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- Creators: Holbrook, Amy
Description
Opera education is a relatively new addition to opera companies in the United States, introducing children and adults to opera and spreading the message that operas are dramatic stories told through music. This paper focuses on the opera education group OperaTunity and its relationship with the company Arizona Opera, which is based in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. The majority of the paper consists of a history of Arizona Opera, the establishment of its Opera Education Department, and the inception and activities of OperaTunity. The information in this account comes from interviews with personnel involved with OperaTunity and from documents pertinent to the program. This study also examines the reception and success of the group in Arizona and includes examples of educational materials to provide to teachers who are introducing children and adults to opera. This account of the history and activities of OperaTunity is intended to aid future educators and opera companies in developing opera education programs.
ContributorsMiller, Rhea Ann (Author) / Holbrook, Amy (Thesis advisor) / Kopta, Anne E (Committee member) / Mills, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
This document is an expansion of the information presented at a lecture-recital on March 24, 2017, at Arizona State University. The program consisted of ten arias selected from the cantatas and oratorios of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), all for soprano with oboe, oboe d'amore, or oboe da caccia obbligato.
The document first discusses the place and importance of oboe obbligatos in Bach's vocal works. In all, there are 173 arias with oboe obbligatos from the sacred and secular cantatas, oratorios, and the passions. Of these, 56 are arias for soprano. The ten selected for this document are intended to illustrate the rich variety of this repertoire and especially the ways in which Bach interprets and conveys the meaning of their texts.
Most of Bach's arias that feature the oboe, or the short-lived oboe d'amore or the oboe da caccia, come from his early years in Leipzig (1723-1726). The document examines the circumstances there that led to so much music for these instruments, discussing Bach's connection with instrument-makers and musicians, notably the oboist Johann Caspar Gleditsch (1684-1747).
The body of the document describes individually the ten arias performed on the May of 2017 recital, which come from BWV 1, 21, 74, 94, 98, 144, 187, 199, 202, and 248. Texts and translations are provided, and background information is given for each. The da capo structures and any distinctive features are discussed. Each description focuses on the meaning of the text, the musical character that conveys the overall affect, and specific devices of mood- and word-painting. In all cases, the close affinity of the voice and the oboe is a central concern.
The document first discusses the place and importance of oboe obbligatos in Bach's vocal works. In all, there are 173 arias with oboe obbligatos from the sacred and secular cantatas, oratorios, and the passions. Of these, 56 are arias for soprano. The ten selected for this document are intended to illustrate the rich variety of this repertoire and especially the ways in which Bach interprets and conveys the meaning of their texts.
Most of Bach's arias that feature the oboe, or the short-lived oboe d'amore or the oboe da caccia, come from his early years in Leipzig (1723-1726). The document examines the circumstances there that led to so much music for these instruments, discussing Bach's connection with instrument-makers and musicians, notably the oboist Johann Caspar Gleditsch (1684-1747).
The body of the document describes individually the ten arias performed on the May of 2017 recital, which come from BWV 1, 21, 74, 94, 98, 144, 187, 199, 202, and 248. Texts and translations are provided, and background information is given for each. The da capo structures and any distinctive features are discussed. Each description focuses on the meaning of the text, the musical character that conveys the overall affect, and specific devices of mood- and word-painting. In all cases, the close affinity of the voice and the oboe is a central concern.
ContributorsMessing, Rachel Michelle (Author) / Schuring, Martin (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Micklich, Albie (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
This creative project provides an adaptation of J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, for the Fritts Organ at Arizona State University. This organ was designed and built by Paul Fritts and Co. in 1992, and is in the style of the high-Baroque instruments of Northern Europe. Along with the musical score of the adaptation, this document discusses the registration choices included as well as relevant historical and performance practice details about the piece. A link to the recording of the author’s April 2017 performance of this edition of the Goldberg Variations on the ASU Fritts Organ is included with the project.
