System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Accompanied by 4 recitals, recorded Apr. 20, 2008, Aug. 2, 2008 (missing), Mar. 5, 2009, and June 18, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-73).

Thesis (MMus) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The topic of this thesis is the life and music of Hendrik Hofmeyr, from his birth in 1957 until July 1999. The discussion on his life focusses on the events that influenced the establishment of his works and also those that had an effect on the style in which Hofmeyr composes. Although he experienced a steady development and growth as a composer, Hofmeyr's ten year stay in Italy and the event of the 1997 Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Composition Competition can be mentioned as major influences on his life and thus on his work. Hofmeyr's ideas on music are discussed in Chapter 2. To understand the intention of his music, it is important to know something of Hofmeyr's approach to music. The chapter concludes that Hofmeyr can be described as a 'romantic' composer which provides the reason why he has always been outspoken against the avant-garde which characterises much of the artmusic of the zo" century. The style analysis of the following chapter looks at three important parameters of any composer's style: harmony, melody and form. It further also discusses Hofmeyr's use of counterpoint and the specific playing techniques he requires of instruments. These two aspects stand out as particular to the composer's style. Due to the scope of the thesis, these aspects are dealt with in a limited way. A more detailed discussion of two compositions follow, the song cycle Alleenstryd and the String Quartet. Besides an analysis of both works, attention is also given to how the composer's ideas on music are manifested in these works. The thesis concludes with a detailed list of works including all works composed up to July 1999. 50 compositions are listed. To allow for maximum exposure of each work, the duration as well as a description of each work are added to the otherwise standard information. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis behandel Hendrik Hofmeyr se lewe en werk as komponis vanaf sy geboorte (1957) tot en met Julie 1999. Die beskrywing van sy lewe is daarop gerig om aan te dui hoe die gebeure in sy lewe die totstandkoming van sy komposisies en die styl van sy musiek beïnvloed het. Hoewel daar 'n geleidelike ontwikkeling in sy groei as komponis bestaan, kan sy tienjarige verblyf in Italië en die Koningin Elisabeth van België Komposisiekompetisie in 1997 as belangrike invloede uitgelig word. In hoofstuk 2 word Hofmeyr se idees oor musiek bespreek. Om die intensie en gedaante van Hofmeyr se musiek te verstaan, is dit belangrik om hierdie uitgangspunte van die komponis te begryp. In die hoofstuk word die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat Hofmeyr in wese 'n 'romantikus' is en dat hy daarom reeds sedert sy studentejare sterk uitgesproke is teen die avant-garde wat 20ste eeuse kunsmusiek kenmerk. Die stylanalise wat daarna gemaak word, behandel drie belangrike parameters van enige komponis se styl: harmonie, melodie en vorm. Verder sluit dit ook Hofmeyr se gebruik van kontrapunt in en die spesifieke speeltegnieke wat hy van instrumente verlang. Hierdie twee aspekte staan uit as besondere eienskappe van die komponis se musiek. Vanweë die omvang van die tesis, is die bespreking van hierdie aspekte redelik beperk. In Meer gedetaileerde bespreking van twee werke volg, naamlik die sangsiklus Alleenstryd en die Strykkwartet. Buiten 'n analise word ook na ander aspekte van hierdie werke gekyk, soos byvoorbeeld die wyse waarop die komponis se uitgangspunte oor musiek in hierdie werke tot uiting kom. Die tesis sluit af met 'n volledige werklys wat alle werke tot en met Julie 1999 insluit. Daar is altesaam 50 werke. Om soveel as moontlik inligting te verskaf, word buiten die standaard-inligting, ook die tydsduur en 'n beskrywende paragraaf oor elke komposisie ingesluit.

