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The purpose of this study was to analyze for reasons of interpretation the unaccompanied choral music of Felix Mendelssohn. What are the stylistic characteristics in each of the compositions selected for examination in this study? What comparisons and conclusions based on the analyses can be made concerning the character of compositional style in Felix Mendelssohn's unaccompanied choral music? What conclusions can be made concerning the interpretation of Felix Mendelssohn's unaccompanied choral music based on the compositional style of his music and an understanding of his musical attributes?

The twentieth century has witnessed a renaissance in the composition of choral music. Not since the Baroque, has choral writing held the prominent position with composers that it has today. At the same time, English composers have regained a stature and influence they have not held since the time of Purcell. It was not until the time of Edward Elgar, Gustave Holst, and Ralph Vaughn-Williams that English music began to recover from the decline of the nineteenth century. Benjamin Britten has played a large role in both the choral renaissance and the recovery of English music.

Since the end of World War II many Scandinavians have emerged as important choral music composers. This study focuses on two Norwegian composers, Knut Nystedt and Egil Hovland. Two works by Nystedt, "Thou O Lord," and "Praise to God," and one work by Hovland, Missa Misericordiae, are analyzed to determine the most important features of the compositional styles of Nystedt and Hovland. The analysis reveals that factors such as the Norwegian national romantic movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, ancient music styles such as Gregorian chant, twentieth century techniques such as neoclassicism and dodecaphony, and recent reforms in Norwegian Church music have influenced the compositional style of both men. The evidence suggests that although Nystedt and Hovland have many similarities in compositional style both men have developed a highly individual musical language that is accessible yet challenging to the listener, conductor, and choir.

Composed exclusively in the last decade, Joshua Rist's works have received significant performances by numerous high-profile ensembles including prominent high school, collegiate, and community choirs. Although conductors continue to program his works with increased frequency, minimal scholarly work is published about this music and its composer. The quality of Rist's body of work coupled with a scarcity of scholarly research provides opportunity for further study. Closer examination of Rist's works could provide a framework for conductors who perform his music. This study provides background and bibliographic information on the composer. It contains a review of choral works by Rist highlighting critical elements within each work that provide a framework for future performances of his works. This dissertation identifies stylistic characteristics that define Rist's compositional style. Additionally, it highlights the evolution of Rist's artistic growth and development.

This study presents a survey of selected Contemporary Swedish Choral Composers and Literature representative of the trends in contemporary Swedish choral music. The varied compositional styles and techniques of composers Sven-David Sandstrom, Thomas Jennefelt, Karin Rehnqvist and Andres Hillborg exemplify these trends. Little information is readily available about the current generation of choral composers outside of Sweden. Most of the available materials concentrate on the music of composers of the 1940s Monday Group such as Sven-Erik Back and Ingvar Lidholm and Karl-Birger Blomdahl, the works of Gunnar Bucht of the 1950s who reacted against modernism, the 1960s avant-garde styles of Bengt Hambraeus, Sigfriend Naumann, Arne Mellnas and Folke Rabe. This survey discusses the life, career and musical styles of each of the composers and analysis of an a cappella work illustrative of their musical styles. Fundamental to the growth and musical development of the representative composers is an examination of the historical background, foundation and tradition of choral singing in Sweden. The select bibliography, list of works by the composers, catalogs of choral music, list of institutions and organizations, and publishers, is intended to serve as a reference guide.

This study discusses Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's appointment to the Prussian Court of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, Mendelssohn's relationship with the Court (both personal and professional) and the numerous difficulties encountered with this appointment. In addition, Mendelssohn's musical responsibilities and personal feelings toward the cities of Leipzig and Berlin, Berlin's choral traditions (including a brief history of the Berlin Domchor) will also be discussed. Mendelssohn's op. 78, op. 79 and Die deutsche Liturgie written for the Berlin Domchor reflect the sometimes competing demands of the traditional liturgical genres (e.g. Masses, psalms, motets), which are more "objective" in nature and the far more "subjective" elements inherent in the Romantic "ideal" of expression. This study deals exclusively with the unaccompanied choral compositions written for the Berlin Domchor with particular emphasis given to op. 78 - Drei Psalmen, and op. 79 - Sechs Spruche.

Eva Jessye (1895-1992) was committed to disseminating music by African Americans through her choral concert performances and choral compositions. This study will examine and interpret Jessye's programming practices as identified in concert programs representing fifty-five years of her professional choral career. The analysis of the tenets of her programming found in printed programs available between the years 1927-1982 will provide a model that can inform choral musicians who plan to program and perform music by African Americans.

The minor choral works are those exclusive of the well-known choral works. Symphonic movements for chorus are also excluded. Conflicting and incomplete information from the composer himself and from secondary sources were principal research problems. The published letters, the memoirs, and a small number of secondary sources, containing little more than passing references, form the body of the research material beyond the scores themselves. The arrangement is by opus number, with unpublished works inserted chronologically by date of composition. A description of the circumstances surrounding each work' s composition precedes a study of the music within each chapter. The last chapter delineates stylistic characteristics of the minor choral works.

The purpose of this study is to describe contemporary plans for training the boy's changing voice and to prescribe ensemble material for these voices. Specific Problems: Analysis of the general problem leads to subordinate questions, or sub-problems, which may be stated as follows: 1. What are the contemporary plans of training the boy's changing voice? 2. What are the most usable musical materials available for use by ensembles which include boys with changing voices?