A dissertation submitted for the degree of Master of Music in the Wits School of Arts, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, 2014 / Kevin Volans’s music has generated much international recognition and attention. As a result, his influence is increasingly evident in the work of younger composers. As yet, little research has delved deeply into Volans’s music at the technical level. His piano etudes consist largely of transcriptions, paraphrases and variations of a wide range of his previous work. So, as a microcosm of his oeuvre, they provide the ideal opportunity to understand his unique compositional voice. A twofold, overarching question informs this study. What historical conditions produced Kevin Volans’s etudes and how are they constructed? In response to this question, this dissertation presents a written analysis of Kevin Volans’s piano etudes using the notions formulated by Michel Foucault (1926-1984) in his genealogies. The genealogical theoretical framework accommodates a multiplicity of analytical approaches while providing the tools to synthesise a plurality of findings. The author has used Foucault’s genealogical model to underpin the analysis of both the historical context surrounding the etudes and the scores themselves. The goal is to gain a thorough understanding of the musical material of the etudes in terms of the ideological landscape which produced them. Part one of the dissertation lays out the broader epistemic conditions which produced the etudes. The initial two chapters trace nodes of influence in parallel spheres: the ideological and musical landscape of Volans’s life and issues surrounding the genre of the piano etude are juxtaposed to set the scene for the textural analysis. The third chapter of part one traces the transcription sources and outlines the most distinguishing characteristics of the etudes. Together, these spheres yield the epistemic conditions within which the textural analysis can take place. The three chapters in part two focus on the scores of the etudes. They each deal with the organisation of the material by applying slightly different existing and modified analytical parameters. Chapter 5 analyses the stratified, almost sedimentary forms evident in the etudes. By mapping out levels of non-hierarchically layered groupings of material in the etudes, strong reference points within the structure of each are identified. Chapter 6 takes a semiotic viewpoint, reading the musical images through the lens of metonymy, metaphor and allegory. The final chapter seeks to understand the organic and mechanical composition techniques used in the etudes. The conclusion reunites the scattered findings of the preceding chapters by tracing the genealogical web of power relations between them. This web of power relationships represents both the internal and external dynamics at play within Volans’s etudes.

Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961) made significant contributions to the piano literature for the left hand through numerous commissioned works as well as his own transcriptions. In the transcriptions, Wittgenstein preserved the texture of two-hand music, aiming for the simulation of the original works. This requires special techniques in the performance by the left hand alone. This dissertation investigates technical means and performance problems associated with the transcriptions as well as Wittgenstein's own recordings of selections from his works.

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In 1923, American composer and pianist, Henry Cowell (1897-1965) gave his first highly successful concert tour of Europe, playing his own unique compositions. This thesis details this tour and discusses its impact. Considering the enormous impact of Cowell’s tour, it has only been discussed briefly. Cowell performed in many European cities, especially in Vienna, Berlin, Paris and London, achieving positive reviews and some notoriety. I discuss how and why he created such an impact, not only during the tour but also immediately following it, in relation to musical life in Europe and the differences between his piano music and the piano music that was being heard at the time. On his tour, Cowell showcased many new piano techniques he had invented, some of which he had discussed in his treatise New Musical Resources (1919). His clusters, string-piano technique and to some degree, his experiments with time and metre, were very new and influenced later generations of composers. His music created such passionate responses from the Europeans that when he returned to America, attitudes towards him and his music had changed for the better. In Europe, Cowell was also impressed by the various societies and publications devoted to new music and as a result he founded, in America, the New Music Society and the publication New Musical Quarterly. These promoted mostly American composers devoted to avant-garde developments in music, providing the foundation for the development of American music.

Thesis (D.Mus. Arts)--University of Washington, 1983. / Vita. Bibliography: leaves [146]-148.

