Matching Items (270)
ContributorsRussell, Timothy Wells (Conductor) / Shelton, Lucy (Performer) / Perry, Herbert (Performer) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2004-10-26
ContributorsSolís, Ted (Director) / Prabhakar, Vijaya (Director) / Thanikasalam, Haran (Performer) / Ramani, Senthil Krishnan (Performer) / South India Ensemble (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created1999-04-26
ContributorsSpring, Robert (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / Sellheim, Eckart (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Landschoot, Thomas (Performer) / Rotaru, Catalin (Performer) / Schuring, Martin (Performer) / Montilla, Jorge (Performer) / Micklich, Albie (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2006-09-10
ContributorsWytko, Joseph (Performer) / Cosand, Walter, 1950- (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Hutchings, Simon (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2001-08-26
ContributorsSchildkret, David (Conductor) / Concert Choir (Performer) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2003-03-30
ContributorsSpring, Robert (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / Buck, Elizabeth (Performer) / Schuring, Martin (Performer) / Micklich, Albie (Performer) / Ericson, John Q. (John Quincy), 1962- (Performer) / McAllister, Timothy (Performer) / Trio del Sol (Performer) / Faculty Woodwind Quintet (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2007-03-21
ContributorsRussell, Timothy Wells (Performer) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Performer) / Floyd, Lynne Sharon (Performer) / Johnston, Cara (Performer) / Leffler, Timothy (Performer) / Millar, Chad (Performer) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created1997-10-15
ContributorsMcLin, Katherine (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2010-10-22
ContributorsMcLin, Katherine (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / McLin/Campbell Duo (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2000-10-01
ContributorsDan, Kayoko (Conductor) / Smart, James (Conductor) / Vickers, Benjamin (Conductor) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / Sinfonietta (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2003-04-15
ContributorsRussell, Timothy Wells (Conductor) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Buck, Nancy (Performer) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2006-02-21
ContributorsRussell, Timothy Wells (Conductor) / Chamber Orchestra (Contributor) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2001-11-20
ContributorsSpring, Robert (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / McAllister, Timothy (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Micklich, Albie (Performer) / Smith, J. B., 1957- (Performer) / Starling, Jana (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2009-09-13
ContributorsWytko, Joseph (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / Swartz, Jonathan (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Schuring, Martin (Performer) / Montilla, Jorge (Performer) / Micklich, Albie (Performer) / Rotaru, Catalin (Performer) / Smith, J. B., 1957- (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2007-02-04
ContributorsRussell, Timothy Wells (Conductor) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2000-11-21
ContributorsSpring, Robert (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Starling, Jana (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2008-09-28
ContributorsCampbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / Buck, Nancy (Performer) / Britton, David (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Barefield, Robert (Performer) / Cosand, Walter, 1950- (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2005-01-30
ContributorsSmirnoff, Joel (Conductor) / Rotaru, Catalin (Performer) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2007-02-20
ContributorsMcLin, Katherine (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2020-10-30
ContributorsSmith, J. B., 1957- (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / Lienert, Keith (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Pilafian, Sam (Performer) / Spring, Robert (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2003-02-02
ContributorsMcLin, Katherine (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2006-01-20
ContributorsNarucki, Susan (Performer) / Hill, Gary W. (Conductor) (Conductor) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Jiang, Danwen (Performer) / Buck, Nancy (Performer) / Landschoot, Thomas (Performer) / Spring, Robert (Performer) / Buck, Elizabeth (Performer) / Schuring, Martin (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / Tescarollo, Hamilton (Performer) / Smith, J. B., 1957- (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2005-03-20
ContributorsWeisberg, Arthur (Performer) / Bock, Richard (Performer) / Heller, Joan (Performer) / Martinic-Jercic, Magdalena (Performer) / Sellheim, Eckart (Performer) / Smith, J. B., 1957- (Performer) / Spring, Robert (Performer) / Wanser, William (Performer) / Martinic-Jercic, Borivoj (Performer) / Talleda, Joseph (Performer) / Watson-Brown, Pamela (Performer) / Ensemble 21 (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created1992-03-02
ContributorsRussell, Timothy Wells (Conductor) / Schuring, Martin (Performer) / Spring, Robert (Performer) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2003-10-14
ContributorsRussell, Timothy Wells (Conductor) / Duerr, Kelly (Performer) / O'Shaughnessy, Catherine (Conductor) / St. John, Brian (Conductor) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / Sinfonietta (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2009-04-21
ContributorsDeMars, James (Conductor) / Hoerber, Michael (Conductor) / Hoover, Eric (Performer) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2000-02-08
ContributorsWeisberg, Arthur (Conductor) / Spring, Robert (Performer) / Martinic-Jercic, Magdalena (Performer) / Ung, Susan (Performer) / Bock, Richard (Performer) / Edwards, Wilbur (Performer) / Smith, J. B., 1957- (Performer) / Cosand, Walter, 1950- (Performer) / Hackbarth, Glenn, 1949- (Performer) / Martinic-Jercic, Borivoj (Performer) / Werner, Scott (Performer) / Badgley, Clifford (Performer) / Zhang, Xiao-Jie (Performer) / Ostrem, Age (Performer) / Ray, Lee (Performer) / Watson-Brown, Pamela (Performer) / Ensemble 21 (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created1992-11-09
