Matching Items (11)
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- All Subjects: Composers
- All Subjects: Choir
- Creators: Norton, Kay
- Creators: DeMars, James
Description
William Levi Dawson (1899-1990), director of the Tuskegee Institute Choir from 1931 to 1956, was one of the most important arrangers of Negro spirituals in the twentieth century. He is also remembered as an outstanding composer, conductor, speaker, and leader of festival choruses. His arrangements are still sung by choirs all over the world. Save a small number of dissertations and various articles, however, very little has been written about him. In fact, almost no significant writing has been undertaken utilizing the Dawson papers held at the Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Books Library at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. This study utilizes that collection in examining four areas of Dawson's life: his work as a composer, his work as an arranger of Negro spirituals, his work as a choral conductor and music pedagogue, and his life as an African American man living in segregated times. Dawson is shown as a thoughtful, deliberate practitioner of his art who built his career with intention, and who, through his various activities, sought both to affirm the traditional music of his people and to transcend his era's problems with the definitions, associations, and prejudices attached to the term "race." Using a diverse selection of letters, notes, and speeches held in the archive, it is possible to develop a fuller, more nuanced portrait of Dawson. Through a thorough examination of a select few of these documents, his growth can be traced from a young composer living in Chicago, to a college choral director dealing with the realities of racial inequality in the mid-twentieth century, to a seasoned, respected elder in his field, endeavoring to pass on to others knowledge of the music he spent his life arranging and teaching.
ContributorsHuff, Vernon Edward (Author) / Schildkret, David (Thesis advisor) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Tobias, Evan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
A systematic approach to composition has been used by a variety of composers to control an assortment of musical elements in their pieces. This paper begins with a brief survey of some of the important systematic approaches that composers have employed in their compositions, devoting particular attention to Pierre Boulez's Structures Ia . The purpose of this survey is to examine several systematic approaches to composition by prominent composers and their philosophy in adopting this type of approach. The next section of the paper introduces my own systematic approach to composition: the Take-Away System. The third provides several musical applications of the system, citing my work, Octulus for two pianos, as an example. The appendix details theorems and observations within the system for further study.
ContributorsHarbin, Doug (Author) / Hackbarth, Glenn (Thesis advisor) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Etezady, Roshanne, 1973- (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Dr. Jerold D. Ottley's twenty-five years leading the Mormon Tabernacle Choir resulted in many distinguished awards and recognitions for the ensemble. Included among these are two Platinum and three Gold records from the Recording Industry Association of America, an Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and two Freedom Foundation Awards for service to the country. He conducted the Choir at two presidential inaugurations, Ronald Reagan's in 1981 and George H. W. Bush's in 1989, as well as performances at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Gala. He presided over eleven international tours to twenty-six countries and crisscrossed the United States for engagements in nearly every region of the country. Despite the awards, commendations, and increased recognition of the Choir, Ottley's greatest contributions were largely internal to the organization. Jerold Ottley is a skilled music educator, administrator, and emissary. Application of these proficiencies while at the helm of the Choir, led to what are, arguably, his three largest contributions: 1) as educator, he instituted in-service training for choir members, raising the level of their individual musicianship, thereby improving the technical level of the entire Choir; 2) as administrator, Ottley created policies and procedures that resulted in a more disciplined, refined ensemble; and 3) as emissary, he raised the ensemble's reputation among the general public and with music professionals. For the general public, he significantly broadened the Choir's repertoire and traveled frequently thereby reaching a wider audience. He secured greater respect among music professionals by inviting many of them to work directly with the Choir. The results were unparalleled. Ottley's twenty-five year tenure with the Choir is reflected in broader audiences, increased professional acceptance, added organizational discipline, and unprecedented musical proficiency. It is a notable legacy for a man who reportedly never felt comfortable as director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
ContributorsArchibald, Lyle Jay (Author) / Gentry, Gregory (Thesis advisor) / Britton, David (Committee member) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Doan, Jerry (Committee member) / Solis, Theodore (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Four Souvenirs for Violin and Piano was composed by Paul Schoenfeld (b.1947) in 1990 as a showpiece, spotlighting the virtuosity of both the violin and piano in equal measure. Each movement is a modern interpretation of a folk or popular genre, re- envisioned over intricate jazz harmonies and rhythms. The work was commissioned by violinist Lev Polyakin, who specifically requested some short pieces that could be performed in a local jazz establishment named Night Town in Cleveland, Ohio. The result is a work that is approximately fifteen minutes in length. Schoenfeld is a respected composer in the contemporary classical music community, whose Café Music (1986) for piano trio has recently become a staple of the standard chamber music repertoire. Many of his other works, however, remain in relative obscurity. It is the focus of this document to shed light on at least one other notable composition; Four Souvenirs for Violin and Piano. Among the topics to be discussed regarding this piece are a brief history behind the genesis of this composition, a structural summary of the entire work and each of its movements, and an appended practice guide based on interview and coaching sessions with the composer himself. With this project, I hope to provide a better understanding and appreciation of this work.
