The encore piece for piano is viewed both as an historical study and an investigation of current programing trends. Data from the New York Times, music reviews and questionnaires completed by distinguished American pianists provided information that was compiled and charted.A study of the years 1920 through 1990 showed a discernible move away from extended encore segments, with a shift toward a single encore offering. Spontaneous rushing of the stage by theaudience and demanded immediate re-hearings of works faded shortly after 1940.Questionnaires revealed present-day artists are most influenced by length and character of the work, as well as the ending program piece in selecting encores. Two additional influences are the desire for contrast in succeeding encores and spontaneity in encore choice. Questionnaire answers reaffirmed that fewer encores are given in the 1990's; also noted were the facts of encores becoming shorter, more substantial, and less virtuosic. An inclusion of lesser-known works from the twentieth century was indicated.Research indicates that selecting the appropriate encore is both an art and a science. The importance of the intuitive art of judging audience response and spontaneity of encore choice is matched only by the role of the analytical in studying past successful encore models and programing an effective encore sequence. A successful encore is determined as much by what precedes and follows its performance as by its own character. / School of Music

Heitor Villa-Lobos, a native Brazilian, is one of the most significant Latin American composers, known for his distinct combination of indigenous music, European musical training and Brazilian folk music. In addition to his career as a composer, Villa-Lobos was involved with music education in Brazil. He was the chair of SEMA (Superintendence of Musical and Artistic Education). During his tenure with SEMA, he established music as a required subject in all schools through the study of choral singing. It was this period that led Villa-Lobos to compose his Guia Prático (Practical Guide), a collection of songs based on Brazilian folk music. Based on the original material of the Guia Prático, Villa-Lobos composed eleven books for solo piano, each one containing five to six pieces. The result is a varied collection of piano pieces that reflects the spirit of Villa-Lobos and his Brazilian soul. Though intended for pedagogical purposes, many pieces are too complex for the novice pianist. In this project, I have compared the existing manuscripts of the choral version of the Guia Prático and subsequent published versions, as well as the current piano version. With all the available scores, I began a comparison of each piece contained in the piano version. During this process, many questions arose regarding notation and editing. Therefore, in each piece I indicated the variants between scores. Some pieces are essentially identical to the original score but are included to complete the collection. The result is a revised and edited performance edition of the complete Guia Prático for Piano / School of Music

The purpose of this research work is to investigate the relationship between humidity and tone in musical instruments. A basic hypothesis that motivates this work is that normal seasonal variations in relative humidity are thought to alter the tone of instruments constructed from wood. These changes in tone are believed to be due to changes in the dimensions and material properties of an instrument that are a result of wooden components absorbing and adsorbing water in equilibrium with their ambient environmental conditions. To investigate this hypothesis an experiment was conducted with a guitar acclimatized at different relative humidity levels. Sample sounds recorded at each humidity level were then evaluated by the test subjects using a three alternative forced choice listening test paradigm. Subjects were readily able to distinguish sounds recorded at different humidity levels, supporting the claim that changes in ambient humidity can create perceptible differences in instrument tone. A finite difference model was then developed to produce simulated sounds as a function of moisture content (MC being the weight percentage of a piece of wood that is water). The model was validated and further listening tests were conducted to determine the perceptual limit of MC differences. The just-noticeable difference value for MC change was established to be 0.7% MC difference. To be considered imperceptibly stable with respect to tone, materials used to replace traditional soundboard woods would need to have less variability than the equivalent material property changes due to this 0.7% MC difference. Testing of an acetylated plate in terms of its vibration and material properties followed. An increase in both stiffness and density was noted, yet even after modification the vibration properties of the plate were observed to remain within an acceptable range of material properties typical of soundboard grade woods. Instrument builders would likely welcome this new material, as long as its properties can be shown to not vary significantly from traditional choices. A second component of this thesis concerns the application of wavelets in musical analysis. Psychoacoustical signal parameters (PSPs) are a tool used to quantify aspects of sounds, such as brightness or percussiveness. These PSPs are often calculated using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), an algorithm that has certain limitations. To address the deficiencies of the FFT a wavelet transform was em- ployed and conventional PSPs were reformulated in the wavelet domain to improve their accuracy. Tonal differences due to changes in MC were shown to be well suited to analysis by wavelet PSPs where improved sensitivity was observed in comparison to the conventional methods. Finally, an acoustical study of the development of the piano from the clavichord to the modern grand piano was conducted. An improved bass response and the presence of more energy in the upper partials, particularly in these bass notes, were concluded to be due to an increase in soundboard area, the introduction of longer string scale lengths, and the use of wound strings for bass notes.

