<p> The goal of this study is to relate blues characteristics as they appear in the playing of Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker, and Ornette Coleman, to blues lyrics, Signifying, the artists&rsquo; life experiences, and to the ancient cultural icon Esu-Elegbara. This study reviews the theory of Signifying, discusses existing literature on blues Signifying, and investigates select biographical information of each player. In addition, the study presents and analyzes transcriptions of jazz improvisations for each artist and reveals and investigates their blues characteristics. The study then contextualizes discovered blues characteristics in terms of blues lyrics (and consequently their melodies), the meaning of these lyrics, and later their respective artist&rsquo;s life experiences. Findings show that each artist has personal similarities to the Yoruban cultural figure Esu-Elegbara. These similarities assist in revealing the Signifying nature of the blues characteristics in the case studies&rsquo; improvisations. </p>

This document will attempt to put Bright Sheng's "Seven Tunes Heard in China" in a context of solo works for the cello that follows a universal tradition of concert works based on folk music and dance style. In this case, these seven works emanate from seven diverse regions of China, and all represent a different style and character which Sheng has translated to a single work for solo cello. Based on preexisting models of folk song tradition, I am seeking parallels between the work of Mr. Sheng and the original traditions behind this composition. I will discuss the various regional influences and the methods in which Sheng exploits the cello to produce the sounds, character and general feeling of these different folk idioms. There are many performance practice issues in this demanding work, which I will address throughout the paper, occasionally offering suggestions for the facilitation of these ideas. Mr. Sheng is obviously using the cello to portray and imitate a range of Chinese indigenous instruments, and has created a codification of such sounds as they occur throughout the work. Although these seven movements are based on actual folk material, the bulk of the writing is Sheng's personal elaboration and representation of music in the style of the folk songs, and he writes freely around the various tunes even observing a prescribed form from the folk song genres. I will also present formal analysis of each individual song to help the performer delineate the various sections and various tempi and character relationships that are presented in this collection. In my communication with Mr. Bright Sheng, he related to me that he only has 3 recordings of this work and perhaps six other dissertations about this music in general. I felt compelled to study his work more deeply and learn more about his unique compositional style, integrating the eastern folk tradition with a western instrumental genre, specifically the solo cello, in this "Seven Tunes Heard in China."

<p> Chaya Czernowin&rsquo;s opera <i>Pnima&hellip;ins innere</i> is about the encounter between a young Israeli boy and his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor so traumatized by his past that he cannot speak. Fittingly, the opera does not contain any words: the four singers in the work instead sing phonemes and other non-verbal sounds. This document provides an analysis of the opera from the perspective of musical narratology (the study of musical narrative), seeking to discover how Czernowin enacts the encounter between the child and the old man by means of music alone. In particular, narratological concepts from Byron Almen&rsquo;s <i>A Theory of Musical Narrative</i> (Indiana University Press, 2008) are adapted for application to Pnima. Three primary musical agents are identified and analyzed in detail: two instrument groups that respectively embody the psyches of the old man and the child, and the string orchestra, which functions as a collective presence rather than enacting the psychology of an individual. Interactions among and changes to these musical agents over the course of the three scenes of the opera are analyzed and interpreted in light of Czernowin&rsquo;s statements about the work and other contextualizing texts. Using Pnima as a case study, this document comments on both the potential and the limitations of musical narratology with respect to the study of post-tonal music; it also suggests ways in which the analysis it contains might assist in the creation or criticism of productions of the opera.</p>

