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The intent of this dissertation is to provide a reference guide for any prospective performer of Alec Wilder's four works for marimba: Suite for Solo Guitar (1976), Suite for Trumpet and Marimba (1977), Suite for Flute and Marimba (1977), and Sextet for Marimba and Wind Quintet (1977). The first part of the dissertation provides background information pertaining to Wilder himself, the works for marimba, and theoretical aspects of Wilder's music. The second part addresses specific performance problems contained in the music. The dissertation culminates with the presentation of a performance edition of the marimba part of the previously unedited Sextet.

This dissertation and accompanying lecture recital explore the unique textural features in the works of Steven Mackey as exhibited in See Ya Thursday (1993).A rigorous formal, harmonic, and motivic analysis will highlight the compositional characteristics of textural structure and aural perspective that exist in the work. Illumination of these compositional elements can help to identify and minimize the technical complexities that exist within this piece for the performer. In addition, this document provides brief biographical information on Steven Mackey and his works, and on See Ya Thursday as it relates to other pieces in the advanced marimba literature. Finally, it is the aim of the author to add a resource to the relatively limited amount of research on Steven Mackey with this analysis of See Ya Thursday.

Since its early development in the 16th century, chamber music has had an extensive evolution. In recent years as composers have become more experimental concerning instrumentation in chamber music settings, many have began to combine wind instruments with percussion, thus creating a new genre. Even more specific genres have evolved from these happenings in chamber music, such as the duo of a solo wind instrument paired with a mallet percussion instrument. The horn, an important and diverse figure amongst the chamber music literature, has been no exception to this development. There has been an increase in popularity of music for horn and mallet percussion to be performed and recorded, but there has not been an extensive amount of scholarship on the topic. This study will focus exclusively on three works for horn and mallet percussion: HornVibes (1984) by Verne Reynolds, Sonata for Horn and Marimba (1986) by Charles Taylor, and The Call of Boromir (1996) by Daniel McCarthy. These works were selected based on their availability through professional recordings and publishing companies. Coincidentally, the three chosen works for this study were composed for Leslie and Christopher Norton. The purpose of this paper is to provide a performance guide for horn players who are considering these three works for a performance. It contains an introduction that displays the need for the study, a review of the role of the horn in chamber music, an explanation of the events leading up to the study, and methods used to conduct the study. For each individual work, there is a chapter containing a brief biography of the composer, an analysis, and performance preparation suggestions. Musical examples and tables are used in each chapter to aid in explanation. The goal of this performance guide is to provide an introduction to a newer genre of chamber music, and to provide horn players with insight and recommendations in order to properly prepare and perform works for this unique ensemble.

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System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Accompanied by 1 recital, recorded Oct. 22, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-56).

Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra is a twenty-two minute work cast in a traditional three movement concerto form. The basic harmonic/melodic materials are hexads and complementary hexads built on intervallic projections as propounded in Howard Hanson's Harmonic Materials of Modern Music. The opening movement is in double exposition form with a cadenza before the recapitulation. Marimba techniques used in the opening movement include chromatic thirty-second notes, mirrored octaves and single hand alternate sticking patterns. The form of the second movement is a rondo song form: a- b- a (inversion)- b (inversion)- c- c (retrograde)- b (retrograde-inversion)- a. The marimba plays rolled chords throughout much of the movement. The form of the third movement is a fast sonata-rondo form: a - b - a - development - b - a - coda. The development section of this final movement develops materials from both of the preceding movements and thus creates a cyclic form for the work. Marimba techniques explored in the third movement include dead strokes, octave dead strokes alternating with rolled octaves and, thirty-second note hexad patterns in fast alternation with the orchestra. This movement also contains sections in which the xylophone plays in duet with the marimba. Some of the compositional techniques used in the Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra include rhythmic modulation, augmentation, diminution, ostinato, inversion, retrograde, mirroring, odd meters, fragmentation, parallel motion, contrary motion, African rhythmic structure, harmonization with complementary sets and register sweeps.

My Concerto for Marimba Quartet and Orchestra is designed to be a showcase for marimba ensemble, within the context of a traditional orchestral concerto. It is comprised of three movements. The language of the concerto is at times pluralistic, and at other times homogeneous. The music plays with repetition, simplicity, variability and persistence. The three movements that comprise this concerto are each designed to capitalize on the unique sound of the marimbas in combination with other instruments. In the first movement a small three-note motive (carefully selected to be easy to play rapidly with mallets) is translated from the marimbas to the ensemble to create homogenous textures that develop harmonically using pattern and repetition. The second movement is an exploration of the elasticity of rhythm. It sets the marimbas against still chords in the orchestra. It also employs a heightened level of chromaticism in passages that contrast with diatonic chords that are built from the three- note motive of the first movement. The final movement is an exploration of ensemble virtuosity. Rhythms and harmonic material are passed throughout the soloists and orchestra. This movement is designed to play with repetition and the expectations of a rondo form. Material from the two previous movements is recapped at the end.

My Concerto for Marimba Quartet and Orchestra is designed to be a showcase for marimba ensemble, within the context of a traditional orchestral concerto. It is comprised of three movements. The language of the concerto is at times pluralistic, and at other times homogeneous. The music plays with repetition, simplicity, variability and persistence. The three movements that comprise this concerto are each designed to capitalize on the unique sound of the marimbas in combination with other instruments. In the first movement a small three-note motive (carefully selected to be easy to play rapidly with mallets) is translated from the marimbas to the ensemble to create homogenous textures that develop harmonically using pattern and repetition. The second movement is an exploration of the elasticity of rhythm. It sets the marimbas against still chords in the orchestra. It also employs a heightened level of chromaticism in passages that contrast with diatonic chords that are built from the three- note motive of the first movement. The final movement is an exploration of ensemble virtuosity. Rhythms and harmonic material are passed throughout the soloists and orchestra. This movement is designed to play with repetition and the expectations of a rondo form. Material from the two previous movements is recapped at the end.