"An amiable personality, not himself an unusually passionate man, HoIst has excited more violent passions than any other contemporary English composer. How difficult he is to assess as a creative artist is perhaps indicated by the extraordinary fluctuations in his reputation." For a number of years he was completely unknown and ignored, living a quiet and unhurried life as an obscure teacher. Then with a momentary flash, after outstanding works such as "The Planets," and the "Ode to Death," he was caught up in a wave of public approval that made him, for a time, the recipient of national and even international honors. He was awarded the gold medal by the Royal Philharmonic Society, was made a Fellow of the Royal Col.ege of Music, and was offered honorary degrees by American universities.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Gustav Holst's one-act opera Sāvitri (1908-9) represents a turning point in his compositional style, which came at a significant time in British history. Holst combines a simpler style informed by his work with English folksong with the Wagnerian style that permeated his earlier compositions. Although influenced by a British imperialist view of the world, Sāvitri renders Hindu-Indian culture in positive terms without relying on the purely exotic, offers a perspective on gender relationships that does not depend solely on convention, and presents the commoner as the British ideal rather than romanticizing the aristocracy. The result is an opera subtle in its complexity, approaching the profound themes of love, death, and spirituality with emotional restraint and self-control.

Orientador: Eduardo Augusto Östergren / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T23:43:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arrais_GersonStencel_M.pdf: 4019246 bytes, checksum: 050b7c35c73fecadbe563308795123fd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O presente estudo tem por objetivo principal a apresentação de aspectos interpretativos concernentes ao preparo, pelo regente, da First Suite in Eb op. 28 No. 1 de Gustav Holst, através de um processo que inclui: contextualização histórica da obra e do compositor, análise musical e propostas interpretativas. No primeiro capítulo é apresentada a evolução das bandas militares inglesas até o início do século XX, período da composição da peça. O segundo capítulo mostra a relação do compositor com as bandas militares e como esta composição influenciou todo o repertório de Banda Sinfônica. A análise musical é o tema do terceiro capítulo, que traz a discussão sobre o termo chaconne, além de análises temática, formal, harmônica, de texturas e rítmica. No quarto capítulo são apresentadas questões interpretativas que dizem respeito a edições da partitura, ajustes e soluções para diferentes possibilidades de numerário instrumental, bem como sugestões metronômicas, questões expressivas e disposição dos naipes da banda para a interpretação da obra estudada. O presente estudo poderá também servir de modelo sugestivo ao regente de Banda Sinfônica no preparo interpretativo de obras para esta formação / Abstract: This study's main objective is to present interpretive aspects concerning to the preparation, by the conductor, of the First Suite in Eb op. 28 No. 1 by Gustav Holst, through a process that includes: historical background of either work and composer, musical analysis and interpretive proposals. The first chapter presents the evolution of British military bands until early twentieth century, when the piece was composed. The second chapter shows the composer's relationship with military bands and how this composition has influenced the whole Symphonic Band repertoire. Musical analysis is the theme of the third chapter, which brings up a discussion about the term chaconne, it also presents thematic, formal, harmonic, textural and rhythmic analysis. The fourth chapter presents interpretive issues concerning score editions, adjustments and solutions for different possibilities in instrumental settings, as well as metronome suggestions, expressive issues and band seating arrangements. This study may also provide suggested model for the Symphonic Band conductor for preparation of works for this medium / Mestrado / Praticas Interpretativas / Mestre em Música

The purpose of this study is to examine three works for the unusual combination of violin and voice. Chamber music for violin and keyboard and violin and other instruments has been extant since the Baroque period. However, three English composers found a unique chamber grouping in the first decades of the twentieth century: Gustav Holst (1874-1934), Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979), and Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) each wrote works for violin and voice. Holst's Four Songs for Voice and Violin, Op. 35 (1917), Vaughan Williams' Along the Field, Eight Housman Songs for Voice and Violin (1927, revised 1954), and Clarke's Three Old English Songs (1924) each utilize the combination of violin and voice. The violin in each is not relegated to accompaniment but is instead a true partner. This study will investigate these works. A history of each composition will be chronicled. An analytical discussion of formal organization and significant style features will include consideration of the musical structure, harmonic language, and the use of text in select movements of each work. Finally, performance suggestions pertaining to technical and artistic issues offer specific recommendations as an aid in performance preparation. In order to provide historical and musical context, a brief overview of Late Romantic and early Twentieth-Century chamber music with strings and voice will be given. This overview will help to illuminate the uniqueness of the pairing of violin and voice. Discovery of the works discussed here makes possible an expanded repertoire of good music for both violinists and vocalists. It is also hoped that through the performance of these works a spark might be set with composers to create more pieces for this most intimate of duos.

Since most historical composers of Western art music were European Christians (or resided in areas that were primarily populated by Christians), a vast majority of the sacred choral-orchestral repertoire is based on major figures and themes from the most prominent denominations, including Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism. As a corollary this is also the case for analytical, pedagogical, and exegetical literature related to the topic. However, in the late nineteenth century some composers began to look to other faith traditions for inspiration, which resulted in compositions based on texts that are less-familiar to Western audience members and performers. Despite the fact that many of these pieces are innovative and well-written, few, if any, have entered the standard repertoire. Because of this they are under-represented in both performance and extant music literature. The purpose of this study is to examine three compositions from this marginalized category in order to produce a guide that provides salient information on the religious/cultural background and musical aspects of each work. This guide will serve as a resource for conductors to facilitate an understanding of and connection with the text, allow informed programming decisions, and promote approaches that are appropriate and respectful to the religious source material. The pieces selected for investigation are Gustav Holst's Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Op. 26: First Group, Lili Boulanger's Vielle Prière Bouddhique (Old Buddhist Prayer), and Robert Cundick's The Redeemer.