Bratya, brothers in Russian, is a tone poem inspired by characters in Dostoevskys The Brothers Karamazov. The novel is long, complex, and largely considered the authors magnum opus. I focus on each brother: Dmitri, Ivan, Smerdyakov, and Alexei. Each movement attempts to capture the essence and personality of each brother. The first movement Mitya, a nickname for the eldest brother Dmitri, attempts to personify the characters stormy, passionate nature. His strained relationship with his father, obsession with the siren-like Grushenka, and his general inability to control his emotions are largely to blame for Dmitris imprisonment. Specific traits and episodes that inspired Mityas include his military experience, the scene where he and Grushenka profess their mutual love, and his arrest for the murder of his father. Because he is a military man and frequent presence at the local bar, I like to imagine a slightly intoxicated Dmitri, dancing and laughing boisterously with his fellow officers, hence the Cossack dance (C-E). On the night of his arrest, Dmitri spots Grushenka and the two commit themselves to each other (E-F). Although Dmitri is innocent, the circumstantial evidence against him is overwhelming and he eventually lands in a labor camp in Siberia(G). The second movement entitled Ivan is inspired by Ivans atheism, his inability to reconcile his own personal logic and reason with his desire to acknowledge a higher power, and ultimately his descent into madness. Dostoevsky is famous for writing characters who are burdened by guilt, real or imagined. Ivan is no exception. Ivan is horrified to discover Smerdyakov is responsible for the death of their father and that Smerdyakov was able to justify the murder with Ivans there is no god, do what thou wilt philosophy. On his journey home from that revelation, he manages to convince himself his own guilt is misplaced considering he technically did not do anything (A-E). Ironically, Ivan the atheist hallucinates Lucifer himself is in his bedroom casting him all the blame. This is apparently too much for Ivan who begins to lose touch with reality (E-G). Smerdyakov is the title of the third movement and the illegitimate brother. He did not grow up with the patriarch Fyodor claiming him but everyone has a sneaking suspicion that he is Fyodors child. Smerdyakovs rumored mother was a mentally challenged village girl cruelly nicknamed Reeking Lizaveta. Fyodor is said to have raped her in a drunken stupor and thus came Smerdyakov, which translates to son of the reeking one. Fyodors two loyal servants take the child in as their own, trying to instill some good in him despite his father. The attempt is fruitless as Smerdyakov is child who likes to feed nails to dogs and hang up dead cats. He also suffers from epilepsy. Smerdyakov, a devoted follower to Ivan, slyly makes certain that Ivan will be absent the night of the murder. He fakes a seizure, sealing his own alibi, and when the coast is clear, commits the murder. Thinking Ivan will be pleased to find that it was Ivans words that enabled him to commit the murder, he is devastated to find the opposite. Smerdyakov ultimately commits suicide, probably not out of guilt, but out of the pain of rejection from the one person he admired (A-D). Alexei, lovingly called Alyosha, is the foil to all of his brothers. He is good, kind, non-judgmental, and genuinely loves his father despite his short comings. In the beginning of the novel Alexei is studying to become a priest. He is deeply spiritual and tries to help each character in whatever way he can. Although, Alexei is painted as the protagonist, nothing he does actually helps to move the action of the novel along. He is mainly a quiet bystander. At the novels conclusion in a scene that greatly resembles Jesuss Sermon on the Mount, Alexei tells a group of young boys to be kind to one another. The sense that there can be redemption in this life permeates the end of the novel. The last movement is my imagining Alexei reflecting and making peace on all that has happened.

The first part of this dissertation is a musical composition for orchestra entitled Four Corners: Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra in 4 Movements. This work is a tone poem, featuring marimba and orchestra that depicts American locales as presented by notable American authors. I employed a neo-tonal compositional approach to portray these musical scenes. The work attempts to evoke both the physical features of each place, as well as the authors experience and mindset with each place. The movements appear in this order: Maine Woods (Henry David Thoreaus Retreat), Key West (Hemingways Home), Big Sur (John Steinbecks Backdrop), Mount Desolation (Jack Kerouacs Quiet Place) The second part of this dissertation addresses the composer Carl Nielsen. Nielsen is the most well-known Danish composer. He is often grouped with other nationalistic composers, but this an arguable fact, and does not help reveal the primary themes of his oeuvre. His pastoral upbringing, and his cultural outsider status lead to a very distinct compositional voice. His writing is often so distinct that traditional analysis is not the best tool for investigation. A better approach may include elements of his past, and personal life that contributed to his unique compositional approach. An examination of his work, both tonal, motivic, and structural, reveals certain themes that are recurrent. The currents that run through his music include: pastoralism, paradox as a creative ethos, and fatalism. These themes are present in most of his works, and especially in his later symphonies. I will explore his 4th, 5th, and 6th symphonies in search of evidence of these themes, and other clues to understanding these works. The result of this study reveals a quixotic logic behind each of these works. The use of progressive tonality and thematicism reveal a composer who used the genre of symphony to portray a dramatic trajectory of his themes that coheres for the listener once the background of Nielsen is understood.

The idea behind The Character Studies of Time: A Two Movement Work for Orchestra should be reminiscent of, and is inspired by the character pieces of Robert Schumanns Carnival. Although the works of Robert Schumann are originally short piano solos, the spirit of the character piece and all that it entails could be found throughout The Character Studies of Time. This symphony does not follow a strict form of 19th century writing, although the elements of romanticism can be found throughout the piece. The characters as they relate to time are quite literally night and day. The individual titles are deliberate, as their purpose is to make fun of actual people. In other words, there is a comedic edge that is depicted throughout the symphony. One defining trait of the comedic appearances are the glissandos that are played in a downward motion. The Night Owl Hoots is a character depiction of one who simply drags their feet throughout the morning. The piece begins in unison with a mixture of heavy dynamics, which signifies the dread of getting up in the morning. From this point, the main theme echoed in the flutes and clarinets are supposed to imitate an owl, which is typically heard throughout the night. It is to be played with a smugness and sense of laziness in mind. The piece is in no set form, but ends in a major key, which signifies that the character has made it to the night, where they are most alive in their natural habitat. The Early Bird, is particularly more upbeat than its predecessor. The flutes, once again, have the theme. However, the flutes imitate the sound of birds. This is reminiscent of Messiaens various birdsongs used in some of his works. Unlike the first movement, the second movement changes tempo and time signature. This is to symbolize a persons reaction to midday. Eventually, the return of the original tempo and time signature symbolizes to suggest that the early bird has returned.

