Nicolai Medtner (1880-1951) is regarded as an accomplished composer and one of the most brilliant pianists of his time. He composed numerous compositions for piano that fall into three main categories: piano solo, piano with voice, and piano chamber music. He composed four large-ensemble pieces, including three concerti and the piano quartet in C major. This essay will concentrate on the lesser-known Piano Concerto No. 3, subtitled "Ballade." This three- movement work is extremely challenging because of its large and complex structure. Gaining a clear understanding of the structure and its formal innovation is paramount for performance success. It is my hope that this essay will contribute to bringing this piece into the standard repertoire. There are four chapters in this essay. In Chapter I, a general discussion of the composer's life and his music will be presented. The background of the concerto will be introduced and the purpose of this essay will be discussed in Chapter II. In Chapter III, a detailed analytical discussion of the structure of the concerto will be presented, in order to clarify the structure and the use of thematic materials. Lastly, practice and interpretative suggestions for this concerto will be discussed in Chapter IV.

A concentrated reading of Benjamin Britten's Nocturne through details of the composer's biography can lead to new perspectives on the composer's identity. The method employed broadens current understandings of Britten's personality and its relationship to the music. After creating a context for this kind of work within Britten scholarship, each chapter explores a specific aspect of Britten's identity through the individual songs of the Nocturne. Chapter 2 focuses on how Britten used genres in a pastoral style to create his own British identity. Chapter 3 concentrates on the complex relationship between Britten's homosexuality and his pacifism. Chapter 4 aims to achieve a deeper understanding of Britten's idealization of innocence. The various aspects of Britten's personality are related to one another in the Conclusion.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the first movements of Sergei Bortkiewicz's two piano sonatas and compare them with works by other composers that may have served as compositional models. More specifically, the intention is to examine the role of the subdominant key in the recapitulation and trace possible inspirations and influences from the Classical and Romantic styles, including Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. The dissertation employs Schenkerian analysis to elucidate the structure of Bortkiewicz's movements. In addition, the first movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata K. 545, Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, and the first movement of Schubert's "Trout" Quintet in A, D. 667, are examined in order to illuminate the similarities and differences between the use of the subdominant recapitulation by these composers and Bortkiewicz.