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UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE ALLISON NELSON: PIANIST, TEACHER AND EDITOR A DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS By LYNN WORCESTER Norman, Oklahoma 2015 ALLISON NELSON: PIANIST, TEACHER AND EDITOR A DOCUMENT APPROVED FOR THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC BY ______________________________ Dr. Jane Magrath, Chair ______________________________ Dr. Stephen Beus, Co-Chair ______________________________ Dr. Barbara Fast ______________________________ Dr. Edward Gates ______________________________ Dr. Eugene Enrico ______________________________ Dr. Joseph Havlicek © Copyright by LYNN WORCESTER 2015 All Rights Reserved. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work would not have been possible without the guidance and support of the faculty members who served on my committee, Dr. Jane Magrath, Dr. Barbara Fast, Dr. Edward Gates, Dr. Eugene Enrico, Dr. Stephen Beus and Dr. Joseph Havlicek. To Dr. Jane Magrath: Thank you for your patience and continued support through every turn and for showing me how to be the finest professional I can be. Your guidance has allowed me to come in to my own as a pianist, teacher and writer. Special gratitude is reserved for Dr. Allison Nelson who shared her time, memories, and efforts over the course of this past year. Her wisdom, energy, and passion for music will stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you to all of Dr. Nelson’s colleagues and former students who shared their time and participated in this study. A special thanks is owed to my family—my father, Mark Worcester, my mother, Eiki Worcester and my sister, Leya Worcester—whose love and dedication will always be cherished. To my father, who is the best editor I could ask for. To my mother, who inspired me to be a pianist. To my sister, for her love and support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... ix ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTERS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of Study ..................................................................................................... 7 Need for Study ........................................................................................................ 8 Procedures ............................................................................................................. 10 Limitations ............................................................................................................ 14 Organization of Study ........................................................................................... 15 Review of Similar Studies .................................................................................... 16 STUDIES ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PERFORMING PIANISTS .................................. 17 STUDIES ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PROFESSIONALS IN PIANO EDUCATION AND TEACHING .............................................................................................. 26 2. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ................................................................................. 38 Early Life in Australia (1927-1939) ..................................................................... 38 Education and Early Performance Years in Australia (1939-1944) ..................... 45 Curtis Institute of Music (1944-1949) .................................................................. 54 Nelson and Neal Years (1949-1968)..................................................................... 61 University of Tennessee at Martin and Following Years (1969- ) ....................... 65 3. CONTRIBUTIONS AS A PIANIST ..................................................................... 70 Young Artist (1938-1949)..................................................................................... 70 AUSTRALIA ............................................................................................................... 70 RUDOLF SERKIN AND THE CURTIS INSTITUTE ........................................................... 76 Nelson and Neal, the Piano Duo (1949-1968) ...................................................... 78 GETTING STARTED ................................................................................................... 79 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS ..................................................................................... 82 NEW YORK DEBUT AND PROMOTION OF THE DUO ................................................... 85 DUO REPERTOIRE CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................ 90 University of Tennessee at Martin and Following Years (1969-) ........................ 92 Perspectives on Nelson, the Pianist ...................................................................... 97 v 4. CONTRIBUTIONS AS A TEACHER ............................................................... 100 Origins and Development as a Teacher .............................................................. 100 Contributions to UTM Music Department .......................................................... 104 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................ 105 TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES ................................................................................. 107 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE ........................................................................................... 108 THE UTM PIANO ENSEMBLE .................................................................................. 110 RETIREMENT YEARS FOLLOWING UTM ................................................................... 113 Nelson’s Piano Teaching .................................................................................... 115 PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................................ 116 PHRASING .............................................................................................................. 120 AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCORE................................................................................ 122 BALANCE ............................................................................................................... 123 INTERPRETATION ................................................................................................... 124 LISTENING ............................................................................................................. 125 EFFECTIVE PRACTICE ............................................................................................ 126 CHOOSING REPERTOIRE ........................................................................................ 129 TEACHING LEGACY ................................................................................................ 129 5. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TEACHING LITERATURE THROUGH THE NELSON AND NEAL PIANO STUDY SERIES ......................................... 132 Creation and Development of the Piano Study Series ........................................ 132 Preparatory Book and Christmas Book .............................................................. 137 Grade 1 through Grade 5 .................................................................................... 147 GRADE 1 ................................................................................................................ 147 GRADE 2 ................................................................................................................ 152 GRADE 3 ................................................................................................................ 155 GRADE 4 ................................................................................................................ 158 GRADE 5 ................................................................................................................ 161 Theory Books ...................................................................................................... 164 Perspectives on the Piano Study Series .............................................................. 166 6. CONTRIBUTIONS TO PIANO ENSEMBLE LITERATURE AS AN EDITOR THROUGH THE ALFRED MASTERWORK SERIES .................... 168 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 168 Editing Collaboration .......................................................................................... 170 Chaminade, Le matin and Le soir (Morning and Evening), Op. 79: For Two Pianos, Four Hands .................................................................................. 176 Chopin, Rondo in C Major, Op. 73: For Two Pianos, Four Hands ................... 177 vi Dvorák, Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 and Op. 72 .................................................... 179 Ibert, Histoires: For One Piano, Four Hands .................................................... 182 Mendelssohn, Allegro brillant, Op. 92: For One Piano, Four Hands ............... 185 Mendelssohn, Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21: For One Piano, Four Hands .................................................................................... 187 Moszkowski, Spanish Dances, Op. 12: For One Piano, Four