Thesis--Heidelberg. / Vita. Includes music. Includes bibliographical references (p. 290-295).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-147). Also available via the World Wide Web.

An in-depth study of Gustav Mahler's preoccupation with death was the foundational purpose for this dissertation. The song cycle Kinder-Totenlieder was the main composition examined, however, other works were mentioned to provide further proof of his obsession.The content of Chapter One presents Mahler's biographical data. Death is traced through his family history with the demise of brothers and sisters and his own beloved daughter, Putzi. An analysis by Sigmund Freud discusses his relationship with his wife, Alma, and his mother. Another area of interest includes his feelings towards his siblings, especially his brother, Otto, who committed suicide.Chapter Two concentrates on poetry, musical form and orchestration in regards to the Kinder-Totenlieder,. Specific musical examples are given which symbolize the underlying theme of death. Theories as to why the song cycle was written and whether it was a prophecy concerning his daughter's death are stated. A comparison of Rueckert's original poems and Mahler's textual changes in these poems are studied.Chapter Three investigates Mahler's other works, both vocal and symphonic, involving the theme of death. In consideration of the symphonic works, poetry, program notes, and motives taken from vocal works are viewed. Attention is given to the poetry and orchestration in the vocal works. His comments scribbled on the manuscript of his Svnphony No. 10 highlight his fear of death. Lastly, comments concerning his own funeral arrangements and burial bring into focus the despair over his own inevitable death.ConclusionMahler's preoccupation with death is reflected in almost all of his compositions. The tension felt within the music represents his struggle between life and death. Ultimately, he knew that death would win, but his compositions would hopefully bring him to the immortality he sought. / School of Music

Thesis--Catholic University of America. / Bibliography: p. [427]-431.

Thesis--Catholic University of America. / Bibliography: p. [427]-431.

Arnold van Wyk (1916 - 1983) frequently referred to the extramusical concepts of the elegiac, and of mournfulness, introspection and death when describing the intended content of his works. The import of these concepts seems to have been a constant element spanning his entire oeuvre. In this dissertation, William Kimmel's theory concerning the Phrygian Inflection and the Appearance of Death in Music is applied to Van Wyk's Five Elegies for String Quartet. Kimmel's theory is applied to the following parameters of each of the Five Elegies: melody, harmony and structure. In addition. the elements of rhythm, pulse, texture and timbre are investigated. Since Van Wyk often linked the concepts of death and protest, an interpretation of the work as music of protest is included in the final chapter of the study. It is concluded that Kimmel's theory has substantial--although not conclusive--validity in terms of the work under study. It is moreover possible to trace the inflection's presence through the parameters of pulse, rhythm, texture and timbre. In the absence of specific indications by the composer of the substance of the intended protest, observations in this regard are of a speculative nature. / Thesis (M.Mus.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1991.

Hymnus Paradisi (1938), a large-scale choral and orchestral work, is well-known as an elegiac masterpiece written by Herbert Howells in response to the sudden loss of his young son in 1935. The composition of this work, as noted by the composer himself and those close to him, successfully served as a means of working through his grief during the difficult years that followed Michael's death. In this dissertation, I provide linear analyses for Howells' Hymnus Paradisi as well as its predecessor, Howells' Requiem (1932), which was adapted and greatly expanded in the creation of Hymnus Paradisi. These analyses and accompanying explanations are intended to provide insight into the intricate contrapuntal style in which Howells writes, showing that an often complex musical surface is underpinned by traditional linear and harmonic patterns on the deeper structural levels. In addition to examining the middleground and background structural levels within each movement, I also demonstrate how Howells creates large-scale musical continuity and shapes the overall composition through the use of large-scale linear connections, shown through the meta-Ursatz (an Ursatz which extends across multiple movements creating multi-movement unity). Finally, in my interpretation of these analyses, I discuss specific motives in Hymnus Paradisi which, I hypothesize, musically represent the crisis of Michael's death. These motives are initially introduced in the "Preludio," composed out on multiple structural levels as Hymnus Paradisi unfolds, and, finally, I argue, are transformed as a representation of the process of healing, and ultimately, catharsis.