Sound tape reel in pocket. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

John Cage, (1912-1992) pioneer in new music, innovator, inventor of the happening and philosopher, writer and artist was one of the most creative forces of the twentieth century. His earliest works were 25-tone contrapuntal compositions. He later developed a strong interest in writing for percussion ensembles and collected instruments that were both found and made. He conducted his own percussion orchestras and discovered that they were the answer to his philosophy of the sounds of the future. He considered percussion music the transition from keyboard-influenced music to music which allowed for all sounds and silences. From 1939-1951 John Cage composed several works for prepared piano that used time as a structural device. Many of these works were written for the dance in collaboration with Merce Cunningham. This document addresses the historical significance of these works and relates Time to other areas that influenced Cage--including Zen and the Dance. This document provides descriptive analyses of Bacchanale, Music for Marcel Duchamp and selected Sonatas from the Sonatas and Interludes. To this writer's knowledge there have not yet been any analyses of Bacchanale or Music for Marcel Duchamp. The analyses reveal Cage's primary structural techniques in which he uses duration of spaces of time. Time lengths and the square root method appear to be the most important. These techniques first appeared in Imaginary Landscape #1 and First Construction in Metal--both dating from 1939. A brief description of all his prepared piano works is included to demonstrate Cage's commitment to rhythmic structuring. All of these works have been studied by this writer and several have been performed in concert by this writer. These include: Music for Marcel Duchamp, Primitive, For a Valentine Out of Season, A Room, Prelude for Meditation, Amores (Movements I and IV), and selected Sonatas from Sonatas and Interludes. A section has been included which explains the nature of materials used for preparations and their timbral effects. A Conclusion is provided demonstrating that Cage chose rhythm over harmony to structure his music. This information is drawn from the influences on Cage, his early percussion works, procedures employed in the percussion works and transferred to the prepared piano and the influence of dancers and Oriental philosophy. An Appendix is included with charts of the Sonatas. A Bibliography which shows the references consulted is included.

Sound tape reel in pocket. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is om die opvoedkundige en artistieke waarde van klavierwerke, wat vir die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (hiema UNISA) se musiekeksamens voorgeskryf is, uit te lig. Die eerste hoofstuk gee 'n beknopte oors1g van die geskiedenis van UNISAmusiekeksamens. In die tweede hoofstuk word geselekteerde werke ontleed en geevalueer. Daarna volg drie bylaes wat die volgende inligting bevat: Bylae 1 'n V olledige lys van alle werke wat tot 1990 gekomponeer is vlf UNISA se klaviereksamens, volgens komponiste gerangskik. W erke word alfabeties ingedeel volgens die komponis en datums word voorsien van wanneer die werk gekomponeer en voorgeskryf is. Werke wat nie in hierdie verhandeling ontleed is nie, word met 'n asterisk aangedui. Bylae 2 'n Volledige lys van alle werke wat tot 1990 gekomponeer is Vlf UNISA se klaviereksamens, volgens grade ingedeel. Komponiste word graadsgewys alfabeties gerangskik. Bylae 3 Kort biografiese sketse van die komponiste gedek in hierdie verhandeling ter inligting van leerlinge en onderwysers. Komponiste word alfabeties gerangskik. In hierdie verhandeling is slegs navorsing gedoen met betrekking tot die klavierwerke. W erke van ander instrumente is nie nagevors nie. Veertig komponiste se werke word gedek. Meer as eenhonderd en dertig stukke is versamel. Die ontleding van al hierdie werke sou te veel wees vir die omvang van hierdie verhandeling en is daar dus geselekteer. Seleksie het plaasgevind op grond van: Eksamengraad Daar word op laer grade gekonsentreer (V oorgraad 1 tot graad 5) omrede dit juis gedurende hierdie aanvangsonderrig is waar die liefde en belangstelling vasgele word vir die aanleer van werke uit eie bodem. Twee vorige verhandelings oor Suid-Afrikaanse klavierwerke ontleed oorwegend werke van hoer grade. Die navorser verwys hier na verhandelings van Rosemary YA Maritz en CL Venter (volledige verwysing in bibliografie). Moeilikheidsgraad Stukke wat makliker hanteerbaar is vir die leerling, het voorkeur geniet. Geen werke van graad 8 en die Onderwyslisensiaat of Voordraerslisensiaat word ontleed nie. Enkele werke van grade 6 en 7 word egter ook ontleed. Die ontleding en evaluering van die werke word alfabeties, volgens komponiste, ingedeel. In die ontleding word daar gelet op aspekte wat van opvoedkundige en artistieke waarde vir die jong leerling sal wees. Dit word ook bedoel as aansporing vir die onderwyser om van die werke aan die leerling te leer. Al die werke (voorgraad 1 tot graad 7) is bekombaar van die Argief in die biblioteek van die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika. Sommige onderwysers mag nog van die ou eksamenbundels in hul privaat versameling he. Dit sou egter 'n groot aanwins wees indien al hierdie musiek beskikbaar sou wees in een bundel. Onderwysers sou dan meer gereeld van die werke in die jong leerling se repertorium kon insluit. Die navorser vertrou dat die benadering van hierdie verhandeling, wat konsentreer op interessante opvoedkundige aspekte, die leerkrag sal voorsien van voldoende motivering om van die ryke erfenis uit eie bodem gebruik te maak, sodat dit nooit verlore mag gaan nie. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M. Mus.