ContributorsMcLin, Katherine (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / Spring, Robert (Performer) / Starling, Jana (Performer) / Murphy, Patrick (Performer) / Emler, Blythe (Performer) / Kilstofte, Anne (Performer) / Coleman, Elisabeth (Performer) / Stapley, Sara (Performer) / Norman, Judith (Performer) / Warren, Derek (Performer) / Chan, Kenny (Performer) / Rhoads, Joshua (Performer) / Lake, Brendan (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2008-10-25
ContributorsSpring, Robert (Performer) / Campbell, Andrew (Pianist) (Performer) / Starling, Jana (Performer) / Buck, Elizabeth (Performer) / Schuring, Martin (Performer) / McLin, Katherine (Performer) / Buck, Nancy (Performer) / Dalbey, Jenna (Performer) / Rotaru, Catalin (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2010-09-19
ContributorsRussel, Timothy (Conductor) / Jiang, Danwen (Performer) / Chamber Orchestra (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2005-10-11
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
Late nineteenth-century French art song, also known as mélodie, is one of the most important genres in a classical singer’s repertoire and it cannot be ignored. Its creation represents a marked improvement over the song form of French Romance which dates from the eighteenth century.
French art song was not introduced to China until the establishment of the New Republic of China in 1949. In the decades since then, French art song seems less favored by Chinese singers, when compared to Italian songs and German Lieder. Having studied both in China and the United States, the author realized that for Chinese native speakers, singing French art song is a difficult challenge.
Two main problems immediately present themselves: the language barrier and the obstacle of a basic understanding of French poetry. The author’s purpose here is to examine these problems and try to help Chinese singers by offering them a systematic path toward correct French pronunciation, a brief discussion of poetic imagery often seen in French poetry, and a selected bibliography of sources on French poetry to advance their comprehension.
First, the paper will introduce the phonology of Pinyin (Chinese Phonetic Alphabet), the system used in China to teach Chinese (Mandarin) and compare it with the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), which is universally used by people in the West to learn the pronunciation of most languages. The document will then show the sounds that are most challenging for Chinese singers and will give some suggestions and vocal exercises to help singers better pronounce French diction.
Secondly, the author will examine a few poems used in French songs to point out some of the cultural differences between China and Western countries and identify the challenges in understanding the meaning of selected French art songs from the perspective of a Chinese singer. Since an exhaustive study of French poetry would be another broad topic to be researched, the author will offer only basic suggestions and a brief annotated bibliography of sources at the end of this research project.
It is the author's hope that this document will benefit Chinese singers and voice teachers by acquainting them with French diction and by helping them to appreciate French song literature.
French art song was not introduced to China until the establishment of the New Republic of China in 1949. In the decades since then, French art song seems less favored by Chinese singers, when compared to Italian songs and German Lieder. Having studied both in China and the United States, the author realized that for Chinese native speakers, singing French art song is a difficult challenge.
Two main problems immediately present themselves: the language barrier and the obstacle of a basic understanding of French poetry. The author’s purpose here is to examine these problems and try to help Chinese singers by offering them a systematic path toward correct French pronunciation, a brief discussion of poetic imagery often seen in French poetry, and a selected bibliography of sources on French poetry to advance their comprehension.
First, the paper will introduce the phonology of Pinyin (Chinese Phonetic Alphabet), the system used in China to teach Chinese (Mandarin) and compare it with the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), which is universally used by people in the West to learn the pronunciation of most languages. The document will then show the sounds that are most challenging for Chinese singers and will give some suggestions and vocal exercises to help singers better pronounce French diction.
Secondly, the author will examine a few poems used in French songs to point out some of the cultural differences between China and Western countries and identify the challenges in understanding the meaning of selected French art songs from the perspective of a Chinese singer. Since an exhaustive study of French poetry would be another broad topic to be researched, the author will offer only basic suggestions and a brief annotated bibliography of sources at the end of this research project.
It is the author's hope that this document will benefit Chinese singers and voice teachers by acquainting them with French diction and by helping them to appreciate French song literature.
ContributorsWu, Kehui (Author) / Britton, David (Thesis advisor) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / DeMaris, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Musicians who perform in front of an audience are often familiar with tension and nervousness, whether they are performing on stage, giving a public concert, or practicing on their own. Tension can eventually build up in a musician’s body because of the stress of holding an instrument or performing in an audition or concert. Warm-ups are not guaranteed to reduce stress or pain. However, by warming up, musicians can help expect to prevent possible injuries and reduce stress or pain. In addition, some musicians can expect warm-ups to improve basic skills and the level of their playing overall.
