This thesis examines the practices and techniques involved with particular electronic instruments and proposes an archaeological approach to reconsider the ways in which noise can communicate various details of instrument design and practice to the listener. I present two case studies concerning electronic music practice using repurposed devices - stepped filters - and by combining a detailed material analysis of the instruments with interviews, video and other evidence, I document the practices involved with their use. By rebuilding these instruments, and designing and building other devices, I test my hypotheses through my own practice, and by doing so I refine my results and extend my composition, performance practice and technical design skills to include valuable lessons learned through this research. The portfolio engages with the three archaeological levels (Listening Situation, Reproduction Stage, Production Environment) and the three areas of the production continuum (Composition, Performance Practice, Technical Design) and through sound installations, crafted media, recorded performances, and the documentation of devices designed for these pieces, it supports the thesis through experimentation and incorporation of results through reflective practice.

G.F. Kauffmann exerted great, albeit disparaged influence on his contemporaries and the subsequent generation of organists and composers. Many of his works were copied and regularly performed by these musicians, including prominent composers such as J.S. Bach and J.G. Walther. Kauffmann is mostly associated with one of the most important collection of chorale preludes in the Baroque, viz. the Harmonische Seelenlust (Leipzig 1733), of which he is the composer. Among the numerous peculiar characteristics of this work are the registration indications supplied by Kauffmann himself. It is the most detailed source of registration in the entire Baroque era, consequently giving us a unique insight into the trends of combining stops during this period. Using Kauffmann’s particular style of registration, it becomes possible and even desirable to implement these suggestions found in the Harmonische Seelenlust in the works of his contemporaries. Kauffmann devised a specific system of registration for specific genres of works that are adaptable to his own works that were not supplied with registration, and to the works of his contemporaries. / Thesis (PMus (Performing Art))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Music / unrestricted

abstract: During the nineteenth century, it was common for pianists to publish their own editions of Beethoven’s piano sonatas. They did this to demonstrate their understanding of the pieces. Towards the end of the century, musicians focused their attention on critical editions in an effort to reproduce the composer’s original intention. Unfortunately, this caused interpretive editions such as those created in the nineteenth century to fade from attention. This research focuses on situating these interpretive editions within the greater discourse surrounding the editorial development of Beethoven’s piano sonatas. The study opens with the critical reception of Beethoven, his Sonata in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, also known as the “Moonlight” Sonata, the organology of the nineteenth-century fortepianos and the editorial practices of subsequent editions of the piece. It also contextualizes the aesthetic and performance practice of nineteenth-century piano playing. I go on to analyze and demonstrate how the performance practices conveyed in the modern Henle edition (1976) differ from those in selected earlier interpretive editions. I will conclude with an assessment of the ways in which nineteenth-century performance practices were reflected by contemporary editions. This study compares the First edition (1802) and seven selected editions of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata by Ignaz Moscheles (1814), Carl Czerny (1846), Franz Liszt (1857), Louis Köhler (1869), Hugo Riemann (1885), Sigmund Lebert and Hans von Bülow (1896), and Carl Krebs (1898) with the Henle edition. It covers the tempo, rubato, articulations, phrasing, dynamics, fingerings, pedaling, ornamentation, note-stem and beaming, pitch, and rhythm. I evaluate these editorial changes and performance practice to determine that, compared to modern practice, the 19th century fostered a tendency of applying rubato, longer slurs, diverse articulations, and expanded dynamic range. Furthermore, the instructions of fingerings, pedaling and ornamentation became more detailed towards the end of the century. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2020

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This dissertation examines the creative work of harpsichordist Wanda Landowska, pianist Glenn Gould, and singer/songwriter Sting to address aesthetic and revivalist notions of early-music performance practice in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. I accomplish this by viewing their early-music recordings through two different but interrelated lenses: sound and otherness. By closely comparing Landowska's performances to those of Gould not just in terms of choice of instruments but, more importantly, of rhythmic projection, structural articulation, and other fundamental musical choices, a definable early-music "sound" emerges that transcends the movement’s traditional borders. Early music becomes a sonically identifiable phenomenon transmitted by performers of various training, affiliations, and epochs, rather than a loosely connected politicized movement precariously perched on claims of historical (authenticity) and timbrel (period instruments) grounds. I further illuminate this sound within the context of a performed "exoticism," signified by exotic instruments, style, and attitude. In these terms, I focus on Landowska's reception in the early twentieth century, comparing it to the reception of Gould's individualized twentieth-century Bach recordings and, as a twenty-first century venture into early music, the reception of Sting's 2006 recording of Elizabethan lute songs by John Dowland. By repositioning "Early" as "Other," a more relevant framework emerges for discussing how early-music performances over time construct and reflect a sense of authenticity in the movement and, conversely, how that construct affects its performers and its public.