ContributorsLie, Siu Yin (Author) / Cosand, Walter (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Marshall, Kimberly (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
This research project introduces the Czech composer Miloslav Gajdoš (b. 1948) to classical guitarists through his composition Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, composed in 1998. Gajdoš is a double bass virtuoso who has enjoyed a successful career performing, composing, and teaching. After the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1989, Gajdoš was allowed more opportunities to perform outside the Czech Republic and to become better known throughout the world. His Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, originally for solo double bass, works well on the guitar and is a rewarding piece to learn and perform. A transcription is presented here that is of publishable quality, together with a biography of Gajdoš and a performance guide. The biography was written from available research materials as well as from direct email correspondence with the composer, and includes authorized quotations from those emails. This project also includes a description of the piece together with musical and technical suggestions that will aid the performer in creating a satisfying musical interpretation. Chapter Three includes a description of the left-hand challenges that were encountered while the piece was being transcribed and the solutions that were devised to mitigate them. Finding new pieces to transcribe for the guitar has long been an important activity of serious players, and this transcription adds a substantial and expressive piece to the growing repertoire of the classical guitar.
ContributorsPrillaman, Aaron Paul (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Rotaru, Catalin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Performances of three prominent, full-time brass chamber ensembles (the Canadian Brass, Mnozil Brass, and Trompettes de Lyon), are studied for their inclusion of entertainment outside the bounds of traditional music performance. The various additions include acting, choreography, novel changes in instrumentation, props, technical exhibitions, audience interaction, and inherently humorous arrangements. These are identified, categorized, and analyzed for frequency of use. Representative scenes from each ensemble are compared for similarities with the intent of establishing general rules for the usage of each non-traditional element. Differences in overall show structure, compared to that of traditional chamber ensembles, are also discussed.
In a separate component of this project, the author wrote an original show based on the above research, and performed it with the Grand Valley State University Faculty Brass Quintet. The process of creation and observations of rehearsal and performance settings are included in this document to guide the efforts of other prospective show-writers.
In a separate component of this project, the author wrote an original show based on the above research, and performed it with the Grand Valley State University Faculty Brass Quintet. The process of creation and observations of rehearsal and performance settings are included in this document to guide the efforts of other prospective show-writers.
ContributorsWilson, Alexander Mitchell (Author) / Hickman, David (Thesis advisor) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / Little, Bliss (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The life and pedagogy of Saburo Sumi (1902-1984) has had a major influence on the violin world, particularly in Japan. Born of humble origins and lacking any formal musical training until his adulthood, Sumi nevertheless rose to become one of the most important violin pedagogues of Japan. His non-traditional musical background had a profound effect on the teacher he became and contributed to his tremendous success as a pedagogue. Since most of the existing information on Sumi is written in Japanese, this study is designed to acquaint the Western reader with this amazing pedagogue. The information for this study was gathered through books, articles, and documents related to his life as well as the writer's personal experiences with the Sumi family.
ContributorsHayashi, Junko (Author) / McLin, Katherine (Thesis advisor) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Although opera is the last musical genre one typically associates with Latin America, Mexican composer Daniel Catán (1949-2011) found surprising success across the United States and overseas with his opera Florencia en el Amazonas (1996). Catán blends colorful music with literary elements to create a representation of Latin American culture through language, drama, scenery, and music. Among these elements is realism mágico (magical realism), a significant characteristic of Latin American literature. Indeed, the plot of the opera is influenced by Gabriel García Márquez's novel, El amor en los tiempos del cólera (Love in the Time of Cholera, 1985), as well as the poem "Mariposa de obsidiana" (Obsidian Butterfly, 1951) and the short story "La hija de Rappaccini" (Rappaccini's Daughter, 1953), both by Octavio Paz. To create his protagonist in the opera, Florencia Grimaldi, Catán combines the dramatic qualities of several European soprano heroines. This figure's character development is conveyed largely through her Act I, Scene 2, aria, "Florencia Grimaldi," and her Act II, Scene 17, aria, "Escúchame." An overview of the opera places these two arias into context, and their musical content and text-setting are closely examined in relation to the character of Florencia. Finally, how Daniel Catán creates a soprano heroine from the Latin American perspective is discussed.
