ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
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- Creators: Rogers, Rodney
There are some dissertations on the topic of Debussy’s Etudes. Most of them are about performance-related aspects such as fingerings, pedaling, or technical guidelines. Some of the dissertations examine compositional analyses, discussing harmony, texture, rhythmic structure, motivic development, etc. There also is a dissertation that makes a comparative study of the etude genre in Chopin and Debussy. Since there is no research yet on the recordings of Debussy’s Etudes, this may be a meaningful contribution to research. Debussy’s Douze Études are technically difficult to play, but the technical problems are always subordinated to musical beauty and variety in this work. This research is concerned with the sound of the music as achieved by a variety of performers.
Nine representative pianists from various schools and traditions are chosen: Michel Béroff, Aldo Ciccolini, Walter Cosand, Walter Gieseking, Werner Haas, Yvonne Loriod, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Mitsuko Uchida and Yevgeny Yontov. In this project, the focus is on listening to the selected recordings, making comparisons and summarizing certain performance-related aspects of them. Each etude is discussed individually in order to make a comprehensive study of different aspects of the selected recordings. In the last chapter of this paper, conclusions are drawn about the different performance features of the pianists examined according to previous analyses.
This research seeks to encourage performances of Debussy’s Etudes, to aid pianists in obtaining interpretative ideas from the different recordings and finally to benefit their own performances.
This paper examines three major aspects to Les nuits d’été. First, it will discuss the reasons why Berlioz re-scored the work for orchestra and transposed the vocal part for various voice types in this later orchestral version. Second, it examines the difference between musical interactions in these two versions by comparing the existing scores of each version with its respective accompaniment based on Berlioz's use of word painting. Finally, this paper provides the author's original transcription of Les nuits d’été in a version for voice and piano that incorporates the later orchestral versions which were not included in the original version for voice and piano.
This document details ensemble issues, interpretative suggestions for both cellist and pianist, and general concepts about the music. The composer further adds to these concepts and suggestions.
Reflections is a programmatic work comprised of four movements, each with a descriptive title: “Gear,” “Tears of the Angel,” “Spintop,” and “Transformation.” Because the composer’s intentions were driven by pictorial ideas and not by a formal harmonic structure, this paper concentrates on ensemble issues and interpretation less than harmonic analysis.
Secondly, the project includes the premiere recording of Reflections, as performer by Yu-Ting Tseng, cellist, and Dr. Jeremy Peterman, pianist. This audio documentation provides other cellists and pianists the opportunity of hearing the piece as originally conceived by the composer, as an aid to their own future preparation of this work. This recording, combined with the interpretative analysis, will assist in bringing Reflections into the cello repertoire and public eye.
This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of these piano works, considering structural, rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic elements. In particular, the paper examines Bergsma and Weingarden’s work through the technique of word painting in order to illuminate the relationship between the biblical text and music. Key findings include that Bergsma’s Tangents contains dissonant harmonies and irregular rhythms to reflect the agony of people on the biblical Judgement day, while the use of tonality reflects God’s love in other parts. Similarly, Weingarden uses an illustrative style of word painting in Triptych to closely reflect this biblical narrative and scene through the combination of some twelve-tone techniques with chromaticism. These works present a high degree of pianistic and musical elaboration that incorporates twentieth-century compositional techniques, and this paper argues that they merit more attention for recitals by college-level and professional pianists. This paper begins with an introduction which provides the methodological approach used in the paper and a biography of each composer. It then progresses to an analysis of Bergsma’s Tangents, followed by an analysis of Weingarden’s Triptych.