This study is a guide to the performer on practices associated with the trumpet music of Donald Erb. It examines the following solo and duo compositions for trumpet: the as yet unpublished Sonatina for Trumpet and Piano (1954); Four Duets for Trumpets (1960); Diversion for Two for trumpet & percussion (1966); Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (1980); Remembrances for two trumpets (1994); and Dance, You Monster, To My Soft Song for solo trumpet (1998). A history of each composition and information concerning the performers who premiered them are documented. An examination of particular harmonic, melodic and rhythmic elements found frequently in these pieces follow. The pieces are further assessed for difficulty through an investigation of extended technical demands, range, endurance and articulation. Additional discussion focuses on the use of mutes, tempos and dynamics as well as suggestions for the preparation and performance of these works. The dissertation concludes with a review of Donald Erb's legacy as a composer and teacher. A comprehensive discography and complete list of Mr. Erb's compositions are included in appendices.

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Post-tonal repertoire can prove to be a challenging musical endeavor for performers and listeners alike. However, that does not mean that performers should avoid programming this music. If musicians undertake new repertoire with an open mind and a willingness to discover new avenues of musical expression, it creates a fulfilling experience for both the performers and the audience. Where performers are uncertain of how to proceed, musical and textual analysis can help them understand a piece’s structure and engage with audiences on a deeper level. Using George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children, I will analyze elements of the cycle that are salient to performers with the goal of creating a compelling, cohesive narrative for audiences. For those who are new to post-tonal repertoire, Crumb’s compositions offer an ideal opportunity for musicians to employ analysis as a tool for guiding performance choices. The musical structure of Crumb’s compositions is easily discernible when analyzed and is often deeply symbolic and spiritual in nature. His music, while meticulously notated, presents ample opportunity for individual interpretation and expression. Since its premiere in 1970, Ancient Voices of Children has become one of Crumb’s most celebrated pieces, largely due to his incredibly expressive setting of the poetry of Federico García Lorca. After a brief overview of both the composer and poet, I will explore the textual content, pitch content, melodic contour, harmonic structure, ensemble, and rhythm to provide performers with a clearer understanding of the work. This paper further investigates the relationship between Federico García Lorca’s poetry and George Crumb’s music and offers performance suggestions to convey that narrative. In outlining this process through Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children, this paper gives performers a guide to approaching post-tonal music and making it accessible to a broader audience. / Music Performance

The Swedish singer Elisabeth Olin was the first star of Swedish opera, but very little is known about her today. The theoretical part of this study gives a historical background to her life and the music that she performed, music that is rarely performed today. Further, this study discusses the subject of Historically Informed Performance Practice (HIP) and the most common arguments for and against it, with examples connected to the repertoire in focus. The results of the study show that although HIP does not give clear answers or solutions, it offers tools for interpretation and performance, which help the musician to make artistic choices. The artistic part of this study is a performance about Olin based on music that she performed. The object of the artistic part is to present Olin and the music of her time, particularly the music of Gustavian opera, to a modern audience. / <p>G. B. Pergolesi (1710–1736) Salve Regina i c-moll</p><p>F. A. Uttini (1723–1795) ”Öde, dina dolda lagar” ur Thetis och Pelée (1773)</p><p>F. A. Uttini ”Min tunga känner intet tvång” ur Aline, drottning av Golconda (1775)</p><p>P-A Monsigny (1729­-1817) ”Il ne faut pas vous alarmer” ur La belle Arsène (1773, Stockholm 1779)</p><p>C. W. Gluck (1714-1787) “Armez-vous d’un noble courage” ur Iphigénie en Aulide (1774, Stockholm 1778)</p><p>J. G. Naumann (1741–1801) “Mitt minne fåfängt återför…I berg som krönen denna tract” ur Amphion (1777)</p><p>E. Olin (1740–1828) ”En liten sårland bäck” (ur diktsamlingen ”Gustaviade”, 1768)</p><p>Medverkande: Elisabeth Hellström, sopran; Karolina Weber Ekdahl, barockviolin; Sandra Marteleur, barockviolin; Boel Hillerud Nyman, barockviola; Johanna Niederbacher, barockcello; Sofia Winiarski, kistorgel och cembalo; Klara Hellström, blockflöjt; Alex Gullberg, blockflöjt</p><p>Ljudupptagning från examenskonsert i Kungasalen 2023-03-22 med ovanstående program och medverkande.</p>

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