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- Creators: Ryan, Russell
Description
Hans Gál is arguably one of the most underrated, underperformed and forgotten composers of the twentieth century. Once a prolific composer in the 1920s and 1930s, Gál’s career was cut short by the Nazi regime in 1933 when he was fired, and his works banned due to his Jewish heritage. Following the Second World War, his music was relegated as obsolete, belonging to a bygone era. Hans Gál is a perfect example of the intransigence, superficiality, and discrimination of the evolving musical fashion, and his life-story speaks to the misfortunes and persecution of the Jewish people in the mid-twentieth century.
Consequently, Hans Gál is known today mainly as an educator, scholar, and editor of Brahms’s works, rather than as a composer, despite an impressive compositional output spanning over 70 years covering every major musical genre. Within his impressive oeuvre are several little-known gems of the violin repertoire, including the Sonata in D for Violin and Piano and Violin Concerto op. 39 among others. Scholarly writings on Gál and his music are unfortunately scarce, particularly such works exploring his violin music.
However, recent years have seen an increased interest in resurrecting the music of Gál. Recordings of his major works as well as research of his music have furthered the awareness and understating of this forgotten composer’s music. In my document, I will continue the path of recent rediscovery and celebration of this unsung hero of twentieth-century post-Romanticism with an in-depth look at his Sonata in D for Violin and Piano (1933). A light-hearted, accessible and unpretentious work, the Sonata in D distinguishes itself in the violin-piano sonata repertoire of the interwar period by its witty, clear use of form and motivic/thematic unity in the vein of the great Viennese masters. Gál’s take on traditional idioms such as tonality, coupled with masterful use of the implication/realization process, create a highly original and noteworthy style, that renders the Sonata in D an immediately appealing work for performers and listeners alike.
Consequently, Hans Gál is known today mainly as an educator, scholar, and editor of Brahms’s works, rather than as a composer, despite an impressive compositional output spanning over 70 years covering every major musical genre. Within his impressive oeuvre are several little-known gems of the violin repertoire, including the Sonata in D for Violin and Piano and Violin Concerto op. 39 among others. Scholarly writings on Gál and his music are unfortunately scarce, particularly such works exploring his violin music.
However, recent years have seen an increased interest in resurrecting the music of Gál. Recordings of his major works as well as research of his music have furthered the awareness and understating of this forgotten composer’s music. In my document, I will continue the path of recent rediscovery and celebration of this unsung hero of twentieth-century post-Romanticism with an in-depth look at his Sonata in D for Violin and Piano (1933). A light-hearted, accessible and unpretentious work, the Sonata in D distinguishes itself in the violin-piano sonata repertoire of the interwar period by its witty, clear use of form and motivic/thematic unity in the vein of the great Viennese masters. Gál’s take on traditional idioms such as tonality, coupled with masterful use of the implication/realization process, create a highly original and noteworthy style, that renders the Sonata in D an immediately appealing work for performers and listeners alike.
ContributorsGebe, Vladimir, 1987- (Author) / McLin, Katherine (Thesis advisor) / Carpenter, Ellon (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Only in the world of acting can an individual be denied a job simply on the basis of their appearance, and in my thesis, I sought to explore alternatives to this through the concept of nontraditional casting and casting against "type", which included the presentation of a full-length production of the musical "Once on this Island" which I attempted to cast based on vocal quality and skill alone rather than taking physical characteristics into account. I researched the history and implementation of nontraditional casting, both in regards to race and other factors such as gender, socio-economic status, and disability. I also considered the legal and intellectual property challenges that nontraditional casting can pose. I concluded from this research that while nontraditional casting is only one solution to the problem, it still has a great deal of potential to create diversity in theater. For my own show, I held the initial auditions via audio recording, though the callback auditions were held in person so that I and my crew could appraise dance and acting ability. Though there were many challenges with our cast after this initial round of auditions, we were able to solidify our cast and continue through the rehearsal process. All things said, the show was very successful. It is my hope that those who were a part of the show, either as part of the production or the audience, are inspired to challenge the concept of typecasting in contemporary theater.
