This study examines and identifies the differences in compositional approach in the operatic fantasies based on Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Weber’s Der Freischütz by Franz Liszt and Julian Fontana. These four fantasies are placed in the context of musical conventions and audiences in the first half of the nineteenth century. The two operatic fantasies by Liszt that are included in this study are representative of reinterpretations that employ formal and textural features suitable for the concert repertoire of piano virtuosos. In contrast, the fantasies by Fontana are indicative of the potpourri style, and suitable both for amateur performance as well as for pedagogical use. The different functions and purposes of the operatic fantasies of Liszt and Fontana are compared and contrasted, with attention to each composer’s respective intended audiences as well as their distinct compositional intentions.

Jon Christopher Nelson’s Fantasies and Flourishes: An Interactive Concerto for Disklavier and Orchestra (1995) is the first interactive work to present the Disklavier as the solo instrument in a concerto with orchestra. The purpose of this study is to provide an analysis of Fantasies and Flourishes and advice on how to successfully present it in performance. Fantasies and Flourishes reveals the composer’s interest in the music of Elliot Carter, in particular his A Symphony of Three Orchestras. The entire work is based on the two all-interval tetrachords also used by Carter; in Fantasies and Flourishes, these tetrachords are combined to form seven octachords that are used in various manipulations. The Disklavier is an acoustic piano that can be played by a performer, can play by itself, or can be controlled by a computer program. In interactive works for Disklavier, a pianist plays on the Disklavier while the Disklavier plays by itself, much like if a pianist were to play on a player piano while the piano was also playing by itself. However, in interactive Disklavier music the pianist’s performance affects what the Disklavier plays; particular notes in the piano part trigger the Disklavier’s music. Chapter I provides an introduction to the dissertation and background on the composition. Chapter II gives a formal analysis of the work, with focus on the composer’s use of musical constraints to delineate form. Chapter III supplies information that will help a pianist to prepare for a performance of the concerto and includes discussion of extended techniques used in performance. Chapter IV gives a detailed discussion of Max, the computer program used to control the Disklavier. Analysis and description of the computer program give the performer insight into how the Disklavier’s music works, especially for algorithmically-composed sections that vary between performances. A chart is provided that details information regarding each trigger that the performer must play in order for the Disklavier to function properly.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-135).

The present study examined gender differences in the emotional tone of written sexual fantasies. Participants included 182 heterosexual men and 206 heterosexual women enrolled in undergraduate clinical and counseling courses at a mid-sized Midwestern university. Data collected on each respondent was derived from five sources 1) a written sexual fantasy, 2) the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire (EPAQ), 3) Human Sexuality Questionnaire - The Heterosexual Experience Subscale, 4) the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS), and 5) the Revised Mosher Guilt Inventory. The Dictionary of Affect in Language (DAL) (Whissell, 1999) was used to obtain two quantitative measures, Activation and Evaluation of the emotional tone of the sexual fantasies. The variables of the study were gender role variables (agency and communion) and sex variables (erotophobia-erotophilia, sex experience, sex guilt, Activation and Evaluation). It was hypothesized that men would score higher on agency, sexual experience, erotophilia, and Activation, which is associated with arousal and action, and women would score higher on communion, erotophobia, sex guilt and Evaluation, which is associated with pleasant feelings. Gender differences were found for all variables except sexual experience and the measures of emotion, Activation and Evaluation. Given the stated hypotheses, canonical correlations were performed to determine the linear relationship of gender role and sex variables for men and women. One significant canonical correlation was found for men indicating that as agency, erotophilia, and sexual experience increase, sex guilt decreases. No significant canonical correlation was found for women. A discriminant analysis was performed to determine if the gender role variables and the sex variables were strong discriminators of sex. Results indicated that communion and erotophobia were the best discriminators for men and women. The study's present findings are discussed in terms of the sexual double standard and the changing social values of women in today's society. Limitations of the study and future directions of research in sexual fantasies and gender differences, specifically in terms of application to counseling are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

This study evaluated the rape fantasies of a female undergraduate sample (N = 355) using a sexual fantasy checklist, a sexual fantasy log, a rape fantasy scenario presentation, and measures of personality. Results indicated that 62% of women have had a rape fantasy. For these women, the median rape fantasy frequency was about four times per year, with 14% of participants reporting that they had rape fantasies at least once a week. Further, rape fantasies exist on a continuum between erotic and aversive, with 9% completely aversive, 45% completely erotic, and 46% both erotic and aversive. Women who are more erotophilic, open to fantasy, and higher in self-esteem tended to have more frequent and erotic rape fantasies than other women. The major theories that have been proposed to explain why women have rape fantasies were tested. Results indicated that sexual blame avoidance and ovulation theories were not supported. Openness to sexuality, sexual desirability, and sympathetic activation theories received partial support.

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Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007 / Typescript. Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-47).

Thesis (M.A.)--Concordia University, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-105).

abstract: Our world has become smaller due to globalization and frequent cultural exchange between different countries. As a result, classical music is becoming increasingly global. There are a significant number of Chinese composers, including Tan Dun, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, and Bright Sheng, who have gained international attention. For a modern performer, familiarity with music outside of the Western canon is increasingly important. Bright Sheng is an internationally renowned Chinese-American composer who blends the heritage of traditional Chinese musical elements, traditional instruments, Chinese Opera and folk melodies with Western musical techniques. He infuses Chinese character into his works and introduces Chinese music to the Western classical music world. In this paper, I discuss two of Bright Sheng’s pieces: A Night at the Chinese Opera and Three Fantasies. Both works were composed in 2005 and are the only two compositions he wrote for violin and piano. Most pianists are not familiar with how to transfer or imitate the sounds of traditional Chinese instruments on Western musical instruments. The paper examines traditional Chinese techniques for Western instruments from A Night in Chinese Opera. Three Fantasies contains three distinct musical characters related to different musical elements from different regions of China. I explore the traditional musical forms from Three Fantasies and offer practical suggestions for performance practice. This document provides Bright Sheng’s biography, educational background, influences, and compositional style. It also features the inspirations for both pieces, a detailed analysis of both scores including a structural outline, discussion of compositional style, usage of rhythm and timbre and explanation of special techniques. This document also serves as an interpretative guide to each composition, including story outlines, suggestions for practice strategies, aesthetic considerations, rehearsal techniques and performance considerations. The research for this paper is based on personal interview and coaching with Bright Sheng and analysis from the published scores for A Night at the Chinese Opera and Three Fantasies by G. Schirmer, Inc. I hope that this document will be a comprehensive performers’ guide to both works and serve as an explanation and promotion of Chinese classical music to a larger audience. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2018