The life and works of the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) have been well documented. However, a comprehensive study concerning any of his nine works for piano and orchestra has not been undertaken. Among this prolific output, the Mômoprecóce, fantasie pour piano et orchestra, stands as a faithful representation of the composer's skillful orchestration, descriptive piano writing through the observation of a childhood universe, and his multi-faceted approach to nationalism. The fantasy is a through-composed arrangement of a previous solo piano suite by Villa-Lobos entitled, Carnaval das crianças brasileiras (Brazilian Children's Carnival, 1919). This research aims to investigate the historic, stylistic, and interpretative aspects of Mômoprecóce, while discussing the composer's unique usage of the piano through his innovative compositional techniques and comparison of the fantasy with his original solo piano suite. Current literature in English, Portuguese and French is thoroughly examined, discussed, evaluated, and cited. In addition I provide a formal analysis, an interpretative guide, and a sociological perspective into Brazilian carnival, as specifically applied to the performance of Mômoprecóce.

The purpose of this study was to develop and apply an experimental grading system to sonatas written by American-born composers from 1950 to 1975. Although several authors have addressed the problem of grading or classifying piano music, there are generally no precise criteria provided to substantiate the validity of their systems. The present author discovered some significant and innovative yet generally neglected piano sonatas.The grading system in this research was based on the physiological factors effecting the pianist's development. These factors include: 1) Equality of Fingers (finger independence and mobility); 2) Passage of the Thumb (scales and arpeggios); 3) Double-Note and Polyphonic Playing; 4) Extensions (stretches between the fingers); and 5) Arm Rotation (execution of chords and octaves). In addition, since factors such as retuning of the instrument., polyrhythms, and improvisation can make a moderate or intermediate piece into a difficult one, a Special Problem category was added.Each of the six physiological divisions are assigned a numerical. difficulty level from one to ten. The divisions are then averaged and assigned a final "grade" as follows:Easy 1 (E-1)=1.0-1.9; Easy 2 (E--2)=2.0-2.9; Moderate 1 (M-1)--3.0--3.9; Moderate 2 (M-2)=4.0-4.9; Intermediate 1 (I-1)=5.0--5.9; Intermediate 2 (I-2)=6.0-6.9; Difficult. 1 (D-1)=7.0--7.9; Difficult 2 (D-2)=8.0-8.9; Virtuoso (V)=9.0.Eighty--six sonatas were reviewed and graded. These compositions represent a broad selection of works of various degrees of difficulty. By knowing the student's abilities and needs, the piano instructor may use this study to select sonatas that correspond to the appropriate level of attainment.Of the works reviewed, the majority fall into the Moderate category. This was not an unusual finding in that certain pianistic development is required before being able to play the scores. The grading system differs from previous systems in that it provides criteria for the placement of the works into a difficulty rating based on the physiological factors affecting the pianist's development.

Tyzen Hsiao(1938-), one of the most important Taiwanese composers in modern time, whose main contribution is to blend Taiwanese folk music into the western music, promoting and introducing it to the international stage. His compositional style is not only influenced by S. V. Rachmaninoff(1873-1943), F. Chopin(1810-1849), and B. Bartók(1881-1945), it is also strongly marked by native Taiwanese folk music. His works are numerous and his composing realm, being various and wide, includes many forms of works. The thesis discusses and analyzes different kinds of Hsiao¡¦s piano works, focusing on the melody, harmony, folkloric music material, and composing techniques, so to categorize the composing style and language of his piano works. This study includes the analysis of his representative work¡ÐPiano Concerto in C Minor, Op.53, and the related discussion of the performing skills and interpretation. This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one describes the motivation, means and realm of the study. Chapter two presents Hsiao¡¦s life and music works and the important factors that have influenced the formation of his music style, including his life, his Christian belief, education, the background of his study of western music, and the ideal of blending eastern and western music. Chapter three focuses on a practical analysis of his piano composition style. It is categorized into four music characters: Romanticism, Taiwanese folkloric music material, the composition method of the 20th century music and the poetic music expression. Chapter four discusses his most important piano work¡ÐPiano Concerto in C Minor, Op.53. In addition, the author has met with the composer himself in order to understand the thought of his composition and receive valuable comments that have helped analyzing the entire work and the characteristics of this work. Also through the commands of critics, the author discusses the related questions of the performing skills and interpretation of this piece, so to present specific explanation and recommendation. Chapter five concludes Hsiao¡¦s piano work style, and the value and influences of his works.

Treatise (D.M.A.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Supervisors: Rebecca A. Baltzer and Lita Guerra. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.