This study surveys and categorizes new techniques of sound production for the pianoforte which have come into prominent use since 1950. In addition the project developes a series of ten study pieces (etudes) which aid advanced piano students in acquiring the basic techniques required to perform many of the piano compositions written since 1950.A review of the piano literature of selected composers from 1950-1975 revealed thirteen basic techniques which have come into common use in these twenty-five years. Although many more techniques exist, they are combinations or variations of these basic techniques. The thirteen techniques have been classified into four categories: string techniques, keyboard techniques, string/keyboard techniques, and pedal techniques. Only techniques using sounds derived from the manipulation of the strings, keyboard, and pedals of the piano were included in this study.Although the study reveals that many of the techniques discussed were first introduced in the earlier part of the twentieth century, particularly through the compositions of Henry Cowell, they did not become common compositional techniques until the years after 1950. Their popularity after 1950 can be seen as part of a trend of composers becoming captivated with "sounds" per se, apart from their melodic or harmonic significance. This interest and fascination with "sound events" set the proper climate for the widespread development of the pianoforte techniques discussed in this paper. The development of the tape recorder and the long playing record made the interchange of musical ideas and the new techniques readily accessible.This study serves to clarify much of the mystique which surrounds many of the pianoforte compositions published since 1950. It discusses the new notational symbols used to designate the techniques and gives practical suggestions as to their proper execution.The series of study pieces developed for this project are meant to serve as an introduction to the new techniques. Although the pieces are written for the advanced piano student they are devoid of the rhythmic and visual complications which often surround compositions incorporating the new techniques. Except for two etudes, each piece uses only one new technique.

Camargo Guarnieri is perhaps the most significant Brazilian composer after Heitor Villa-Lobos. His work Momentos is the culmination of Guarnieri’s efforts as a composer for the piano. It reveals the composer’s compositional essence through an intimate and expressive character, and a distillation of form and style. The scope of this dissertation provides musicians who are interested in performing Momentos with a theoretical analysis and commentary of the expressive quality of the individual pieces. Momentos displays a highly chromatic and contrapuntal language that incorporates elements of Brazilian nationalism—i.e., stylistic aspects derived from modinha, toada, and lundu— and nineteenth-century compositional techniques such as harmonic ambiguity and linear chromaticism. A performance of this work, in the form of a recording, is included. / School of Music

