abstract: John Harbison is one of the most prominent composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He has made major contributions in all areas of classical music, including operas, symphonies, chamber music, choral works, and vocal pieces.Among his vast output is 'Four Songs of Solitude,' his only composition (to date) for solo violin. Though the piece is beautiful and reflective in nature, its inherent technical and musical difficulties present challenges to violinists preparing the piece. There is no published edition of 'Four Songs of Solitude' that includes bowings and fingerings, and violinists used to practicing and performing the études and repertoire of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries may have difficulty determining how to successfully navigate the music. This paper examines the piece in detail, providing an analytic description of the music and suggestions for practice. An interview with the composer yielded many insights into the structural and harmonic events of the songs, and the composer's interpretive suggestions are given alongside technical suggestions by the author. The solo violin has a centuries-long legacy, and some of the most performed repertoire exists in the medium. 'Four Songs of Solitude' is a demanding set of pieces that stands out in late twentieth-century violin music. Providing information about the piece directly from the composer and suggestions for practice and performance increases the accessibility of the work for violinists seeking to bring it to the concert stage. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Music 2012

This DMA dissertation provides a pragmatic and coherent way of interpreting a piece of post-tonal music, Four Songs of Solitude, by John Harbison. In this study, a modified Schenkerian analysis, namely linear analysis, serves as a methodological tool for the performer to identify and understand the implicit focal pitches, linear progressions, musical directions, and background structures of the music. By exploring this modified Schenkerian approach to interpreting post-tonal music in-depth, the performer is expected to achieve convincing results in performance on stage.