Makiko Kinoshita, a living Japanese female composer, has gained attention in Asia with more than eighty published works. This includes a diverse array of piano music written for a multitude of difficulty levels. This document acts as a supplement to my recordings of Kinoshita’s complete works for solo piano. It contains background information about the composer and a description of the compositional characteristics of each piano work. The discussions include stylistic overviews, as well as pedagogical considerations that encompass technical challenges and interpretive issues. I have also rated the difficulty of each piece. / School of Music

<p>1 CD-bilaga</p>

Though delicating himself to piano solo music writings, Frederic Chopin did compose the piano trio op.8 around 1828-29. According to the literature discussion, Chopin visit Austria few times and gain quite a few new ideas and experiences in music during 1820¡¦s. This brought him boundless inspiration and excitement on music creating. Because of these influences, he attempted to compose some chamber music and piano concertos. At the same time, Chopin followed his professor Joseph Elsner to study 18th century theory. The piano trio op.8 was created under this situation. Many scholars¡¦ point out Chopin¡¦s compositions of this time was overtaken by whatever he was taught. Though piano trio op.8, Chopin shows a great deal of Romantic spirit and personal idea in this music. This paper includes five parts. First, the development of piano trio before 1830¡¦s is explored. The second part focuses on chamber works of Chopin. The third part includes the early musical style of Chopin and the historical background of the piano trio op.8. The fourth part epitomizes the functions of theme and motive in piano trio op.8. The fifth part includes the interaction among three instruments and the tempo rubato for practical performances. Finally, a conclusion will be made.

Abstract Ravel was an important composer between the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, and played an influential role in the history of piano music. His innovative composing style and techniques were not only reflected his distinctive personal traits but also intimately related to the contemporary art of his time. Ravel¡¦s piano work, ¡©Le Tombeau de Couperin¡ª, which was written between 1914 and 1917, includes six pieces:¡©Prelude¡ª,¡©Fuge¡ª,¡©Forlane¡ª,¡©Rigaudon¡ª,¡©Menuet¡ªand¡©Toccata¡ª. The thesis is divided into five sections. The first section presents Ravel¡¦s life and career. The second section is about Ravel¡¦s compositional styles. The third section is about the compositional background of ¡©Le Tombeau de Couperin¡ªand neoclassical qualities. The fourth section is to explore the musical structures of ¡©Le Tombeau de Couperin,¡ªespecially in the formal structure, harmony and melody. The fifth section is the analysis of ¡©Le Tombeau de Couperin¡ªwhich emphasizes the author¡¦s performing practices and interpretations. When playing this composition, besides the quality of timbre, articulation, dynamics, and speed of playing, the player should express more in interpretation in music by understanding its compositional background and compositional method.

Abstract A piano is called ¡§the king of instruments¡¨. Almost every great musician writes good compositions for piano, and they are also good pianoists. Piano almost appears in every concert. Bartolomeo Cristofori made the first instrument that we recognize as a piano today in 1709.It is an important invention in music history. The basic structure of a modern piano was approximately decided in 19 century. Many patents were designed to improve the performance of piano in these years, but they didn¡¦t change the basic structure of piano. The research adopts the method of structure synthesis to design new piano and brings up a new idea ¡§linkage controls a hammer¡¨ to improve the performance of a piano.

­^¤å´£­n¡R Variation technique has always been one of the way of composing used by composers both in eastern and western music. During Beethoven's creative time, he worked on variation both technique and musical form frequently. Before 1800, he composed pieces based on variation technique for keyboard including 12 piano variations, few chambers and piano duets. After 1800, he started using variation more intensively. The pieces he wrote include in chambers, concertos and symphonies. Until 1815, the technique of variations became character on the late period of Beethoven. In this thesis, The definition of variation will be introduced first. The historical background of variation will be discussed from Middle age to Classic period. Before 1823, the types of variation can be differentiated as the independent variations and variation movements in large works. And the technique could be divided into four types which are ostinato variations¡Bcantus-firmus variations¡Bfixed-harmony variations and melodic variations with fixed harmony. And the form of variation can be divided into three types which are strophic variations¡Bhybrid variations and genre variations. Then, three string Quartets from different periods¡Bsymphony No.3 and some piano variations will be discussed from the point of view of Beethoven's variation technique. And 5 pieces from piano sonatas of Beethoven's works-- Op.14 No.2 II movement, Op.26 I movement, Op.57 II movement, Op.109 III movement, and Op.111 II movement-- will be described in detail on the background of composing and form analyzing. Finally, conclusion will be given. By adding variation movements to classic sonatas, Beethoven experienced the new technique of variation, and made these 5 sonatas much more unique and with variety.

The history of the development of the piano works for left-hand has spanned for more than one hundred and fifty years, and the piano concertos for left-hand, which made special historical significance in the concerts, were mostly written for one-arm pianist Paul Wittgenstein. The purpose of the thesis is the study of the stylistic features of one-movement piano concertos for one-hand, including Concerto pour la main gauche by Ravel, Parergon and Panathenaenzug by Richard Struass, and Diversions by Britten. The discussions contain the structure, form, orchestration, and performing technique. The contents of the thesis includes four chapters, in addition to the introduction. The first chapter discusses the general historical background for the creation of left-hand playing, and the development of the creation of the piano works for left hand. The second chapter is basic literature research for the piano concertos for left hand, and introduces the creative background to four piano concertos for left hand. The third chapter emphasizes the detailed analysis of the piano concertos for left hand of the selected works of Ravel, Richard Strauss and Britten. In the four left-hand piano concertos, Concerto pour la main gauche and the Parergon are designed in multi-sectional stracyure, the Panathenaenzug is planted for a symphonic studies in Passacaglia form and the Diversions is in a form of thematic variations in which each variation is characteristic in different title. In addition, composers frequently make use of the different instrumental colors of orchestra to replenish the lacks of rich acoustics of the piano playing, including accompaniment, support of harmony, momentum and dynamic of sounding expression. Richard Struass¡¦s Panathenaenzug employs the glockenspiel and celesta to enrich the sounding expression. The difficulties of left-hand piano techniques are variable; Ravel use the different and difficult piano skills in his two candenzas, Richard Struass¡¦s Panathenaenzug is also collected left-hand piano techniques in it, and Britten¡¦s Diversions is in different point of view that the composer employs the whole register of eighty-eight keys to makes this piano concerto sounding rich.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008. / Title from title screen (site viewed Sept. 16, 2008). PDF text: xv, 120 p. : music ; 7 MB. UMI publication number: AAT 3297757. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 155 p. : ill. (some col.), music. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 151-155).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-176).