Matching Items (3)
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- All Subjects: Pianists
- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
- Creators: Campbell, Andrew
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
Classical pianists have struggled to reconcile personal artistic growth with the economic and cultural realities of a career as a musician. This paper explores the existing structure of North American undergraduate piano education and its development alongside sociological and cultural changes in the twentieth century. Through document study and interviews, I look at three different models of undergraduate piano curricula. Chapters One and Two explore the issues and history surrounding the traditional piano curriculum. Chapters Three and Four draw on interviews to study two different North American undergraduate curricula: a piano curriculum within a liberal arts environment of an American Conservatory-College, and a piano curriculum within a Canadian University Faculty of Music. Chapter Five concludes with a summary of these findings and potential recommendations for implementation. In this study, I suggest that changes to piano curricula were made because of a differing approach, one in which music is seen as an entrepreneurial vocation. These changes point to a discrepancy between what is being provided in the curriculum, and the actual skills that are needed in order to thrive in today's economy. Awareness of the constant flux of the current professional climate is necessary in order for pianists to channel their skills into the world. I theorize that changes in curricula were made in order to provide a better bridge for students to meet realistic demands in their career and increase their ability to impact the community.
ContributorsChoi, Rosabel (Author) / Kim, Kwang-Wu (Thesis advisor) / Campbell, Andrew (Committee member) / Hamilton, Robert (Committee member) / Levy, Benjamin (Committee member) / Pagano, Caio (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013