To begin, this document will examine several warm-ups which were published by famous flutists. It will reference warm-ups back to the 20th century, when legendary flutist and pedagogue Marcel Moyse published De La Sonorité (Paris, 1934). De La Sonorité is a world-famous warm-up book which emphasizes the importance of flute tone. Many flutists were inspired by this book, and because of its renown, De La Sonorité is the starting point when discussing flute warm-ups.
After discussing specific flutists’ warm-up books, the author will add her own warm-up exercises as a final project. Specifically, these warm-ups are intended to improve flutists’ embouchure and flexibility. Embouchure warm-ups can help reduce pain or tightness in the embouchure and help prevent some mistakes caused by stress and anxiety, such as in an audition or performance.
To begin, this document will examine several warm-ups which were published by famous flutists. It will reference warm-ups back to the 20th century, when legendary flutist and pedagogue Marcel Moyse published De La Sonorité (Paris, 1934). De La Sonorité is a world-famous warm-up book which emphasizes the importance of flute tone. Many flutists were inspired by this book, and because of its renown, De La Sonorité is the starting point when discussing flute warm-ups.
After discussing specific flutists’ warm-up books, the author will add her own warm-up exercises as a final project. Specifically, these warm-ups are intended to improve flutists’ embouchure and flexibility. Embouchure warm-ups can help reduce pain or tightness in the embouchure and help prevent some mistakes caused by stress and anxiety, such as in an audition or performance.
ContributorsHur, Jiyoun (Author) / Buck, Elizabeth (Thesis advisor) / Micklich, Albie (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Schuring, Martin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
The call to crusade in 1145 prompted a movement fueled not only by religious writings and sermons, but by calls to arms in secular song. During the mid-twelfth to thirteenth centuries, French Trouvères and Occitan Troubadours wrote over one hundred crusade songs, the majority of which are rife with propaganda and support for the crusades and the attacks against the Saracens and the East. The crusade song corpus not only deals with sacred motivations to go overseas, such as the crusade indulgence present in papal bulls, but also summons biblical figures and epic persons as motivation to crusade.
Previous scholars have not adequately defined the genre of a crusade song, and have overlooked connections to the crusading rhetoric of the genre of crusade literature. I offer a precise definition of crusade song and examine commonalities between crusade literature and song. During the crusades, troubadours and trouvères wrote crusade songs to draw support for the campaigns. The propaganda in these songs demonstrates that the authors had an understanding of current events and may have had some knowledge of other crusading literature, such as papal calls to crusade, crusade sermons, the Old French Crusade Cycle, and various crusade chronicles. These documents show how the themes and allusions present in crusade song have broader connotations and connections to crusade culture in Medieval Europe.
Previous scholars have not adequately defined the genre of a crusade song, and have overlooked connections to the crusading rhetoric of the genre of crusade literature. I offer a precise definition of crusade song and examine commonalities between crusade literature and song. During the crusades, troubadours and trouvères wrote crusade songs to draw support for the campaigns. The propaganda in these songs demonstrates that the authors had an understanding of current events and may have had some knowledge of other crusading literature, such as papal calls to crusade, crusade sermons, the Old French Crusade Cycle, and various crusade chronicles. These documents show how the themes and allusions present in crusade song have broader connotations and connections to crusade culture in Medieval Europe.
ContributorsChoin, Victoria (Author) / Saucier, Catherine (Thesis advisor) / Cruse, Markus (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
After the passing of the Homestead Act in 1862, a large wave of immigrants arrived in Dakota Territory, most of them during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Two of the largest immigrant populations in the Dakotas were the Norwegians and Germans who had spent approximately the last hundred years living in isolated rural colonies in Russia, referred to as Germans from Russia or russlanddeutschen. This document examines the role of music in the lives of these ethnic groups from the 1862 to 1930, and includes the discussion of sacred music, especially hymns, secular music such as folk songs and dance music, and music’s place in the rural one-room schools that their children attended.
ContributorsGross, Kelsey (Author) / Norton, Kay (Thesis advisor) / Mills, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
The inspiration to undertake this pilot study came after observation and reflection by the clinician-researcher, a board-certified music therapist who has used the harp as the primary instrument when facilitating sessions, on hundreds of music therapy sessions that took place at a facility for behavioral health and chemical dependency. It was observed that the use of improvised harp music as a therapeutic intervention within the context of a music therapy session seemed to relax patients who reported that they were nervous or anxious, and it was also noted that following a listening exercise that consisted of improvised harp music, patients appeared calmer and reported that they felt more comfortable. This research aims to determine if improvised harp music at the opening of a music therapy session creates a calmer environment in which to share information, compared with a guided verbal relaxation and ambient ocean drum sounds for the opening of the music therapy session. Social-behavioral research was conducted in the form of a fifty minute individual music therapy session with six subjects. Each therapy session used improvised music and verbal processing with the therapist, with three subjects in the experimental group and three in the control group. Each individual rated two different types of affective responses on scales of one to ten and completed a five-question survey at the end of the session. All the research subjects showed an increase in positive affect at the end of the music therapy session.
