Matching Items (8)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: performing arts
- All Subjects: Arrangement (Music)
- Creators: Koonce, Frank
- Status: Published
Description
Johann Sebastian Bach's violin Sonata I in G minor, BWV 1001, is a significant and widely performed work that exists in numerous editions and also as transcriptions or arrangements for various other instruments, including the guitar. A pedagogical guitar performance edition of this sonata, however, has yet to be published. Therefore, the core of my project is a transcription and pedagogical edition of this work for guitar. The transcription is supported by an analysis, performance and pedagogical practice guide, and a recording. The analysis and graphing of phrase structures illuminate Bach's use of compositional devices and the architectural function of the work's harmonic gravities. They are intended to guide performers in their assessment of the surface ornamentation and suggest a reduction toward its fundamental purpose. The end result is a clarification of the piece through the organization of phrase structures and the prioritization of harmonic tensions and resolutions. The compiling process is intended to assist the performer in "seeing the forest from the trees." Based on markings from Bach's original autograph score, the transcription considers fingering ease on the guitar that is critical to render the music to a functional and practical level. The goal is to preserve the composer's indications to the highest degree possible while still adhering to the technical confines that allow for actual execution on the guitar. The performance guide provides suggestions for articulation, phrasing, ornamentation, and other interpretive decisions. Considering the limitations of the guitar, the author's suggestions are grounded in various concepts of historically informed performance, and also relate to today's early-music sensibilities. The pedagogical practice guide demonstrates procedures to break down and assimilate the musical material as applied toward the various elements of guitar technique and practice. The CD recording is intended to demonstrate the transcription and the connection to the concepts discussed. It is hoped that this pedagogical edition will provide a rational that serves to support technical decisions within the transcription and generate meaningful interpretive realizations based on principles of historically informed performance.
ContributorsFelice, Joseph Philip (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Swartz, Jonathan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Arrangements of music from other instruments have always played a key role in expanding the guitar repertoire. This project investigates the life and work of eighteenth-century composer Antonio Soler (1729-1783), specifically his sonatas for solo keyboard. This study carries out a formal inquiry on Soler's influences, including a background of Soler's life and training, his connection with Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), and an overview of the eighteenth-century sonata in Spain. Timbres, articulations, tessitura, and other aspects of Spanish folk music are discussed as related to Soler's composition style. Five sonatas are analyzed in connection to Spanish folk music, and part of this study's focus was arranging the sonatas for two guitars: R. 48, 50, 60, 106 and 114. An overview of the current arrangements of Soler's sonatas for guitar is included in Appendix A.
ContributorsCrissman, Jonathan (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Swartz, Jonathan (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
This is a solo guitar transcription of the first five movements, known as the "Joyous Mysteries," of the Mystery Sonatas by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, accompanied by a history of the sonata collection, an analysis of the process of translating a Baroque solo sonata to the guitar, and a guide for performance. The work was chosen because of its significance and popularity within violin repertoire, and the suitability of the solo sonata genre for performance on a guitar. The first section of this project addresses the history and appeal of Biber and the Mystery Sonatas. It is supplemented by a brief survey of guitar transcriptions of Biber's compositions, and the value of the present edition in modern guitar literature. The second section explores the process and challenges of arranging the Mystery Sonatas for solo guitar, followed by a summation of the general allowances and limitations the genre offers to arrangers. The third section focuses on performance practice issues encountered in adapting this series and other Baroque solo sonatas to the guitar. The project concludes with the arrangement, complemented with the original violin and continuo parts for comparison.
Although instrumentations may force an arranger to impose speculative harmonies and countermelodies on a thin texture or sacrifice inner voices in a denser texture, the solo sonata's instrumentation of melody and continuo provides an effective balance. This style allows an arranger three important details: a clear and paramount melody, a flexible bass line, and harmonies with unspecified voicings. Similarly, the compositional freedom that Baroque composers allowed to performers also facilitates the arranging process and enables a variety of creative solutions.
Although instrumentations may force an arranger to impose speculative harmonies and countermelodies on a thin texture or sacrifice inner voices in a denser texture, the solo sonata's instrumentation of melody and continuo provides an effective balance. This style allows an arranger three important details: a clear and paramount melody, a flexible bass line, and harmonies with unspecified voicings. Similarly, the compositional freedom that Baroque composers allowed to performers also facilitates the arranging process and enables a variety of creative solutions.
ContributorsLake, Brendan (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Oldani, Robert W. (Committee member) / Swartz, Jonathan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
This project presents eight harpsichord sonatas, 3, 5, 10, 12, 13, 18, 19, and 21, by Sebastián de Albero (1722-1756), arranged for the classical guitar. These pieces were chosen because of the success of other eighteenth-century Iberian harpsichord music that has been arranged for guitar, including works by composers such as Domenico Scarlatti, Carlos Seixas, and Antonio Soler. The popularity and enjoyment of Scarlatti's harpsichord sonatas on the guitar today was the inspiration for this project.
