The contributions made by American composers to the repertoire for women's chorus have increased significantly since 1940. This study was undertaken because previous investigations are international in scope and do not give an adequate view of the broad range of American works now available. Criteria established for works to be included in the study were as follows: (1) original compositions by American composers; (2) at least six minutes in duration; (3) available to the public from a publisher, composer, or repository of American works; (4) publication or composition date after 1940 and before 1980. The study includes both secular and sacred works. Qualitative comments were avoided because they were not consistent with the object of the study. Since numerous works are out of print and are almost impossible to obtain, the 91 works annotated in the study represent but a portion of the total output of American composers. Each annotation includes composer name; composer dates (when available); title of composition; date of publication or composition; text source; voicing; ranges of individual parts; level of difficulty; duration; accompaniment medium; and publisher and catalog information. A descriptive paragraph on the work in toto and on each movement or set piece briefly discusses text content, harmonic background, melody, rhythm, tessitura, meter, texture, form, role of accompaniment, and/or other salient features.

It would seem that the thematic structure of the sonata is at least as important as the tonal scheme, if not more so. With this possibility in mind and with the recognition that composers continue to employ "sonata" as a title, a study of the contemporary sonata seems both useful and valid.

During the first half of this century, a wealth of anthem literature was published and performed in the United States that, as a result of the deluge of new publications since those years, has been either forgotten or is unknown to modern church musicians. The purpose of this study is to make the best of this music known, for much of it is still both suitable and desirable for contemporary worship. The research is grouped into six chapters that are entitled: The Quartet Anthem, "Anthems in the Anglican Tradition," "Prominent Choral Ensembles and the Dissemination of the Anthem," "Anthems by Prominent Music Educators," "Anthems in the Russian Style," and "The Negro Spiritual."

When John Cage invented the prepared piano in 1940, he created a sound world and body of music unlike anything heard before. The innovative music he wrote for prepared piano requires a completely new approach to performance, and expands our understanding of the piano's capabilities. This study will examine the main prepared piano works by John Cage, with a detailed analysis of the Sonatas and Interludes. Cage's Table of Preparations will be examined to establish an aesthetic rationale for this preparation. Different modes of listening will be explored through a selection of the Sonatas and Interludes recorded in three different technological systems - conventional AB 2.0, surround 5.1, and Disk Jecklin. The latter allows for a true "surround sound" experience as Cage himself might have heard his own pieces. Included is a compact disc of selections from Sonatas and Interludes recorded in each of the three technological systems. / by Inara Ferreira. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Sung, Kei Yan. / Thesis submitted in: December 2007. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-86). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 1 --- General Background Information / Chapter ´ؤ --- Part I The American Context: Second Half of Twentieth Century --- p.5 / Chapter ´ؤ --- Part II Experimentalism --- p.9 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Biographical Contexts / Chapter ´ؤ --- Biography - A Transethnic Overview --- p.15 / Chapter ´ؤ --- Harrison and Contemporary Composers: Relationship and Influences --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Composing Otherness / Chapter ´ؤ --- Part I Concerto in Slendro: An Anticipation of Asia --- p.38 / Chapter ´ؤ --- Part II Transethnicism in the Mature Period -- Varied Trio --- p.53 / Conclusion --- p.76 / Bibliography --- p.80