ContributorsRaunikar, Mary Frances (Author) / Rio, Robin (Thesis advisor) / Aspnes, Lynne (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Hans Gál is arguably one of the most underrated, underperformed and forgotten composers of the twentieth century. Once a prolific composer in the 1920s and 1930s, Gál’s career was cut short by the Nazi regime in 1933 when he was fired, and his works banned due to his Jewish heritage. Following the Second World War, his music was relegated as obsolete, belonging to a bygone era. Hans Gál is a perfect example of the intransigence, superficiality, and discrimination of the evolving musical fashion, and his life-story speaks to the misfortunes and persecution of the Jewish people in the mid-twentieth century.
Consequently, Hans Gál is known today mainly as an educator, scholar, and editor of Brahms’s works, rather than as a composer, despite an impressive compositional output spanning over 70 years covering every major musical genre. Within his impressive oeuvre are several little-known gems of the violin repertoire, including the Sonata in D for Violin and Piano and Violin Concerto op. 39 among others. Scholarly writings on Gál and his music are unfortunately scarce, particularly such works exploring his violin music.
However, recent years have seen an increased interest in resurrecting the music of Gál. Recordings of his major works as well as research of his music have furthered the awareness and understating of this forgotten composer’s music. In my document, I will continue the path of recent rediscovery and celebration of this unsung hero of twentieth-century post-Romanticism with an in-depth look at his Sonata in D for Violin and Piano (1933). A light-hearted, accessible and unpretentious work, the Sonata in D distinguishes itself in the violin-piano sonata repertoire of the interwar period by its witty, clear use of form and motivic/thematic unity in the vein of the great Viennese masters. Gál’s take on traditional idioms such as tonality, coupled with masterful use of the implication/realization process, create a highly original and noteworthy style, that renders the Sonata in D an immediately appealing work for performers and listeners alike.
Consequently, Hans Gál is known today mainly as an educator, scholar, and editor of Brahms’s works, rather than as a composer, despite an impressive compositional output spanning over 70 years covering every major musical genre. Within his impressive oeuvre are several little-known gems of the violin repertoire, including the Sonata in D for Violin and Piano and Violin Concerto op. 39 among others. Scholarly writings on Gál and his music are unfortunately scarce, particularly such works exploring his violin music.
However, recent years have seen an increased interest in resurrecting the music of Gál. Recordings of his major works as well as research of his music have furthered the awareness and understating of this forgotten composer’s music. In my document, I will continue the path of recent rediscovery and celebration of this unsung hero of twentieth-century post-Romanticism with an in-depth look at his Sonata in D for Violin and Piano (1933). A light-hearted, accessible and unpretentious work, the Sonata in D distinguishes itself in the violin-piano sonata repertoire of the interwar period by its witty, clear use of form and motivic/thematic unity in the vein of the great Viennese masters. Gál’s take on traditional idioms such as tonality, coupled with masterful use of the implication/realization process, create a highly original and noteworthy style, that renders the Sonata in D an immediately appealing work for performers and listeners alike.
ContributorsGebe, Vladimir, 1987- (Author) / McLin, Katherine (Thesis advisor) / Carpenter, Ellon (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
The close relationship between mathematics and music has been well documented in Western cultures since at least the time of the ancient Greeks. While many connections have been made between math and music over the centuries, it seems that many modern researchers have attempted to create interdisciplinary bridges between these disciplines by using mathematical principles to explain several essential aspects of music: harmony, melody, form, and rhythm. Using these established connections, in addition to several of my own, I have created an undergraduate level survey of Western music course for a population of mathematically inclined students. This approach makes music history comprehensible, relevant, and engaging to my target demographic.
The course is organized into three units. The first unit begins with the music of Ancient Greece and Early Christianity and concludes with music of the Renaissance (roughly 1300-1600). The second unit will cover what classical musicians call the “common practice period” (roughly 1600-1900). This span of time covers three musical eras – Baroque, Classical, and Romantic. The final unit will cover the 20th century up to the present. During this course, I introduce the students to Western music using examples, concepts, terminology, and methodology derived from the world of mathematics. These include Pythagorean mathematics, geometry, simple algebra and fractions, the golden mean, the Fibonacci sequence, matrices, set theory, and many more. I have written the chapters as scripts for an online version of the class. The writing style in the chapters is therefore informal and contrasts with the tone of the other parts of the thesis.
