No description available.

I föreliggande studie undersöks relationen mellan ”förklaringar” och musikalisk interpretation. Mer specifikt frågan varför jag spelar Prokofievs 6:e pianosonat på ett visst sätt. Alla interpreter gör olika val vid förberedelsen och framförandet av ett musikaliskt verk. Många av de valen handlar om tempo, dynamik, frasering men även andra musikaliska parametrar. Denna studie undersöker till vilken grad sådana val går att basera på analytiska ”förklaringar” rörande musikens struktur. Med hjälp av teoretiska perspektiv från Leonard Meyer och Karl Popper undersöker jag ett antal passager som delvis blivit valda för att belysa hur varierat de brukar tolkas. Framförallt försöker studien att undersöka den ”tysta kunskapen” som ligger bakom specifika interpretationer — och i processen göra den kunskapen artikulerad. På grund av detta kan resultatet vara värdefullt både för teoretiker men också för praktiken inom intepretation. Projektet kulminerade i ett liveframförande av sonaten som spelades in. Det framförandet var influerat av min analys av musiken. / The present study investigates the relationship between “explanations” and musical interpretation. More specifically the question why do I play Prokofievs 6th piano sonata in a particular way? Every interpreter makes choices when preparing and performing a musical work. Many such choices involve tempo, dynamics, or phrasing, as well as other musical parameters. This study explores the degree to which these choices may be based on analytic “explanations" of the structure of the music. Building upon the theoretical work of Leonard Meyer and Karl Popper, I identify certain passages which highlight the diversity of interpretation, examining the differences through structural and interpretive analyses. Above all, the study seeks to understand the “tacit knowledge” embodied in certain approaches to musical interpretation — and, in the process, to make it explicit. Therefore, the results are of potential value not only in performance analysis, but in the training of performers. The project culminated in a performance and live recording of the sonata which were influenced by my analysis of the music.

Hamlet a longtemps été une partie inséparable de l'identité nationale russe. Cependant, les mises en scène d’Hamlet en Union soviétique (surtout en Russie) durant l'époque de Staline présentèrent des problèmes spécifiques liés aux doctrines idéologiques imposées sur les arts et la culture en général ainsi qu’aux idées reçues concernant l’opinion personnelle de Staline envers de la tragédie. Les deux mises en scènes principales d’Hamlet en Russie au cours de cette période ont été celles réalisées par Nikolai Akimov (1932) et Sergei Radlov (1938). Un réexamen approfondi de ces mises en scène, entrepris dans les chapitres centraux de cette thèse, révèle des détails précédemment inconnus au sujet de leurs conceptions, réalisations, réceptions et au-delà. Cela met en évidence l'importance du rôle de la musique de scène composée pour elles par Dimitri Chostakovitch et par Sergei Prokofiev, respectivement, et suggère l'interaction complexe des agendas individuels et institutionnels. Ce travail a été rendu possible grâce à de nombreuses visites aux archives russes, qui contiennent de précieux documents tels que des livrets des mises en scène et les rapports sténographiques de discussions, précédemment non référencées à l'Ouest. Ces chapitres centraux sont précédés d'un aperçu historique d’Hamlet en Russie et de la musique et de Shakespeare en général. Ils sont suivis par une enquête au sujet des adaptations notables d’Hamlet à la fin de l’époque de Staline et après la mort du dictateur, se concentrant sur ceux qui contiennent les contributions musicales les plus importantes. Le résultat est un aperçu plus riche et plus complexe de l'image familière d’Hamlet comme miroir de la société russe / soviétique. / Hamlet has long been an inseparable part of Russian national identity. Staging Hamlet in Russia during the Stalin era, however, presented particular problems connected with the ideological framework imposed on the arts and culture as well as with Stalin’s own negative perceived view of the tragedy. The two major productions of Hamlet in Russia during this period were those directed by Nikolai Akimov (1932) and Sergei Radlov (1938). Thorough re-examination of these productions, as undertaken in the central chapters of this dissertation, reveals much previously unknown detail about their conception, realisation, reception and afterlife. It highlights the importance of the role of music composed for them by Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev, respectively, and it suggests a complex interaction of individual and institutional agendas. This work has been made possible by numerous visits to Russian archives, which contain invaluable documents such as production books and stenographic reports of discussions, previously unreferenced in Western scholarship. These central chapters are preceded by a historical overview of Hamlet in Russia and of music and Shakespeare in general. They are followed by a survey of major adaptations of Hamlet in the late-Stalin era and beyond, concentrating on those with significant musical contributions. The outcome is a richer and more complex account of the familiar image of Hamlet as a mirror of Russian/Soviet society.