published_or_final_version / Music / Master / Master of Philosophy

Both Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) and Maurice Ravel (1875-1837) were outstanding composers of the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century who followed and transmitted the specifically French tradition. Ravel studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Gabriel Faure (1845-1924), who was a student of Saint-Satins. SaintSaens's Trio No. 1, Op. 18, was written in 1863, while he was teaching a the Ecole Niedermeyer. As one of the earliest works by the composer, it reveals his conservative style in the well-defined four-movement structure, particularly characterized by classical periodization and clarity of texture. Saint-Sadns's Trio No. 2, Op. 92, was written in 1892, when he was more mature and better known as both composer and performer. Written twenty-nine years after the first trio, the second trio is more ambitious and complicated than the first trio. The second trio exhibits elaborate harmonies and extensive sonata structure, including a fugue within an unusual five-movement framework.Ravel's trio was completed in 1914, shortly after the start of the First World War, at Saint-Jean-de-Luz in Basque country. I The trio displays new sonorities and expression achieved by brilliant string techniques and powerful, vertical piano writing, as well as the employment of various kinds of non-traditional scales. Within a four-movement structure, the second movement, entitled Pantown, a poetic form of Malayan origin, is most original, including the middle section in polymeter.The analyses of these three trios reveal significant similarities in stylistic and formal characteristics. All three trios preserve the outline framework of the traditional sonata concept. Saint-Sa&ns's second trio and Ravel's trio include passacaglia movements, based on the Baroque form. All three trios employ folk elements: the modal style of certain themes, and certain rhythms; e.g., the Basque dance rhythm, zoriko, appears in Saint-Saans's second trio and Ravel's trio. The use of quintuple time in both trios also shows the Basque influence. Among other common characteristics are rhythmic ostinato and thematic juxtaposition. All three trios represent trends in French music between the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century: nationalism and neoclassicism. / School of Music

This thesis focuses on a group of keyboard pieces composed in the first half of the twentieth century entitled ‘prelude’, and explores the issue of genre, investigating the significance in the application of this generic title, and the development of the piano prelude in this period. The application of a generic title often invokes the expectation of its generic features its conventional and formal characteristics. Though the prelude is one of the oldest genres in the history of keyboard music, it has relatively few conventions, and hence, with the abandonment of its primary function the prefatory role in the nineteenth century, it has been considered an indeterminate genre. Rachmaninoff, however, asserted that a generic title should carry with it appropriate generic manifestations, which parallelled similar generic concepts in literature. This expectation of generic traits is like setting up a ‘generic contract’, offering an invitation to either conform or reform, and thus affecting its course of development. A survey of the prelude’s historical development points to six rather consistent generic conventional and formal characteristics: (i) tonality, (ii) pianistic/technical figuration, (iii) thematic treatment and formal structure, (iv) improvisatory style, (v) mood content, and (vi) brevity. Though these general characteristics may overlap with other genres, it is their collective characteristics that have contributed to the genre’s unique identity. These features form the basis for an exploration of the conformity to, or further evolution of, these characteristics in the preludes of the early twentieth century. From the substantial number of piano preludes composed in this period, selected sets, representative of the various stylistic manifestations of the period, are analysed in relation to the identified generic characteristics. The examination reveals that these preludes, though apparently diversified in style and outlook, exhibit affinity in one form or another to the generic characteristics. Each example exhibits different treatments of the generic characteristics reflective of twentieth-century developments, whilst retaining its generic identity. The prelude is thus an amalgamation of a tonal, technical and affective piece, which may be considered a combination of a tonal essay, a study/toccata, and a character piece; and collectively, a sequence of tonalities, a collection of pianistic technical studies, and a compendium of musical styles/genres in miniature.

