As the Enlightenment took hold in Europe, all aspects of eighteenth-century society felt its effects. Musical tastes, caught in this ideological shift, began to move from the more codified complexity of counterpoint toward the more simplified aesthetic known as galant. Johann Sebastian Bach, now in the most mature phase of a musical career rooted in the contrapuntal style, came under growing public criticism from proponents of galant who were increasingly dismissive of counterpoint as an out-dated compositional method. In 1741, during this time of growing censure, Bach created the wedding cantata BWV 210, O holder Tag erwünschte Zeit, based on an earlier cantata but with significant changes that are unique within this oeuvre. Rather than the typical celebratory libretto characteristic of his other wedding cantatas, Bach mounted a strong rhetorical argument in defense of music, deftly combining irony, humour, and pointed barbs to make his point. The rationale for this has not received significant scholarly attention. This dissertation explores the idea that Bach used BWV 210 as a specific personal response to his critics who favoured the changing musical aesthetic of the era, and as a defense of a contrapuntal style cherished by him but no longer valued by many advocates of the galant. This claim is supported through an aggregation of extant research linking the cantata to the circumstances in which it was created. Particular attention is given to the ideological conflict represented in the aesthetic shift of the eighteenth century, and Bach’s reactions evident in written documents, his compositions and in his unique synthesis of compositional styles intersecting the aesthetics of his era. The circumstances under which the cantata was written provide context for the significant libretto revisions undertaken to adapt the cantata from its closest known counterpart, BWV 210a. Finally, Johann Scheibe’s published criticism against Bach is explored as an important flashpoint for Bach’s use of BWV 210 as a musical rebuttal. Not only is a better understanding of a lesser-known cantata achieved, but a glimpse into the mindset of Bach is also realized through the unusually personal response included in BWV 210.

This thesis presents extended program notes for a sixty–minute vocal graduate recital consisting of the following repertoire for soprano: the arias “Soffri, o cor” and “Dimmi qual prova mai” from Alessandro Scarlatti’s cantata Dal Bel Volto d’Irene; a role study of Zerlina from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, including her arias “Batti, batti, o bel Masetto” and “Vedrai, carino;” Francis Poulenc’s song cycle Cocardes; selections from Arnold Schoenberg’s song cycle Das Buch der Hängenden Gärten; “Der Hirt auf dem Felsen” by Franz Schubert, a chamber work written for soprano, piano, and clarinet; and selections from American composer Ricky Ian Gordon’s song cycle Orpheus and Euridice, composed as a companion piece to the Schubert “Der Hirt auf dem Felsen.” These works span three centuries and cover four languages and multiple genres and musical styles. The content of this thesis contains detailed information on these works through historical study, musical analysis, and research in performance practice.

Isang Yun's oratorio My Land My People is organized in four movements, and is scored for orchestra, solo voice and choir. Movements are titled as follows: Rjoksa (History), Hyon-Shil I (Presence I), Hyon-shil II (Presence II), and Mi-rae (Future). This document only covers from measures 1-38 of the first section of the first movement of this work. Even though this work is atonal, the composer emphasizes a harmonically moving, tonal sonority: interval class five includes perfect 4th and 5th, quintal-quartal harmony and authentic cadence moving dominant to tonic. Also, in this document, a comparison with Korean traditional music elements is included to support Isang Yun's musical features.

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Annotation: Málková, Eva. Church Music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Prague: Hussite Theological Faculty, Charles University, 2012. Thesis. The aim of this thesis is to introduce church music of Johann Sebastian Bach and its theological announcement. By looking up and appraising musical-theological elements at Bach's work this thesis brings near to the reader the theological, philosophical and mystic thinking of Bach. By pre-understanding and complexity of perception of Bach's church music is possible to see deep sense and aim of artist's work. In the first (theoretical) part I am engaged in systems of thinking that could Bach's church work influence. Then I am specifying the pieces that are supposed to be church music. In the second (practical) part I am looking for musical- theological elements that could Bach be influenced with. By researching of Bach's artistic style I am trying to find correlation of musical and theological contents and I am trying to point out that the message of Bach's church work is relevant.

The thesis deals with the birth of the Baroque cantata in Northern and Central Germany. It introduces musical forms that led to the creation of cantata and thus significantly influenced its form, which crystalized during the Late Baroque period. The picture of Early Baroque German music is completed with profiles of three principal composers, on a selection of whose works the gradual development of this new musical form - the German Baroque cantata - is demonstrated. The second part is devoted to an analysis of a work representative of this style, Dietrich Buxtehude's Membra Jesu nostri, which is a supreme example of this musical form.

