conceptualization of a theoretical framework for a music intervention to improve auditory development in very preterm infants
    (University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Smith, Amy Renee
    Very preterm infants are at a high risk for language delays that can persist throughout their lifetime. The auditory system is rapidly developing and highly sensitive to acoustic stimulation during the third trimester of pregnancy. The acoustic nature of the womb provides the essential foundation for auditory perceptual skills necessary for language acquisition. In contrast, the NICU environment presents a wider spectrum of sounds that can alter the early development of the auditory system and cause delays in language acquisition. Research supports the importance of early exposure to speech sounds for optimal development of auditory perceptual ability and the critical role of the intrauterine characteristics of language. Pitches below 300 Hz, as well as rhythmic patterns and prosodic contours are highly salient intrauterine features of language that make up the infant’s initial auditory experience. The purpose of this study is to form a theoretical framework as a structure for understanding how intrauterine speech characteristics of pitch, rhythm, and prosody can be implemented as active ingredients in a music intervention to improve auditory development and long-term language outcomes in very premature infants. The framework is presented and described in detail. Implications for a future research agenda and applications for clinical practice are explored.
  • Publication
    The Chaconne for Solo Violin by J. S. Bach: A Performance Guide
    (University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Chang, Wei-yu
    Abstract As one of the most important solo pieces in the violin repertoire, the Chaconne has inspired and tested numerous violinists on the road to violin mastery. It is not only the longest single movement of the unaccompanied violin works by J. S. Bach, but it also presents a variety of technical and musical challenges. Each section of the Chaconne varies in the required bowing and fingering techniques. This document will focus on intonation, string crossings, chords, memorization, and dynamics. This study focuses on helping violinists to find solutions for technical challenges when playing the Chaconne. I have collected ideas and suggestions from scholars and performers and combined them with my own insight as a violinist to write this document. I am hoping to provide a unique view for those who wish to comprehend and successfully perform the piece. Wei-yu Chang Lawrence, Kansas April 2019
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    Far From Home: Suite for Jazz Big Band
    (University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Annan, Alex Todd
    Far From Home: Suite for Jazz Big Band is a large scale, four movement suite for large jazz ensemble of five saxophones with various woodwind doubles, four trombones, four trumpets with flugelhorn doubles, and rhythm section consisting of bass, guitar, piano, and drums. Each movement is an original composition that can be presented as a standalone piece though collectively the piece is programmatic in nature and tells a story. The goal of this work is to present a story that each listener can take and make their own. While each movement was written with a personal interpretation in mind, the listener should use their own personal experiences to create their story using the music as a guide. The piece has a runtime of approximately 23-25 minutes and features many members of the ensemble either as presenters of the melody or improvised soloists. Far From Home is meant to encapsulate what it is like to be on a journey, a path where one must take a leap of faith into the unknown in order to better themselves. “Home” in the title does not explicitly mean where you live. “Home” is meant to convey where you want to be, where you need to be, where you once were, or where you can be most successful, personally or professionally. Each movement takes an aspect of the journey and puts it into music. For example, the first movement Distance, is a slow and dark intro to the work. The first melody note is a minor ninth above the bass note, giving the music a heavy sense of dissonance. This movement shows the weariness and anxiousness of taking that leap of faith. The movement is in a 3/4 time signature but every fourth measure, a quarter note is added making it a 4/4 measure. This represents the unsteadiness of the start of a journey. All movements of Far From Home have their own melody that is first presented by one or two members of the ensemble then by a larger group of players. While each movement has its own harmonic language, there are similarities between each movement such as open fifths in the lower horns and bass rhythm voices, or similar chord qualities such as Major 7th chords. The melodic content of each movement is meant to be clear and simple with a single challenging aspect to give the listeners a motive that is easy to grasp but is still interesting to listen to. There are also aleatoric or improvised chance music in each movement which represents the unknown aspects of a journey. This suite’s first two movements are centered in minor keys, Bb minor and E minor respectively, with the third movement being based in a major key, G major. The final movement uses harmonic elements of each of the previous movements and has heavy use of modal mixture, moving between Db major and Db minor. Collectively, these pieces tell a story and provide performers with accessible and challenging music and gives listeners a music guide to create their own story.