The course is organized into three units. The first unit begins with the music of Ancient Greece and Early Christianity and concludes with music of the Renaissance (roughly 1300-1600). The second unit will cover what classical musicians call the “common practice period” (roughly 1600-1900). This span of time covers three musical eras – Baroque, Classical, and Romantic. The final unit will cover the 20th century up to the present. During this course, I introduce the students to Western music using examples, concepts, terminology, and methodology derived from the world of mathematics. These include Pythagorean mathematics, geometry, simple algebra and fractions, the golden mean, the Fibonacci sequence, matrices, set theory, and many more. I have written the chapters as scripts for an online version of the class. The writing style in the chapters is therefore informal and contrasts with the tone of the other parts of the thesis.
ContributorsCueva, Darren Luis (Author) / Norton, Kay (Thesis advisor) / Wells, Christopher (Committee member) / Schmidt, Margaret (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
This research paper is a study of Sergei Taneyev’s Concert Suite for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 28 and includes Taneyev’s biography, a brief musical analysis which benefits the interpretation, and performance suggestions from the perspective of a concert violinist. The purpose of this paper is to enable performers to achieve a better understanding of this artwork and make informed musical choices.
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (1856-1915) was a Russian composer. As a composition pupil of Tchaikovsky, and a teacher of Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Lyapunov, and Glière, Taneyev is an important figure in Russian music. His compositions include operas, symphonies, chamber music, songs, and piano music. Taneyev’s style was influenced by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Wagner and various European composers. His cosmopolitan style, and wide-ranging compositional interests do not easily lend themselves generalization. This difficulty in categorizing his music along with his self-criticism and aversion to self-promotion, contribute to his lack of recognition when compared with his contemporaries.
The Concert Suite for Violin and Orchestra, composed six years before his death, is his only work for Violin and Orchestra and was his last large composition. This work is cast in an unusual five-movement structure and embodies various brilliant violin techniques and rich Romantic-era harmonies. Taneyev’s interests in “old fashioned” style and folk music are evidenced by some of the movements titled “Prelude,” “Gavotte,” and “Theme and Variation” which contains a double fugue. He also utilizes folk dances such as the mazurka and tarantella. This performance guide provides practical interpretational advice based on an analysis of harmony, form and structural divisions, stylistic considerations and violin techniques. A brilliant and charming work, it has sadly been neglected. Through the study and performance of this piece, the author hopes to provide performers with useful information that enables more musicians to know and enjoy this valuable masterwork.
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (1856-1915) was a Russian composer. As a composition pupil of Tchaikovsky, and a teacher of Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Lyapunov, and Glière, Taneyev is an important figure in Russian music. His compositions include operas, symphonies, chamber music, songs, and piano music. Taneyev’s style was influenced by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Wagner and various European composers. His cosmopolitan style, and wide-ranging compositional interests do not easily lend themselves generalization. This difficulty in categorizing his music along with his self-criticism and aversion to self-promotion, contribute to his lack of recognition when compared with his contemporaries.
The Concert Suite for Violin and Orchestra, composed six years before his death, is his only work for Violin and Orchestra and was his last large composition. This work is cast in an unusual five-movement structure and embodies various brilliant violin techniques and rich Romantic-era harmonies. Taneyev’s interests in “old fashioned” style and folk music are evidenced by some of the movements titled “Prelude,” “Gavotte,” and “Theme and Variation” which contains a double fugue. He also utilizes folk dances such as the mazurka and tarantella. This performance guide provides practical interpretational advice based on an analysis of harmony, form and structural divisions, stylistic considerations and violin techniques. A brilliant and charming work, it has sadly been neglected. Through the study and performance of this piece, the author hopes to provide performers with useful information that enables more musicians to know and enjoy this valuable masterwork.
ContributorsZhang, Aihua (Author) / Jiang, Danwen (Thesis advisor) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Swartz, Jonathan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
This project’s goal is to expand the repertoire for soprano saxophone featuring improvisation. Each work detailed in this document features improvisation as an integral component. The first piece, Impetus, was written by Grant Jahn for soprano saxophone and piano. The second piece, Sonata, was written for the same instrumentation by Brett Wery. Ethan Cypress wrote the third work for solo soprano saxophone, Noir et Bleu. The final composition on the project, Counterpunch by Gregory Wanamaker, was written for saxophone sextet. This paper also includes composer biographies, program notes, performance guides, and composer questionnaires. The central component of this project is a recording of all these works which features the author.
ContributorsDetweiler, Samuel (Author) / Creviston, Christopher (Thesis advisor) / Kocour, Michael (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Gardner, Joshua (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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
Samuel Máynez Prince (1886-1966), was a prolific and important Mexican musician. Prince’s musical style followed the trends of the nineteenth-century salon music genre. His compositions include lullabies, songs, dances, marches, mazurkas, waltzes, and revolutionary anthems. Prince’s social status and performances in the famed Café Colón in Mexico City increased his popularity among high-ranking political figures during the time of the Mexican Revolution as well as his status in the Mexican music scene.
