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: Marshall, Kimberly
Description
This study examines the effectiveness of various types of alternative resources in organ building in order to determine whether a change to more sustainable materials would benefit or hinder the overall sound production of the instrument. The qualities of the metals and woods currently used in organ production (e.g. lead, walnut, etc.) have been prized for centuries, so the substitution of different, more sustainable materials must be considered with regards to the sonic alterations, as well as the financial implications, of using alternatives to make the organ more “green.”
Five organ builders were interviewed regarding their views on sustainable materials. In addition, the author consulted the websites of nine national and four international organ builders for information about sustainability, indicating that each organ builder defines the term somewhat differently. Decisions on the woods and metals to be used in building or refurbishing an existing organ are based more on the visual appearance, the sound desired, and the potential for reuse of existing materials. A number of sustainability practices are currently in use by organ builders in the United States and Europe. These include the reuse of transportation boxes, efforts towards recycled metal and wood pipework, and the use of high efficiency lighting.
The investigations into sustainable practice that are presented here document a variety of approaches to sustainability in organ building in the United States, Canada and Europe. This research should assist in the evaluation of further efforts to conserve valuable resources while ensuring the high quality of sound that has characterized the organ throughout its long history.
Five organ builders were interviewed regarding their views on sustainable materials. In addition, the author consulted the websites of nine national and four international organ builders for information about sustainability, indicating that each organ builder defines the term somewhat differently. Decisions on the woods and metals to be used in building or refurbishing an existing organ are based more on the visual appearance, the sound desired, and the potential for reuse of existing materials. A number of sustainability practices are currently in use by organ builders in the United States and Europe. These include the reuse of transportation boxes, efforts towards recycled metal and wood pipework, and the use of high efficiency lighting.
The investigations into sustainable practice that are presented here document a variety of approaches to sustainability in organ building in the United States, Canada and Europe. This research should assist in the evaluation of further efforts to conserve valuable resources while ensuring the high quality of sound that has characterized the organ throughout its long history.
ContributorsGregoire, Jonathan M (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Following the Restoration of the English monarchy in 1660, musical culture gradually began to thrive under the support of royal patronage and the emerging middle class. The newly crowned Charles II brought with him a love of French music acquired during his time in exile at the court of his cousin, the young Louis XIV. Organ builders, most notably Bernard Smith and Renatus Harris, brought new life to the instrument, drawing from their experience on the Continent to build larger instruments with colorful solo stops, offering more possibilities for performers and composers. Although relatively few notated organ works survive from the Restoration period, composers generated a niche body of organ repertoire exploring compositional genres inspired by late 17th-century English instruments.
The primary organ composers of the Restoration period are Matthew Locke, John Blow, and Henry Purcell; these three musicians began to take advantage of new possibilities in organ composition, particularly the use of two-manuals with a solo register, and their writing displays the strong influence of French and Italian compositional styles. Each adapts Continental forms and techniques for the English organ, drawing from such forms as the French overture and récit pour le basse et dessus, and the Italian toccata and canzona. English organ composers from the Restoration period borrow form, stylistic techniques, ornamentation, and even direct musical quotations, to create a body of repertoire synthesizing both French and Italian styles.
The primary organ composers of the Restoration period are Matthew Locke, John Blow, and Henry Purcell; these three musicians began to take advantage of new possibilities in organ composition, particularly the use of two-manuals with a solo register, and their writing displays the strong influence of French and Italian compositional styles. Each adapts Continental forms and techniques for the English organ, drawing from such forms as the French overture and récit pour le basse et dessus, and the Italian toccata and canzona. English organ composers from the Restoration period borrow form, stylistic techniques, ornamentation, and even direct musical quotations, to create a body of repertoire synthesizing both French and Italian styles.