a Voice, a Messenger by Aaron Jay Kernis is a concerto for trumpet and ensemble comprising winds, brass, percussion, double basses, harp and piano. It is a contemporary 21st century work that demonstrates historical awareness and has the potential to become a noteworthy addition to the trumpet solo repertoire. Kerniss work is challenging, rewarding, and tests the technical ability of the modern trumpeters agility and physical endurance without surpassing the instruments potential. In conjunction with my lecture recital, this document serves to expose trumpeters and other musicians to this new and significant composition. Original interviews with two of the trumpet soloists who championed the work, former Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic Philip Smith and Principal Trumpet of the Cleveland Orchestra Michael Sachs, are included. Additional interviews with the composer and conductors who have performed the piece provide primary source material to better prepare future soloists to properly perform the piece and inspire further research. These conversations and the investigation of the significance of the shofar lead to a deeper understanding and offer more insight into the most demanding musical and technical aspects of the piece. With the perspective and historical analysis provided in this document, it is my hope that a Voice, a Messenger will be brought to greater light in the trumpet world and music community at large.

Charles Ruggiero has spent much of his career composing saxophone music that blends classical and jazz idioms. His most recent work for Tenor Saxophone and Piano, Tenor Attitudes, reflects his most overtly jazz influenced piece to date. This piece is meant to recreate the styles of seven of history's most celebrated jazz tenor saxophonists: Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, John Coltrane, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, and Sonny Rollins. This document discusses the lives and careers of each of these musicians. It analyzes their personal histories, preferred genres, and styles in an attempt to aid performers in accurately and sincerely performing this piece of music. It also suggests various recordings of the seven performers that would be the most beneficial for study in the preparation of this piece. Most importantly, it discusses the idiomatic qualities in these musician's style, and how to incorporate them into a performance of Tenor Attitudes. In addition, an interview with composer Charles Ruggiero is included which offers additional insight into his thoughts on this piece of music, as well as on the saxophone in general.

<p> The art form of solo steel pan is still in its early stages of development since its general birth in the 1940s. Its development has traditionally consisted primarily of performing Western Classical adaptations, traditional music styles of the Caribbean, and improvised solos. However, since the 1980s composers such as Liam Teague have begun composing and publishing original works for solo steel pan such as &ldquo;Impressions&rdquo;, that have helped to elevate the instrument beyond its commonly viewed identity as a novelty, and legitimize its profundity and versatility.</p><p> This project report examines Liam Teague, the art form of solo steel pan, and how his piece &ldquo;Impressions&rdquo; has contributed to furthering its continued development. It will look at some of the challenges facing the development of solo steel pan and will draw some parallels to the development of solo marimba repertoire. Numerous experts in the field of steel pan were interviewed for this research and it will include a discussion of what type of repertoire is needed to further the practice of solo steel pan. Several compositional elements and performance considerations of &ldquo;Impressions&rdquo; will also be examined.</p>

Música de Feria (1932) is the fourth and last string quartet written by the Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas Sánchez (1899-1940). The descriptive title of the piece, given by the composer himself, suggests the depiction of a Mexican Fair or Festival with its implied chaos, crowds, noises, dances, and of course, music. The single movement piece takes the listeners into a high energized journey with its sudden changes of tempo, color, and texture, all of this achieved in just under ten minutes of music. This quartet is by far the most popular, performed, and recorded of all four. Nevertheless, Música de Feria, along with the other quartets, remains largely unknown outside of the reduced, but enthusiastic, circle of Revueltas followers around the world, with the expected exception of his home country Mexico and some Latin American countries. In order to help us understand this work better, as well as to make a case for its inclusion to the twentieth-century string quartet canon, this dissertation provides a comprehensive research based on three different perspectives: An Overview of Revueltas life and Musical Style, a General Description of the Quartets with a particular emphasis on the String Quartet No. 4, and a Critical Commentary on the Published Edition and the Manuscript. This last part, a Critical Commentary, closely examines and identifies errors in the Published Edition when compare to the Manuscript. It also focuses on ambiguous markings made by Revueltas himself, highlights possible mistakes in the Manuscript, and finally proposes informed solutions to performers.