Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This dissertation introduces the solo songs of two major Finnish composers, Toivo Kuula and Leevi Madetoja, and their position in Finland's living tradition of song. That this last may be understood, a survey of the song in Finnish history has been made. Of the many composers who have made significant contributions to modern Finnish solo song literature, Toivo Kuula and Leevi Madetoja have been chosen because their lives were parallel in many respects. They were both born in the same geographic area, Ostrobotbnia, Kuula in 1883 and Madetoja in 1887. They both studied in France at the beginning of this century and were influenced to some extent by French impressionism, and through the years their lives and music had many points of contact. This study begins with an overview of the lives and styles of the two composers. This is followed by a review of Finnish history and literature, a knowledge of which will give the reader more understanding of the development and significance of the country's music. The information concerning Finnish history and literature has been taken largely from secondary Finnish sources, many of which have not previously been available in English translation. For the study of the music, all of the songs were obtained fran the library of the Sibelius Academy in Finland and from private sources [TRUNCATED] / 2999-01-01

Master of Music / Department of Music / Reginald L. Pittman / This master’s report is a discussion of the selections and composers presented on my graduate recital performed in All Faiths Chapel on Thursday, April 28, 2010. This report is also an in-depth look at the history and evolution of opera arias, oratorio, and art songs beginning in the Renaissance period. The first chapter discusses song in the Renaissance period and the origin of opera. Chapter two discusses oratorio and the Baroque period. Chapter three discusses art song and opera arias in the Classical period, with particular emphasis on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Chapter four discusses art song and opera aria in the Bel Canto style and Romantic period. Chapter four will also include information about the operetta. Chapter five discusses art song and opera aria in the Modern period.

In the Philippines, a type of love song known as the Kundiman had existed since the early 19th century. But in the early 20th century Kundiman had developed into art song. The term Kundiman comes from the Tagalog phrase “kung hindi man” or “if it were not so”. Written in the Tagalog language, these folksongs were subtly patriotic but typically disguised as love songs. Filipinos, in their long struggle against an oppressive Spanish regime, saw it as a tool that would ultimately unite Filipino revolutionaries to wage war against the Spaniards in 1896 during the Spanish-American War. The composer Francisco Santiago (1889-1947) is sometimes called the “Father of Kundiman Art Song.” While his masterpiece is considered to be his Concerto in B flat minor for pianoforte and orchestra, one of his most significant piece is his song “Kundiman, (Anak-Dalita)”, the first Kundiman art song. Santiago regarded the Kundiman art song as something “that expresses the lofty sentiment of love, and even heroism in a melancholy mood.” Given the cross-fertilization of Spanish and Filipino cultures in the 19th century, Kundiman art songs were typically a blend of melodic material from native folksong and European music traditions. The result is a song characterized by smooth flowing lines and beautiful melodies. The piano accompaniments are typically full in texture, sometimes containing countermelodies, sometimes merely harmonizing with the vocal line in thirds and sixths. One other significant early composer of Kundiman art songs was Nicanor Abelardo (1893-1934). His songs, together with those of Santiago’s became models for other Filipino composers such as Constancio De Guzman (1903-1982) and Miguel Velarde, Jr. (1913-1986) in the decades following Abelardo’s death. The purpose of this essay is to shed some light on this unique genre of song, and provide the tools necessary to study and perform these representations of Filipino culture and history. To do this, I have provided brief background information on the origins of Kundiman art song. I have also provided a guide to pronunciation, grammar and the idiosyncracies of the Tagalog dialect. Finally, this essay contains a performance guide for 20 representative Kundiman art songs, including original texts, literal and prose translations, International Phonetic Alphabet (I.P.A.) transcriptions, and suggestions for interpretation and style. In researching and analyzing these songs I have gained an understanding of the aesthetic appeal of Kundiman art songs. More importantly, these songs are not widely known in the classical world. But because of their unique connection to Filipino history and culture, they deserve serious attention. These songs would indeed make a great addition to a recital program.

This paper presents an examination of the art songs of Czech composer Vítězslava Kaprálová (January 24, 1915 - June 16, 1940) through detailed analysis of selected works. Kaprálová created a unique character for each of her art songs, with careful attention to idiomatic declamation and syllable stress, tone-painting in the accompaniments, and the use of primarily "post-impressionistic" stylistic techniques. Most importantly, this study focuses on the fact that her composition was firmly rooted in the text, and that her choice and adaptation of text convey important autobiographical motivation as well as insight into her character and personality.

This dissertation provides a guide for appropriate use of North American art song settings of biblical psalms for solo voice written after 1950 in the worship services of Christian faiths. The songs analyzed are for all voice parts and a variety of accompanying ensembles. The placement of each song on a specific calendar day is guided by the individual church calendars and lectionaries, on the prevalent themes of the text, and the characteristics of the musical setting. Performance of these songs only in a concert setting limits their usefulness for singers, voice teachers, and music directors alike. A new and worthy performing context can be established by analyzing the text and musical settings.

