Parade of Passions: Notes on Three Performances By Kelly A. Bixby A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts (Music: Performance) in the University of Michigan 2019 Doctoral Committee: Professor Freda Herseth, Chair Associate Professor Naomi André Professor Colleen Conway Associate Professor Caroline Helton Associate Professor Julie Skadsem Professor Daniel Washington Kelly A. Bixby
[email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7044-4879 © Kelly A. Bixby 2019 ii DEDICATION For Brandon, who loves parades. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express sincere gratitude to my professors and mentors at The University of Michigan, especially Freda Herseth, Daniel Washington, Caroline Helton, Colleen Conway, Julie Skadsem, Naomi André and Jerry Blackstone. Incomparable support also came from Laura Brooks Rice, Laura Ward, Donald Nally and The Crossing, and the cherished communities of Westminster Choir College and the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. The commissioned song cycle, Song of Solomon, was made possible by generous grants from the University of Michigan Presidential Graduate Fellowship, the Rackham Research Grant, and many private supporters. Finally, boundless thanks to my family who heard me sing the earliest, the collaborative pianists who have heard me sing the most, and my dearest friends and colleagues who sing with me. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES v ABSTRACT vi CHAPTER I. “Ways of Seeing”: The gaze of art in song Program 1 “Ways of Seeing”: The gaze of art in song Program Notes 2 Bibliography 25 II. “Parade of Passions”: The Magic and Music of Alcina 27 Bibliography 38 III.