Max Reger is a composer who lived between the end of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century. There were shocking new sounds in music due highly to using chromaticism of Wagner. Harmonies within music collapse, which in turn influences rhythms, sounds and textures emancipated gradually. The music style of Reger which has been compared to the contemporary music environments was more conservative, but he also tried to use modern elements such as dissonant harmonies. However, his inclusion of these elements wouldn¡¦t interfere with the tonality itself. In 1930, he published a treatise on a basic theory which contained chromaticism and skills of modern modulations. In fact, his music style has become refined since 1915. It was still criticized by contemporary critics of music, but this didn¡¦t influence the development of the polyphonic music of Reger. Afterwards, the value of Reger¡¦s work was gradually recognized in the twentieth century. People thought that his pieces imitating the model of Bach¡¦s music had significant meaning and used the spirit of modern day to introduce the ancient music to the world rather than being overly ostentatious. Thus, we know that the art value of a composer and their work cannot be confined to the people and the times that they live in. The lecture-recital discourse includes three main parts. The first and second chapters summarize the development of German music in nineteenth century and the personal review of Reger and his music style. The third chapter gives an analysis on techniques of the ¡§Cello Suite, Op. 131c, No. 2¡¨. More importantly, it would make the writer understand it more and interpret closed to the original meaning of Reger with my personal style.

Elgar is the greatest modern composer in Britain after Purcell. Though he never received formal musical education and training, through self-learning and composing ceaselessly, finally he gained both domestic and international approval for his works. In addition, he is a model of self-made composer. Elgar¡¦s works include oratorios, choruses, symphonies, concertos, orchestral music and chamber music. One who never received any academic musical education, Elgar however successfully created an indigenous English style of music through his own learning, exploration, and innovation. Among the main characteristics of his works are their noble temperament and romantic sentiment filled with nostalgia and retrospection. The Cello Concerto, op. 85 is the most well-known work of Elgar¡¦s later productions, one indispensable piece for the Cello concert repertoire. This study is mainly devoted to exploring the background and techniques of this most outstanding work in Elgar¡¦s later life. Besides, it will be analyzing the relationship between solo cello and the orchestra movement by movement. Lastly, it will be exploring Elgar¡¦s frequently-used technical expressions and the ways to perform and interpret this work.

Benjamin Britten was a British composer who was notable in the twentieth century. His masterpieces in composing, conducting or in piano performance profoundly affected the later ages. This dissertation discussed his unique features in his creation and the use of skills in the cello sonata. Britten¡¦s motivation of creation was inspired by the perfect skills in performing cello music of Mstislav Rostropovich. First at all, this dissertation discussed Benjamin Britten¡¦s creative opinion of cello sonata and briefly mentioned the music environment at that time in the view of the British contemporary music. In addition, it introduced Britten¡¦s background in order to know the influences of his following musical creations. Lastly, the backbone of this dissertation was to analyze the inter-correlation of the musical forms, tonal analysis, motives, intervals and themes of the masterpiece, in order to induct the original idea of this composition. Britten¡¦s cello sonata not only combined the musical elements from traditional and contemporary period, but also used proper skill to perform the content of cello sonata in the adept skills. I hope the dissertation helped players perform this sonata wonderfully and correspond Brittan¡¦s music languages. Beside music lovers will able to get closer to his deeply thought from this dissertation.

The Kod

Johannes Brahms¡]1833-1897¡^composed the ¡§Cello Sonata in F Major, Opus 99¡¨ in 1886. Brahms composed two sonatas for cello and piano in his lifetime. One of the cello sonatas that Brahms composed had been during the middle period of his life. While the second cello sonata had been composed during the late period of his life. These two cello sonatas showed different styles in different life time. This study is mainly based on ¡§Cello Sonata in F Major, Opus 99¡¨. It will explore the composing background and the techniques, as well as the cello techniques of this sonata. In addition, the paper would initially mention the brief introduction to Brahms chamber music in late period. Moreover, the cellists who had been around Brahms had given him good advice to word his compositions and analyzes the creation technique of cello sonata in F major, with a focus on alternation rhythm and development variation. Lastly, it will explore the cello performing techniques. I hope it will be helpful to the performer and also the performer who plays the sonata would already have the good technical ability. Besides that, able to understand the details of the content in this sonata the performer would be.

The arpeggione is an instrument invented and built in1823 by the Viennese instrument maker Johann Georg Staufer. This instrument has the shape of guitar but bowed like a cello, thus it¡¦s called the ¡§guitar violoncello¡¨. During its short life lasted for no more than a decade, we are fortunate there survived an ¡§Arpeggione Sonata, D821¡¨ composed by Franz Schubert in 1824. This thesis discusses on the style of this composition and the historical background of arpeggione, with more focus on the interpretation and technique in the arrangement for cello. After arpeggione had vanished from the musical scene, several arrangements for different instruments of this work had published. The Spanish cellist Gasper Cassadó even expanded this work as a cello concerto, which is more suitable for cello playing. From these aspects, we can build up a more insight into this charming piece.

