Sola Fides Sufficit is a 20-minute concerto for solo violin and ensemble. The 16-member ensemble consists of flute (doubling piccolo), oboe, clarinet in Bb (doubling bass clarinet), bassoon, horn in F, trumpet in C, trombone, tuba, percussion I (bass drum, brake drum, chimes, glockenspiel, two woodblocks), percussion II (snare drum, suspended cymbal, two toms, triangle, vibraphone), piano, two violins, viola, cello, and contrabass. Sola Fides Sufficit is based on my previous solo violin composition Et si sensus deficit… written for violinist Emily Rolka in 2010. Sola Fides Sufficit is an expansion, orchestration, and ultimately a recomposition of Et si sensus deficit… The melodic, harmonic, and formal material in Sola Fides Sufficit is largely based on my detailed musical analysis of the Pange Lingua, an unaccompanied 13th century plainchant written by St. Thomas Aquinas. The six-phrase melody is well-known in the Roman Catholic tradition for its performance at the end of Holy Thursday Mass. My analysis drove my compositional choices regarding two distinct objectives: One, to reflect the chant material in overt ways (e.g., use of neighbor figures) and two, to intentionally diverge from the original chant material, at times exploiting or exaggerating elements purposefully avoided in the chant (e.g., the tritone). I utilized both ways of decision-making to create drama, contrast, tension, and resolution in the piece. My large-scale formal goal was to create a cohesive composition utilizing particular surface and structural aspects of the Pange Lingua melody, while withholding presentation of the melody in its entirety until the climax (conclusion) of the work. Fragments from the chant were selected and employed in varying contexts depending on the formal goals of each section. Some fragments were presented with few changes, while others were transformed and developed through tonality, registration, timbre, and rhythm. My structural design was shaped by four words of character the composer Witold Lutoslawski perceived as essential in the creation of his large-scale works: Introduction, Narrative, Transitional and Concluding. Influenced by Lutoslawski’s psychological approach to listener perception as a compositional and analytical tool, Sola Fides Sufficit unfolds in four unbroken parts, each portraying primarily one of these four formal characters. Within each movement, these formal characters also occur on a smaller scale and give shape to each section. Only during the Narrative portions is the content the most important aspect perceived. During the Introductory, Transitional, and Concluding music, however, the role of the given section in the form is more important than the content.

Aaron Copland¡¦s Clarinet Concerto was written for jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman in 1948. The composition used not only the jazz style of 20s that he had been appreciated, but also the frequent used compositional techniques -- developing and expanding the plain materials that presented into various ways. Moreover, besides the treatment of jazz rhythms, the combination of elements of Brazilian folk song and American popular music were also applied to the Clarinet Concerto. Although ¡§concerto¡¨ has never been the center of Copland¡¦s works, the Clarinet Concerto has taken an outstanding place in the 20th century clarinet repertoire. This is explained by the arrangement of instrumentation, the originality of structure and the techniques of using plain materials. It combines the characteristics of uncomplicated melodies and meanwhile demands challenging performance techniques. This research includes three chapters. The first chapter introduces Copland¡¦s musical career, shifts of style and the illustration of the Clarinet Concerto¡¦s background. The second chapter brings in the discussion of the concerto from three aspects -- structure, musical elements and performance practice. The final chapter deals with the distinctiveness of the Clarinet Concerto.

This thesis is an analytical study of various cadenzas written for the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, K.466. As one of the six of his own concertos for which Mozart did not provide an original cadenza, the D minor concerto poses an important challenge to the performer: should she compose or improvise her own cadenza, or should she select one written by someone else? Many composer/pianists active during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries penned cadenzas to this concerto for their own use, and this thesis explores those by August Eberhard Müller, Emanuel Aloys Förster, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Charles-Valentin Alkan, Clara Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Ferruccio Busoni, Bedrich Smetana and Paul Badura-Skoda. In addition to these written-out cadenzas, it also discusses improvised cadenzas in the recordings by Robert Levin and Chick Corea. Each composer/pianist’s unique compositional style is illuminated through the study of each cadenza, and consideration of these styles allows multiple views on a single concerto. A discussion of the meaning and history of cadenzas precedes the analytical study, and in conclusion, the author contributes her own cadenza.

