Thesis (D.M.A)--Boston University.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität zu Köln. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 290-300).

Diss.--Düsseldorf, 2004--Robert-Schumann-Hoschschule. / Bibliogr. p. 325-338.

Diss.--Cologne, 1996. / Volume spécial des "Schumann-Studien", publié séparément. Bibliogr. p. 193-206.

This graduate recital features significant piano works from the major periods in music history. The opening pieces - the Scarlatti sonatas - are technically challenging but allow the pianist to show a great deal of expression. Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39 as well as the Weisgarber Sonatine are collaborative works; the first features a soprano soloist and the second is written for flute, clarinet, and piano. Ending the first half of the program is Schumann’s Concerto in A minor, op. 54, extremely challenging for both soloist and accompanist, especially during the cadenza. The second half of the recital includes another contemporary work, Sketches in Color (Volume 2) by Robert Starer; these are short, exciting pieces based on tertiary colors. The recital closes with Debussy’s Estampes, a set of works that were one of his earliest compositions for solo piano. / Mary Pappert School of Music; / Music Performance / MM; / Recital;

From early nineteen-century, because the changing society and the rising new thoughts, both promote the artists to search for the most suitable way to create their works in order to express individual idea. The combinations of different types of art become the major creations in this time. For the same reason, composers make the new development in form and content of their music. One of the most common ways is the combination of music and literature. From the personal diary, letters, and articles writing of Schumann, we find that contents and compositional technique of music always integrate the features of German literary author Jean Paul. This research concentrate on the piano piece Papillons, which Schumann linked it to the novel Flegeljahre of Jean Paul many times. Attempts will make to explain how Schumann uses the techniques of Jean Paul¡¦s writing into his own music. This research includes three chapters. The first chapter introduces the life and literary thinking of Jean Paul, describe how he rise in the German literary circles, and his ideology and writing style. The second chapter presents the literary background of Schumann, the influence of contemporary thoughts, and the inspiration and influence from Jean Paul. The last chapter should analyze the relationship between Jean Paul¡¦s novel Flegeljahre and Schumann¡¦s Papillons, to observe how the literary ideas expressed by music.

In 19th century, the western music was propelled by the romanticism. Composers leaned toward the seeking of self-consciousness, and left away from the constraints of the traditional music form. Therefore, the ¡§character variation¡¨ became the most distinguished method of variations in this period. In the Symphonic Etudes, Schumann put the idea of variations into his etudes. Based on one subject, he developed it by using the technique of character variation to make each variation not only shows virtuoso practicing, but also keeps it full of creativity and imagination, in which showed his unique composing style. On the other hand, in order to show the ¡§symphony¡¨ character, lots of counterpoint textures were applied in op. 13, along with the application of massive chords in order to create the colorful gradation effect just like an orchestra. Therefore, in Symphonic Etudes op. 13, no matter you are looking at it from its harmonic texture of subject, switch of tonality, and the tone color change, one can see that Schumann used his unique composition writing and the mature techniques of variation. Therefore op. 13 is not only filled with Schumann¡¦s personal music language, but also the artistic value of the romantic etude. This thesis is divided into three chapters in addition to the preface and the conclusion. Chapter one is to focus on the background of op. 13, in which the combination of ¡§Variation¡¨, and ¡§Etude¡¨ is explained in detail. Chapter two is to thoroughly investigate the composition method in op. 13, in which divided into four sections for analysis, including rhythm, harmony, melody texture, and orchestral effects. The final chapter is to make a summary based on the variation characters, and the special piano techniques.

The first movement of Robert Schumann¡¦s A minor piano concerto is originally the Fantasy in A minor for piano and orchestra which composed in 1841. Four years later, Schumann himself added another two movements to let it become a concerto of three complete movements. The idea of monothematic is through out all movements to unite the concerto. This text is divided into four parts to research. The first part is the discussion of composing background. The second part is the realization of the compositional process. The third part is concentrated on the analysis, the formal structure of the three movements, includes the monothematic using and the strategy of thematic metamorphosis using. And the last part investigates the sound, harmony, melody and rhythm of this concerto, in order to understand the special composing method of Schumann. The A minor concerto not merely successfully incorporated Classic and Romantic composing styles, in the meanwhile, Schumann displayed his outstanding strategy of balancing the soloist and the orchestra.

Abstract Schumann is one of the most important composers in the Romantic period of music, furthermore, his piano works also stay in a firm position in the 19th century piano literature. Due to Schumann's enthusiasm for literature, his piano compositions are always linked to literature closely. There are three methods that Schumann used to integrate the art of literature and music: by using a poetry as a motto for an entire work, transforming the literary inspirations into his musical composition, and transferring directly from letters to notes. Among Schumann's numerous piano works, the composition of character piece is noteworthy. The ¡§Carnaval¡¨ is representative in this type. This work consists 21 pieces. For each piece, Schumann gives a title to describe his own duel-personalities, the features of his good friends, and the characteristics of each role from ¡§Larventanz¡¨. There are five chapters in this paper: the first chapter is the introduction, and in the second chapter it includes the relationship between Schumann's piano music and literature. The character pieces of Schumann will be discussed in the third chapter. The fourth chapter will focus on the compositional background and stylistic features of ¡§Carnaval¡¨. In the Fifth chapter, the unity of thematic materials and tonal structure of melodic frame will be discussed in details.

Univ., Diss.--Freiburg (Breisgau), 2005.