ContributorsJanczyk, Kristie Annette (Author) / Ryan, Russell (Thesis advisor) / Campbell, Andrew (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
ABSTRACT
The path to producing a Broadway Musical is not easily trod, and in the case of A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder, the journey was filled with rewrites (the title of the show went from Kind Hearts And Coronets to The Truth About Monty and finally became A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder), cast changes (only one member of the show that is currently running on Broadway was with the show in its original form), multiple producers, and a lawsuit. Through it all, the musical's creator, Steven Lutvak, a well-known songwriter and cabaret artist who is one of the most sought after vocal coaches in NY, navigated these hurdles by throwing himself at the process whole-heartedly. In creating A Gentlemen's Guide To Love and Murder, Lutvak labored ardently through the process: making the necessary musical and textual changes, creating opportunities to showcase his work, enticing producers and, when he wasn't putting up his own money, locating the financing to fund the production, including taking on the enormous cost of a lawsuit. In this paper, I will present the musical and personal development of Lutvak in his journey to and in creating and composing the successful Broadway musical A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder. I will focus specifically the legal and administrative difficulties associated with obtaining the rights for the production, in order to support the argument that these struggles shaped and transformed the production into the artistic and commercial success seen on Broadway, and across the country on its 2015 national tour. Methodologically, this paper is part assisted memoir, part textual analysis, and part insider observations, substantiated with court documentation and published reviews of Lutvak's work.
The path to producing a Broadway Musical is not easily trod, and in the case of A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder, the journey was filled with rewrites (the title of the show went from Kind Hearts And Coronets to The Truth About Monty and finally became A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder), cast changes (only one member of the show that is currently running on Broadway was with the show in its original form), multiple producers, and a lawsuit. Through it all, the musical's creator, Steven Lutvak, a well-known songwriter and cabaret artist who is one of the most sought after vocal coaches in NY, navigated these hurdles by throwing himself at the process whole-heartedly. In creating A Gentlemen's Guide To Love and Murder, Lutvak labored ardently through the process: making the necessary musical and textual changes, creating opportunities to showcase his work, enticing producers and, when he wasn't putting up his own money, locating the financing to fund the production, including taking on the enormous cost of a lawsuit. In this paper, I will present the musical and personal development of Lutvak in his journey to and in creating and composing the successful Broadway musical A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder. I will focus specifically the legal and administrative difficulties associated with obtaining the rights for the production, in order to support the argument that these struggles shaped and transformed the production into the artistic and commercial success seen on Broadway, and across the country on its 2015 national tour. Methodologically, this paper is part assisted memoir, part textual analysis, and part insider observations, substantiated with court documentation and published reviews of Lutvak's work.
ContributorsShepherd, Tregoney (Author) / Britton, David (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Reber, William (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
ABSTRACT
Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the brilliant swordsman, unequalled equestrian, athlete, dancer, violin virtuoso, composer and orchestral conductor is, and remains a singularly unique historical figure of the 18th century French Court of Louis XVI. Believed to be the first man of mixed race to compose classical music, Saint-Georges, who was frequently invited to the court at Versailles to make music with Marie Antoinette not only thrived, but excelled during the height of an appalling slave trade and one of the most explosive periods in European history: the French Revolution. Saint-Georges’ ever evolving talent, and without preamble composed six operas. This research document will introduce to the reader important milestones that influenced the direction of his life, as well as a survey of two arias and duet from the opera L’Amant Anonyme using the paradigm of dance metrics as described in “Rhythmic Gesture in Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni,” by Wye Jamison Allanbrook and “Classical Music, Expression, Form and Style” by Leonard Ratner.
Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the brilliant swordsman, unequalled equestrian, athlete, dancer, violin virtuoso, composer and orchestral conductor is, and remains a singularly unique historical figure of the 18th century French Court of Louis XVI. Believed to be the first man of mixed race to compose classical music, Saint-Georges, who was frequently invited to the court at Versailles to make music with Marie Antoinette not only thrived, but excelled during the height of an appalling slave trade and one of the most explosive periods in European history: the French Revolution. Saint-Georges’ ever evolving talent, and without preamble composed six operas. This research document will introduce to the reader important milestones that influenced the direction of his life, as well as a survey of two arias and duet from the opera L’Amant Anonyme using the paradigm of dance metrics as described in “Rhythmic Gesture in Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni,” by Wye Jamison Allanbrook and “Classical Music, Expression, Form and Style” by Leonard Ratner.