The name “Berlin School” refers to the group of composers who worked in the orchestra of Frederick the Great in Berlin. The first musicians were engaged in 1732, and the group expanded rapidly to its full strength of about 42 after Frederick’s coronation in 1740. All of the most significant composers were engaged in the first 10 years. Most of these composers wrote music for the viola da gamba, an instrument which by 1740 was already becoming obsolete in most places. The gamba composers are C. P. E. Bach, F. Benda, C. H. Graun, J. G. Graun, J. G. Janitsch and C. Schaffrath. They were encouraged to write for the viola da gamba by the presence in the orchestra from 1741 of Ludwig Christian Hesse, one of the last great virtuosi of the viola da gamba. Hesse was taught by his father Ernst Christian Hesse, who studied the French style in Paris. Hesse junior brought the French style to Berlin, where the Berlin School composers produced a synthesis of French and Italian styles by applying French textural techniques, some of them specific to the viola da gamba, to Italian forms. This study shows how the unique situation which existed in Berlin produced the last major corpus of music written for the viola da gamba. This music was the result of close collaboration between Hesse and the Berlin School composers.

The name “Berlin School” refers to the group of composers who worked in the orchestra of Frederick the Great in Berlin. The first musicians were engaged in 1732, and the group expanded rapidly to its full strength of about 42 after Frederick’s coronation in 1740. All of the most significant composers were engaged in the first 10 years. Most of these composers wrote music for the viola da gamba, an instrument which by 1740 was already becoming obsolete in most places. The gamba composers are C. P. E. Bach, F. Benda, C. H. Graun, J. G. Graun, J. G. Janitsch and C. Schaffrath. They were encouraged to write for the viola da gamba by the presence in the orchestra from 1741 of Ludwig Christian Hesse, one of the last great virtuosi of the viola da gamba. Hesse was taught by his father Ernst Christian Hesse, who studied the French style in Paris. Hesse junior brought the French style to Berlin, where the Berlin School composers produced a synthesis of French and Italian styles by applying French textural techniques, some of them specific to the viola da gamba, to Italian forms. This study shows how the unique situation which existed in Berlin produced the last major corpus of music written for the viola da gamba. This music was the result of close collaboration between Hesse and the Berlin School composers.

Le genre opératique a connu une histoire mouvementée depuis la Seconde Guerre mondiale, celle d’une « mort » et d’une « renaissance ». Cette thèse s’attache à déterminer les raisons qui ont conduit compositeurs et spectateurs à délaisser l’opéra après 1945, laissant à penser que le genre allait disparaître, puis celles qui ont amené le retour en faveur de celui-ci à partir du début des années 1980 jusqu’à l’époque présente. À la lumière de ce contexte historique, cette étude propose une poétique du livret moderne et postmoderne, en s’intéressant aussi bien aux conditions concrètes de son élaboration qu’à ses particularités thématiques ou stylistiques. Elle souligne ses spécificités par rapport aux livrets des siècles antérieurs, mais attire également l’attention sur la permanence de certaines caractéristiques. Ce travail contribue ainsi à définir le livret comme un genre littéraire à part entière. / Operatic genre has had a turbulent existence since the end of World War II, going through death and revival. This dissertation tries to determine the motivations of composers and spectators who tended to neglect opera after 1945 – time when the genre seemed bound to disappear – and then, the reasons leading to a new interest in opera from the eighties onwards. In the light of this historical context, the present study proposes a poetics of modern and postmodern libretto, studying the concrete conditions of its conception as well as its thematic or stylistic peculiarities. This essay underlines its specificity in comparison with libretto from past centuries, but also draws attention to the persistence of some characteristics. Therefore, this dissertation contributes to the definition of libretto as a full-fledged literary genre.

The euphonium has been an integral part of wind bands and brass bands for more than a century. During this time the instrument has grown in stature in both types of band, as an ensemble member and a solo instrument. Until recently, however, the instrument has been underrepresented in orchestral literature, although a growing number of composers are beginning to appreciate the characteristics of the instrument. The purpose of this research is to explore the perceived rise of the euphonium in an orchestral environment through analyzing the significance of the role it plays within Lorin Maazel's Music for Flute with Tenor Tuba Obbligato (1995) and Karl Jenkins' Cantata Memoria (2005); specifically, how the euphonium contributes to the orchestral scores in relation to its capabilities as an instrumental voice.