Theses and dissertations

This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students. 

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An examination on the influences and establishment of Chopin's personal style through the comparative analysis of his concertos and Hummel's A and B minor concertos

Description
This study compares the Hummel Concertos in A Minor, Op. 85 and B Minor, Op. 89 and the Chopin Concertos in E Minor, Op. 11 and F Minor, Op. 21. On initial hearing of Hummel's rarely played concertos, one immediately detects similarities with Chopin's concerto style. Upon closer examination, one…

This study compares the Hummel Concertos in A Minor, Op. 85 and B Minor, Op. 89 and the Chopin Concertos in E Minor, Op. 11 and F Minor, Op. 21. On initial hearing of Hummel's rarely played concertos, one immediately detects similarities with Chopin's concerto style. Upon closer examination, one discovers a substantial number of interesting and significant parallels with Chopin's concertos, many of which are highlighted in this research project. Hummel belongs to a generation of composers who made a shift away from the Classical style, and Chopin, as an early Romantic, absorbed much from his immediate predecessors in establishing his highly unique style. I have chosen to focus on Chopin's concertos to demonstrate this association. The essay begins with a discussion of the historical background of Chopin's formative years as it pertains to the formation of his compositional style, Hummel's role and influence in the contemporary musical arena, as well as interactions between the two composers. It then provides the historical background of the aforementioned concertos leading to a comparative analysis, which includes structural, melodic, harmonic, and motivic parallels. With a better understanding of his stylistic influences, and of how Chopin assimilated them in the creation of his masterful works, the performer can adopt a more informed approach to the interpretation of these two concertos, which are among the most beloved masterpieces in piano literature.
ContributorsYam, Jessica (Author) / Hamilton, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Levy, Benjamin (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
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A New Piano Reduction of the Glazunov Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor Op. 82

Description
Every collaborative pianist encounters unrealistic and unsuccessful piano reductions of orchestral and operatic compositions on a regular basis. In some cases, the reductions were realized by the composers themselves, and therefore may contain all the notes from the full score, but might not be realistic piano reductions. Other times, the…

Every collaborative pianist encounters unrealistic and unsuccessful piano reductions of orchestral and operatic compositions on a regular basis. In some cases, the reductions were realized by the composers themselves, and therefore may contain all the notes from the full score, but might not be realistic piano reductions. Other times, the reductions may have been made by an editor who might arrange the piano part according to their own physical abilities, experience, or taste, but might ignore essential elements of the original orchestration. Alexander Glazunov’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 82 is frequently performed by students and professional violinists alike. The existing piano reduction of the concerto was written by the composer himself. However, the reduction has various issues that make performing this composition challenging for pianists. The main purpose of this paper is not the simplification of the existing reduction, but the creation of a new reduction that is more pianistic and approachable, yet more true to Glazunov’s dynamic and expressive orchestration. The first chapter of this project is an introduction to and comparison of currently available editions. An overview of the composer’s biography and the historical background of the composition comprise the second chapter. Chapters three, four and five are dedicated to each respective movement of the concerto, with explanations and details about certain editorial decisions. The appendix features a new piano reduction of Glazunov’s Violin Concerto in its entirety.
ContributorsKim, Olga (Author) / Campbell, Andrew (Thesis advisor) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Schmelz, Peter (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019