Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, 2004. / System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Includes bibliographical references (p. 255-265).

Thèse--Paris--Sorbonne, 1978. / Glossaire p. 476-484. Bibliogr. et discogr. p. 485-515. Index.

xiv, 111 p. : music. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / As a prolific song composer whose works span the development of the French song cycle, Massenet is worthy of close examination. To date, analyses of his songs have included a cursory glance by Frits Noske and a review of thematic relationships by Mario Champagne. These analyses leave many of Massenet's compositions untouched and exclude many musical features of merit. This thesis offers a thorough evaluation of Massenet's songs with the aim of tracing the development of his style as an outgrowth of German influence. I focus on three works from the beginning, middle, and end of Massenet's career--Poeme d'avril, Poeme d'amour, and Expressions lyriques--that show the progression of Massenet's style and establish his place as a bridge between the great lieder composers of the early nineteenth century and the great melodie composers of the early twentieth century. / Committee in charge: Dr. Stephen Rodgers, chair; Dr. Jack Boss; Prof. Laura Wayte

Treatise (D.M.A.) Florida State University, 2008. / Advisor: Douglas Fisher, Florida State University College of Music. Title and description form dissertation home page (viewed 4-6-2009). Document formatted into pages; contains 59 pages.

Over the last quarter-century, scholars have taken a unified approach in discussing form in Italian and French opera of the nineteenth century. This approach centers around the four-part aria and duet form begun by Bellini, codified by Rossini, modified by Verdi, and dissolved by Puccini. A similar trajectory can be seen in French opera in the works of Meyerbeer, Gounod, and Massenet; however, only Meyerbeer and Gounod have received significant critical attention. This is in part due to Massenet's reception as a "composer for the people," a title ill fitting and ripe for reconsideration. This dissertation will examine duet forms in Massenet's oeuvre and will focus on the gradual change in style manifest in his twenty-five operas. Massenet's output can be divided into three distinct periods delineated by his approach to form. Representative works from each period will show how he inherited, interpreted, thwarted, and ultimately rewrote the standard formal conventions of his time and in doing so, created a dramaturgical approach to opera that unified the formerly separate number-based elements. Massenet's longevity and popular appeal make him the quintessential French opera composer of the fin de siècle and the natural choice for examining reconstructed conventions.

Francisco Braga (1868-1945) fut une personnalité musicale très marquante en son temps : compositeur, chef d’orchestre, professeur, il occupa de nombreuses et importantes fonctions dans le scénario musical brésilien, qui assista à d’importantes transformations à partir du début du XXe siècle. Malgré son séjour de dix ans en Europe, ce compositeur demeure encore virtuellement méconnu à l’étranger ce qui s’avère être également vrai auprès des nouvelles générations de musiciens dans son pays natal. Cette thèse présente la biographie de Braga et l’analyse de quelques-unes de ses œuvres orchestrales. En examinant sa trajectoire dans les divers contextes musicaux, l’on sera en mesure de mieux déterminer la portée de son œuvre artistique. Un catalogue de ses compositions, ainsi que divers documents difficiles d’accès accompagnent ce travail. / Francisco Braga (1868-1945) has been a famous musician in his time: as composer, conductor and teacher, he held several and important positions in the Brazilian musical scenario, which suffered important changes from the beginning of the 20th century. Notwithstanding his ten-year period in Europe, he still remains virtually unknown to audiences abroad, a fact which proves to be also true among the new generations of musicians in his native country. This dissertation presents thus Braga’s biography as well as the analysis of some of his orchestral works. Examining his career within the various musical contexts, we shall be able to better apprehend the significance of his artistic output. Included are a catalog of his compositions and various selected documents.

Jules Massenet's mélodies feature a distinct vocal treatment regarding musical prosody through his eight song cycles, including Poëme d'Avril, Poëme Pastoral, Poëme du Souvenir, Poëme d'Amour, Poëme d'Hiver, Poëme d'un Soir, and Quelques Chansons Mauves, and a collection, Expressions Lyriques. These mélodies show the influence of the trend of salon music and the high-level poetry from the poetic movements of romanticism, Parnassianism, and symbolism. This study deals with Massenet's mélodies relating to the prosody idea, which is conspicuous in his vocal treatment. His melodic styles feature four distinct aspects of vocal treatment including lyrical, recitative or parlando, melodramatic, and déclamation rhythmée, and represent the idea of musical prosody of phonetic, syntactic, and semantic aspects. Massenet's other musical idioms such as harmony, form, and piano treatment, are also closely related to the prosody matter as a semantic aspect, reinforcing the poetic mood and content. In this study, each melodic style related to French versification is examined in detail. The musical analysis regarding the other musical idioms on selected examples presents the semantic feature of prosody idea. The brief review of French versification and opinions regarding the performance are included. Massenet's contribution to the genre of mélodie, with the prose melody and treatment of piano as an equal partner of voice line, is clearly demonstrated. With this contribution, Massenet should be recognized as the most influential composer to the climatic time of French mélodie led by Fauré, and Debussy, and Duparc.

Note:

Mezzo-soprano roles in French opera at the end of the nineteenth century were fatalistic; that is, the y inevitably bring about min or death. This thesis studies three mezzo-soprano roles in French Romantic opera from a performer's perspective: Carmen in Georges Bizet's Carmen, Dalila in Camille Saint-Sans' Samson et Dalila and Charlotte in Jules Massenet's Werther. These three characters cause the min of three romantic heroes all performed by tenors. What are the new narrative and dramatic functions of mezzo-sopranos in French opera at the end of the nineteenth century? As a performer, it is important to understand one's voice-type, the roles that are generally attributed to it, and the impact they have on dramatic and musical representation. This short analysis will help young performers in their approach to a character in order to have a better comprehension of aIl the dimensions and subtleties that are related to it. / Les rles des mezzo-sopranos dans l'opra franais de la fin du 19ime sicle sont trs fatalistes, c'est--dire qu'ils entranent invitablement la ruine, la mort. Ainsi, dans une perspective d'interprte, cette thse se penche sur trois rles fminins de mezzosoprano de l'opra franais romantique la fin du 19ime sicle : Carmen dans l'opra du mme titre de Georges Bizet, Dalila dans Samson et DWa de Camille Saint-Sans ainsi que Charlotte dans Werther de Jules Massenet. Ces trois personnages occasionnent la perte de trois hros romantiques tous interprts par des tnors. En ce sens, quelles sont les nouvelles fonctions narratives et dramatiques des mezzo-sopranos dans l'opra franais du 19ime sicle? En tant qu'interprte, il est important de bien comprendre notre type de voix, les rles qui lui sont gnralement attribus, l'impact de ceux-ci dans les histoires opratiques et dans leur reprsentation musicale. Cette courte analyse permettra de jeunes interprtes de les guider, de les aider dans leur approche d'un personnage et de mieux comprendre toutes les dimensions et les subtilits qui s'y rattachent.