Historically, guitarists have used arrangements as a means to expand the guitar's repertoire. The late eighteenth century, especially, was a time in which the instrument was undergoing significant changes from being a five-course instrument into becoming the standard six single string instrument of today. Also, composer/guitarists at that time were beginning to abandon tablature in favor of modern staff notation. Because of these changes, the amount of music originally written for the guitar from this period that is suitable to be played on a modern instrument is limited.
I chose to focus on eight selected sonatas from Sebastián Albero's Treinta Sonatas para Clavicordio because of the influence of Domenico Scarlatti's harpsichord arrangements for solo guitar. It is intriguing to note that Albero and Scarlatti both held positions at the Spanish Royal Chapel for a number of years and, in this capacity, may have influenced one another in their musical compositions and style. Certain similarities are documented in this paper.
Since Scarlatti's music has been successfully arranged, and is popular to play on modern guitar, it is hoped that these sonatas by Albero may enjoy similar success.
Historically, guitarists have used arrangements as a means to expand the guitar's repertoire. The late eighteenth century, especially, was a time in which the instrument was undergoing significant changes from being a five-course instrument into becoming the standard six single string instrument of today. Also, composer/guitarists at that time were beginning to abandon tablature in favor of modern staff notation. Because of these changes, the amount of music originally written for the guitar from this period that is suitable to be played on a modern instrument is limited.
I chose to focus on eight selected sonatas from Sebastián Albero's Treinta Sonatas para Clavicordio because of the influence of Domenico Scarlatti's harpsichord arrangements for solo guitar. It is intriguing to note that Albero and Scarlatti both held positions at the Spanish Royal Chapel for a number of years and, in this capacity, may have influenced one another in their musical compositions and style. Certain similarities are documented in this paper.
Since Scarlatti's music has been successfully arranged, and is popular to play on modern guitar, it is hoped that these sonatas by Albero may enjoy similar success.
ContributorsSloyka, Erik Robert (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / McLin, Katherine (Committee member) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
The legacy of the great double bassist and pedagogue Joseph Prunner (1886-1969) includes his scale and arpeggio exercise book, Progressive Studies for the Double Bass, composed in 1955. Progressive Studies was originally written for Prunner's students at the Bucharest Conservatoire and was not intended for a wide publication. In the work Prunner presents major and harmonic and melodic minor scales that are performed in one octave and then extended diatonically through all their modes, progressing through this pattern for three octaves, followed by a series of arpeggio exercises. These exercises are based on a modernized fingering system and are offered in the traditional positions and in what Prunner called "Fixed-Position" scales. A series of chromatic scale exercises are also included that follow the template of the major and minor scales. The study at hand is a revision and expansion of Prunner's work. The edition presented here intends to preserve the information that Prunner provided, fix the errors made in editing, and expand the study greatly by increasing the range of the exercises, providing more arpeggio exercises, creating melodic and harmonic minor "Fixed-Position" scales and arpeggio exercises, and including the study of double-stops. In support of the revised and updated version of Progressive Studies, this study includes a biography of Joseph Prunner and a summary of the importance of the type of scale and arpeggio practice the collection of exercises supports. An explanation of the revisions made to Prunner's work and recommendations for using the exercises also precede the new edition.
ContributorsStotz, Daniel Aaron (Author) / Rotaru, Catalin (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Kennedy, Jeffery (Committee member) / Koonce, Frank (Committee member) / Landschoot, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
In the 1950s, Miguel Llobet (1878–1938) and Emilio Pujol (1886–1980) published the first transcriptions of piano and orchestral music for two guitars that became staples in the repertoire. Ida Presti (1924–1967) and Alexandre Lagoya (1929–1999) expanded their efforts with new adaptations of Baroque, Romantic, and Modern music. Following their examples, generations of professional guitar duos have maintained a similar transcription repertoire. However, closer examination reveals noticeable gaps in it as Renaissance works have been largely overlooked. To illuminate this issue, chapter 2 revisits adaptations for two guitars of music originally written for vihuelas, lutes, viols, and the virginal to inquire about the reasons for this neglect and discuss plausible solutions. Because the virginal stands out for its innovative characteristics and alignment with the solo lute works by John Dowland (1563–1626) and John Johnson (ca. 1545–1594), the “English School” of Virginalists is further explored as a potential source of suitable works for transcriptions.
