In 1939, during his studies at the Eastman School of Music, John La Montaine (1920-2013) composed a Scherzo for four trombones. The Scherzo was revised more than 60 years later, becoming the third movement of a three-movement trombone quartet completed in 2001. Interestingly, the same Scherzo subsequently appeared in two of his later works: first the final movement of his Piano Concerto No. 4 Op. 59 (1989) and 12 years later as the final movement of a three-movement Trombone Quartet. The thesis presents a detailed account of the compositional history of the Scherzo, its connection to the first two movements, and a performance edition of the Scherzo based on my collaboration with the composer between for five years from 2003 to 2007.

Master of Music / Department of Music / Mary Lee Cochran / This Master’s report encompasses form, harmonic analysis, and style analysis of the four works performed on February 11th, 2007 for the author’s Master’s recital. Analysis was based on the author’s experience with the pieces. Many sources were utilized to discuss composer biographies, background information of the solos, and historical information of musical terms and periods. The pieces are Georg Philipp Telemann’s Sonata in F minor, John La Montaine’s Sonata for Flute Solo, Kelly McCarty’s Cinco Mundos, and Otar Taktakishvili’s Sonata for Flute and Piano.

This comprehensive study specifically includes: a brief biography of La Montaine, background surrounding the composition of the three works, a thorough analysis of each work, and a style comparison of the three pieces. Materials in the appendixes are: an annotated list of La Montaine's flute compositions; the text of the song cycle Fragments; an interview with John La Montaine; and an interview with Doriot Anthony Dwyer, to whom Come into My Garden and My Beloved, Let Us Go Forth are dedicated.

The purpose of this research is to examine John La Montaine's only two song cycles for soprano and orchestra, Songs of the Rose of Sharon, opus 6 (1947) and Fragments from the Song of Songs, opus 29 (1959). In this investigation-the first ever specific to these works-I examine the works and cultural context in which they were created. I then evaluate the reasonable possibility that La Montaine used his public platform as a composer and performer to subtly celebrate taboo themes of feminism, sexuality, and blackness while shining a light on human injustice. Through close examination of social and historical context, I argue two points. Firstly, Rose of Sharon and Fragments are landmark American works. They are anomalies in classical music history in that a white male heralds texts about a black woman in an unlikely time in American history, thus arguably becoming an unlikely part of the evolution of African-American women in artistic endeavors. Secondly, in the performance guide, I advocate that these works would readily adapt to a staged performance. I discuss how La Montaine's musical settings illustrate the inherent drama of the text, provide a context for interpreting the protagonist in Rose of Sharon and Fragments, and present an interpretation of how these works could be staged. The ultimate goal of this research is to bring these intricately crafted masterpieces to the attention of singers and voice teachers so that they may assume their rightful place in the repertoire.