ContributorsWhitten, Emma (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Saucier, Catherine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Throughout the history of Western art music, political and religious institutions have exerted powerful influence through their patronage and censorship. This is especially relevant to the organ, an elaborate and expensive instrument which has always depended on institutional support. The fascinating story of Polish organ culture, which has existed since the Middle Ages, reflects the dramatic changes in Polish politics throughout the centuries. An understanding of this country's history helps to construct a comprehensive view of how politics influenced the developments in organ building and organ playing. This paper describes the dynamics of the Church, government and art institutions in Poland during the years 1945-2012. A brief summary of the history of Polish organ culture sets the stage for the changes occurring after WWII. The constant struggle between the Church and the communist regime affected music making and organ culture in Poland from 1945-1989. The political détente that occurred after 1989 led to a flowering of new instruments, restorations and performance opportunities for organists. By exploring the relationship between Polish organ culture and prevailing agendas in the 20th century, the author demonstrates how a centuries-old tradition adapted to survive political and economic hardships.
ContributorsKubiaczyk-Adler, Ilona (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Micklich, Albie (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
The organ is in a continued state of evolution, tonally and mechanically, designed by the builder to meet certain expectations related to the musical aesthetics of the time. Organ building in the United States has been influenced by both European organ building traditions and American innovations. During the early twentieth century, Ernest M. Skinner emerged as one of the greatest organ builders in America. Throughout his life, Skinner's quest was to create an "ideal organ," capable of playing a variety of music. Skinner's vision was rooted in the Romantic Movement and influenced by the dynamic gradations and rich, colorful sonorities of orchestral and operatic music of the era. A number of technological developments were applied to the design of the organ which made the romantic organ possible. The prominent European organ builders of the nineteenth century created organs that defined the romantic-style instrument in their respective countries. By the end of the century, American organ builders were creating their own versions. Skinner traveled to Europe to learn what he could from the foreign builders. Skinner built organs that synthesized European and American elements, along with his own innovations, as continuation of nineteenth-century trends that brought the romantic-symphonic organ to its fullest realization. Additionally, Skinner developed many new organ timbres, including a number of stops that imitate various orchestral instruments. The result of Skinner's creative work is the the American symphonic organ. This paper attempts to illustrate how the tonal designs of organs built by Walcker, Cavaillé-Coll, and Willis influenced the work of Skinner and the American symphonic organ. The work of each builder is discussed with descriptions of their designs. The designs and innovations of Skinner are examined as related to these European builders. A number of organ specifications are provided to supplement the information presented here. Today, American symphonic organs, particularly those built by Skinner, are revered for their warmth and charm and are inspiring the work of present day organ builders who are incorporating elements of this style into their own designs.
ContributorsGerber, James Theodore (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Pagano, Caio (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
The craft of improvisation at the organ has survived a long period of dormancy and is experiencing a strong resurgence in the twenty-first century. This project seeks to establish a precedence for the value of notated music as a resource in learning improvisation, and then, through music analysis, provide examples of how that process can develop. The result of the ideas presented here is a pathway whereby any disciplined organist can learn to imitate composed music, assimilate the musical ideas, and innovate through the act of spontaneous improvisation.
ContributorsHoward, Devon (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Kocour, Michael (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Organ culture of the late nineteenth century played an important role in the development of cities on the American Western Frontier. By 1869, the transcontinental railroad connected cities across the United States, enabling coast-to-coast travel and spawning a new tourist industry. Rail travelers stopping in Utah frequently visited the Tabernacle and were impressed by the organ, requesting to hear it played. The Salt Lake Tabernacle free daily organ recital program was initiated to meet that demand. This came at a critical time in the growth of the city as it sought to develop a positive image of itself. These organ recitals became a highlight of travelers’ journeys across the United States, shaping the image of Utah as a place of culture and refinement. Although free daily organ recital programs sprang up across the country during the early twentieth century, very few persisted for more than a decade. Today, the only two remaining continuous free daily organ recital series are given on the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ and on the Wanamaker organ in Philadelphia. Location, promotion, purpose, and programming were key factors vital to the early and continued success of the program. At a time when attendance is in decline for organ recitals, and indeed for all classical art music, the elements of this uniquely successful program may suggest new approaches for sharing organ music.