ContributorsFlores, Andrea, D.M.A (Author) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / May, Judy (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
ABSTRACT The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix occupies and maintains an historical place in the musical and civic history of the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona. Organized in November, 1929, the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix (OMC) is the only performing arts organization in Phoenix that can claim eighty-one years of continuous performance. The chorus gained popularity locally, nationally, and internationally in its first five decades. The breadth of the chorus's recognition began to decline in the latter part of the 20th century, but the chorus still retains a loyal following of audience members. This study focuses on the first fifty years of the OMC, especially the period from 1946 to 1979, the years the chorus was under the direction of Ralph Hess. Through his leadership the group's popularity and recognition reached a peak, thanks largely to his emphasis on civic responsibility, ties to service organizations, and musical ability and showmanship. No scholarly publications exist regarding this organization. Several boxes of memorabilia housed in the Arizona Historical Society Museum in Tempe, Arizona, serve as the primary source of material for this study. Concert programs supply information about concert repertoire, advertising, and chorus history. Newspaper articles from local and international press offer reviews, announcements, and media perceptions of the chorus. Information illustrating the abundant civic engagement of the OMC appears in proclamations and awards from local, state, national, and international personalities. This objective information helps propel the story forward, as do the personal letters and stories contained within the collection. Because many documents from the latter part of the 1970s are missing, the primary source information becomes more anecdotal and subjective. This study illustrates some of the ways in which the OMC went beyond mere survival to occupy a significant place in the musical life of Phoenix. Engagement in civic and social functions and support for non-profit organizations established the chorus as more than just a musical ensemble. Their pursuit under Hess of "Cultural Citizenship" earned them international recognition as civic leaders and ambassadors of goodwill.
ContributorsButler, Robert C (Author) / Schildkret, David (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Doan, Jerry (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
John La Montaine (b. 1920) has devoted his life to music composition. His major works total 62 opus numbers, including operas, concertos, songs, chamber music, and orchestral works as well as eleven compositions for solo piano. Among his composition teachers were Nadia Boulanger and Howard Hanson, and his first piano concerto was awarded the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Music. He was active also as a concert soloist and collaborative pianist, appearing on prestigious concert series and with first-rank orchestras. Despite his obvious success, La Montaine did not seek publicity. As a result, the majority of his music is not widely known. La Montaine's eleven compositions for solo piano are written in a wide variety of styles, from tonal to serial, with many based on a tonal center, and they range in difficulty from the easiest beginner pieces to challenging concert works. His elementary works include a set of easy canons and many small pieces written for an early piano method. An imaginative set of children's pieces and a small virtuoso étude challenge the intermediate pianist. A diverse range of works for the advanced pianist includes a serious sonata, a lively toccata, several contrapuntal works, lilting dance pieces, and unique smaller pieces. The recording included with this research project is the first to present La Montaine's complete works for solo piano. The composer's own recordings of many of his works are difficult to obtain, and only a few have been recorded commercially. While some of his works remain in publishers' catalogs, those which are out-of-print can be obtained via interlibrary loan. This recording and discussion of La Montaine's solo piano pieces are intended to make his work better known.
ContributorsO'Brien, Andrew Charles (Author) / Hamilton, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Cosand, Walter (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Meyer Thompson, Janice (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
The purpose of this project was to commission, perform, and discuss a new work for an instrument pairing not often utilized, oboe and percussion. The composer, Alyssa Morris, was selected in June 2009. Her work, titled Forecast, was completed in October of 2009 and premiered in February of 2010, as part of a program showcasing music for oboe and percussion. Included in this document is a detailed biography of the composer, a description of the four movements of Forecast, performance notes for each movement, a diagram for stage set-up, the full score, the program from the premiere performance with biographies of all the performers involved, and both a live recording and MIDI sound file. The performance notes discuss issues that arose during preparation for the premiere and should help avoid potential pitfalls. TrevCo Music, publisher of the work, graciously allowed inclusion of the full score. This score is solely for use in this document; please visit the publisher's website for purchasing information. The commission and documentation of this composition are intended to add to the repertoire for oboe in an unusual instrument pairing and to encourage further exploration of such combinations.
ContributorsCreamer, Caryn (Author) / Schuring, Martin (Thesis advisor) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Micklich, Albie (Committee member) / Spring, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011