ContributorsJones, Isola Charlayne (Author) / Britton, David (Thesis advisor) / Campbell, Andrew (Committee member) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
Redeemed from the Fall is a cantata in five movements for double choir SSAATTBB with Soprano and Baritone soloists and violin, bass clarinet, marimba, and organ. The work’s approximate duration is 19 minutes. The text is derived from ancient and modern scriptures including the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Moses as contained in the Pearl of Great Price. The textual theme addresses the compelling narrative of the redemption of Adam and Eve after the Fall and expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The work begins with an instrumental overture, In Sorrow, inspired by the fallen state our first parents entered as consequence for partaking of the forbidden fruit. The second movement, The First Angel, is an aria for baritone accompanied by choir a cappella. It sets to music the words of an angel who appeared to Adam proclaiming that animal sacrifice is representative of the future atoning sacrifice of the Son of God. The central movement, The Baptism of Adam, is for soprano solo, choir (SSAA) and the ensemble. It depicts the miraculous events surrounding Adam’s acceptance of the gospel covenant, with the Holy Spirit baptizing Adam by immersion in water. The subsequent a cappella chorus, This Is the Plan of Salvation, further explores the truth that salvation for Adam and Eve and all their posterity was prepared through Christ from the beginning. The full chorus and ensemble perform the finale, Adam Fell, declaring that the very purpose of the Fall was that all humans could know the joy of redemption through Christ.
ContributorsWahlquist, Robert Michael (Author) / Rogers, Rodney (Thesis advisor) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Oldani, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The purpose of this study was to: (1) record and describe a brief history of the life and career of Bolivian composer Dr. Nicolás Suárez Eyzaguirre, and (2) write an analysis from a vocal performer's perspective of Suárez's song cycle for soprano and piano, Monólogos del Desierto, with texts by Dr. Guillermo Mariaca Iturri.
In August of 2013, I traveled to La Paz, Cochabamba, and Coroico, Bolivia, with translator Dr. Marie Cooper Hoffman for thirteen days in order to conduct interviews with Suárez, his family, his colleagues, his composition professors, and other professional musicians. In addition to both in-person and e-mail interviews, I reviewed television productions, videos, and newspaper/magazine articles that featured interviews with Suárez and/or reviews of his works. Also, I familiarized myself with Suárez's compositional style by performing a leading role in the 2011 world premiere of his opera El Compadre; collecting and listening to as many recordings of his works as I could find; and reading the transcript of Suárez's Doctor of Musical Arts Lecture Recital. For this study, I focused specifically on the compositional style of his three-song cycle Monólogos del Desierto. A performance of the work will be part of my defense of this paper.
In August of 2013, I traveled to La Paz, Cochabamba, and Coroico, Bolivia, with translator Dr. Marie Cooper Hoffman for thirteen days in order to conduct interviews with Suárez, his family, his colleagues, his composition professors, and other professional musicians. In addition to both in-person and e-mail interviews, I reviewed television productions, videos, and newspaper/magazine articles that featured interviews with Suárez and/or reviews of his works. Also, I familiarized myself with Suárez's compositional style by performing a leading role in the 2011 world premiere of his opera El Compadre; collecting and listening to as many recordings of his works as I could find; and reading the transcript of Suárez's Doctor of Musical Arts Lecture Recital. For this study, I focused specifically on the compositional style of his three-song cycle Monólogos del Desierto. A performance of the work will be part of my defense of this paper.
ContributorsStanford, Allison (Author) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
It is no secret that the Soviet Union silenced the voices of many artists, but pieces of this history are still emerging—including the story of Ukraine's first female composer to achieve professional renown: Stefania Turkevych (1898-1977). Although the quantity and quality of Turkevych's compositional output should have established her as a major international figure, most of her work remains unpublished. Turkevych is absent from both Grove Music and Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (MGG Online). There is a clear need for English-language biographical materials about Turkevych and for publication of her works.
This document represents the first critical edition of Turkevych’s three-act chamber opera, Серце Оксани (The Heart of Oksana), commissioned in 1969 for the 100th anniversary of the creation of Canada’s Province of Manitoba (and its subsequent settlement by members of the Ukrainian diasporic community). The score is prefaced by brief introductions to both Turkevych and Серце Оксани as well as an explanation of editorial procedure and a critical report.
