DOCSLIB.ORG

A Structural-Aesthetic Study of the Variation Movements of Beethoven's Late Period Judith Ofcarcik

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Structural-Aesthetic Study of the Variation Movements of Beethoven's Late Period Judith Ofcarcik Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2013 A Structural-Aesthetic Study of the Variation Movements of Beethoven's Late Period Judith Ofcarcik Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC A STRUCTURAL-AESTHETIC STUDY OF THE VARIATION MOVEMENTS OF BEETHOVEN’S LATE PERIOD By JUDITH OFCARCIK A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded Spring Semester, 2013 Judith Ofcarcik defended this dissertation on February 21, 2013. The members of the supervisory committee were: James Mathes Professor Directing Dissertation Alfred Mele University Representative Michael Buchler Committee Member Joseph Kraus Committee Member Matthew Shaftel Committee member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my grandparents, Wallis and Judy Bromley, in thanks for their monumental love and support. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Prof. James Mathes, for his infinite patience throughout this process. He has approached every draft, whether the first or fourteenth, with the same keen attention to detail and intellectual probity, while never failing in his kindness and good humor. I would also like to thank the members of my committee for their thoughtful input, which has strengthened this document immeasurably. Prof. Michael Buchler encouraged me to think critically and creatively about approaches to variation analysis, in no small part through his seminar on “methodological hybridity.” In multiple independent studies, Prof. Joseph Kraus guided me through a short but conceptually-dense reading list, including Schenker’s Free Composition, taking the time to unpack the more obtuse passages to ensure I always left his office with a thorough understanding of the week’s assignment. The Schenkerian sketches in this dissertation, especially the sketch of the theme of the Op. 109 finale, owe much to his expertise. Prof. Matthew Shaftel has worked patiently with me throughout my years at FSU, particularly on my writing, and has also provided a model of how to successfully “juggle” the many demands of academic life. Inspiration and support for this project has extended beyond my committee as well, as I have been lucky to pursue this degree in an atmosphere of intellectual excitement and collegiality, surrounded by faculty and students that have challenged my thinking and contributed greatly to my education, in the broadest sense. iv Peter Loewen, formerly of Eastern Illinois University, and Marilyn Keiser, from Indiana University, have provided constant encouragement and kind words over the years, and I could not have made it through to this point without them. Conversations with Roman Ivanovitch, also of Indiana University, have continually shaped and sharpened my thinking. This dissertation was instigated in part by a summer of intensive reading and discussion, primarily focused on Classical variations, which Roman made time for even though I was no longer “officially” an IU student. These conversations laid the groundwork for a deeper study of variations, but even more importantly, they awakened in me an awareness of the joys of intellectual discovery, for which I will always be grateful. Frank Samarotto took time from his busy schedule at the Society for Music Theory national conference in New Orleans to discuss his theory of temporal plasticity, which deepened my understanding of that concept and led to insights about the late variation movements, particularly the finale of Op. 109. Erica Wessling drew on her thorough knowledge of both the German language and musical scholarship to provide a translation of Schenker’s Erläuterungsausgaben of Op. 109. The unflagging support of my friends, especially Emily Gertsch, Laura Dallman Rorick, Isabella Woo Strawn, and Jessamy Carruthers has been invaluable, and the brightest spot in my life. I would also like to thank my church, Faith Presbyterian in Tallahassee, and particularly the chancel choir and music director, Peter Pursino, for their kind words and patience as my life has become increasingly dissertation-centric. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ viii List of Musical Examples ........................................................................................................... ix Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ xii 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose and Scope ...........................................................................................................5 1.2 Aesthetics and Expressive Analysis ..............................................................................7 1.3 Stylistic Features of Beethoven’s Late Period ............................................................10 1.4 Conclusions .....................................................................................................................17 2. OP. 127: THE AESTHETICS OF EXCESS .........................................................................19 2.1 Excess and Plasticity ......................................................................................................21 2.2 Expressive Narrativity: Sublime and Transcendence ...............................................42 2.3 Conclusions .....................................................................................................................53 3. OP. 125: THE AESTHETICS OF RUPTURE .....................................................................54 3.1 Adorno’s Concepts of Durchbruch and Rückung ........................................................58 3.2 The Two Themes and their Expressive Trajectory ....................................................61 3.3 Approaching the End ....................................................................................................68 3.4 Conclusions .....................................................................................................................83 4. OP. 109: THE AESTHETICS OF ENDING .......................................................................86 4.1 Counterpoint and Song .................................................................................................86 4.2 Temporal Plasticity in Op. 109 .....................................................................................92 4.3 Expressive Narrativity in Op. 109 .............................................................................101 4.4 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................104 5. COMPARISONS AND CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................108 5.1 Comparative Analyses of All Late Variation Movements .....................................112 5.2 Conclusions and Further Applications .....................................................................117 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................126 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .....................................................................................................131 vi LIST OF TABLES 1.1 Closing strategies in the late-period variations ................................................................14 2.1 Formal chart of entire movement .......................................................................................24 3.1 Comparative chart of analyses, Beethoven, Symphony 9, III .........................................56 3.2 Summary of aesthetic terms used in this analysis ..........................................................61 3.3 Form chart of the movement ...............................................................................................68 3.4 Form chart for measures 121-157. Dotted lines between sections imply formal subgroups .....................................................................................................................................69 4.1 Form chart, highlighting alternation of song and counterpoint ....................................88 4.2 Distribution of motives across set ......................................................................................92 4.3 Comments about temporality from Mellers (1982) ..........................................................95 4.4 Form chart of the end of Op. 111, II .................................................................................105 5.2 Form of Op. 130, V. “Cavatina” ........................................................................................120 vii LIST OF FIGURES 2.1 Phrase structure of the theme (mm. 1-21) .........................................................................21 3.1 Phrase structure diagram for Theme A .............................................................................63
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Brahms Reimagined by René Spencer Saller
    CONCERT PROGRAM Friday, October 28, 2016 at 10:30AM Saturday, October 29, 2016 at 8:00PM Jun Märkl, conductor Jeremy Denk, piano LISZT Prometheus (1850) (1811–1886) MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 (1786) (1756–1791) Allegro Adagio Allegro assai Jeremy Denk, piano INTERMISSION BRAHMS/orch. Schoenberg Piano Quartet in G minor, op. 25 (1861/1937) (1833–1897)/(1874–1951) Allegro Intermezzo: Allegro, ma non troppo Andante con moto Rondo alla zingarese: Presto 23 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS These concerts are part of the Wells Fargo Advisors Orchestral Series. Jun Märkl is the Ann and Lee Liberman Guest Artist. Jeremy Denk is the Ann and Paul Lux Guest Artist. The concert of Saturday, October 29, is underwritten in part by a generous gift from Lawrence and Cheryl Katzenstein. Pre-Concert Conversations are sponsored by Washington University Physicians. Large print program notes are available through the generosity of The Delmar Gardens Family, and are located at the Customer Service table in the foyer. 24 CONCERT CALENDAR For tickets call 314-534-1700, visit stlsymphony.org, or use the free STL Symphony mobile app available for iOS and Android. TCHAIKOVSKY 5: Fri, Nov 4, 8:00pm | Sat, Nov 5, 8:00pm Han-Na Chang, conductor; Jan Mráček, violin GLINKA Ruslan und Lyudmila Overture PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 1 I M E TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 AND OCK R HEILA S Han-Na Chang SLATKIN CONDUCTS PORGY & BESS: Fri, Nov 11, 10:30am | Sat, Nov 12, 8:00pm Sun, Nov 13, 3:00pm Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Olga Kern, piano SLATKIN Kinah BARBER Piano Concerto H S ODI C COPLAND Billy the Kid Suite YBELLE GERSHWIN/arr.