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    A Striking Effect: Chromatic Techniques in Baroque Variation Sets and Their Relationship to Late Madrigals
    (University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Gage, Christopher
    One of the most widely used approaches in tonal music, variation technique has informed centuries of composition. Beginning with Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, the Baroque keyboard variation set was a prominent form; one particular multimovement variation set, commonly called the “partita,” included various treatments of a given theme, sacred or secular, in a display of compositional variety. One treatment occurs with some regularity and involves a harmonization of a chorale tune in which chromaticism is pervasive, having a non-diatonic note on every beat or including key areas that are more distant than was customary. This dissertation explores the chromatic variation with one broad question: how is this chromaticism generated? Are there particular aspects of a chorale melody that give rise to this treatment? What are the main compositional techniques that constitute a chromatic movement? Using detailed analyses of four pieces—Johann Sebastian Bach, O Gott du frommer Gott, BWV 767/7; Johann Pachelbel, Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, variation 4; Pachelbel, Alle Menschen müßen sterben, var. 7; and Samuel Scheidt, Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund, verse 6—I find six unifying principles that contribute to the chromatic nature of these movements. Then, using Pachelbel’s two movements as models, I compose chromatic variations on two chorale tunes, Freu’ dich sehr, o meine Seele and Jesu, meine Freude, which did not previously receive such treatment; the six principles are used to inform my own composition, and this exercise is a way to test the efficacy of those principles. Finally, a precedent for this high level of chromaticism is sought in the late-sixteenth-century madrigal, using several Italian and English pieces to draw a connection to the Baroque music that followed in the next century and a half.
  • Publication
    Don Henry - A Chamber Opera in One Act
    (University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Nawrot, Frank Charles Steen
    Don Henry is a chamber opera that tells the true story of a University of Kansas student who fought in the Spanish Civil War against Francisco Franco’s fascist forces in the 1930s. The work examines the eponymous protagonist’s commitment to the anti-fascist cause for which he gave his life. Don Henry represents a stylistic synthesis of rock music and art music. Don Henry is a sixty-minute one-act work. The work is scored for mezzo-soprano, tenor, pre-recorded soprano and male narrator, Pierrot ensemble, and rock trio (drum set, bass guitar, and electric guitar). The libretto consists of a combination of historical documents, poems written by British international brigaders, and original text and lyrics. The primary purpose of Don Henry is to portray, through music and drama, the composer’s conviction that exploitation, national chauvinism, and intolerance are not permanent characteristics of humanity, but are things that can be overcome.
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    The Progressive Clarinetist: A Comprehensive Method for Fast-Paced Fundamental Growth
    (University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Fortune, Stacia Kay
    This modern-day method has been created because of the demand for a student’s consistent growth throughout musical programs in a collegiate setting. A gap exists between a private instructor and one’s personal practice throughout the week or school breaks that can be mitigated by having access to a wide variety of exercises and ways to implement these exercises using actual repertoire. This method will focus on the basic fundamentals of clarinet playing: air, intonation, finger motion, scales and articulation. Students will pick the fundamental they would most like to improve or remain consistent on and undergo a three-week period of intensive and specific practice with the goal of improving that fundamental and understanding better how it applies to all performances. This method will be split into five levels based on expectations throughout the individual years of an undergraduate degree, as well as including graduate students. While this program is aimed primarily at college level clarinetists, it can be applied to clarinetists of any age. The exercises have been compiled as a result of my personal experiences as a student and teacher as well as consultations with clarinet colleagues, and the etudes and excerpts have been taken from popular books and pieces in the clarinet repertoire. The exercises have been assigned to specific levels and fundamentals based on their difficulty and focus. Many etudes and excerpts address multiple fundamentals and will be used accordingly. The student who goes through this method will first take a brief test that assesses their level in all main fundamentals. Once their initial level has been ascertained, they begin their program. Each day of practice will incorporate a variety of exercises, etudes and excerpts aimed towards their specific goal. At the beginning of the program there will be considerably more exercises and etudes, but challenges via excerpts and harder etudes will be incorporated as the student’s endurance and skill grows. The goal of this method is to encourage consistent growth in the most important part of learning as a collegiate music student: fundamentals. By promoting continual challenges and growth in a variety of fundamentals, collegiate clarinet players should be able to avoid regressing during breaks from school and the review of fundamentals upon their return to school that keeps them from pursuing music and techniques they should be able to handle at their respective level. This method, with its tiered levels according to expectations throughout a clarinet student’s college career, can create a consistently progressing student who can pinpoint their own weakness, as well as providing a variety of new ways of practicing fundamentals in all types of repertoire.