Beethoven composed five sonatas and three variations for cello and piano in his lifetime. His five cello sonatas (including two in his early, one in the middle and two in the late period), a series of very interesting compositions, showed different styles of different time. These two ¡§Cello Sonatas, Opus 102¡¨ are Beethoven¡¦s last composition for cello. They are marked the beginning of Beethoven¡¦s late composition style, as well as the most important compositions in the year of 1815. Hence we can say that those two pieces have attained considerable importance: not only in the change of style, but also in the innovation of his composing skills. Other than that, in these two ¡§Cello Sonata, Opus 102¡¨, the way of his composing for cello idioms heavily has influenced the six string quartets he composed later. This paper is mainly based on those two ¡§Cello Sonatas, Opus 102¡¨ in Beethoven late career. It discusses the composing background of those two pieces, the techniques in which they were written, and the characters of its music. In addition, the paper would initially mention the improvement of string instruments and the progresses of performing techniques in the 18th Century, and how the cellists around Beethoven influenced his compositions. Further, we can even find, by his late two cello sonatas and chamber music, how Beethoven has improved the conventional role of cello.

Dmitri Shostakovich is one of the most important Russian composers of the Soviet period. Being a prolific composer, he had created a great many orchestra music and opera, as well as a substantial quantity of popular film music under the pressure of the Soviet regime. Although Shostakovich was judged crucially in one of his works in opera by Pravda in 1936, his passion still remained firm he for composition. It was only until his piano quintet finished in1940 that received the national awards, and became honored and well-known both domestically and internationally. In terms of chamber works, Shostakovich had composed one sonata each for violin, viola and cello and fifteen string quartets. His¡§Cello Sonata in D Minor, op. 40¡¨ finished in 1934. This work is subject to traditional musical form with unconventional tonality. For example, Shostakovich¡¦s use of unique harmonics and resonances, blended with lyrical melody and folk style, is so penetrative that it has become one of the most celebrated cello master pieces in Russia. This lecture-recital document includes three major discourses. The first and the second parts summarize the introduction of the background of modern Russia and the personal review of Shostakovich. The third section gives an analysis on the creation background and techniques of the ¡§Cello Sonata in D Minor, op. 40¡¨. This document will try to discuss the techniques and possible interpretations by looking into the recording by Shostakovich. Hopefully, the document can shed light onto the composer¡¦s originality.

The late nineteenth century is a period when cello saw rapid development. Growing up in this environment, David Popper, a cellist and a composer, dedicated to the prevalence of cello. Besides playing cello, he created many popular cello pieces and etudes Op.73 and Op.76. These works and etudes not only have a great influence on the cello performance in the late nineteenth century but also play a key role in modern cello development. Therefore I will explore the importance of Popper and the influence of his works by analyzing his works and etudes and surveying various analyses of comments on his etudes. The thesis consists of two chapters, including the introduction and conclusion. The chapter one discusses the biography and the style of his composition. Besides introducing its style, it also mentions that his style and techniques are close to Franco-Belgian school. Chapter two focuses on the analysis of his three etudes and other solo pieces, making a comparison with another two references. In the end, it offers cello works in different periods with Popper¡¦s Op.73 for practice, in order to see the applicability of Popper¡¦s etudes. From analyzing Popper¡¦s works, it shows that fingering and bowing are slightly different between now and the end of the nineteenth century since all of his etudes mark fingering and bowing. It provides references for performer while choosing etudes and raises the status of Popper in the development of cello.

During the prosperous period of romanticism and phenomenon of freedom, Brahms confined himself as a composer of classicism. He integrated the classical structure and the contemporary music language into his works. Brahms created his own style by using the powerful harmony and heavy texture with the form of baroque and classical music. The particular style was highly praised by the complicated rhythm pattern and the development of motive and theme. He left many kinds of works, including chamber music, piano pieces, and symphonies, etc., as a greatly significant legacy for the future generations. Cello Sonata in E Minor was one of Brahms¡¦ most important chamber works created in his middle period of life. In this piece, there was a specific arrangement for cello in order to emphasize on the thick and solid lower timbre of this kind of instrument. His mature style developed later on from the patterns of rhythms and motives. Although this sonata was not composed in the golden period of his life, it still became one of the most important masterpieces in today¡¦s history. This essay can be divided into two parts. The first part is focusing on the Brahms¡¦ background, works sorted, style, and the significant effective position in the music history. The second part uses the music structure, harmony disposition, and motive development to analyze Cello Sonata in E Minor, and goes more in depth over the rhythms and motives of Brahms¡¦ common use in the piece. Finally, it also concentrates on the dynamics, terminology, and the balance between the different pitch compasses in order to meet the hope of not only exactly following the composer¡¦s creative thoughts but also strongly expressing the personal characters of performers.