Syncretisms is an original composition scored for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and marimba (2-mallet minimum, 4 recommended) with an optional percussion part requiring glockenspiel and chimes, and has an approximate duration of 6 min. 45. sec. The composition combines modern western tuning, timbre, and harmonic language with organizational principles identified in music from Southeast Asia (including music from cultures found in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia). The accompanying paper describes each of these organizational principles, drawing on the work of scholars who have performed fieldwork, and describes the way in which each principle was employed in Syncretisms. The conclusion speculates on a method for comparing musical organizational systems cross-culturally.

published_or_final_version / Music / Master / Master of Philosophy

This dissertation provides an analysis of Island Prelude based on a method of analysis prescribed by the composer. The method, Energy Line Analysis, is essential to an enlightened performance. The content of this dissertation includes: biographical information, compositional influences, Joan Tower style periods, her works involving the oboe in a major role, and an Energy Line Analysis chart of Island Prelude. Island Prelude represents Joan Tower's musical language, the understanding of which is essential in an interpretation of her music.

The first movement of the Piano Quintet, Op. 16 of Ludwig van Beethoven works out three significant motivic "topics": a chromatically filled-in second, appearing first as 5 - #5 - 6 (Bb - B - C in Eb major); the emphasis om the submediant, both as vi in Eb major and as the tonal region of C minor; and the melodic interval of the sixth, which, when inverted to become a descending third, determines the structure of tonal regions at crucial points in the movement. These three motivic topics are introduced in the opening measures of the piece and are subsequently unfolded throughout the movement; the focus of the thesis will be to trace the unfolding of these three topics.

This thesis proposes a new concept of form for Boris Blacher's Divertimento for Woodwinds, Duet for Flute and Piano, and Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Violoncello. In 1950, Blacher began to use systematically varying metric units to provide logic to the apparently arbitrary rhythm of modern music. This practice led the few scholars who have studied his compositions to concentrate on the mathematical organization of metrical units, underestimating other musical elements. This dissertation is based on the idea that it is not the mere disposition of meters, but mostly the interaction between them and other musical elements that makes the peculiar durational scheme audible, thus perceptually relevant. Following this, the technique of expansion and contraction that becomes evident in the organization of the meters is also present in the disposition of durations at other hierarchical levels and in the pitch structure. Furthermore, the mathematical metrical scheme is the foundation for a deeper universe of systematic organization. Blacher's techniques provide a unique sense of movement to his compositions, the aural effect of an "elastically developing music." In Duet and Quintet, this idea is also applied in simultaneity to the registral disposition of pitches and textural development, suggesting vertical elasticity. As a result, Blacher's late compositions suggest a replacement of the traditional concepts of form and texture with a new idea of constantly moving, elastic shape. The methodological approach of this thesis is exclusively analytical and technical, with emphasis on durational and pitch organization, form, texture, and the interaction among these aspects. The individual and comparative analysis of the three compositions reveals a consistent conception of the musical space that emphasizes its bi-dimensional quality. In the Divertimento, the unitary conception of the vertical and horizontal construction is mainly reflected in the bi-dimensional treatment of interval classes that provides coherence to the motivic structure. In Duet and Quintet, this mere idea of consistent organization of the musical materials in the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the total space becomes a unique principle of formal definition, the elastic development of the musical content itself.

Bohuslav Maritnů¡¦s Oboe Concerto, H. 353 is one of the most important oboe works in the twentieth century. This Concerto is composed in 1995, in Maritnů¡¦s later life period. There are numerous mistakes and controversies over the final published version. This has resulted various interpretation of the same piece by many performers throughout the decades. The main topic of this research concerns with the differences of the published editions and six recordings. This thesis is consisted of introduction, conclusion, and other three main chapters. The introduction includes research motivation, purpose, literature review and components definition. The first chapter is the introduction of Maritnů¡¦s life and music. Also, the important features of Oboe Concerto, H. 353 are briefly described in this chapter. The second chapter detailed described and the analyzed the Oboe Concerto, H. 353. The essential materials used in this piece are analyzed and organized in table charts. Nevertheless, for giving the instructions for practicing this piece, the play-skills and teaching-materials are suggested along with the difficult parts of the whole composition. Chapter three is the most important part of this thesis. This chapter mainly focuses on the comparison between scores and sound recordings, and discusses the accuracy of these versions. The scores including the piano version and the orchestra versions and those are expounded in the section one. Furthermore, according to the literatures, the correctness of musical notes and articulation are arranged in this section. I also mark the mistakes of each movement of Oboe Concerto, H. 353 in appendix for readers¡¦ references. Section two in chapter three is the comparison of different sound recordings of this piece. The six important and accomplished oboists¡¦ recordings are discussed in order to let readers realize these great oboists¡¦ music style and their characteristics. These most influential performers are Jiři Tancibudeck, Ingo Goritzki, Heinz Holliger, Lajos Lencsés, Thomas Indermühle, and Alex Klein. The last part is the conclusion of this thesis which concluded and analyzed the whole thesis.

published_or_final_version / Music / Master / Master of Philosophy

This thesis is divided into three main sections. Part I concerns general aspects of performance, whilst Part II deals specifically with performance aspects of the Double Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Strings by Hans Werner Henze. Part III is a summary and conclusion of Parts1 and 11. It is hoped that this thesis will provide both a fresh approach to performance in general and also to the performance of Henze's double concerto. I have chosen to discuss aspects of Henze's double concerto, because of its significance as a major oboe concerto in the repertoire and the demands it makes on the oboist both as interpreter and technician. / Thesis (M.Mus)-University of Natal, Durban, 1979.

This critical commentary investigates performance practice issues in Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni’s Concerto à cinque, op. 9 no. 5 (Amsterdam: Le Cène, 1722). It aims to stimulate players of the modern oboe to consider an historically informed approach towards the performance of this work through an assessment of relevant literature. Albinoni’s (1671–1750/51) professional career and the musical environment of Venice at this time form the backdrop for the study. The insularity of Albinoni’s life in Venice can be seen to have shaped certain original elements of his work. Furthermore, the increased availability of woodwind virtuosos in northern Italy during the early eighteenth century saw the composition of concertos for the oboe become an established part of Venetian musical life. This critical commentary includes a review of both historical treatises and modern literature that focus on the major performance practice parameters of tempo, dynamics, articulation and ornamentation. The historical treatises provide oboists with an understanding of the general practice during the baroque period, while the modern literature offers further discussion and analysis of these sources, alongside newer ideas for approaching the performance of Albinoni’s concerto. The resulting suggestions should not be regarded as rigid rules that contemporary performers must follow, but rather aim to give them more insight into the possible interpretation of the work. Thus the study provides both background information on the Concerto and guidelines on performance practice to assist oboists in generating their own ideas so that they can then develop their own interpretation of Albinoni’s concerto based on the evidence obtained from extensive research.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1947. / Works originally for voices. Ms. (arranger's holograph); prefatory material and bibliography typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-156).