    [Show full text]
  • Arnold Schoenberg in America
    Arnold Schoenberg in America Bericht zum Symposium Report of the Symposium 2. – 4. Mai 2001 JASC4-2002.indb 1 05.06.02, 13:07:56 Process Cyan Process Magenta Process Yellow Process Black Gedruckt mit Unterstützung von Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur in Wien Wissenschafts- und Forschungsförderung der Stadt Wien, MA 7 – Kultur Cover-Abbildung: Arnold Schönberg beim Unterricht in seinem Haus in Brentwood Park, West Los Angeles. Im Vordergrund: Natalie Limonick, H. Endicott Hansen und Alfred Carlson. Impressum Redaktion: Therese Muxeneder, Iris Pfeiffer und Verena Zemanek Medieninhaber: Arnold Schönberg Center Privatstiftung Lektorat und Satz: Schwarzenbergplatz 6 Forte OEG, Renate Stark-Voit und Thomas Stark A-1030 Wien www.schoenberg.at Koordination: Edith Barta Eine Kooperation von Arnold Schönberg Center Cover und Gestaltungskonzept: und Bohatsch Graphic Design GmbH Arnold-Schönberg-Institut der Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien Druck: G. Grasl GesmbH Herausgeber und für den Inhalt verantwortlich: © Arnold Schönberg Center, Wien 2002 Christian Meyer ISBN 3-902012-04-8 JASC4-2002.indb 2 05.06.02, 13:08:01 Process Cyan Process Magenta Process Yellow Process Black Richard Kurth The Art of Cadence in Schönberg’s Fourth String Quartet Metric Discourse or Metric Dialectic? I. One of the remarkable aspects of Schönberg’s music is the stunning variety and originality of the cadential gestures he invents. Cadences articulate the tempo- ral experiences that compose a musical form, and moments of cadence (within a piece or movement) are experienced as temporal turning points, through which the recent past comes into fully-formed shape, and the impending future arouses an invigorated sense of expectation.
    [Show full text]
  • Secondary Dominants (Applied Dominants)
    Dr. Barbara Murphy University of Tennessee School of Music SECONDARY DOMINANTS (APPLIED DOMINANTS) DEFINITION: A secondary dominant is an altered chord having a dominant or leading tone relationship to a chord in the key other than the tonic. An altered chord is a chord containing at least one tone that is foreign to the key. Using secondary dominants results in the tonicization of the chord of resolution. Tonicization is the process of emphasizing a chord by making it seem like the tonic for a relatively short period of time. Usually this is accomplished by embellishing the chord with a chord that has a dominant or leading tone relationship to it (a secondary dominant). ANALYSIS: Secondary dominants are analyzed as 'x/y' where: x is one of : V, V7, viio, viio/ 7, viio7 y is a major or minor triad in the key. y can be one of: Major key: ii, iii, IV, V, vi minor key: iv, V, VI y can not be a diminished or augmented triad since diminished and augmented triads do not act as tonic triads. RESOLUTION: 1. Normal resolution: x/y resolves normally to y. 2. Irregular resolution: x/y may resolve to a chord that is a substitution (primary or secondary) for y. 3. Deceptive resolution: x/y may resolve to the chord whose root is a third below the root of the y chord. PART-WRITING: The part-writing of a secondary dominant is essentially the same as for the diatonic dominant or leading tone chords: For V and V7: 1. root resolves down a fifth to the root of the next chord (normal resolution).
    [Show full text]
  • STYLE and IDEA
    STYLE and IDEA by ARNOLD SCHOENBERG PHILOSOPHICAL LIBRARY New York CoPYRIGHT, 1950, BY PHILOSOPHICAL LIBRARY, INC. 15 EAsT 40TH STREET, NEw YoRK, N. Y. Printed in the United States of America editor's foreword ARNOLD ScHOENBERG, as an author, has his own personality and ideas, not only in German but also in English. Several of the essays now composing Style and Idea were originally written in German. In translating these, I have, at the author's wish, adhered as literally to the original style as English usage allows. Thus there should be a certain con­ sistency of expression between these and the later essays which were written in English but which still bear the earmarks of Schoenberg's individual Ger­ man style. Schoenberg himself has elucidated his attitude towards his own manner of writing in English as follows: ". I do not plan to hide the fact that I am not born in this language and I do not want to parade adorned by stylistic merits of another person." Obe­ dience to this viewpoint has governed editorial ac­ tivities throughout. It may also be stated that, of set purpose, no at­ tempt has been made to eliminate any possible in­ consistencies in the points of view expressed in the different essays. It should be remembered that they represent the product of nearly forty years of Schoenberg's intellectual activity, and hence reflect the growth and development of his ideas during that time. What they do not present is a fixed dog­ ma and no such thing should be sought for in them.
