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Description
The purpose of this research paper is to discuss John Carter's Cantata, the musical development of this composition, and provide a brief history of this African American musician and composer. Presently, there exists very little research regarding Carter's life and compositions. From a musician's perspective, this paper discusses the challenges of singing and performing the Cantata for future performers and provides a reference for their preparation. This project also examines John Carter's musical style and analyzes the structure of the Cantata. African-American folk songs were an inspiration to Carter's compositions, especially this particular work. As an African-American, his life and background played a role in his inspiration of composition. With borrowed music, he reveals a basic truth about this period of American history; how the lives of slaves influenced in the development of this particular genre. Additionally, John Carter's style of composition is examined, including the application of jazz and modal scales in his Cantata. Performance practice is examined for both the singer and pianist in a way that best represents the composer's original and unique intent. From vocal safety to breath control, a singer may find several challenges when performing this eclectic piece. This paper provides a guide for singers. A brief overview of the pianist's role in the Cantata is also included. Characteristic words of the African-American vernacular found in Carter's Cantata are briefly discussed and identified (i.e. "them" vs. "dem"). It is essential that any performer, both beginning and advanced, should have a proper understanding of the concepts that Carter had so carefully crafted. This paper endeavors to provide a deeper sense of understanding to what Carter had intended for both the performer and the listener.
ContributorsNa, Bora (Author) / Britton, David (Thesis advisor) / Bush, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Campbell, Andrew (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
There are many passages in the standard collaborative piano repertoire that are best executed with average to larger hands, such as densely voiced chords, fast octave passages, spans of 9ths or 10ths, legato lines with wide ranges, or extended arpeggiated passages. As a petite Asian woman with smaller hands, I am frequently engaged to rehearse and perform such works. Such engagements involve a greater amount of practice and preparation, as I spend time determining how to negotiate passages or avoid mistakes that larger hands could easily solve. Nevertheless, despite my best efforts, it is not always possible for one with smaller hands to play exactly what is written by the composer, and one may end up becoming injured by too much stretching of the fingers or hands, which can lead to stress and tension on the arms. This paper will be discussed certain passages from frequently-performed pieces that can be difficult for smaller hands, what makes each passage so awkward or uncomfortable, and provide several solutions that yield musical results without compromising the composer's original intentions. This paper will not only examine orchestral reductions such as concerti, in which the reductions are a mere representation of the composer's true intentions and therefore easier to adjust, but also repertoire originally written for the piano. Three methods will be offered that, while occasionally straying from the printed score, stay as true as possible to the composer's artistic intensions, all the while allowing these collaborative pianists the possibility to approach this repertoire in a realistic fashion.
ContributorsChoi, Hae Ju (Author) / Campbell, Andrew (Thesis advisor) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Britton, David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
ABSTRACT
This study will have three sections: 1) outlining the imperative need to include in-depth character study in the preparation of art-song performance; 2) addressing the insufficient theatrical equipping of young collegiate singers in leading undergraduate applied voice programs and its causes, and 3) suggesting methods to advance acting training in classical voice programs. The primary goal will be to improve art song performance pedagogy and the performer’s ability to emotionally communicate with the audience. The first section will demonstrate why character study is necessary in the preparation of a sound art song performance. The musical works used in this study will be Songs of Travel (1904) by Ralph Vaughan Williams and A Young Man’s Exhortation (1929) by Gerald Finzi. These works provide examples of the cycle type in which a single character moves forward through time during the course of the song cycle. The second section will investigate the inadequate instruction received by students in undergraduate voice programs, concerning character analysis, by gathering course requirements from a variety of public and private universities. It will also examine the accrediting bodies that dictate much of the standardized curriculum across the majority of music schools in the U. S. such as the National Association of Schools of Music and the Higher Learning Commission. In the final section, a number of improvements will be suggested and examined according to their viability in training singers to convey both the musical and dramatic context found in the art song repertoire. The sources used in the course of this study include the scores (Boosey and Hawkes) of the aforementioned works, as well as published research on those works. Syllabi and curriculum checksheets from various university voice programs are also used to determine the required course requirements in contemporary applied voice degrees. The accrediting processes from bodies such as the National Association of Schools of Music and the Higher Learning Commission are used in my assessment of obstacles that those processes may inadvertently present.
This study will have three sections: 1) outlining the imperative need to include in-depth character study in the preparation of art-song performance; 2) addressing the insufficient theatrical equipping of young collegiate singers in leading undergraduate applied voice programs and its causes, and 3) suggesting methods to advance acting training in classical voice programs. The primary goal will be to improve art song performance pedagogy and the performer’s ability to emotionally communicate with the audience. The first section will demonstrate why character study is necessary in the preparation of a sound art song performance. The musical works used in this study will be Songs of Travel (1904) by Ralph Vaughan Williams and A Young Man’s Exhortation (1929) by Gerald Finzi. These works provide examples of the cycle type in which a single character moves forward through time during the course of the song cycle. The second section will investigate the inadequate instruction received by students in undergraduate voice programs, concerning character analysis, by gathering course requirements from a variety of public and private universities. It will also examine the accrediting bodies that dictate much of the standardized curriculum across the majority of music schools in the U. S. such as the National Association of Schools of Music and the Higher Learning Commission. In the final section, a number of improvements will be suggested and examined according to their viability in training singers to convey both the musical and dramatic context found in the art song repertoire. The sources used in the course of this study include the scores (Boosey and Hawkes) of the aforementioned works, as well as published research on those works. Syllabi and curriculum checksheets from various university voice programs are also used to determine the required course requirements in contemporary applied voice degrees. The accrediting processes from bodies such as the National Association of Schools of Music and the Higher Learning Commission are used in my assessment of obstacles that those processes may inadvertently present.