Lost Soviet-era voices carry particular social and political weight as present-day Ukraine reclaims an identity that moves beyond reductive “Russian vs. European” dichotomies, and solidifying that identity seems even more urgent against the backdrop of the current Donbass War (2013-present). This project represents the first step in a much longer-term effort to unearth and share Turkevych’s story and overlooked contributions as a composer, teacher, and lifelong advocate of Ukraine’s language and culture.
This document represents the first critical edition of Turkevych’s three-act chamber opera, Серце Оксани (The Heart of Oksana), commissioned in 1969 for the 100th anniversary of the creation of Canada’s Province of Manitoba (and its subsequent settlement by members of the Ukrainian diasporic community). The score is prefaced by brief introductions to both Turkevych and Серце Оксани as well as an explanation of editorial procedure and a critical report.
Lost Soviet-era voices carry particular social and political weight as present-day Ukraine reclaims an identity that moves beyond reductive “Russian vs. European” dichotomies, and solidifying that identity seems even more urgent against the backdrop of the current Donbass War (2013-present). This project represents the first step in a much longer-term effort to unearth and share Turkevych’s story and overlooked contributions as a composer, teacher, and lifelong advocate of Ukraine’s language and culture.
ContributorsGlenn, Erica (Author) / Schildkret, David (Thesis advisor) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / DeMaris, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
In this study, I sought to learn how members of college women’s choirs feel about
their choir and women’s choirs in general. Singers from 19 institutions in the American
Choral Directors Association Southern division participated. From the potential survey
population (n=986), 302 respondents participated (response rate = 28%).
These research questions guided this study:
1. How do current members of college women’s choirs feel their choir is
perceived compared to other types of choirs at their college or university and
in their community?
2. How do current members of college women’s choirs feel about singing in this
group? About women’s choirs in general?
A researcher-developed survey instrument was used to gather demographic
information and other data related to the research questions. After a pilot study, the
survey was edited for clarity. The director of choral activities and the director of the
women’s choir at each institution was contacted via email. The schools that agreed to
participate received the link to the survey and an email script to send to students. Two
weeks later, a follow-up email was sent with the same materials. Two weeks after that,
the survey window closed. The data were collected and analyzed for frequency and
percentage. While analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests found no significant differences,
the analysis of some of the independent variables, especially those having to do with the
age and experience of the singers, were highly suggestive.
In this study, women’s choir members responded positively to statements about
the value of their choir within their institutions and communities. While respondents
often indicate that women’s choirs are seen as inferior to mixed choirs, they nevertheless
enjoy the repertoire they sing and like being challenged. Respondents answered
affirmatively in Likert-scale questions about their women’s choirs and women’s choirs in
general, but answered more critically in open-ended response questions about the same
topics. The survey results echo the findings of earlier studies, amplified by the choir
members’ own opinions. The data in this study offer clear means to ensure that all
students in all choirs are proud of their work and feel equally valued.
their choir and women’s choirs in general. Singers from 19 institutions in the American
Choral Directors Association Southern division participated. From the potential survey
population (n=986), 302 respondents participated (response rate = 28%).
These research questions guided this study:
1. How do current members of college women’s choirs feel their choir is
perceived compared to other types of choirs at their college or university and
in their community?
2. How do current members of college women’s choirs feel about singing in this
group? About women’s choirs in general?
A researcher-developed survey instrument was used to gather demographic
information and other data related to the research questions. After a pilot study, the
survey was edited for clarity. The director of choral activities and the director of the
women’s choir at each institution was contacted via email. The schools that agreed to
participate received the link to the survey and an email script to send to students. Two
weeks later, a follow-up email was sent with the same materials. Two weeks after that,
the survey window closed. The data were collected and analyzed for frequency and
percentage. While analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests found no significant differences,
the analysis of some of the independent variables, especially those having to do with the
age and experience of the singers, were highly suggestive.
In this study, women’s choir members responded positively to statements about
the value of their choir within their institutions and communities. While respondents
often indicate that women’s choirs are seen as inferior to mixed choirs, they nevertheless
enjoy the repertoire they sing and like being challenged. Respondents answered
affirmatively in Likert-scale questions about their women’s choirs and women’s choirs in
general, but answered more critically in open-ended response questions about the same
topics. The survey results echo the findings of earlier studies, amplified by the choir
members’ own opinions. The data in this study offer clear means to ensure that all
students in all choirs are proud of their work and feel equally valued.
ContributorsConway, Ashley Elizabeth (Author) / Schildkret, David (Thesis advisor) / Anderson, Lisa (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Stauffer, Sandra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020