ContributorsHarris, Valerie (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Saucier, Catherine (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
The purpose of this lecture-recital is to explore the Protestant Reformation’s effect on the lives of a selected number of composing organists who were active in the field of church music before, during, and after the Reformation. The organists were selected based on the prominence of their positions and the significance of their compositions in the history of the organ. The lecture thus focuses on their employment situations and the repertoire they created. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelick is one of the most extreme examples of changed employment due to the Reformation. Trained as a Catholic organist, and taking up his position at the Oude Kerk Amsterdam at the age of 19, Sweelinck was forced to adapt quickly when the city converted to Calvinism within that same year. He became the civic organist, playing daily recitals on the organ instead of liturgical music, which was prohibited by the Calvinists.
Because of his background in music and his compositional inclinations, Martin Luther created a liturgy that was much friendlier to musicians than was that of Calvin. Lutheranism fostered many fine organist-composers, culminating in the music of J.S. Bach. Early in the Reformation, Hans Kotter was fired from his position in Catholic Fribourg due to his Protestant leanings. Samuel Scheidt also suffered because of religious turmoil. He published three extraordinary volumes of organ music, entitled Tabulatura nova, in 1624, but the onset of the Thirty Years War cost him his employment. His final compositions are simple chorale harmonizations, reflecting the upheaval of the Reformation and the War. In Catholic Italy and Spain, where Reformers never gained a strong foothold, Marco Antonio Cavazzoni and Antonio de Cabezón were able to continue their work with little change.
Due to the nature of their work and instruments, organists stand at the nexus of religion, economics, politics, and art. This lecture-recital seeks to reveal these relationships following the Reformation. These significant organist-composers provide case studies for how the changing religious and political climates of the Reformation affected the work of organists and the music they composed.
ContributorsTucker, Julia (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Saucier, Catherine (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The unmeasured Fantasias by Johann Gottfried Müthel appear as part of a collection of pedagogical exercises to foster improvisation. The information he gives in the notation of his fantasias can be elucidated with a historiographical interpretation of musical rhetoric. Müthel developed musical figures and contrasting textures in accordance with contemporary rhetorical principles of inventio, dispositio and elaboratio. An analysis of Müthel’s G-minor Fantasia provides a link between musical rhetoric and performance, as seen through its improvisatory gestures. Issues of performance practice that arise in the G-minor Fantasia are the execution of ornaments, rhythmic alterations, registration, and articulation. This paper explores primary sources contemporary to Müthel to make sense of these issues. The unmeasured Fantasias are written for a keyboard with pedal. At the time that they were written, the pedal fortepiano and pedal clavichord were seen by musicians such as Carl Phillip Emanual Bach to be the superior instruments for performing improvisations. While the notation and texture of the Fantasias suggests that Müthel intended them for organ, a consideration of the possibilities provided by the fortepiano suggests that it may be more suited to conveying aspects of the galant aesthetic.
ContributorsMealey, Natalie (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This paper provides a comprehensive study of Italian liturgical organ works from the 15th to 17th centuries. This music was composed for the Catholic Mass, and it demonstrates the development of Italian keyboard style and the incorporation of new genres into the organ Mass, such as a Toccata before the Mass, music for the Offertory, and the Elevation Toccata. This often neglected corpus of music deserves greater scholarly attention.
The Italian organ Mass begins with the Faenza Codex of c.1430, which contains the earliest surviving liturgical music for organ. Over a century would pass before Girolamo Cavazzoni published his three organ Masses in 1543: Mass IV (for feasts of apostles), Mass IX (for Marian feasts) and Mass XI (for typical Sundays of the year). The prevalence of publishing in Venice and the flourishing liturgical culture at San Marco led two notable organists, Andrea Gabrieli and Claudio Merulo, to publish their own Masses in 1563 and 1568. Both composers cultivated imitation and figurative lines which were often replete with ornamentation.