Unfortunately there is virtually no existing scholarship on Prince and even basic information regarding his life and works is not readily available. The lack of organization of the manuscript scores and the absence of dates of his works has further pushed the composer into obscurity. An investigation therefore was necessary in order to explore the neglected aspects of the life and works of Prince as a violinist and composer. This document is the result of such an investigation by including extensive new biographical information, as well as the first musical analysis and edition of the complete recovered works for violin and piano.
In order to fill the gaps present in the limited biographical information regarding Prince’s life, investigative research was conducted in Mexico City. Information was drawn from archives of the composer’s grandchildren, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Conservatorio Nacional de Música de México, and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional. The surviving relatives provided first-hand details on events in the composer’s life; one also offered the researcher access to their personal archive including, important life documents, photographs, programs from concert performances, and manuscript scores of the compositions. Establishing connections with the relatives also led the researcher to examining the violins owned and used by the late violinist/composer.
This oral history approach led to new and updated information, including the revival of previously unpublished music for violin and piano. These works are here compiled in an edition that will give students, teachers, and music-lovers access to this unknown repertoire. Finally, this research seeks to promote the beauty and nuances of Mexican salon music, and the complete works for violin and piano of Samuel Máynez Prince in particular.
Unfortunately there is virtually no existing scholarship on Prince and even basic information regarding his life and works is not readily available. The lack of organization of the manuscript scores and the absence of dates of his works has further pushed the composer into obscurity. An investigation therefore was necessary in order to explore the neglected aspects of the life and works of Prince as a violinist and composer. This document is the result of such an investigation by including extensive new biographical information, as well as the first musical analysis and edition of the complete recovered works for violin and piano.
In order to fill the gaps present in the limited biographical information regarding Prince’s life, investigative research was conducted in Mexico City. Information was drawn from archives of the composer’s grandchildren, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Conservatorio Nacional de Música de México, and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional. The surviving relatives provided first-hand details on events in the composer’s life; one also offered the researcher access to their personal archive including, important life documents, photographs, programs from concert performances, and manuscript scores of the compositions. Establishing connections with the relatives also led the researcher to examining the violins owned and used by the late violinist/composer.
This oral history approach led to new and updated information, including the revival of previously unpublished music for violin and piano. These works are here compiled in an edition that will give students, teachers, and music-lovers access to this unknown repertoire. Finally, this research seeks to promote the beauty and nuances of Mexican salon music, and the complete works for violin and piano of Samuel Máynez Prince in particular.
ContributorsEkenes, Spencer Arvin (Author) / McLin, Katherine (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Jiang, Danwen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
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
One of the most notable composers of the twentieth century, Krzysztof Penderecki played a vital role in the development of new sonorities and compositional movements in the latter half of the century. Penderecki wrote two sonatas for violin and piano, one in his student days in 1953 and the second in the twilight of his career in 1999. Given the almost fifty years that separate the two works, these sonatas provide valuable insight to Penderecki’s development as a composer over the course of his career as well as give evidence that his own unique compositional style was in place at a very early age. Despite the large span of time between the completions of these two great works, these sonatas share many commonalities. With regards to key aspects such as form, tonality, rhythm, texture, articulation, and more, this paper will analyze and compare the two works to define the ways in which they are similar as well as the ways in which they differ.
ContributorsRamchandani, Micah David (Author) / McLin, Katherine (Thesis advisor) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Landschoot, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Mark O'Connor's Fiddle concerto: Texas style fiddling, classical violin, and American string playing
Description
ABSTRACT
Classical violin playing and American fiddle music have traditionally been seen as separate musical worlds. Classical violinists practice and study long hours to master a standard repertoire of concertos and sonatas from the Western European school of art music. Fiddlers pride themselves on a rich tradition passed down through generations of informal jam sessions and innovation through improvisation. Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Concerto, premiered in 1993, sounds like a contradiction at first: a quintessential classical form combined with traditional fiddle playing. Examination of the Fiddle Concerto will show that the piece contains classical and fiddle-style elements simultaneously, creating an effective hybrid of the two styles. This document will explore how the history of the classical violin concerto and American fiddle music converge in Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Concerto. To gain an understanding of O'Connor's composition process, I submitted to him a list of questions, via email, in the summer of 2016. O'Connor’s responses provide a unique insight into the genesis of the Fiddle Concerto and his vision for musical compositions that originate from multiple genres. Chapter four of this document will discuss the melodic themes, formal makeup, and techniques presented in the Fiddle Concerto and show how both classical and fiddle elements coexist in the piece. The result of the mix is an exciting work that appeals to a broad audience of music lovers. The final chapter of this document will explore the growing repertoire of music created by cross-pollinating from different styles to create a new style, including selected O'Connor compositions completed since the Fiddle Concerto, as well as similar works by other composers who combined classical elements with other musical styles.
