Matching Items (5)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Piano
- Genre: Academic theses
- Creators: Holbrook, Amy
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
- Resource Type: Text
Description
The end of the nineteenth century was an exhilarating and revolutionary era for the flute. This period is the Second Golden Age of the flute, when players and teachers associated with the Paris Conservatory developed what would be considered the birth of the modern flute school. In addition, the founding in 1871 of the Société Nationale de Musique by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) and Romain Bussine (1830-1899) made possible the promotion of contemporary French composers. The founding of the Société des Instruments à Vent by Paul Taffanel (1844-1908) in 1879 also invigorated a new era of chamber music for wind instruments. Within this groundbreaking environment, Mélanie Hélène Bonis (pen name Mel Bonis) entered the Paris Conservatory in 1876, under the tutelage of César Franck (1822-1890). Many flutists are dismayed by the scarcity of repertoire for the instrument in the Romantic and post-Romantic traditions; they make up for this absence by borrowing the violin sonatas of Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) and Franck. The flute and piano works of Mel Bonis help to fill this void with music composed originally for flute. Bonis was a prolific composer with over 300 works to her credit, but her works for flute and piano have not been researched or professionally recorded in the United States before the present study. Although virtually unknown today in the American flute community, Bonis's music received much acclaim from her contemporaries and deserves a prominent place in the flutist's repertoire. After a brief biographical introduction, this document examines Mel Bonis's musical style and describes in detail her six works for flute and piano while also offering performance suggestions.
ContributorsDaum, Jenna Elyse (Author) / Buck, Elizabeth (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Micklich, Albie (Committee member) / Schuring, Martin (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (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
This research document focuses on rarely performed piano transcriptions. A total of 28 works are discussed. These works have high artistic value and should not be forgotten by pianists. Most of the transcribers are renowned pianists, such as Harold Bauer and Alfred Cortot, or composers themselves. Unfortunately, these works are seldom played in today's public concerts, or on online resources such as YouTube, Vimeo, or iTunes. Some people may think these works are neglected because the scores are hard to find, but they can be easily obtained online. Pianists around the world can access these scores in just a few minutes via the Internet.
In this research document, I discuss the transcriptions one by one. First, I introduce the background of the pieces, the composers, and the transcribers. Then, through comparison of the original pieces with the transcribed ones, I discuss the approaches of transcription and highlight the special features of each work. Finally, I recommend the concert occasions appropriate for the transcriptions based on their characteristics. I offer many musical examples from the works discussed. These excerpts should help the pianist to understand the style and technical difficulty, as well as to decide if the work meets their programming needs.
In this research document, I discuss the transcriptions one by one. First, I introduce the background of the pieces, the composers, and the transcribers. Then, through comparison of the original pieces with the transcribed ones, I discuss the approaches of transcription and highlight the special features of each work. Finally, I recommend the concert occasions appropriate for the transcriptions based on their characteristics. I offer many musical examples from the works discussed. These excerpts should help the pianist to understand the style and technical difficulty, as well as to decide if the work meets their programming needs.
ContributorsHuang, Kuang-Li (Author) / Meir, Baruch (Thesis advisor) / Campbell, Andrew (Committee member) / Hamilton, Robert (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Collaborative piano skills are not only important for pianists. Many of the skills that collaborative pianists use regularly are the same skills used by music educators, music therapists, and vocal and instrumental professionals. If these skills were included in the class piano curriculum of music majors for whom piano is not their primary instrument, students might be better prepared for essential tasks they will accomplish in their future careers. This study seeks to discover the extent to which collaborative piano skills such as sight-reading, collaboration with a singer or instrumentalist, and score reduction are incorporated into the class piano courses offered in Arizona. A survey was sent in 2021 to all community college and university instructors of class piano in Arizona, asking them about the role, frequency, and assessment methods of collaborative piano skills in their courses. Public information was also gathered from institutional websites regarding course curriculum. To collect more detailed information regarding the pedagogical practices of Arizona class piano educators, I interviewed four professors who develop and implement class piano curricula in Arizona.
The results of this study suggest that Arizona class piano educators desire to incorporate more collaborative piano skills in their courses. The goal of this research is to bring awareness to the discrepancy in class piano curriculum standards with regards to collaborative piano skills across Arizona and spur pedagogical dialogue among educators regarding ways to improve programs. These enhancements will ultimately serve to give each student the best possible preparation for a career in music.
ContributorsSherrill, Amanda May (Author) / Campbell, Andrew (Thesis advisor) / DeMaris, Amanda (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This research paper is an explanatory document for the lecture recital presented by the author. The lecture recital focused on the mimicking of instruments in arrangements and transcriptions for piano of Chinese traditional music. There are five Chinese music instruments discussed in the paper, namely guqin, zheng, erhu, suona, and pipa. This document provides an introduction to the five instruments, including their origin, historical background, and physical characteristics. Then it discusses the selected traditional pieces for these instruments and compares them to their corresponding piano arrangements. The traditional pieces are Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms (arranged by Jianzhong Wang), Liu Yang River (arranged by Jianzhong Wang), Moon Reflected on the Er-quan Spring (arranged by Wanghua Chu), A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix (arranged by Jianzhong Wang), and Flute and Drum at Sunset (arranged by Yinghai Li). The comparison and the discussion of the technical issues in certain passages will help the pianist to create a fitting sound when performing the works.
ContributorsZhou, Jingchao (Author) / Pagano, Caio (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Creviston, Hannah (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020