    [Show full text]
  • Developing Variation, and the Schoenberg Critical Tradition
    Brahms, Developing Variation, and the Schoenberg Critical Tradition WALTER FRISCH In 1946 Robert Maynard Hutchins, Chancellor oristically-in his critical writings, he clearly of the University of Chicago, sought Arnold considered it one of the most important Schoenberg's advice on the creation and or- compositional principles of Western music ganization of a music department. Schoenberg from the common-practice era to his own day. recommended, as one of several possibili- It is thus worthwhile to gather and examine his ties, "a clean-cut Musicological Department," scattered remarks in order to form a clear pic- whose sole function should be research. He ture of the term and the concept. In one essay graciously provided Hutchins with "Some Schoenberg explains: Problems for the Department," a list of "a few ... with which classes could become subjects Music of the melodic of As be in- homophonic style composi- busy." might expected, Schoenberg tion, that is, music with a main theme, accompanied cluded mainly compositional and analytical by and based on harmony, produces its material by, topics, such as "methods of transition" and a as I call it, developing variation. This means that "'systematic cataloguing of features of variation of the features of a basic unit produces all He also a the thematic formulations which provide for rhythm." proposed subject sugges- and called fluency, contrasts, variety, logic unity on the tively "developing variation."' one hand, and character, mood, expression, and Although Schoenberg discussed developing every needed differentiation, on the other hand- variation only sporadically-and often aph- thus elaboratingthe idea of the piece.2 1Arnold Schoenberg, Letters, ed.
    [Show full text]
  • Frederick Chopin's Prelude, Op. 28 No. 4 in E Minor
    FREDERICK CHOPIN’S PRELUDE, OP. 28 NO. 4 IN E MINOR: HARMONIC EXPECTATION AND VIOLATION THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of Texas State University-San Marcos in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of MUSIC by Clifford D. Burden, B.A. San Marcos, TX August 2013 FREDERICK CHOPIN’S PRELUDE, OP. 28 NO. 4 IN E MINOR: HARMONIC EXPECTATION AND VIOLATION Committee Members Approved: Cynthia I. Gonzales, Chair Kevin E. Mooney Sean F. Johnston Approved: J. Michael Willoughby Dean of the Graduate College COPYRIGHT by Clifford Dustin Burden 2013 FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT Fair Use This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgment. Use of this material for financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed. Duplication Permission As the copyright holder of this work I, Clifford Dustin Burden, authorize duplication of this work, in whole or in part, for educational or scholarly purposes only. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my strongest appreciation to all who helped me throughout this process. Specifically, I extend gratitude to my thesis advisor, Dr. Cynthia Gonzales. I would not have been able to complete this thesis without her guidance, support, patience, and knowledge. I also thank my committee members, Dr. Kevin Mooney and Dr. Sean Johnston, for their suggestions, encouragement, and patience. This manuscript was submitted on May 8, 2013. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Forming Brahms: Sonata Form and the Horn Trio, Ope 40 Christopher K
    Re-forming Brahms: Sonata Form and the Horn Trio, Ope 40 Christopher K. Thompson In his essay "Some Aspects of Beethoven's Art Forms," Donald Francis Tovey challenges many of the claims inherent in traditional sonata-form analysis. 1 For example, he takes the first movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, op. 22-a work often thought to be the ideal embodiment of textbook sonata form-and redirects our attention toward its many unconventional formal aspects. In the second part of his essay, Tovey reverses his strategy, showing a notoriously atypical sonata-form movement-the first of Beethoven's String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, op. 131-to be surprisingly conventional in design. Tovey's approach to Opus 131 brings to mind the first movement of Brahms's Horn Trio in E-flat Major, op. 40. Conspicuously absent from analyses of its first movement is any mention of sonata form. In fact, nearly every writer who discusses this work makes a point of saying that this is the only instance among Brahms's chamber works in which he avoids the traditional plan for the first movement of a sonata. ID.F. Tovey, "Some Aspects of Beethoven's Art Forms" [1927], in The Main Stream of Music and Other Essays, ed. Hubert J. Foss (New York: Oxford University Press, 1949), 271-97. 66 Indiana Theory Review Vol. 18/1 Walter Frisch's assessment is typical: "In the first movement of the horn trio (1865), Brahms takes the surprising step of avoiding sonata form altogether-the only such case in his entire reuvre."2 Yet Frisch does not say why he himself rejects a sonata-form interpretation.
