Diss.--Freiburg--Albert-Ludwigs-Univ., 1995. / Bibliogr. et discogr. p. 335-347.

Joseph Joachim Raff, a nineteenth-century composer of Swiss-German descent, emerged during the 1870's as one of the leading composers of the symphony and was heralded by his peers as the successor to the symphonic tradition of Schumann. Of the eleven symphonies published between 186U and 1883, nine are program symphonies. Hired as an amanuensis by Liszt during the latter part of 181+9, Raff became involved in the New Weimar School surrounding Liszt, but disenchantment with their dogmas and a need to preserve his own identity caused Raff to resign his position with Liszt in 1856. Although his symphonies reflect the programmatic philosophy of the Weimar school, they also maintain a strong affinity to the classicism of Beethoven, a quality inherent in Raff's more conservative outlook. In order to become familiar with this large body of orchestral literature which is virtually unknown today, both a programmatic and formal analysis for each symphony has been presented, although in some instances the two could not be separated. The symphonies have been grouped according to related programmatic content. Because of the wider acceptance of symphonies 1, 3 and 5 during Raff's lifetime and the programmatic relationship of nos. 6 and 7 to these, form and thematic charts have been correlated with their more detailed, analyses. The other symphonies discussed are nos. 8-11 which comprise the Seasons cycle. These were Raff's last symphonic works which he composed between 1876-79

Although the opera paraphrase was once a cornerstone of the virtuoso pianist's repertoire, as a genre it has traditionally been neglected by a scholarship which prioritizes authenticity and original compositional thought. By approaching this repertoire from a critical standpoint concerned with the production of narrative, this thesis demonstrates the true value of the paraphrase. A review of the current literature on narrative, gesture, and the paraphrase reveals major gaps in the state of research, and this thesis addresses these issues by presenting analyses of several works, in both printed and performed forms. The chapter “Settling the Score” interrogates the score, and argues that through their choice, ordering, and setting of operatic themes in a paraphrase, composers can alter or recreate the narrative of the source opera. By analyzing and comparing by reading the narrative schemes of seven different paraphrases based on Mozart's Don Giovanni, the chapter highlights the agency of the arranger in the production of narrative. The next chapter, entitled “Playing the Part,” suggests that the creation of narrative also extends beyond the work of the composer to encompass the role of the performer. By comparing the use of physical gestures in two video-recorded performances of Liszt's paraphrase Réminiscences de Don Juan, the thesis postulates that a pianist's gestures can influence the audience's perception of narrative. In an attempt to centralize the voice of the performer, the chapter also includes reflective analysis of the author's own performances of Liszt's paraphrase. By employing analytical methods which focus on the production of musical narrative, this thesis demonstrates that the paraphrase is worthy of greater attention, both in scholarship and performance.

Although the opera paraphrase was once a cornerstone of the virtuoso pianist's repertoire, as a genre it has traditionally been neglected by a scholarship which prioritizes authenticity and original compositional thought. By approaching this repertoire from a critical standpoint concerned with the production of narrative, this thesis demonstrates the true value of the paraphrase. A review of the current literature on narrative, gesture, and the paraphrase reveals major gaps in the state of research, and this thesis addresses these issues by presenting analyses of several works, in both printed and performed forms. The chapter “Settling the Score” interrogates the score, and argues that through their choice, ordering, and setting of operatic themes in a paraphrase, composers can alter or recreate the narrative of the source opera. By analyzing and comparing by reading the narrative schemes of seven different paraphrases based on Mozart's Don Giovanni, the chapter highlights the agency of the arranger in the production of narrative. The next chapter, entitled “Playing the Part,” suggests that the creation of narrative also extends beyond the work of the composer to encompass the role of the performer. By comparing the use of physical gestures in two video-recorded performances of Liszt's paraphrase Réminiscences de Don Juan, the thesis postulates that a pianist's gestures can influence the audience's perception of narrative. In an attempt to centralize the voice of the performer, the chapter also includes reflective analysis of the author's own performances of Liszt's paraphrase. By employing analytical methods which focus on the production of musical narrative, this thesis demonstrates that the paraphrase is worthy of greater attention, both in scholarship and performance.

Although the opera paraphrase was once a cornerstone of the virtuoso pianist's repertoire, as a genre it has traditionally been neglected by a scholarship which prioritizes authenticity and original compositional thought. By approaching this repertoire from a critical standpoint concerned with the production of narrative, this thesis demonstrates the true value of the paraphrase. A review of the current literature on narrative, gesture, and the paraphrase reveals major gaps in the state of research, and this thesis addresses these issues by presenting analyses of several works, in both printed and performed forms. The chapter “Settling the Score” interrogates the score, and argues that through their choice, ordering, and setting of operatic themes in a paraphrase, composers can alter or recreate the narrative of the source opera. By analyzing and comparing by reading the narrative schemes of seven different paraphrases based on Mozart's Don Giovanni, the chapter highlights the agency of the arranger in the production of narrative. The next chapter, entitled “Playing the Part,” suggests that the creation of narrative also extends beyond the work of the composer to encompass the role of the performer. By comparing the use of physical gestures in two video-recorded performances of Liszt's paraphrase Réminiscences de Don Juan, the thesis postulates that a pianist's gestures can influence the audience's perception of narrative. In an attempt to centralize the voice of the performer, the chapter also includes reflective analysis of the author's own performances of Liszt's paraphrase. By employing analytical methods which focus on the production of musical narrative, this thesis demonstrates that the paraphrase is worthy of greater attention, both in scholarship and performance.

Although the opera paraphrase was once a cornerstone of the virtuoso pianist's repertoire, as a genre it has traditionally been neglected by a scholarship which prioritizes authenticity and original compositional thought. By approaching this repertoire from a critical standpoint concerned with the production of narrative, this thesis demonstrates the true value of the paraphrase. A review of the current literature on narrative, gesture, and the paraphrase reveals major gaps in the state of research, and this thesis addresses these issues by presenting analyses of several works, in both printed and performed forms. The chapter “Settling the Score” interrogates the score, and argues that through their choice, ordering, and setting of operatic themes in a paraphrase, composers can alter or recreate the narrative of the source opera. By analyzing and comparing by reading the narrative schemes of seven different paraphrases based on Mozart's Don Giovanni, the chapter highlights the agency of the arranger in the production of narrative. The next chapter, entitled “Playing the Part,” suggests that the creation of narrative also extends beyond the work of the composer to encompass the role of the performer. By comparing the use of physical gestures in two video-recorded performances of Liszt's paraphrase Réminiscences de Don Juan, the thesis postulates that a pianist's gestures can influence the audience's perception of narrative. In an attempt to centralize the voice of the performer, the chapter also includes reflective analysis of the author's own performances of Liszt's paraphrase. By employing analytical methods which focus on the production of musical narrative, this thesis demonstrates that the paraphrase is worthy of greater attention, both in scholarship and performance.