ContributorsBriggs, Timothy James (Author) / Yatso, Toby (Thesis director) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
The study compares the pretest and posttest results of three groups of second-grade students studying a phonics rule to determine the effect of using music as an instructional aid. For two groups in the study, the teachers used melodies to instruct students, while the third group was held to direct instruction with no music to use for assistance. The study groups were three second-grade classes at Ishikawa Elementary School, where I was serving as a student teacher. Parental consent was received for each of the students participating in the study. The duration of the study was one week. The first test group was given a familiar melody with new lyrics to reflect the content of the phonics rule "I before E except after C." The second test group was given a melody composed specifically to accompany the phonics rule and to reflect the appropriate phonics content. On the first day of the study, students were given a pretest; these scores were recorded and then compared to the posttest scores from the end of the week. The data that were collected compared groups as a whole through composite scores from pretest to posttest to determine most effective methodology. The groups that were instructed using music demonstrated greater growth and had higher posttest scores.
ContributorsFrazee, Madison Marie (Author) / Schildkret, David (Thesis director) / Stauffer, Sandy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Rainbow Connection is an integrated choir with members on and off the autism spectrum. It was founded in the spring of 2012 by Barrett students Ali Friedman, Megan Howell, and Victoria Gilman as part of an honors thesis creative project. Rainbow Connection uses the rehearsal process and other creative endeavors to foster natural relationship building across social gaps. A process-oriented choir, Rainbow Connection's main goals concern the connections made throughout the experience rather than the final musical product. The authors believe that individual, non-hierarchical relationships are the keys to breaking down systemized gaps between identity groups and that music is an ideal facilitator for fostering such relationships. Rainbow Connection operates under the premise that, like colors in a rainbow, choir members create something beautiful not by melding into one homogenous group, but by collaboratively showcasing their individual gifts. This paper will highlight the basic premise and structure of Rainbow Connection, outline the process of enacting the choir, and describe the authors' personal reactions and takeaways from the project.
ContributorsFriedman, Alexandra (Co-author) / Gilman, Victoria (Co-author) / Howell, Megan (Co-author) / Rio, Robin (Thesis director) / Schildkret, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
This thesis explores my experience in teaching a high school music class through composition. I detail pedagogical approaches that helped to shape my lesson planning including constructivism, informal learning, and project based learning. The music education theory is put into action in a real high school setting and I explain what happened: what worked, what didn't, and what can we learn from this?
ContributorsWhelihan, Brian Peter (Author) / Tobias, Evan (Thesis director) / Schildkret, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
In light of the intensifying environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the world, sustainable development is more necessary than ever. Approaching sustainability problems through Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) programs involving music is unconventional, but holds potential for grand results. An examination of various existing community development projects, from the Playing for Change Foundation to the Arizona State University Barrett Choir, shows that music-related activities are highly effective at fostering community development. Once a foundation of community connectedness is created, other issues such as social injustices or natural disasters can be more effectively addressed and overcome. Music and other fine arts can contribute, in a variety of ways, to the health of communities. This should be recognized and utilized in the pursuit of sustainable community development to preserve the health of the planet and its inhabitants.
ContributorsPaonessa, Carlotta Colleen (Author) / Schildkret, David (Thesis director) / Manuel-Navarrete, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2014-05
DescriptionReflections of Self is an original score containing three movements composed and transcribed entirely by myself (Cameron Labban) under the guidance of Dr. David Schildkret. The foundation of the movements within the score are based upon stand-alone melodies created since I first began teaching myself how to play the piano.
ContributorsLabban, Cameron Wael (Author) / Schildkret, David (Thesis director) / Evans, Bartlett (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Music is part of cultures all over the world and is entrenched in our daily lives, and yet little is known about the neural pathways responsible for how we perceive music. The property of "dissonance" is central to our understanding of the emotional meaning in music, and this study is a preliminary step in understanding how this property of music is perceived. Twenty-four participants with normal hearing listened to melodies and ranked their degrees of dissonance. Melodies that are categorized as "dissonant" according to Western music theory were ranked as more "dissonant" to a significant degree across the 9 conditions (3 conditions of scale: Major, Neapolitan Minor, and Oriental; 3 conditions of wrong notes: no wrong notes, diatonic wrong notes, and non-diatonic wrong notes). As expected, the familiar Major scale was identified as more consonant across all wrong note conditions than the other scales. Notably, a significant interaction was found, with diatonic and non-diatonic notes not perceived differently in both of the unfamiliar scales, Neapolitan and Oriental. This study suggests that the context of musical scale does influence how we create expectations of music and perceive dissonance. Future studies are necessary to understand the mechanisms by which scales drive these expectations.