Classical violin playing and American fiddle music have traditionally been seen as separate musical worlds. Classical violinists practice and study long hours to master a standard repertoire of concertos and sonatas from the Western European school of art music. Fiddlers pride themselves on a rich tradition passed down through generations of informal jam sessions and innovation through improvisation. Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Concerto, premiered in 1993, sounds like a contradiction at first: a quintessential classical form combined with traditional fiddle playing. Examination of the Fiddle Concerto will show that the piece contains classical and fiddle-style elements simultaneously, creating an effective hybrid of the two styles. This document will explore how the history of the classical violin concerto and American fiddle music converge in Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Concerto. To gain an understanding of O'Connor's composition process, I submitted to him a list of questions, via email, in the summer of 2016. O'Connor’s responses provide a unique insight into the genesis of the Fiddle Concerto and his vision for musical compositions that originate from multiple genres. Chapter four of this document will discuss the melodic themes, formal makeup, and techniques presented in the Fiddle Concerto and show how both classical and fiddle elements coexist in the piece. The result of the mix is an exciting work that appeals to a broad audience of music lovers. The final chapter of this document will explore the growing repertoire of music created by cross-pollinating from different styles to create a new style, including selected O'Connor compositions completed since the Fiddle Concerto, as well as similar works by other composers who combined classical elements with other musical styles.
ContributorsYoungblood, Beth (Violinist) (Author) / Jiang, Danwen (Thesis advisor) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / McLin, Katherine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
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 A survey of board-certified music therapists who identified themselves as self-employed was conducted to examine current methods of marketing related to planning, positioning, promotion, and implementation within a music therapy private practice or contracting model, as well as identify trends in marketing methods as compared to prior research. Respondents (n=273) provided data via online survey as to current marketing practices, assessment of personal marketing skills, and views on marketing's overall role in their businesses. Historical, qualitative, and quantitative distinctions were developed through statistical analysis as to the relationship between respondents' views and current marketing practices. Results show that self-employed music therapists agree marketing is a vital part of their business and that creating a unique brand identity is necessary to differentiate oneself from the competition. A positive correlation was identified between those who are confident in their marketing skills and the dollar amount of rates charged for services. Presentations, websites, and networking were regarded as the top marketing vehicles currently used to garner new business, with a trend towards increased use of social media as a potential marketing avenue. Challenges for respondents appear to include the creation and implementation of written marketing plans and maintaining measurable marketing objectives. Barriers to implementation may include confidence in personal marketing skills, time required, and financial constraints. The majority of respondents agreed that taking an 8-hour CMTE course regarding marketing methods for self-employed music therapists would be beneficial.
ContributorsTonkinson, Scott (Author) / Crowe, Barbara J. (Thesis advisor) / Rio, Robin (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
The thrill of a live performance can enhance endorphin, serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline levels in the body. This mixture of heightened chemical levels is a result of "performance adrenaline." This phenomenon can positively and/or negatively affect a performing singer. A singer's body is her instrument, and therefore, any bodily change can alter the singing voice. The uptake of these chemicals can especially influence a central aspect of singing: breath. "Performance adrenaline" can induce shallow or clavicular breathing, alter phonation, and affect vibrato. To optimize the positive effects and counteract the negative, diaphragmatic breathing, yoga, and beta-blockers are explored as viable management tools. When managed properly, the boost offered by "performance adrenaline" can aid the singer in performing and singing. After a review of medical and psychological studies that reveal the physiological and emotional effects of endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline, this paper will explore the biological changes specific to vocalists and methods to optimize these effects in performance.
ContributorsPaige, Belinda Roseann (Author) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
"Recontextualizing Music for Social Change" proposes alternative ways through which the traditional setup of a vocal recital may be transformed into a multidisciplinary performance with a specific social purpose. This task might be achieved by the conscious use and merging of elements such as innovation, ritualistic significance of music, and hopes for social change.
Rather than exclusively analyzing the nature of these three elements, this document seeks to exemplify the artistic use of these tools through the description of two doctoral recitals. These performances focus on the portrayal of two specific social issues concerning gender identity: the femme fatale, and sexual identity.
The first performance, "Defatalizing the Femme Fatale: The Voice behind a Stereotype," reflects on the negative connotations of the French femme fatale stereotype. This dangerous image has been perpetuated through popular and mass media since the nineteenth century. The femme fatale has achieved an iconic status thanks to her appealing, damaging, unrealistic, and hypersexualized traits. Nevertheless, this male-constructed stereotype was actually conceived as a parody of female emancipation. "Defatalizing the Femme Fatale" seeks to create awareness of this image through a staged approach of Shostakovich's Michelangelo Suite, feminist poetry and prose, and euphonium music.