In the eighteenth century, the art of violin performance in France was promoted. Until in the nineteenth century, France became the center of art in the Europe, including painting, literary, architecture, and they were developed vigorously. The Paris Conservatory had a key position in music and expanded outward, and the music of Belgium was influenced very much, therefore they are named ¡§Franco-Belgian Violin School.¡¨ And the music is abundant in beautiful melodies and brilliant skills. Henry Vieuxtemps was an important and representative violinist at that period. By the way, his works presented romantic emotion. First chapter in this study presents the development of violin school. The second chapter introduces Vieuxtemps¡¦ position of ¡§Franco-Belgian Violin School,¡¨ the background of his works. The third and fourth chapter, do a research of the form, the interpretation and the performance style of Violin Concerto No.2 in F# minor, op.19. Then a conclusion in the final chapter. Key words¡GFranco-Belgian Violin School¡BVieuxtemps¡BRomantic music¡Bviolin concerto¡Bperformance practice.

The Viola Concerto by Hwang-Long Pan (b. 1945) is a transcription of the composer's Cello Concerto (1996/1997) created at the request of the author in 2007 in order to enrich the concert repertory for solo viola, and to promote the music of one of China's most distinguished modern composers. In his musical compositions, Pan translates ideas from Chinese music, philosophy, literature and art into contemporary sound imagery. This composition technique is what he refers to as yīn xiăng yì jìng [音響意境] in Chinese, which literally means "Sonic Imagery." This document examines Pan's Cello Concerto (1996/1997), making use of the composer's sketches, interviews and other scholarship, to illustrate how the composer blends Western instrumentation and formal structure with elements of traditional Chinese music and philosophy. The analysis reveals how Pan uses modern European compositional techniques such as symmetrical pitch structure, arch forms, and avant-garde performance practices in the Concerto. The author also discusses performance techniques required of the solo violist and other orchestral instruments in order perform the style of Chinese heterophonic music evoked in the Concerto and to realize the ornaments and special performance effects that Pan borrows from traditional Chinese instruments, such as the lute-like pipa.

This document provides a resource for Franz Liszt's unfamiliar piano work, the Grosses Konzertsolo and his subsequent rearrangement of the work for two pianos entitled Concerto pathetique. The Introduction places the work in its historical context as a precursor to the great Sonata in B minor and discusses possible reasons for its various revisions. Chapter One details Liszt's productive years from 1849-1853 in Weimar and selected keyboard works from this period which are closely related to the Grosses Konzertsolo. Chapter Two provides information on Liszt's first published piano works and his experiments with form, as well as a comparison of the Grosses Konzertsolo with the Sonata in B minor, in terms of motivic and thematic development. Technical issues and obstacles to performance are also addressed. Chapter Three compares the Concerto pathetique with the Grosses Konzertsolo showing how Liszt's rearrangement becomes more practical as well as effective. Chapter Four discusses Hans von Bulow's version of the Concerto pathetique and includes a brief biography.

The music of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-47) has earned a prominent position in the orchestral repertoire. One of his greatest works, and certainly one of the most performed, is his Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. The work enjoys much popularity with, and recognition by, soloists, orchestras, and conductors alike. Even with its fame and familiarity, it remains a work that must be carefully studied and prepared by the conductor. This document presents an examination of a conductor’s performance preparation of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. The purpose of this examination is to equip the conductor with a depth of knowledge that will yield rehearsals and performances of the concerto that are stylistically appropriate, well informed, and efficient. Major sections include an examination of the concerto’s 1844 and 1845 versions and available performance materials, tempo selection and execution, size, balance and composition of the orchestra, stylistic traits, and aspects of performance practice.