    [Show full text]
  • Walter Wilson Cobbett and the English Phantasy
    WALTER WILSON COBBETT AND THE ENGLISH PHANTASY Kathryn L. Lent A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF MUSIC August 2008 Committee: Eftychia Papanikolaou, Advisor Mary Natvig Robert Fallon © 2008 Kathryn Lent All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Eftychia Papanikolaou, Advisor Walter Wilson Cobbett (1847-1937), amateur violonist and philanthropist during the English Musical Renaissance, supported the composition and performance of chamber music in England. In 1905 and 1907 Cobbett held competitions, followed by a series of commissions over the next decade, for compositions that he called Phantasies. According to Cobbett’s announcement, the phantasies were to be twelve minutes in length, have sections that differed in tempo and meter, and had parts of equal importance. These works were to be reminiscent of the early English fantasies and were intended to supplement the longer chamber works that were popular at the time. Following a discussion of the English Fantasia and Cobbett’s musical knowledge, this thesis examines Cobbett’s phantasy competitions and commissions in addition to his definition of the term “phantasy.” After Cobbett’s ideas are established, the reactions and comments of his contemporaries are presented and discussed. The final pages discuss and analyze three of the award winning phantasies in terms of Liszt’s thematic transformation and Brahms’s developing variation. iv To My Mom v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Eftychia Papanikolaou. Her patience, encouragement and knowledge have been inspiring. I would like to thank Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • An Analysis of Unifying Melodic and Motivic Elements in Leonard Bernstein's Mass a Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School I
    AN ANALYSIS OF UNIFYING MELODIC AND MOTIVIC ELEMENTS IN LEONARD BERNSTEIN’S MASS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF MUSIC BY KYLE B. JONES DR. BRETT CLEMENT – ADVISOR BALL STATE UNIVERSITY MUNCIE, INDIANA JULY 2016 Table of Contents Music Examples i Chapter 1: Problem and Significance 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review 5 Chapter 3: Methodology 14 Chapter 4: Analysis 21 Melodic-Motivic Development within Sections 23 Melodic-Motivic Development between Sections 36 Chapter 5: Conclusions 55 Bibliography 57 List of Music Examples Methodology Example 1: “Broken chord,” Schoenberg, Fundamentals of Musical Composition, p. 12 15 Example 2: Motives in mm. 1–2 of “Something’s Coming,” West Side Story, Gottlieb, “Melodic Manipulations,” p. 65 16 Example 3: Variations in Symphony no. 2, Gottlieb, “Melodic Manipulations,” p. 162 18 Analysis (From Mass) Example 4: I.2 mm. 48–50, vocal. I.3 mm. 2–4 24 Example 5: I.2 mm. 47–50, flute. I.3 mm. 5–8 25 Example 6: I.2 mm. 52–53, vocal. I.3 mm. 9–12 25 Example 7: I.2 mm. 33–39, vocal. I.3 mm. 34–45, soprano 1 27 Example 8: II.1 mm. 122–23 28 Example 9: II.1 mm. 30–31 28 Example 10: II.2 mm. 231–32 29 Example 11: V. mm. 1–2 30 Example 12: V. mm. 3–5 30 Example 13: V. mm. 17–18 31 Example 14: V. mm. 25–28 31 Example 15: V. mm. 35–40 32 Example 16: VII.