Denna text vill ge en inblick i vad romansinterpretation är, och vilken roll man som pianist spelar i tolkningen av både text och musik. Den musikaliska utgångspunkten är sångcykeln ”Hjärtats sånger” av Gunnar de Frumerie, med texter av Pär Lagerkvist. För att kunna belysa så många sidor som möjligt av arbetet som romanspianist studerade jag in alla sex sånger med två sångare som har helt olika rösttyper: Åsa Lansfors Lindblom, en lyrisk sopran som främst sjunger romansrepertoar och Nils Gustén, en bas som utbildar sig till operasångare. Varje sång i sångcykeln beskrivs dels utifrån mina personliga tolkningar av texten och musiken, dels utifrån de diskussioner jag haft tillsammans med sångarna i övningsrummen. I flera fall är utgångspunkterna för tolkningarna liknande i de båda processerna, medan det i några av sångerna ges exempel på hur olika interpreter kan ha helt skilda undertexter till samma sång. I dessa fall har jag funnit att jag som pianist kan känna mig bekväm i att arbeta med tolkningen utifrån båda undertexter, att mitt egna spel och min tolkning kan anpassas till den rådande situationen och den musikaliska helhet som gäller i ögonblicket. Genomgången av arbetet med sångerna ger också, genom exempel på dialoger från repetitionsarbetet, en inblick i den process som i vanliga fall sker bakom stängda dörrar. Detta visar att det i arbetet med romansinterpretation krävs en kommunikation mellan sångare och pianist och att båda parter är lika viktiga för slutresultatet. I diskussionsdelen lyfter jag fram olika element i repetitionsarbetet som jag funnit särskilt viktiga i romansinterpretation. Eftersom sångare och pianist är jämbördiga gäller det att ge och ta från varandra, att ha en god kommunikation och att hitta en balans mellan att vara lyhörd och att våga ta plats. För att kunna gå in på djupet i tolkningen av romanser lyfter jag även fram vikten av trygghet i repetitionsrummet, att ge arbetsprocessen gott om tid och hur central texten är i arbetet. Jag jämför även de olika tolkningarna och reflekterar över hur sångarnas rösttyper påverkar arbetet med musiken, samt hur olika tonarter påverkar upplevelsen av text och musik. / <p><em><strong>Inspelning: Hjärtats sånger</strong>  (Åsa Lansfors Lindblom, sopran, Nils Gustén, bas, Amanda Elvin, piano)</em></p><p><em>Spår: </em>1-2 När du sluter mina ögon</p><p>3-4 Det blir vackert där du går</p><p>5-6 Saliga väntan</p><p>7-8 Ur djupet av min själ</p><p>9-10 Du är min Afrodite</p><p>11-12 Som en våg</p><p>Bilaga: 1 CD</p>

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Abstract Evaluative performances, such as festivals and conservatory examinations, frequently play a large role in formal piano study. Many teachers and parents assume that requiring students to participate in these evaluations will result in several benefits, including increased discipline and motivation, exposure to a balanced and rigorous music curriculum, and access to helpful feedback from expert adjudicators and examiners. However, not all students experience positive outcomes as a result of their participation in evaluative performances. Using a multi-method approach that incorporates grounded theory and narrative inquiry, this research provides insight into how beginning and intermediate piano students experience participating in festivals and examinations and what factors contribute to the quality of students’ experiences. Positive experiences with evaluative performances are characterized by positive emotional outcomes, meaningful music learning, and the development of a strong musical identity. The theoretical model developed through this research presents several important contributors to students’ positive experiences with evaluative performances, including students’ understandings, values, and goals related to music learning, and their abilities and inclinations as performers. The entire learning process must take place within a supportive relational context. When students have positive experiences with evaluative performances, their self-efficacy is heightened. They also experience self-determination regarding their music studies and their involvement in evaluative performances. The self-efficacy and self-determination that follow students’ success and positive experiences motivate further involvement in music study.

A study of vibrations and sound radiation in upright and grand pianos has been made to determine whether the piano may be improved by altering the materials of the component parts which are traditionally fabricated in timber. Modal analysis and sound level measurements of an upright piano has shown that the radiation from the case is at least 20 dB lower than the radiation from the soundboard, and therefore the case is not a significant determinant of piano tone. A method was developed for separating piano sound and vibrations into broadband and tonal components and used to compare the performance of upright and grand pianos. Using this method it was found that the broadband vibration level was twice as high in the uprights as in the grands. A finite element model of an upright piano was developed and used to demonstrate that replacing the keybed with a higher impedance material than conventionally used would reduce the key vibration level, and hence bring the uprights closer in performance to grand pianos, and improve the 'feel' of the instrument for the player. The keybed of one of a pair of identical pianos was replaced with high density fibreboard, and subsequent objective measurements showed that the broadband component of key vibrations was reduced by 3.2 dB while the radiated sound was unchanged. A controlled subjective comparison between the modified and unmodified pianos undertaken by experienced players showed that a statistically significant number preferred the modified piano, and that the upright piano had been improved. / Acoustics Research Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Foundation for Research Science and Technology, Fletcher Wood Panels.