ContributorsBlumenstein, Nicole Rose (Author) / Rogalsky, Corianne (Thesis director) / Peter, Beate (Committee member) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
"Play less and listen more" is the prevailing wisdom whenever two musical
partners are having ensemble issues that interfere with their music-making. Accompanists, coaches, and collaborative pianists across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries devote many pages to these situations and explain what to listen and look for. An overview of this literature establishes a standard canon of ensemble issues for collaborative pianists working with a single partner, whether vocal or instrumental. The overview also discusses the various solutions these authors recommend for these problems.
However, in exceptional moments of rehearsal or performance, the foregoing advice fails. After comparing several passing observations in these standard works with the author's own experience, a paradoxical situation becomes evident: at times, what works instead of listening more is listening less. As the author describes through multiple musical examples and commentaries, ignoring one's partner for a brief moment can benefit the duo's ensemble and artistry.
The application of this principle is both narrow and wide-ranging and is meant to serve as a secondary course of action. It is decidedly not a replacement for the standard advice on coaching and collaborating, for such advice is successful far more often than not. However, it can be utilized when the collaborative pianist deems it the most successful and prudent solution to an ensemble situation that has remained problematic.
partners are having ensemble issues that interfere with their music-making. Accompanists, coaches, and collaborative pianists across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries devote many pages to these situations and explain what to listen and look for. An overview of this literature establishes a standard canon of ensemble issues for collaborative pianists working with a single partner, whether vocal or instrumental. The overview also discusses the various solutions these authors recommend for these problems.
However, in exceptional moments of rehearsal or performance, the foregoing advice fails. After comparing several passing observations in these standard works with the author's own experience, a paradoxical situation becomes evident: at times, what works instead of listening more is listening less. As the author describes through multiple musical examples and commentaries, ignoring one's partner for a brief moment can benefit the duo's ensemble and artistry.
The application of this principle is both narrow and wide-ranging and is meant to serve as a secondary course of action. It is decidedly not a replacement for the standard advice on coaching and collaborating, for such advice is successful far more often than not. However, it can be utilized when the collaborative pianist deems it the most successful and prudent solution to an ensemble situation that has remained problematic.
ContributorsSmith, Brad (Author) / Campbell, Andrew (Thesis advisor) / Kopta, Anne (Committee member) / Oldani, Robert (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The piano-vocal scores of musical theatre songs often contain simplistic and uninspired piano writing. Characteristically, the scores have right-hand figuration that doubles the voice line, restricting the singer from having the rhythmic and melodic freedom that is an essential component of the style. In addition, the piano-vocal scores have shallow bass lines and thin textures, making it difficult for the pianist to offer the support and expression that the music deserves. Editors may choose this writing style to make the score pianistically accessible for voice teachers accompanying their students, or to provide melodic assistance for less experienced singers. Conductor-vocal scores do exist and more closely resemble what an orchestra might play, but they are expensive, at times only available as rental scores, or highly inconvenient to locate. Therefore, I have designed twelve techniques to enhance piano-vocal scores, and will demonstrate those techniques through seven songs selected from the canon of musical theatre repertoire. The project is intended to be a teaching tool for advanced collaborative pianists working with advanced musical theatre singers, as many of the techniques create virtuosic piano writing and are designed for use with little to no prior rehearsal, which could potentially distract, rather than benefit, a beginning singer. The ultimate aim of enhancing the piano-vocal score is for the finished product to be creative and inspiring. Further objectives include: the creation of orchestral textures, allowing the singer more freedom, the creation of a piano part that is technically rewarding, and piano writing that inspires the singer. Through my descriptions of the techniques and discussions of the piano-vocal score enhancements, I hope to demonstrate that the singer, pianist, and audience all benefit when collaborative pianists enhance the piano-vocal score of musical theater repertoire.
ContributorsNamminga, Jaime (Author) / Campbell, Andrew (Thesis advisor) / Carpenter, Ellon (Committee member) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Schildkret, David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016