The poet of this cycle, Sydney Vernon Petersen, was a man who faced great adversity during Apartheid. The title of this cycle, Alleenstryd, is an Afrikaans term for 'a struggle alone.' Petersen was of mixed heritage or "Coloured" and born in South Africa in 1914. He died in 1987. His most important works in Afrikaans poetry were published between 1948 and 1965. This cycle specifically focuses on the relationship between the poet and his community, the isolation he endured within that community, the depths of despair he felt and how he overcame those obstacles to finally achieve a sense of self-worth. This group of poems, first published as an anthology by Tafelberg Press in 1979, became the source of inspiration for the composer Hendrik Hofmeyr. The purpose of this research is to identify the significant social, political and musical influences on the composer which contributed to the composition of Alleenstryd (1996), especially the significance of his self-imposed exile. Also, the Afrikaans language, a derivative of 17th century Dutch, is a language dear to its speakers but not widely accessible or familiar to most other nations. Hopefully this research will provide more information and make the language, its composers and the story of the dark history surrounding Apartheid and specifically the individuals who excelled through hardship, available to more people.

Thesis (MMus) – Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The sonata for violin and piano has a well-deserved place within chamber music in South Africa. It has always been one of the most prominent chamber music genres within Western art music. Between 1800 and 1900 this genre took up 21% of all composed sonatas at the time. This study provides insight into the situation in South Africa about 100 years later and it provides a critical text analysis of three violin sonatas by three of the most prominent composers of art music in South Africa. These composers are Roelof Temmingh (1993), Peter Klatzow (1996) and Hendrik Hofmeyr (2008). These are the only sonatas for violin and piano written by these three composers. There is a limited amount of violin sonatas in South Africa. A list acquired from SAMRO, statistically the most reliable source of worklists in South Africa, contains only eleven sonatas for violin and piano. These do not even include the violin sonatas of Temmingh and Hofmeyr. The limited amount of sources forces a unique aspect of research method, namely conversations with two of these composers themselves (Klatzow and Hofmeyr). This primary source of information from the two living composers assisted in the analysis of the music. European influences can be seen in all three of these sonatas. The three composers adapt and transform the music to fit their individual use of sonata form. Each of these three works contains three movements, as is customary with traditional sonata form. The second movements function as intermezzi, that leads the narrative through from the first to the last movement. Each of the three composers have their own unique sense of tonality and thematic use. Temmingh uses a main theme that resurfaces throughout the three movements – leading the whole work to sound like one large movement. Klatzow uses complicated thematic structures and thick textures. From these thematic material he extracts smaller parts later in the movement to recapture the essence of the main theme complex and to add unity to the work as a whole. Hofmeyr uses carefully planned structures and this makes his sonata the most structured of the three. His textures are thick and his tessituras are wide, and he is the only one of the three composers who uses key signatures. Like Temmingh he also makes use of a main motto-theme that resurfaces in the last movement adapted to fit the movement’s structure. In terms of the traditional use of form structure these three sonatas fit the 19h century conventions. The main outcome of this study is to introduce these works to especially the younger generation of performers in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Soos menige ander kunsmusiek-genre het ook die (begeleide) vioolsonate ‘n stewige plek in die Suid-Afrikaanse musiek verkry. Die sonate vir viool en klavier is een van die mees prominente kamermusiek-genres in Westerse kunsmusiek. Tussen 1800 en 1900 was soveel as 21% van alle sonates, werke vir viool en klavier. Dit is dus van spesiale belang om kennis te neem ten opsigte van hierdie situasie in Suid-Afrika ongeveer 100 jaar later. Die kern van hierdie tesis is ‘n stylkritiese teksanalise van drie Suid-Afrikaanse vioolsonates deur drie prominente Suid-Afrikaanse komponiste, nl. Roelof Temmingh (1993), Peter Klatzow (1996) en Hendrik Hofmeyr (2008). Met uitsondering van ‘n sonate vir solo viool deur Klatzow, is hierdie werke die enigste vioolsonates deur dié komponiste. Daar is ‘n beperkte aantal vioolsonates in Suid-Afrika. Selfs by SAMRO, wat ‘n aanvaarde statistiese bron van die werkslyste van komponiste in Suid-Afrika is, is daar slegs elf vioolsonates op rekord (dit sluit die vioolsonates van Temmingh en Hofmeyr uit). Die skaarste aan bronne wat oor dié onderwerp handel, dwing die navorser om onderhoude met die oorlewende twee komponiste te voer. Dit is uniek om musiek te kan bespreek met die komponis daarvan. Hierdie primêre bron van inligting vertoon unieke insigte, wat ‘n invloed op die analises van die musiek gehad het. Europese invloede is by al drie komponiste sigbaar. Die toepassings van die struktuurelemente van sonatevorm kom by al drie komponiste voor. Al drie werke is driedelig en die eerste bewegings is almal in aangepaste sonatevorm. Die tweede bewegings vorm deel van ‘n deurloop (ter ondersteuning van die narratief) na die laaste beweging toe en die laaste bewegings sorg by elke werk vir ’n unieke vorm van “konflikoplossing”. Al drie komponiste toon hul eie spesifieke sin vir tonaliteit en tematiek. Temmingh se sonate loop amper as ‘n eenbewegingstruktuur, deur middel van ‘n “motto”-tema, wat deurgaans in dieselfde toonsoort voorkom. Klatzow gebruik ‘n verskeidenheid teksture en tessiture, asook lang temakomplekse, waaruit sekere kleiner motiewe gehaal word om die musiek se eenheidsin weer te gee. Hofmeyr se uiteengesette vormplanne maak sy werk meer gestruktureerd. Ook by hom is die teksture omvangryk, maar sy gebruik van toonsoorttekens (wat afwesig is by die ander twee komponiste) vertoon nie deurgaans die toonsoort waarin die musiek werklik is nie. Hy maak ook van ‘n motto-tema gebruik. Die eerste beweging open daarmee en in die derde beweging keer dit in ‘n aangepaste vorm terug. In terme van die tradisionele Europese vormgebruike, kan hierdie drie vioolsonates onder 19de-eeuse kunsmusiek geklassifiseer word. Hierdie studie poog om ‘n bydrae te maak tot die bekendstelling van hierdie werke by veral jong musici in Suid-Afrika.

