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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- Creators: Cosand, Walter
Description
This paper investigates the origins of the piano recital as invented by Franz Liszt, presents varying strategies for program design, and compares Liszt's application of the format with current trends. In addition it examines the concepts of program music, musical ekphrasis, and Gesamtkunstwerk and proposes a new multimedia piano concert format in which music combines with the mediums of literature and the visual arts; Picturing Rachmaninoff, and Picturing Ravel provide two recent examples of this format.
ContributorsCook, Stephen Barry (Author) / Hamilton, Robert (Thesis advisor) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Pagano, Caio (Committee member) / Cosand, Walter (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
This research paper focuses on selected recordings of the Etudes of Claude Debussy. It provides a comparative study of these recordings.
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.
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.
ContributorsJiang, Yuan (Author) / Cosand, Walter (Thesis advisor) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
This dissertation focuses on seven solo piano works written by contemporary Chinese-American composer Chen Yi. It is presented in the form of a recording project, with a written analysis of each recorded composition. The seven recorded pieces are Variations on "Awariguli", Duo Ye, Guessing, Two Chinese bagatelles: Yu Diao and Small Beijing Gong, Ba Ban, Singing in the Mountain, and Ji-Dong-Nuo. They were written between 1978 and 2005, presenting a wide range of Chen Yi's compositional style. The written portion consists of five chapters. After the introductory chapter, a sketch of Chen Yi's life is presented in Chapter Two. This chapter specifically uncovers Chen Yi's deep roots of Chinese traditional and folk music through her experiences during the Cultural Revolution. Chapter Three analyzes each of the seven pieces. Through formal structure realization, motivic analysis, and folk music implication, the author discovers the blend of Chinese and Western cultures throughout Chen Yi's music. Chapter Four discusses the performance aspect of these compositions through the author's recording experience. In this chapter, the author provides background information as well as suggestions on specific performance practice. The last chapter summarizes the entire dissertation.
ContributorsFeeken, Qing Nadia (Author) / Meir, Baruch (Thesis advisor) / Carpenter, Ellon (Committee member) / Cosand, Walter (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
This research concentrates on the five sonatinas for piano by Walter Saul. It consists of a recording and a document providing musical analyses and performance guides to these sonatinas.
The purpose of the research is to introduce Walter Saul’s five sonatinas, composed from 1998 to 2015. Walter Saul is a gifted living American composer and pianist. He has written a quantity of piano music intended for study by young performers. His five sonatinas, in traditional sonata forms, use a variety of compositional techniques, including twelve-tone rows, jazz elements, modulations, modes, scales, and contrapuntal procedures. Performers may find that the analyses in this document are useful in understanding these pieces. The guides are likewise provided to teachers and students studying these pieces.
This paper consists of six chapters. It begins with an introduction in Chapter 1; Chapter 2 presents a biography of Walter Saul; Chapter 3 observes characteristics of Walter Saul’s piano music; Chapter 4 deals with background of the five sonatinas; Chapter 5 provides performance guides including simple analyses; Chapter 6 arrives at a conclusion.
The purpose of the research is to introduce Walter Saul’s five sonatinas, composed from 1998 to 2015. Walter Saul is a gifted living American composer and pianist. He has written a quantity of piano music intended for study by young performers. His five sonatinas, in traditional sonata forms, use a variety of compositional techniques, including twelve-tone rows, jazz elements, modulations, modes, scales, and contrapuntal procedures. Performers may find that the analyses in this document are useful in understanding these pieces. The guides are likewise provided to teachers and students studying these pieces.
This paper consists of six chapters. It begins with an introduction in Chapter 1; Chapter 2 presents a biography of Walter Saul; Chapter 3 observes characteristics of Walter Saul’s piano music; Chapter 4 deals with background of the five sonatinas; Chapter 5 provides performance guides including simple analyses; Chapter 6 arrives at a conclusion.
ContributorsYun, Ahyeon (Author) / Cosand, Walter (Thesis advisor) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017