The compositions of American composer, Alec Wilder, span multiple, often disparate, genres within the classical and popular music styles. During his lifetime, much of Wilder’s greatest success came from his popular songs. However, his body of work is much more vast, and some of his vocal work should be classified as art song. Wilder’s formal training, aptitude for learning, and experiences with popular music provided him with a diverse artistic palette and a unique musical voice. This resultant style is eclectic and includes modality, rhythmic motives, melodic figures, extended harmonies, and text painting.Wilder scholars, David Demsey and Ronald Prather categorized one hundred and seventeen of Wilder’s compositions as art songs. From this group, nine songs were selected and analyzed according to academically accepted characteristics of Art Song: poetry, harmony and melody, the relationship between the voice and the piano, text setting, phrasing and structure, form, and vocal demands in order to justify the songs’identification as art songs. Furthermore, this document contains brief biographical information on Alec Wilder’s life, career, and varied musical endeavors as well as a concise discussion of scholarly literature concerning the composer and his oeuvre.Alec Wilder composed music within multiple genres and styles. His output is prolific, yet his art songs remain relatively unknown. It is hopeful that this document will bring new attention to Alec Wilder, and, specifically, his art songs.

abstract: Late nineteenth-century French art song, also known as mélodie, is one of the most important genres in a classical singer’s repertoire and it cannot be ignored. Its creation represents a marked improvement over the song form of French Romance which dates from the eighteenth century. French art song was not introduced to China until the establishment of the New Republic of China in 1949. In the decades since then, French art song seems less favored by Chinese singers, when compared to Italian songs and German Lieder. Having studied both in China and the United States, the author realized that for Chinese native speakers, singing French art song is a difficult challenge. Two main problems immediately present themselves: the language barrier and the obstacle of a basic understanding of French poetry. The author’s purpose here is to examine these problems and try to help Chinese singers by offering them a systematic path toward correct French pronunciation, a brief discussion of poetic imagery often seen in French poetry, and a selected bibliography of sources on French poetry to advance their comprehension. First, the paper will introduce the phonology of Pinyin (Chinese Phonetic Alphabet), the system used in China to teach Chinese (Mandarin) and compare it with the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), which is universally used by people in the West to learn the pronunciation of most languages. The document will then show the sounds that are most challenging for Chinese singers and will give some suggestions and vocal exercises to help singers better pronounce French diction. Secondly, the author will examine a few poems used in French songs to point out some of the cultural differences between China and Western countries and identify the challenges in understanding the meaning of selected French art songs from the perspective of a Chinese singer. Since an exhaustive study of French poetry would be another broad topic to be researched, the author will offer only basic suggestions and a brief annotated bibliography of sources at the end of this research project. It is the author's hope that this document will benefit Chinese singers and voice teachers by acquainting them with French diction and by helping them to appreciate French song literature. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2019

No description available.

In June 2013 the Vancouver International Song Institute (VISI) hosted its inaugural Contemporary Performance Studies program. The ten-day event offered student and emerging artist singers and pianists the opportunity to study and perform contemporary works both of their own selection and assigned by the program directors. Among the pieces assigned were works by Vancouver composers, both established professionals and rising talents, that showcased astonishing variety, depth, and excellence in their styles and artistry. The composers at VISI represented the latest generation in a long tradition of art song composition in Canada, but outside of the country's borders, Canada's composers and works are largely unknown. Lack of presence in the international musical canon has unfortunately been a historical issue for Canada. However, as compositional trends have shifted toward neo-tonality, art song in Canada has experienced significant growth in production and performance, particularly in Vancouver. Aided by organizations such as VISI, Canadian art song has been primed to take a prominent position on the international stage.

Orientador: Martha Herr / Banca: Celso Loureiro Chaves / Banca: Giacomo Bartoloni / Resumo: Esta pesquisa aborda a íntegra das canções para voz aguda e piano do compositor Bruno Kiefer compostas em 1957/58 e 1978, sobre poesias de Mário Quintana, Fernando Pessoa, Lara de Lemos e José Santiago Naud. O foco deste trabalho consiste em fornecer subsídios para a performance das canões, oferecendo aos cantores informações sobre o modo como o compositor tratou a relação entre música e poesia nestas obras, dentro de uma perspectiva pós-moderna. Além do objetivo principal desta pesquisa, procuramos no decorrer do trabalho contextualizar o período de criação das canções que integram o corpus da pesquisa; conhecer os tipos de relações possíveis entre música e poesia, levantando questões teóricas, críticas e metodológicas a partir das idéias de músico, poeta e estudiosos do assunto; verificar a existência de gestos musicais e poéticos recorrentes e como eles se associam; identificar os processos de colocação de texto em música por Kiefer comuns às diferentes canções, num processo de autocitação, para conhecer o estilo do compositor. A coleta de dados para a contextualização de gênese das obras, focado na interação do compositor com o meio onde compunha, foi realizada por meio da pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. Procedimento adotado também na abordagem histórica do desenvolvimento da relação entre música e poesia, assim como de opiniões diversas sobre o temas incluindo as de Kiefer. O processo de análise lítero-musical flundamenta-se nas idéias de autores como Steim & Spillman e La Rue, considera os parâmetros que o próprio compositor registrou em seus estudos musicológicos e recorre ao conjunto de gestos identificados e nomeados por Cardassi. / Abstract: This study deals all the songs for high voice and piano bu the composer Bruno Kiefer composed in 1957/58and 1978,with texts by Mário Quintana, Fernando Pessoa, Lara de Lemos e José Santiago Naud. The focus of the study consists in providing linformation for the performance of these songs, principaly the manner in whichthe composer dealt with the relationship between music and poetry in these works, within a post modern perspective In addition to the principal objective of this study, we seek to put in context the period of composition of these songs; to discuss the possibile relationships between music and poetry, raising theoretical, critical and methodological question based on the ideas of musicians, poets and specialistas in the matter to verify the existence or musical and poetic gestures and how they ar associated; and to identify the composer's styles and methods of placling text in music, based on his own writings. The collection of information to contextualize creation of these works, cocussing on the interactio of the composer wlith the means of composition, is the result of bibliografic research and contact with personal documents of the composer. The same process was adopted in the historical treatment of the development of tlhe relationship betwenn mlusic and poetry and diverse opinions on the theme includling thos of Kiefer. The literary/musical analytical process is based on the ideas of authors such as Steim & Spillmanand La Rue and considers parameters which the composer registered lin his musicological studies using the set of gestures indentified and listed by Cardassi. / Mestre