This dissertation complements those analytical studies which discuss choral works and techniques of contemporary choral composition, by examining what twentieth-century literature was actually performed within one of the choral traditions of the United States.The a cappella choral tradition has spread widely throughout the United States. Previous studies have examined the history of the pioneering a cappella choirs and the biographies of the movement's leaders. This study also complements them in examining another aspect of the a cappella tradition.Three representative choirs were chosen: the Concordia Choir from Moorhead, Minnesota, Paul J. Christiansen, conductor; the Nordic Choir of Luther College from Decorah, Iowa, Weston Noble, conductor; and the St. Olaf Choir from Northfield, Minnesota, Kenneth Jennings, conductor. These choirs were selected because each had a long tradition of touring -- consequently exposing a broader public to the literature they performed, because each choir has been widely acknowledged for performance excellence, and because each has had remarkable continuity in leadership -having only one or two conductors during the thirty-six year span included in this study.The program archives of each choir were examined to determine the twentieth-century literature which had been performed. Three conductors, Paul J. Christiansen, Kenneth Jennings, and Weston Noble, were interviewed with regard to their ideas concerning selection and preparation of twentieth-century choral music.Though each choir was found to have some distinct patterns, there were also several elements in common among the choirs:1. Each took. seriously the relationship between music and text, and the fact that the choirs were representatives of Lutheran colleges.2. Each emphasized the highest possible level of performance in order that the expressive and aesthetic qualities of the music sung would be comprehended by both singers and audience.3. Each has given a prominent place to twentieth-century music by American composers.4. Each has given a comparatively minor role to music by Scandinavian composers.5. Each has repeated certain works several times during the thirty-six years, helping to establish them in the choral repertory.6. Each has performed an approximately constant quantity of twentieth-century music during the thirty-six years, but each has tended to program progressively more challenging works as time goes on. Appendices present listings of the choral literature included in the study, of the repertory for each choir, and of currently available recordings by the three choirs of twentieth-century choral music. / School of Music

This study is an examination of the Surrealist movement and its influence on the piano music of twentieth century American composers. The first chapter explores the philosophies of the Surrealists as well as the characteristics found in Surrealist art and literature. The characteristics discussed include: 1) the practice of automatism; 2) the juxtaposition of unrelated themes or images; and 3) the creation of dream-like atmospheres.

Government investigations into the motion picture industry are well-documented, as is the widespread blacklisting that was concurrent. Not nearly so well documented are the many investigations of musicians and musical organizations which occurred during this same period. The degree to which various musicians and musical organizations were investigated varied considerably. Some warranted only passing mention, while others were rigorously questioned in formal Congressional hearings. Hanns Eisler was deported as a result of the House Committee on Un-American Activities' (HUAC) investigation into his background and activities in the United States. Leonard Bernstein, Marc Blitzstein, and Aaron Copland are but a few of the prominent composers investigated by the government for their involvement in leftist organizations. The Symphony of the Air was denied visas for a Near East tour after several orchestra members were implicated as Communists. Members of musicians' unions in New York and Los Angeles were called before HUAC hearings because of alleged infiltration by Communists into their ranks. The Metropolitan Music School of New York, led by its president-emeritus, the composer Wallingford Riegger, was the subject of a two day congressional hearing in New York City. There is no way to measure either quantitatively or qualitatively the effect of the period on the music but only the extent to which the activities affected the musicians themselves. The extraordinary paucity of published information about the treatment of the musicians during this period is put into even greater relief when compared to the thorough manner in which the other arts, notably literature and film, have been examined. This work attempts to fill this gap and shed light on a particularly dark chapter in the history of contemporary music.

The purpose of this survey is to evaluate the contribution that the Westminster Choir movement has made to choral music in the United States today. It is hoped after the contributions have been stated by the investigator that the important position Westminster Choir College is occupying will be better understood.

This study explores the choral cycle as a genre and analyzes in depth four representative choral cycles, all of them American, and all composed in the twentieth century. Choral cycles are multi-movement choral works intended by their composers to be performed as sets. The term “choral cycle” has been used for only about a hundred years; similar genres include song cycles, for solo voice, and cantatas, usually for soloists and choir. Choral cycles, however, typically use several poetic texts unified by common theme or common author, and do not typically contain solo movements. The evolution of the use of the term by some composers and publishers has been inconsistent, but it seems to have been an effort to describe compositions that were inadequately described by other genre names. This study shows that composers and musicologists have used the term with increasing frequency. The four choral cycles analyzed in this study are The Hour-Glass by Irving Fine, American Madrigals by Kirke Mechem, Voices by Stephen Paulus, and Five Hebrew Love Songs by Eric Whitacre. These four cycles demonstrate widely divergent compositional techniques, performing force requirements, and uses of text. As such, they illustrate the wide range of possibilities within this genre. In addition to the detailed analysis of the aforementioned choral cycles, this study also provides background into the historical predecessors of choral cycles. An appendix offers a list of numerous other choral cycles for consideration. / Choral cycles in historical context -- The hour glass by Irving Fine -- American madrigals by Kirke Mechem -- Voices by Stephen Paulus -- Five Hebrew love songs by Eric Whitacre -- Summary and conclusions. / School of Music