Chapter 3 discusses philosophical concepts and editorial practices to propose a method aimed at producing stylistically faithful adaptations of virginal music. The editorial criteria for this method are informed by in-depth reflections on terminology, the ontology of musical works, the notion of authenticity, and common sixteenth-century practices from musica ficta to tuning temperaments and notational conventions. Concerning ethical matters, this chapter assesses authorship issues that originated at the turn of the nineteenth century but are still adopted by modern editors and transcribers. This discussion aims to shed light on both the negative impact on intellectual property and how it can be avoided by simply resorting to the practice of scholarly transcriptions. Chapters 4 and 5 explain the procedures and applications of the proposed method in two parts: adaptation and revision. The first introduces concepts and strategies from choosing suitable works to balancing playability and aesthetic fidelity intended to produce a preliminary version of the original work. The second establishes a knowledge base through musico-historical discussions and comparative analyses of sources that inform editorial decisions and necessary changes to be implemented in the final score.
Chapter 3 discusses philosophical concepts and editorial practices to propose a method aimed at producing stylistically faithful adaptations of virginal music. The editorial criteria for this method are informed by in-depth reflections on terminology, the ontology of musical works, the notion of authenticity, and common sixteenth-century practices from musica ficta to tuning temperaments and notational conventions. Concerning ethical matters, this chapter assesses authorship issues that originated at the turn of the nineteenth century but are still adopted by modern editors and transcribers. This discussion aims to shed light on both the negative impact on intellectual property and how it can be avoided by simply resorting to the practice of scholarly transcriptions. Chapters 4 and 5 explain the procedures and applications of the proposed method in two parts: adaptation and revision. The first introduces concepts and strategies from choosing suitable works to balancing playability and aesthetic fidelity intended to produce a preliminary version of the original work. The second establishes a knowledge base through musico-historical discussions and comparative analyses of sources that inform editorial decisions and necessary changes to be implemented in the final score.
ContributorsDe Souza, Gibran Araujo (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Stover, Christopher (Committee member) / Rotaru, Catalin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
The repertoire for guitar and piano duo is small in comparison with other chamber music instrumentation; therefore, it is important to broaden this repertoire. In addition to creating original compositions, arrangements of existing works contribute to this expansion.
This project focuses on an arrangement of Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), a work originally conceived for cello ensemble with a minimum of eight cellos. In order to contextualize the proposed arrangement, this study contains a brief historical listing of the repertoire for guitar and piano duo and of the guitar works by Villa-Lobos. Also, it includes a description of the Bachianas Brasileiras series and a discussion of the arranging methodology that shows how the original musical ideas of the composer were adapted using techniques that are idiomatic to the guitar and piano. The full arrangement is included in Appendix A.
This project focuses on an arrangement of Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), a work originally conceived for cello ensemble with a minimum of eight cellos. In order to contextualize the proposed arrangement, this study contains a brief historical listing of the repertoire for guitar and piano duo and of the guitar works by Villa-Lobos. Also, it includes a description of the Bachianas Brasileiras series and a discussion of the arranging methodology that shows how the original musical ideas of the composer were adapted using techniques that are idiomatic to the guitar and piano. The full arrangement is included in Appendix A.
ContributorsFigueiredo Bartoloni, Fabio (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Suzuki, Kotoka (Committee member) / Landschoot, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
In 1568, Vincenzo Galilei published the first edition of Fronimo as a guide to the art of intabulating vocal music for the lute. A second edition was released in 1584 in which Galilei presents “26 Ricercari” to demonstrate the sound of each Glarean mode. These short works provide a methodical approach to experiencing the Renaissance modes through his beautiful writing for the lute.
This research project focuses on the “26 Ricercari” and explores the challenges of transcribing and arranging Renaissance lute tablatures to be played on the guitar. Topics such as making decisions for voicings, fingerings, tactus reductions, and formatting are examined. Historically-informed playing suggestions such as articulations, lute techniques, and tempo are also included.
Many lute and vihuela works, like the ricercari, have not yet been transcribed. The ricerari tablatures are idiomatic and instantly playable for guitarists who are familiar with different forms of tablature, but most classical guitarists today are familiar only with modern staff notation. Because of this, Galilei’s works have been wrongfully neglected.
My project presents the first guitar edition of these works, along with the documentation of my methodology, and serves as an aid to others for transcribing lute tablatures.
This research project focuses on the “26 Ricercari” and explores the challenges of transcribing and arranging Renaissance lute tablatures to be played on the guitar. Topics such as making decisions for voicings, fingerings, tactus reductions, and formatting are examined. Historically-informed playing suggestions such as articulations, lute techniques, and tempo are also included.
Many lute and vihuela works, like the ricercari, have not yet been transcribed. The ricerari tablatures are idiomatic and instantly playable for guitarists who are familiar with different forms of tablature, but most classical guitarists today are familiar only with modern staff notation. Because of this, Galilei’s works have been wrongfully neglected.
My project presents the first guitar edition of these works, along with the documentation of my methodology, and serves as an aid to others for transcribing lute tablatures.
ContributorsOeth, John (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / McLin, Katherine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020