Master of Music / Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance / Frank C. Tracz / The following report is a detailed analysis on the following three pieces: Suite in B-flat by Richard Strauss for woodwind chamber ensemble, Two Pieces from Lieutenant Kije by Sergei Prokofiev for brass and percussion ensemble, and a finally Down a Country Lane by Aaron Copland for concert band. The goal of the analysis is to provide rehearsal information for educational purposes. Aspects of the compositions studied include: background information on the composer and composition, a historical perspective, technical and stylistic considerations, and the musical elements. The researchers perspective on philosophy of music education is also stated as well as the importance of choosing quality literature for pedagogical needs and performance. The goal of this report is to aid future conductors in their performances of the literature and for that reason the seating charts for the ensembles, acoustical justifications, as well as rehearsal plans have been included.

Sergei Prokofiev experimented with styles which shocked the public because his ideas were far ahead of his time. In the 1930's, the Soviet composer turned to a neoclassical style. His Sonata, Opus 119, for violoncello and piano, is a product of this final period of composition. The purpose of this study is to determine the stylistic characteristics of this sonata. This study includes a detailed description of the compositional techniques Prokofiev used in this work. These techniques are categorized according to the basic stylistic elements. The sources of data are comprised of the score of Prokofiev's Sonata, Opus 119, as well as books on twentieth-century music and on Prokofiev as a man and as a composer. The score was used for purposes of analysis.

The purpose of this thesis is to give a descriptive look at modern Russian music, specifically the early piano sonatas of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, with focus on style and style influences.

Tales of Old Grandmother, Op. 31 by Prokofiev is based on a fairy tale theme. It can be considered as both a most valuable pedagogical piece for young students and as a piece for the concert repertoire. However, this piece was under-appreciated by most piano performers and piano pedagogues for many years, even though it was praised by several well-known composers and was often played by other pianists and Prokofiev himself. The main aim of this study is to promote the Tales so that they will be performed and taught more often. All of the complex harmonic language, unique unforgettable lyricism and Prokofiev's typical compositional elements are presented in this score, allowing it to serve as a great concert repertoire choice. At the same time, the simple format setting, less demanding technique and the fairy tale theme can easily catch and hold a children's interest. Therefore, Tales of Old Grandmother contains both performance value and pedagogical value. This premise is achieved through a discussion of Prokofiev's unfailing interest in fairy tales and comparisons between Tales of Old Grandmother with Prokofiev's advanced piano works and with his Music for Children, Op. 65. Lastly, a performance guide is given suggesting different performance interpretations, various practice strategies and several efficient teaching methods regarding the Tales of Old Grandmother, Op. 31.

The Commedia dell'arte was a form of Italian comedy prevalent from about 1560 to 1760. It was rooted in the comedy of ancient Greece and Rome, and it first appeared during the Middle Ages. An example of this is the comic opera The Love for Three Oranges, scored by Sergei Prokofiev.

This study was carried out in order to discover new strategies to memorize piano music. There are six different types of memory involved in performing: auditory, kinesthetic, visual, analytical, nominal and emotional. There are two main ways of practicing: playing practice and non-playing practice. I tried to find out if the order in which we use these two kinds of practice affects the quality of the memorization. During one week I practiced three different pieces following three different methods: 1 Using only playing practice; 2 using first playing practice and then non-playing practice; 3 using first non-playing practice and then playing practice. The second method had a much better result than the other two. The whole process was registered with a video camera and a logbook. / <p>The exam concert is archived for copyright reasons until 2023.</p>

One of the famous Russian composers and a pianist himself, Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) composed a vast quantity of piano music. His nine piano sonatas represent well how he projected his musical individuality and the principles that he addressed in his autobiography: classical line, modern trend, toccata line, lyrical line, and grotesque line. However, even though Prokofiev's piano sonatas are considered one of the important collections in the piano repertoire, not all of them have gained popularity and only a few tend to be frequently performed by pianists today. For this reason, this dissertation focuses on one of his less-performed piano sonatas, No. 4 in C minor, Op. 29. The pianists György Sándor and Boris Berman were chosen as specialists in Prokofiev's piano works, and their performance editions and recordings are analyzed and compared as main references. This study provides analysis and a performance guide to this piano sonata. This guide discusses pedaling, fingering, phrasing, touch, voicing, tempo suggestion, articulation, hand distribution, and expression.