Frescobaldi’s Fiori musicali, published in Venice in 1635, represents the pinnacle of the Italian organ Mass. Reflecting the type of music he performed liturgically at San Pietro in Rome, this publication includes several new genres: canzonas after the reading of the Epistle and after Communion; ricercars after the Credo; and toccatas to be played during the Elevation of the Host. Frescobaldi’s music shows unparalleled mastery of counterpoint and invention of figuration. His liturgical music casts a long shadow over the three composers who published organ Masses in the decade following Fiori musicali: Giovanni Salvatore, Fra Antonio Croci and Giovanni Battista Fasolo.
This comprehensive look at Italian organ Masses from the 15th-17th centuries reveals the musical creativity inspired by the Catholic liturgy. Perhaps because of their practical use, these organ works are often neglected, mentioned merely as addenda to the other accomplishments of these composers. Hopefully insight into the contents of each organ Mass, along with the information about their style and aspects of performance practice, will make these musical gems more accessible to contemporary organists.
The Italian organ Mass begins with the Faenza Codex of c.1430, which contains the earliest surviving liturgical music for organ. Over a century would pass before Girolamo Cavazzoni published his three organ Masses in 1543: Mass IV (for feasts of apostles), Mass IX (for Marian feasts) and Mass XI (for typical Sundays of the year). The prevalence of publishing in Venice and the flourishing liturgical culture at San Marco led two notable organists, Andrea Gabrieli and Claudio Merulo, to publish their own Masses in 1563 and 1568. Both composers cultivated imitation and figurative lines which were often replete with ornamentation.
Frescobaldi’s Fiori musicali, published in Venice in 1635, represents the pinnacle of the Italian organ Mass. Reflecting the type of music he performed liturgically at San Pietro in Rome, this publication includes several new genres: canzonas after the reading of the Epistle and after Communion; ricercars after the Credo; and toccatas to be played during the Elevation of the Host. Frescobaldi’s music shows unparalleled mastery of counterpoint and invention of figuration. His liturgical music casts a long shadow over the three composers who published organ Masses in the decade following Fiori musicali: Giovanni Salvatore, Fra Antonio Croci and Giovanni Battista Fasolo.
This comprehensive look at Italian organ Masses from the 15th-17th centuries reveals the musical creativity inspired by the Catholic liturgy. Perhaps because of their practical use, these organ works are often neglected, mentioned merely as addenda to the other accomplishments of these composers. Hopefully insight into the contents of each organ Mass, along with the information about their style and aspects of performance practice, will make these musical gems more accessible to contemporary organists.
ContributorsHolton Prouty, Kristin Michelle (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Solis, Theodore (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
Nineteenth-century French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and organist-composer César Franck established a foundation for the revival of organ music in France. Following the French Revolution, organ culture had degenerated because of the instrument's association with the church. Beginning with his instrument at St. Dénis, Cavaillé-Coll created a new symphonic organ that made it possible for composers to write organ music in the new Romantic aesthetic. In 1859, Franck received a new Cavaillé-Coll organ at the Parisian church where he served as organist, Sainte-Clotilde. He began experimenting with the innovations of this instrument: an expressive division, mechanical assists, new types of tone color, and an expanded pedal division. From about 1860, Franck began composing his first pieces for the Cavaillé-Coll organ; these were published in 1868 as the Six Pièces. With these compositions, Franck led the way in adapting the resources of the French symphonic organ to Romantic music. In this paper, I provide an analysis of the structure of each of the Six Pièces as a foundation for exploring ways in which Franck exploited the new features of his Cavaillé-Coll organ. I have made sound recordings to demonstrate specific examples of how the music fits the organ. Thanks to Cavaillé-Coll's innovations in organ building, Franck was able to write large-scale, multi-thematic works with the sonorous resources necessary to render them convincingly. The Six Pièces reveal a strong creative exchange between organist and organ builder, and they portend many of the subsequent developments of the French symphonic organ school.
ContributorsSung, Anna (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Pagano, Caio (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012