Matching Items (123)
Description
Zwischen in the German language means `between,' and over the past century, as operatic voices have evolved in both range and size, the voice classification of Zwischenfach has become much more relevant - particularly to the female voice. Identifying whether nineteenth century composers recognized the growing opportunities for vocal drama, size, and range in singers and therefore wrote roles for `between' singers; or conversely whether, singers began to challenge and develop their voices to sing the new influx of romantic, verismo and grand repertoire is difficult to determine. Whichever the case, teachers and students should not be surprised about the existence of this nebulous Fach. A clear and concise definition of the word Fach for the purpose of this paper is as follows: a specific voice classification. Zwischenfach is an important topic because young singers are often confused and over-eager to self-label due to the discipline's excessive labeling of Fachs. Rushing to categorize a young voice ultimately leads to misperceptions. To address some of the confusion, this paper briefly explores surveys of the pedagogy and history of the Fach system. To gain insights into the relevance of Zwischenfach in today's marketplace, I developed with my advisors, colleagues and students a set of subjects willing to fill out questionnaires. This paper incorporates current interviews from two casting directors of national and international opera houses, an emerging American mezzo-soprano, a mid-career working European mezzo-soprano, an operatic stage director, an education director for opera houses and a composer. These interviews, along with modern examples of zwischenfach voices are analyzed and discussed.
ContributorsAllen, Jennifer, D.M.A (Author) / Norton, Kay (Thesis advisor) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Barefield, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
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
Playing an orchestral reduction is not always the most joyous of times for pianists. As pianists, we have to express a reduced idea of all the instruments and orchestral textures that are in the full score. However, in many cases, there are often omissions, errors or discrepancies in the existing published reductions. These reductions are made by a variety of people: editors, conductors, pianists, but rarely by the composer, and often do not reflect the composer's true intentions. While many reductions are technically playable, including the reduction of the Sibelius Violin Concerto that will form the basis of this paper, the arrangement of the orchestration can be obscured or inaccurate to the point where the violin soloist may not be receiving the best representation of the actual orchestration. A piano reduction should as closely as possible represent the original intention of the composer, both for the sake of the audience and the performers. The pianist should be able to provide the proper support and orchestration of any reduction for the instrumentalist or vocalist so that the same performance style and technique can be used while performing with either a piano reduction or a full orchestra. This research document contains a detailed examination of the various orchestral reductions of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, culminating in a new version by the author. In this discussion, the author will present a basic understanding of how to orchestrate at the piano through an in-depth explanation of piano skill and technique, practice techniques such as listening to a recorded version of the full orchestration while playing the piano, and ways to study and revise an existing piano reduction. The current published reductions of the Sibelius Violin Concerto contain many errors and discrepancies and will be contrasted with the author's own reduction, available for comparison and study in the appendix. This new revised reduction will clearly show the orchestral instruments represented throughout the score, demonstrate new techniques for various orchestral textures, and will yield a playable product that more closely represents the composer's original intentions.
ContributorsLee, Sehee (Author) / Campbell, Andrew (Thesis advisor) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Britton, David (Committee member) / Landschoot, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The craft of improvisation at the organ has survived a long period of dormancy and is experiencing a strong resurgence in the twenty-first century. This project seeks to establish a precedence for the value of notated music as a resource in learning improvisation, and then, through music analysis, provide examples of how that process can develop. The result of the ideas presented here is a pathway whereby any disciplined organist can learn to imitate composed music, assimilate the musical ideas, and innovate through the act of spontaneous improvisation.
ContributorsHoward, Devon (Author) / Marshall, Kimberly (Thesis advisor) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Kocour, Michael (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
ContributorsSpring, Robert (Performer) / Gardner, Joshua (Performer) / Buck, Elizabeth (Performer) / Schuring, Martin (Performer) / Micklich, Albie (Performer) / Ericson, John Q. (John Quincy), 1962- (Performer) / Smith, J. B., 1957- (Performer) / Ryan, Russell (Contributor) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2018-09-16
ContributorsFitzPatrick, Carole (Performer) / Ryan, Russell (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2018-10-14
ContributorsZaleski, Kimberly (Contributor) / Kazarian, Trevor (Performer) / Ryan, Russell (Performer) / IN2ATIVE (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2018-09-28
ContributorsKlein, Alex (Performer) / Ryan, Russell (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Contributor)
Created2018-09-18
ContributorsFitzPatrick, Carole (Performer) / Ryan, Russell (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2017-10-15
Description
Collaborative piano skills are not only important for pianists. Many of the skills that collaborative pianists use regularly are the same skills used by music educators, music therapists, and vocal and instrumental professionals. If these skills were included in the class piano curriculum of music majors for whom piano is not their primary instrument, students might be better prepared for essential tasks they will accomplish in their future careers. This study seeks to discover the extent to which collaborative piano skills such as sight-reading, collaboration with a singer or instrumentalist, and score reduction are incorporated into the class piano courses offered in Arizona. A survey was sent in 2021 to all community college and university instructors of class piano in Arizona, asking them about the role, frequency, and assessment methods of collaborative piano skills in their courses. Public information was also gathered from institutional websites regarding course curriculum. To collect more detailed information regarding the pedagogical practices of Arizona class piano educators, I interviewed four professors who develop and implement class piano curricula in Arizona.
The results of this study suggest that Arizona class piano educators desire to incorporate more collaborative piano skills in their courses. The goal of this research is to bring awareness to the discrepancy in class piano curriculum standards with regards to collaborative piano skills across Arizona and spur pedagogical dialogue among educators regarding ways to improve programs. These enhancements will ultimately serve to give each student the best possible preparation for a career in music.
ContributorsSherrill, Amanda May (Author) / Campbell, Andrew (Thesis advisor) / DeMaris, Amanda (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022