Hendrik Hofmeyr is considered one of the most important and influential living composers in South Africa. His music for solo saxophone is not well-known in the classical saxophone repertoire. His four works for solo saxophone (Concerto per saxofono contralto e orchestra, Concerto per saxofono baritono e orchestra, Partita canonica, and Necromancer) are substantial and terrific repertoire for the instrument. This study is intended to inform a saxophone performer's understanding of these compositions through analysis of form, melodic, and harmonic content relevant to performance; and, demonstrate through example the conclusions determined by the analysis about apparent compositional techniques in the music.

Thesis (MMus (Music))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / This study represents a contribution to the subject-didactical review of three prominent compositions for the violin by three prominent South African composers, namely the Sonata on African Motives by Stefans Grové (1985), Luamerava by Hendrik Hofmeyr (2000) and the Concerto for violin and orchestra by Allan Stephenson (2007). The three composers are discussed with reference to biographical detail and broad compositional style, while the works are reviewed according to musicological aspects as well as violin specific didactical aspects. To avoid too much repetition, a chapter concerning technical issues and practice methods pertaining to all three works was added. In the Sonata on African Motives, Stefans Grové merges his “old” compositional style, in this work loosely represented by a lack of tonality and metre, as well as complicated use of rhythm, with his “new” African voice (1984-). The African voice, represented by a melody he overheard a black roadworker sing, ties the work together. The sonata consists of five movements, with the first and fourth movements, and the third and fifth movements linked through content. This work presents challenging ensemble playing, rhythmic detail, diverse timbre changes in the violin part, as well as pitch difficulty due to unusual intervals without tonal context. Hendrik Hofmeyr‟s Luamerava was commissioned by SAMRO for the overseas scholarship. The title refers to the last of the mythical Children of the Lost Star who lived in the Cariba gorge on the banks of the Zambezi river (according to Mutwa‟s description of the oral culture of the people of that region). The piece, like the Grové, is thus linked to Africa. The work was composed for solo violin, Hofmeyr makes the most of the lyrical and sonorous qualities of the instrument. Compared to the other two works studied, Luamerava presents the most advanced technical challenges, with extensive doublestopping being the main challenge. Allan Stephenson‟s Concerto differs significantly from the other two works studied in the sense that it is instantly appealing to the general music lover, mainly because of his use of easy flowing melodies. The concerto has, as is tradition, three movements. Although the work contains ample technical challenges, it is obvious that it was composed by a string player – both the extensive running passages and double stopping are quite possible to play once good fingerings have been found. In the discussion of these works, attempts at solving specific technical problems are made.