Typescript (photocopy). / Contents: Sonata in E Major, Op. 109 / Ludwig van Beethoven (Audio file 1); Variationen für Klavier, op. 27 / Anton Webern (Audio file 2); Années de pèlerinage, 2me année : Italie / Franz Liszt (Audio file 3); Improvisations, Op. 20 / Béla Bartók (Audio file 4)

The first three recitals contained solely performances of piano music. The first one consisted of an Etude-Tableau by Rachmaninov, the Capriccio by Stravinsky (the chamberensemble accompaniment arranged for second piano), and the great Sonata in A minor by Schubert. The second recital contained a Prelude and Fugue by J. S. Bach, Reger's Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Bach, a Romance by the performer, Peter Covino's Toccatina Op. 4 No. 8, and Chopin's Nocturne Op. 55 No. 2 and Scherzo in E. The third recital consisted of Schonberg's Sechs Kleine Klavierstilcke, Ives's Some South-Paw Pitching, and the Sonata Op. 106 ("Hammerklavier") by Beethoven. The fourth recital featured a lecture which surveyed the piano waltz throughout its history. Several complete examples, namely Weber's Invitation to the Dance, Chopin's Waltz in A minor, and La Valse by Ravel, and incomplete examples including a Lundler by the performer, several of Schubert's waltzes, Chopin's Waltz Op. 42, and Man Lebt Nur Einmal! by Strauss-Tausig interspersed the lecture. All four recitals, tape-recorded, and the lecture, typewritten, are filed together in the Graduate Office of the North Texas State University.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is om die opvoedkundige en artistieke waarde van klavierwerke, wat vir die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (hiema UNISA) se musiekeksamens voorgeskryf is, uit te lig. Die eerste hoofstuk gee 'n beknopte oors1g van die geskiedenis van UNISAmusiekeksamens. In die tweede hoofstuk word geselekteerde werke ontleed en geevalueer. Daarna volg drie bylaes wat die volgende inligting bevat: Bylae 1 'n V olledige lys van alle werke wat tot 1990 gekomponeer is vlf UNISA se klaviereksamens, volgens komponiste gerangskik. W erke word alfabeties ingedeel volgens die komponis en datums word voorsien van wanneer die werk gekomponeer en voorgeskryf is. Werke wat nie in hierdie verhandeling ontleed is nie, word met 'n asterisk aangedui. Bylae 2 'n Volledige lys van alle werke wat tot 1990 gekomponeer is Vlf UNISA se klaviereksamens, volgens grade ingedeel. Komponiste word graadsgewys alfabeties gerangskik. Bylae 3 Kort biografiese sketse van die komponiste gedek in hierdie verhandeling ter inligting van leerlinge en onderwysers. Komponiste word alfabeties gerangskik. In hierdie verhandeling is slegs navorsing gedoen met betrekking tot die klavierwerke. W erke van ander instrumente is nie nagevors nie. Veertig komponiste se werke word gedek. Meer as eenhonderd en dertig stukke is versamel. Die ontleding van al hierdie werke sou te veel wees vir die omvang van hierdie verhandeling en is daar dus geselekteer. Seleksie het plaasgevind op grond van: Eksamengraad Daar word op laer grade gekonsentreer (V oorgraad 1 tot graad 5) omrede dit juis gedurende hierdie aanvangsonderrig is waar die liefde en belangstelling vasgele word vir die aanleer van werke uit eie bodem. Twee vorige verhandelings oor Suid-Afrikaanse klavierwerke ontleed oorwegend werke van hoer grade. Die navorser verwys hier na verhandelings van Rosemary YA Maritz en CL Venter (volledige verwysing in bibliografie). Moeilikheidsgraad Stukke wat makliker hanteerbaar is vir die leerling, het voorkeur geniet. Geen werke van graad 8 en die Onderwyslisensiaat of Voordraerslisensiaat word ontleed nie. Enkele werke van grade 6 en 7 word egter ook ontleed. Die ontleding en evaluering van die werke word alfabeties, volgens komponiste, ingedeel. In die ontleding word daar gelet op aspekte wat van opvoedkundige en artistieke waarde vir die jong leerling sal wees. Dit word ook bedoel as aansporing vir die onderwyser om van die werke aan die leerling te leer. Al die werke (voorgraad 1 tot graad 7) is bekombaar van die Argief in die biblioteek van die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika. Sommige onderwysers mag nog van die ou eksamenbundels in hul privaat versameling he. Dit sou egter 'n groot aanwins wees indien al hierdie musiek beskikbaar sou wees in een bundel. Onderwysers sou dan meer gereeld van die werke in die jong leerling se repertorium kon insluit. Die navorser vertrou dat die benadering van hierdie verhandeling, wat konsentreer op interessante opvoedkundige aspekte, die leerkrag sal voorsien van voldoende motivering om van die ryke erfenis uit eie bodem gebruik te maak, sodat dit nooit verlore mag gaan nie. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M. Mus.