Anton Rubinstein was primarily recognized as one of the greatest pianists of his time. However, Rubinstein yearned for recognition as a composer and worked prodigiously to realize that goal. Unfortunately, Rubinstein's works were virtually unknown today. One of Rubinstein's finest compositions, the Piano Concerto in D Minor, op. 70 has been the most frequently performed. It is one of the first "Russian" concertos that was written by a Russian composer, and was performed in Russian concert halls instead of the homes of Russian aristocracy. It is also considered the most successful and harmonious convergent of various musical styles which influenced Rubinstein. However, there is no formal, detailed analysis of the Concerto in the entire music literature. Therefore, the main purpose of this dissertation is to provide a thorough study of the Concerto from an analytical and historical standpoint. Rubinstein was also one of the most eminent educators in Russia. The St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music, which Rubinstein helped found in 1862, has to this day produced some of the most influential musicians in Russia. The other purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate Rubinstein's role as music educator. An overview of Rubinstein's works for piano and orchestra offers a general idea of his compositional style. Literature on Anton Rubinstein currently available is limited. The two most valuable primary sources are Rubinstein's Autobiography of Anton Rubinstein, and Rubinstein's A Conversation on Music. Jeremy Norris's The Russian Piano Concerto, Volume I: The Nineteenth Century provides an insightful but short analysis on the Concerto. Sources discussing Anton Rubinstein as a pianist and an educator are relatively plentiful. Larry Sitsky's Anton Rubinstein: Annotated Catalog of Piano Works and Biography is an excellent work on Rubinstein's piano works. This dissertation includes four chapters: Chapter 1 - Introduction Chapter 2 - Rubinstein's works for piano and orchestra Chapter 3 - Piano Concerto No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 70 Chapter 4 - Conclusion.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the development of inventory investment in South Africa and to investigate the factors that have an influence on it. Although the size of inventory investment relative to gross domestic product is very small, the contribution of inventory investment to the growth in gross domestic product is significant. This study has found that, although the cyclical behaviour of inventory investment in South Africa is similar to that in developed countries, the relationship of inventories, production and sales differ. The variance of sales exceeds the variance of production and there is a negative correlation between inventory investment and sales. This difference with developed countries is also found in other developing countries. On this basis the production-smoothing hypothesis is accepted as relevant to describe inventory investment in South Africa. Furthermore, inventory data are only available on a quarterly basis. The features of inventory investment were therefore investigated with an inventory adjustment approach. The econometric model describes how the level of inventories adjusts when it deviates from the desired level. The desired inventory level is a function of the ratio between inventories and sales, which can change during the business cycle. The ratio between sales and prices, unfilled orders, interest rates and production has an influence on this ratio. In addition, the model describes the adjustment of inventories when actual sales deviate from expected sales. The results of the model confirm that unfilled orders, the level of prices, current interest rates, production, actual sales and expected sales have an influence on the development of inventory investment. Of significant importance is the ability to identify unplanned inventory investment and the finding that interest rates have an impact on inventory investment. The contribution of this study is the identification of factors that have an impact on the development of inventory investment in South Africa. With this it is possible to improve the explanation of changes in inventories and its impact on the gross domestic product, therefore helping to improve economic policy formulation. / Thesis (DCom(Ekonomie))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Economics / unrestricted