The great challenge that exists in cross-cultural composition is finding commonalities of intonation, style, formality, and instrumentation. In the case of creating a composition for Persian tar and symphony orchestra, a number of challenges emerge. The goal of this composition is to find compatible musical elements between Persian and western music. The most difficult challenge of composing in this genre is finding compatible musical modes to generate optimum intonation. For this piece, the western pitch of Bb is used to help the intonation and tonal production of the tar. My approach to style involves a sensitive application using elements of classical Persian style and formality known as dãstgãh composition. Generally, Persian music places strong emphasis on improvisation, non-repetitive scalar melodies, variation of melodic and rhythmic material, tasteful ornamentation, and creating an inspiring musical atmosphere. Often music is composed with a story, poem or song in the mind of the performer. Typically, the instrumentation is very small and intimate, consisting of a tar performer, accompanied by a musician playing a daff (a Persian frame drum much like an Irish bodhran). I have composed a work that features many of the above characteristics. The Concerto for Tar and Orchestra encompasses many salient features found in Persian classical music, while also providing symphonic orchestration that adds complimentary western musical elements. Most of the instrumentation of the work adheres to standard orchestral instrumentation. I have included some Persian hand-drums to the orchestration (a tombak and a dohol) to play alongside standard symphonic percussion to add a more cross-cultural quality to the orchestration. The concerto also owes its inspiration to the story “Umar and the Harpist”, which is found in Jellaludin Rumi’s revered, masterful literary work entitled the Masnavi. I used the imagery found in this story to generate much of the dramatic contrast contained in the concerto. In the end, a composition has emerged which brings two distinct classical music traditions together in an effective cross-cultural form of expression.

Orientador: Mario Fernando Bolognesi / Banca: Neyde de Castro Veneziano Monteiro / Banca: Walter de Sousa Junior / Resumo: Busquei com este trabalho refletir sobre as diversões populares do final do século XIX e início do XX. Com o surgimento da cidade moderna, as atrações públicas compostas por diversas expressões artísticas que, em sua maioria, ocorriam nas vias das cidades foram incorporadas pelas casas de espetáculos. Assim como outros estabelecimentos, o teatro de variedades se consagrou como um desses espaços, reunindo diversos elementos culturais que formaram o circuito de entretenimento da época. A cidade de Santos forneceu à pesquisa um rico panorama artístico, onde observei a difusão da teatralidade popular. Os espetáculos do teatro de variedades tiveram influências de gêneros e linguagens distintas; Entre elas: circo, teatro de revista, zarzuela, etc. Essa relação possibilitou um ambiente propício à interlocução e trocas artísticas, transformando-se em uma referência importante para a formação das cenas teatrais no Brasil. Reuni neste trabalho diversos aspectos do teatro de variedades, no intuito de compreender os inúmeros elementos que compõem o gênero. / Abstract: I sought with this work to reflect on the popular amusements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With the emergence of the modern city, the public attractions composed of diverse artistic expressions that, in the majority, occurred in the ways of the cities were incorporated by the houses of spectacles. Like other establishments, the vaudeville was consecrated as one of these spaces, bringing together diverse cultural elements that formed the circuit of entertainment of the time. The city of Santos provided the research with a rich artistic panorama, where I observed the diffusion of popular theatricality. The vaudeville shows had influences of different genres and languages; Among them: circus, theater of magazine, zarzuela, etc. This relationship allowed an environment conducive to dialogue and artistic exchanges, becoming an important reference for the formation of theatrical scenes in Brazil. I gathered in this work several aspects of the vaudeville, in order to understand the numerous elements that make up the genre. / Mestre

abstract: ABSTRACT Classical violin playing and American fiddle music have traditionally been seen as separate musical worlds. Classical violinists practice and study long hours to master a standard repertoire of concertos and sonatas from the Western European school of art music. Fiddlers pride themselves on a rich tradition passed down through generations of informal jam sessions and innovation through improvisation. Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Concerto, premiered in 1993, sounds like a contradiction at first: a quintessential classical form combined with traditional fiddle playing. Examination of the Fiddle Concerto will show that the piece contains classical and fiddle-style elements simultaneously, creating an effective hybrid of the two styles. This document will explore how the history of the classical violin concerto and American fiddle music converge in Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Concerto. To gain an understanding of O'Connor's composition process, I submitted to him a list of questions, via email, in the summer of 2016. O'Connor’s responses provide a unique insight into the genesis of the Fiddle Concerto and his vision for musical compositions that originate from multiple genres. Chapter four of this document will discuss the melodic themes, formal makeup, and techniques presented in the Fiddle Concerto and show how both classical and fiddle elements coexist in the piece. The result of the mix is an exciting work that appeals to a broad audience of music lovers. The final chapter of this document will explore the growing repertoire of music created by cross-pollinating from different styles to create a new style, including selected O'Connor compositions completed since the Fiddle Concerto, as well as similar works by other composers who combined classical elements with other musical styles. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2016