ContributorsCarpenter, Donald Justin (Author) / Britton, David (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra created the character of Don Quixote in his book El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha, published in 1605. Since its creation, stories from the book have been reimagined in art, in literature and in music. Frequently, Cervantes – the man and author – and Quixote – the novel’s protagonist and hero – have been inextricably linked in character. Subsequent adaptors of the novel have been influenced by this connection: composers Jules Massenet (1842-1912), Jacques Ibert (1890-1962) and Mitch Leigh (1928-2014) all wrote their own versions of the Quixote saga. Though their approaches to the story are varied, the basic characteristics of it remain: Love, Life and Dreams. Those themes are reflected in the old knight’s death scene in each of their respective works. Here, the lives of the adaptors are briefly discussed and a dramatic and musical (Schenkerian), analysis of Quixote’s last hours are presented.
ContributorsKim, Se Hoon (Author) / Britton, David (Thesis advisor) / Reber, William (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
ABSTRACT
Korea’s first opera Chunhyang Jeon was composed by Jaemyeong Hyun in 1948. Until that time, most Korean vocal music was sung by a few native traditional artists. Inspired by their work, composer Hyun combined elements from the ancient Pansori (epic poetic forms presented by a solo singer with drum) and Western music techniques to create his opera. Hyun also used the more vernacular Hangeul (Korean alphabet) for his libretto rather than the Chinese usually heard in Korean theatrical presentations. It might be noted that in that same year (1948), the first Western opera: Verdi’s La Traviata was performed in Seoul.
This study concerns the bringing together of Korean traditional idioms (in Pansori) and Western musical ideas (harmony, orchestration, etc.) to create what is now known as Chunhyang-jeon Opera. In this regard, the author will present a brief split-analysis of the older style and the more modern musical attributes of the combined style of traditional Korean music and European style opera. It is hoped that this study might provide the basis for a future opera course and guide for both disciplines.
This study will also show that the Pansori and its subsequent operatic treatment has historical, social and artistic elements. Some similarities and differences of both forms were noted here with regard to cultural sensitivities.
While Chunhyang-ga (older form) and Chunhyang-jeon (Hyun’s modern adaptation) have some musical similarities, the latter was not composed based on the former. Chunhyang-ga consists mainly of compound meter (6/8, 9/8, 12/8, 24/8), which is at the heart of Korean traditional music, while Chunhyang-jeon uses simple meter (2/4, 3/4, 4/4).
Identical words are not often used in the two works, but their libretti are of much significance. Chunhyang-ga had been traditionally handed down with Chinese characters, whereas Chunhyang-jeon constituted its libretto with more modern Korean words which were easily understood by the audience.
Pansori have been sung with traditional singing techniques, which demonstrate the flow of the melodic line found in the images of the words (as interpreted and improvised by the solo performer), while in opera, vocal music is primarily from a set of melodic and harmonic techniques.
Korea’s first opera Chunhyang Jeon was composed by Jaemyeong Hyun in 1948. Until that time, most Korean vocal music was sung by a few native traditional artists. Inspired by their work, composer Hyun combined elements from the ancient Pansori (epic poetic forms presented by a solo singer with drum) and Western music techniques to create his opera. Hyun also used the more vernacular Hangeul (Korean alphabet) for his libretto rather than the Chinese usually heard in Korean theatrical presentations. It might be noted that in that same year (1948), the first Western opera: Verdi’s La Traviata was performed in Seoul.
This study concerns the bringing together of Korean traditional idioms (in Pansori) and Western musical ideas (harmony, orchestration, etc.) to create what is now known as Chunhyang-jeon Opera. In this regard, the author will present a brief split-analysis of the older style and the more modern musical attributes of the combined style of traditional Korean music and European style opera. It is hoped that this study might provide the basis for a future opera course and guide for both disciplines.
This study will also show that the Pansori and its subsequent operatic treatment has historical, social and artistic elements. Some similarities and differences of both forms were noted here with regard to cultural sensitivities.
While Chunhyang-ga (older form) and Chunhyang-jeon (Hyun’s modern adaptation) have some musical similarities, the latter was not composed based on the former. Chunhyang-ga consists mainly of compound meter (6/8, 9/8, 12/8, 24/8), which is at the heart of Korean traditional music, while Chunhyang-jeon uses simple meter (2/4, 3/4, 4/4).
Identical words are not often used in the two works, but their libretti are of much significance. Chunhyang-ga had been traditionally handed down with Chinese characters, whereas Chunhyang-jeon constituted its libretto with more modern Korean words which were easily understood by the audience.
Pansori have been sung with traditional singing techniques, which demonstrate the flow of the melodic line found in the images of the words (as interpreted and improvised by the solo performer), while in opera, vocal music is primarily from a set of melodic and harmonic techniques.
ContributorsShin, Jinhee (Author) / Britton, David (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017