The second performance, "Un-Labelling Love: A Scientific Study of Romantic Attachment in Four Seasons," analyses the biological nature of love. According to this perspective, "Un-Labelling Love" transforms a vocal recital into a scientific lecture. This lecture examines four developmental stages of romantic love through the performance of art songs and the inclusion of a narrator, who describes the biological and psychological changes experienced by two research subjects--the performers--during these love stages. Through a plot-twist at the end of the performance, "Un-Labelling Love" also questions the patriarchal assumption that heterosexual kinship represents, by default, the unmarked category of adult pair-bonding. In summary, and based on scientific facts, this vocal performance seeks to encourage social assimilation of non-heterosexual kinship systems.
Rather than exclusively analyzing the nature of these three elements, this document seeks to exemplify the artistic use of these tools through the description of two doctoral recitals. These performances focus on the portrayal of two specific social issues concerning gender identity: the femme fatale, and sexual identity.
The first performance, "Defatalizing the Femme Fatale: The Voice behind a Stereotype," reflects on the negative connotations of the French femme fatale stereotype. This dangerous image has been perpetuated through popular and mass media since the nineteenth century. The femme fatale has achieved an iconic status thanks to her appealing, damaging, unrealistic, and hypersexualized traits. Nevertheless, this male-constructed stereotype was actually conceived as a parody of female emancipation. "Defatalizing the Femme Fatale" seeks to create awareness of this image through a staged approach of Shostakovich's Michelangelo Suite, feminist poetry and prose, and euphonium music.
The second performance, "Un-Labelling Love: A Scientific Study of Romantic Attachment in Four Seasons," analyses the biological nature of love. According to this perspective, "Un-Labelling Love" transforms a vocal recital into a scientific lecture. This lecture examines four developmental stages of romantic love through the performance of art songs and the inclusion of a narrator, who describes the biological and psychological changes experienced by two research subjects--the performers--during these love stages. Through a plot-twist at the end of the performance, "Un-Labelling Love" also questions the patriarchal assumption that heterosexual kinship represents, by default, the unmarked category of adult pair-bonding. In summary, and based on scientific facts, this vocal performance seeks to encourage social assimilation of non-heterosexual kinship systems.
ContributorsVázquez Morillas, Mario (Author) / Norton, Kay (Thesis advisor) / Reber, William F. (Thesis advisor) / Kopta, Anne (Committee member) / Bowditch, Rachel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
In the early-twentieth-century United States, Jewish and European immigrant scholars, musicians, and composers dominated the academic, orchestral, film and popular music scenes. While some of these musicians immigrated voluntarily, others, having fled the genocide of the Holocaust, were forced into exile due to religious and political persecution. Musicians were often targeted by the Nazi regime for performing and advancing banned music, composing modernist works, or for their religious or political beliefs. The United States upheld strict, pre-World War Two immigration quotas and laws that limited relocation. Specialized rescue agencies arose to help these exiles settle in the United States.
Meanwhile in 1924, American composer Mark Brunswick (1902-1971) moved to Europe and later studied with Nadia Boulanger. He found his niche among members of the Second Viennese School. Brunswick returned to the United States in 1938 and founded the National Committee for Refugee Musicians (NCRM), originally called the Placement Committee for German and Austrian Musicians, to aid in the relocation and job placement of at-risk musicians and their families during World War Two.
This thesis briefly explores Brunswick’s life, and then more closely addresses the formation of the NCRM, its members, those who received aid, and partnering organizations. Finally, cases in point illustrate the varied ways in which the NCRM helped musicians in exile. Brunswick and the Committee played a major role in American musical history, yet no major studies have focused on them. With the NCRM’s assistance, many refugees thrived in and contributed to America’s musical landscape. By exploring letters, memoranda, and other unpublished archival documents, I will show how Brunswick and the NCRM affected U.S. musical life beginning in the 1930s. The positive effects of this germinal group endure today.
Meanwhile in 1924, American composer Mark Brunswick (1902-1971) moved to Europe and later studied with Nadia Boulanger. He found his niche among members of the Second Viennese School. Brunswick returned to the United States in 1938 and founded the National Committee for Refugee Musicians (NCRM), originally called the Placement Committee for German and Austrian Musicians, to aid in the relocation and job placement of at-risk musicians and their families during World War Two.
This thesis briefly explores Brunswick’s life, and then more closely addresses the formation of the NCRM, its members, those who received aid, and partnering organizations. Finally, cases in point illustrate the varied ways in which the NCRM helped musicians in exile. Brunswick and the Committee played a major role in American musical history, yet no major studies have focused on them. With the NCRM’s assistance, many refugees thrived in and contributed to America’s musical landscape. By exploring letters, memoranda, and other unpublished archival documents, I will show how Brunswick and the NCRM affected U.S. musical life beginning in the 1930s. The positive effects of this germinal group endure today.
ContributorsKurland, Jayme Michael (Author) / Norton, Kay (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Oldani, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015