    [Show full text]
  • Derivative Analysis and Serial Music: the Theme of Schoenberg's
    ALMADA, Carlos de Lemos. (2016) Derivative Analysis and Serial Music: the Theme of Schoenberg’s Orchestral Variations Op.31. Per Musi. Ed. by Fausto Borém, Eduardo Rosse and Débora Borburema. Belo Horizonte: UFMG, n.33, p.1‐24. DOI: 10.1590/permusi20163301 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE Derivative Analysis and Serial Music: the Theme of Schoenberg’s Orchestral Variations Op.31 Análise derivativa e a música serial: O tema das Variações para Orquestra op.31 de Schoenberg Carlos de Lemos Almada Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. [email protected] Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to investigate the derivative relations between the constituent elements of the theme of Arnold Schoenberg’s Orchestral Variations Op.31 and its source of basic material or Grundgestalt, a theoretical principle elaborated by the composer. After a bibliographical revision concerned with the origins and motivations for the formulation of the concept, the paper discusses the problematic issue of the presence of thematic development in Schoenberg’s serial music, taking as reference analyzes by some authors (RUFER, 1954; BOSS, 1992; HAIMO, 1997; TARUSKIN, 2010). It is also proposed that the Grundgestalt of a twelve‐ tone piece can be manifested according to two levels, abstract and concrete, which adjusts to the analytical methodology adopted in this study, described in a specific section of the paper. The results obtained reveal an extraordinarily organic and economic thematic construction. Keywords : derivative analysis; Grundgestalt; developing variation in serial music; Arnold Schoenberg’s serial music. Resumo: Este artigo tem como objetivo principal investigar as relações de derivação entre os elementos componentes do tema das Variações para Orquestra op.31 de Arnold Schoenberg) e sua fonte de material básico, ou Grundgestalt, conceito teórico elaborado pelo próprio compositor.
    [Show full text]
  • Debussy and Schoenberg: Two Musical Reactions to Late Romanticism Priscila Ott Alcf Ao Oliveira James Madison University
    James Madison University JMU Scholarly Commons Dissertations The Graduate School Spring 2015 Debussy and Schoenberg: Two musical reactions to late romanticism Priscila Ott alcF ao Oliveira James Madison University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/diss201019 Part of the Music Performance Commons Recommended Citation Ott alcaF o Oliveira, Priscila, "Debussy and Schoenberg: Two musical reactions to late romanticism" (2015). Dissertations. 23. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/diss201019/23 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the The Graduate School at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Debussy and Schoenberg: Two Musical Reactions to Late Romanticism Priscila Oliveira A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts School of Music May 2015 Acknowledgments First and foremost, I praise God for providing me this opportunity and granting me the capability to proceed successfully. I thank him for allowing the right people to assist me during this work. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor and piano teacher, Dr. Lori E. Piitz, for her unbound guidance, support, encouragement and patience during the whole period of study, as well as during the writing process. I am also very grateful to Dr. Erik Ruple and Dr. Jason Haney, members of my committee, for their time spent in examining this document, and for their invaluable advice and helpful suggestions for improving it.
    [Show full text]
  • Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Idea Of
    ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD’S IDEA OF THE “MODERN”: DEVELOPING VARIATION IN THE PIANO CONCERTO IN C SHARP, OPUS 17 Shu-Yuan Huang, B.F.A, M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2014 APPROVED: Gustavo Romero, Major Professor Margaret Notley, Related Field Professor Pamela Mia Paul, Committee Member Steven Harlos, Chair of Keyboard Studies Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music James Scott, Dean of the College of Music Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Huang, Shu-Yuan. Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Idea of the “Modern”: Developing Variation in the Piano Concerto in C sharp, Opus 17. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), May 2014, 48 pp., 41 musical examples, references, 35 titles. This study examines the Piano Concerto in C sharp, Op.17 (1923), by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), in light of developing variation, techniques that transform motivic ideas and create musical continuity in this work. The troublesome reception history of Korngold’s piano concerto derives from its complex musical features, which have created difficulties in understanding and evaluating this piece. Consequently, critics and scholars often label the highly sophisticated yet tonal musical language in this piece a residue of Romanticism from the nineteenth century. In this document, in contrast, examination of motivic development and connections in Korngold’s piano concerto reveals thematic and structural coherence in light of Korngold’s idea of modernity. This study provides a historical and technical survey of developing variation and discusses Korngold’s implementation of these techniques in his early compositions and the piano concerto.
    [Show full text]