Alexander Grechaninov was one of the most important composers of the late Russian Romantic School. By the second half of the twentieth century he remained one of the few living composers who continued the traditions of the great Russian Romantic masters, such as Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. He is primarily known for his liturgical works, which are truly masterpieces of this genre. Because many of his instrumental works remain unpublished, particularly the chamber works, they continue to be undeservedly ignored in the concert hall. Grechaninov's unpublished works for clarinet include Septet for Clarinet, Bassoon and String Quintet, Op. 172a, Serenade for Clarinet and String Orchestra (without opus number), and Sonata No. 1 for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 161. This project not only brings to light Grechaninov's unpublished clarinet works, but also emphasizes the importance of his published clarinet pieces which have to date been forgotten, especially in the United States. The writer prepares a performance edition of the Sonata No. 1, Op.161 from Grechaninov's original autograph manuscript which is held in the New York Public Library's Toscanini Archives. After a brief introduction, the document describes Grechaninov's biography, including his historical and societal background, compositional growth throughout his career, and outside influences to which he would have been exposed (Chapter 2). Chapter 3 discusses in details Grechaninov's compositional output and distinct features of his style. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss the published and unpublished works for clarinet by Grechaninov. Chapter 6 provides a detailed structural and tonal analysis of the Sonata No. 1, Op. 161 and discusses the process of editing. Included in the appendices are: performance edition of the Sonata No. 1 for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 161 (score and clarinet part); photocopy of the original autograph manuscript of the Sonata No. 1 for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 161 (score and viola part); photocopy of the original autograph manuscript of the Septet for Clarinet, Bassoon and String Quintet, Op. 172a; and photocopy of the original autograph manuscript of the Serenade for Clarinet and String Orchestra, without opus number.

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This study is an investigation of tonal structures in selected preludes of Shostakovich's Op.34. Explanations and analytic perspectives provide support of tonality oriented interpretation for the compositions which often appear to be "atonal." Chapter One is divided into (1) historical perspectives of the prelude as form, and (2) Summary of Shostakovich's life and work. Chapter Two contains a historical background of (1) the development of Shostakovich's compositional styles, emphasizing his early style of piano composition, and (2) the impact of his "Lady Macbeth," the crisis and its influence on later works. Chapter Three deals with the problems of and analytical approaches in the study of the selected preludes.

The five Preludes, Op. 15 were composed in the year 1897 while Scriabin was occupied in concert tours with his friend and publisher, Beliaef. This year brought no less than forty-seven short preludes written at various times and collected in five sets: Opp. 11, 13, 15, 16, and 17. These preludes, though clever and original in melody, show the great influence of Chopin on Scriabin.

Master of Music / Department of Music / Slawomir P. Dobrzanski / The following report analyzes compositions performed at the author’s Master’s Piano Recital on March 15, 2012. The discussed pieces are Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata in G major, BWV 916; Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata in E flat major, op. 31, no. 3; Frederic Chopin’s Ballade in F minor, op. 52; Leoš Janáček’s In The Mists: I. Andante, III. Andantino; and Sergei Prokofiev’s Sonata in A minor, op. 28. The author approaches the study from the historical, theoretical, stylistic and pedagogical perspectives.

The purpose of this study was to recognize the unique character of Benjamin Britten's writing for cello and to exhibit his exceptional contribution to the cello repertory. Britten made a significant contribution to the cello repertory with his six cello works: Sonata. for Cello and Piano in C, Op. 65, Cello Symphony, Op. 68, The Three Cello Suites, Op. 72, Op. 80, Op. 87, and Tema `Sacher . However, many of these compositions are underperformed and overlooked by today's performers. This disregard by the general public for Britten's cello works may be because of the interest in other extreme compositional styles employed by several other composers in the 20th century. While Britten's contemporaries focused on extremely inventive methods of writing, Britten focused on his own renovation of the traditional elements.This study focused on Benjamin Britten's four solo cello works: The Three Cello Suites, Op. 72, Op. 80, Op. 87, and Tema `Sacher'. It began with a biographical overview of Benjamin Britten's life, his writing philosophy, and the way it influenced his compositional process. This study then delved into the depth of the three solo cello suites, Tema `Sacher', and concluded with a summary of the analysis.Each of the works were examined and analyzed according to Britten's use of the concept of duality. The dual elements of rhythm/tempo/meter, motive, key/tonality/modality, form, and texture were analyzed in details. This study analyzed every movement based on its application of those elements. Excerpts of music were also provided to illustrate with the analysis.This study hopes to allow the public to rediscover the ingenious writing Benjamin Britten achieved and to encourage today's cellists to recognize Britten's importance as a composer in the history of cello composition. / School of Music