The purpose of this study was to determine the status of jazz programs in secondary schools of Indiana for the 1991-1992 school year. Data were gathered by means of questionnaires sent to the directors of twenty-six successful Indiana high school jazz ensembles. Information sought was divided into five major sections: (1) General Information, (2) Teacher Profile, (3) Facilities and Equipment, (4) The Jazz Program, and (5) Budget and Finance. Responses were obtained from 76.9 percent of the total sample, and the data were tabulated and presented with comparison of the findings.The majority of the performances by the successful jazz programs surveyed were for public relations purposes, festivals, and formal concerts. One-half of the jazz band directors were members of IAJE. IAJE members were more active academically. Ninety-five percent of the jazz band directors indicated that their jazz ensembles attend an average of 3.3 competitions each year. Seventy percent of the jazz ensembles rehearsed in the fall during marching band season. Eighty percent of the jazz band directors had their students sing their parts during rehearsals. Sixty-five percent of the jazz band directors had their jazz ensembles sight-read at least 1-2 times weekly. Eighty percent of the jazz programs operated on a budget of $1,000 or more per year. / School of Music

Arbetet handlar om improvisationens förekomst i dagens undervisning på klassiska instrument. I den klassiska musiken har improvisation inte haft någon större roll de senaste 150 åren. Jag ville framförallt få reda på om dagens klassiska instrumentallärare på musik och kulturskolor använder sig av improvisation i sin undervisning och vilka tillvägagångssätt de i så fall har. Men även vad de anser att improvisation är för en klassisk musiker, därav min titel på arbetet. Jag har intervjuat fem lärare som har olika ålder, arbetslivserfarenhet och undervisar på olika instrument. Det visade sig att alla lärarna, i varierande utsträckning, använder sig av improvisation i sin undervisning och anser att improvisation är bra för en klassisk musiker. Jag önskar att mitt arbete kan inspirera klassiska instrumentallärare och musiker till att låta improvisationen ta ett kliv tillbaka in i den klassiska musiken, för jag är övertygad om att den hör hemma där. / This work intends to show improvisations presence in classical instrument teaching. Improvisation has not been an obvious part of classical music in the past 150 years. I wanted to find out if teachers with classical instruments use improvisation with their students and if they do, what course of action they use. But also what they think improvisation is to a classical musician. I have interviewed five teachers with different instruments, ages and professional experience. It turned out that all teachers, to some extent, use improvisation with their students and they consider that it is good for classical musicians to be able to improvise. I hope my work will inspire teachers and musicians to let improvisation return to classical music, because I am convinced that it belongs there.

In the centuries that have passed since the premiere of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Leipzig’s St. Thomas’s Church at the Good Friday service in 1727, the work has had a remarkable performance history. Despite the fact that it received a number of repeat performances during Bach’s own lifetime (in revised versions), the St. Matthew Passion was largely forgotten after the composer’s passing until Felix Mendelssohn “resurrected” it in Berlin in 1829 with the localSing-Akademie and the Philharmonische Gesellschaft. The latter performance created such a level of excitement and interest in musical circles that two repeat performances followed soon after, despite Mendelssohn’s absence from Berlin. In 1970, Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s groundbreaking Telefunken LP of the St. Matthew Passion with the period instrument band Concentus Musicus Wien was released, a recording that, above all, stood in stark contrast to the consistent growth in the size of choirs performing this work that had occurred over centuries since Bach’s first performance in 1727. As with Mendelssohn’s performance, Harnoncourt’s interpretation generated great interest in scholarly circles and among the listening public. This critical commentary examines the size and constitution of the vocal and instrumental forces of all three performances of the St. Matthew Passion, as well as the extent to which those of 1829 and 1970 adhered to what is known of Bach’s own practices. In addition to investigating the choices made by the respective musical directors in this respect, the reception of Mendelssohn’s and Harnoncourt’s performances will also be considered.

Investigation of the historically informed performance movement with regard to its influence on violoncello playing since 1981 is approached in this critical commentary through the analysis of three different interpretations of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major. These interpretations are recordings by prominent cellists who have influenced or been influenced by the rise in popularity of the historically informed performance movement, namely Anner Bylsma, Pieter Wispelwey and Yo-Yo Ma. The critical commentary includes a brief summary of the musical careers of each individual and reports on the publicity surrounding them in an attempt to discover each performer’s views on the importance of historical performance practice and the extent to which these views are reflected in their performances. In order to establish what constitutes a historically informed interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerto, this document provides a brief background to the historical performance movement and also to the work itself. In the critical commentary, this work is analysed in relation to six specific aspects of historically informed interpretation: instrumentation, pitch, vibrato, tempo, ornamentation and cadential improvisation. By examining and comparing these aspects in the aforementioned twentieth-century recordings, this critical commentary concludes in support of Taruskin’s (1984) position on the now fashionable debate of historical performance practice. Namely, that the historical performance movement has been influenced as much by modern taste and aesthetics as by the attempt to create historically ‘accurate’ music.

Investigation of the historically informed performance movement with regard to its influence on violoncello playing since 1981 is approached in this critical commentary through the analysis of three different interpretations of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major. These interpretations are recordings by prominent cellists who have influenced or been influenced by the rise in popularity of the historically informed performance movement, namely Anner Bylsma, Pieter Wispelwey and Yo-Yo Ma. The critical commentary includes a brief summary of the musical careers of each individual and reports on the publicity surrounding them in an attempt to discover each performer’s views on the importance of historical performance practice and the extent to which these views are reflected in their performances. In order to establish what constitutes a historically informed interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerto, this document provides a brief background to the historical performance movement and also to the work itself. In the critical commentary, this work is analysed in relation to six specific aspects of historically informed interpretation: instrumentation, pitch, vibrato, tempo, ornamentation and cadential improvisation. By examining and comparing these aspects in the aforementioned twentieth-century recordings, this critical commentary concludes in support of Taruskin’s (1984) position on the now fashionable debate of historical performance practice. Namely, that the historical performance movement has been influenced as much by modern taste and aesthetics as by the attempt to create historically ‘accurate’ music.

Investigation of the historically informed performance movement with regard to its influence on violoncello playing since 1981 is approached in this critical commentary through the analysis of three different interpretations of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major. These interpretations are recordings by prominent cellists who have influenced or been influenced by the rise in popularity of the historically informed performance movement, namely Anner Bylsma, Pieter Wispelwey and Yo-Yo Ma. The critical commentary includes a brief summary of the musical careers of each individual and reports on the publicity surrounding them in an attempt to discover each performer’s views on the importance of historical performance practice and the extent to which these views are reflected in their performances. In order to establish what constitutes a historically informed interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerto, this document provides a brief background to the historical performance movement and also to the work itself. In the critical commentary, this work is analysed in relation to six specific aspects of historically informed interpretation: instrumentation, pitch, vibrato, tempo, ornamentation and cadential improvisation. By examining and comparing these aspects in the aforementioned twentieth-century recordings, this critical commentary concludes in support of Taruskin’s (1984) position on the now fashionable debate of historical performance practice. Namely, that the historical performance movement has been influenced as much by modern taste and aesthetics as by the attempt to create historically ‘accurate’ music.

Thesis (M.M.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität zu Köln, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 201-208) and index.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--UCLA, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-64).

Graduate Recital Document (M.A. (Music))--Mahidol University, 2007. / LICL has E-Thesis 0026 ; please contact computer services.