Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of North Texas, 2003. / Accompanied by 4 recitals, recorded Jan. 26, 1998, June 21, 1999, Apr. 15, 2002, and Apr. 23, 2003. Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-49).

Sonata in C Major for Violin <br>J.S. Bach <br>Bach began composing his six sonatas and partitas for solo violin while in Weimar, but completed the set during his time as Kapellmeister in K��then. Although completed in 1720, during a time in which the solo violin repertoire was actively growing, these works were not published until 1802 and did not gain recognition until Josef Joachim began performing them. Today the six sonatas and partitas are an essential part of the violin repertoire and have served as an example for later polyphonic compositions for solo violin. The Sonata in C Major is the penultimate piece in Bach���s set of sonatas and partitas. It is the first of the set written in a major key, although the key area and tonality are very ambiguous in the first movement, Adagio. The Fuga is the longest and most complex movement, illustrating many contrapuntal techniques, such as stretto, inversion, and double counterpoint. The four movements of the Sonata in C Major follow the typical slow-fast-slow-fast pattern of the sonata da chiesa form. <br>Graceful Ghost Rag <br>William Bolcom <br>William Bolcom, American composer and pianist, wrote Graceful Ghost Rag, in 1970. Although his earliest compositions followed serial technique, this piece follows his mission to embrace a variety of musical styles, in an effort to break boundaries between popular music styles and high art music styles. This philosophy began to influence his compositions in the 1960���s. Throughout his career, Bolcom has composed pieces across many genres, including operas, concerti, symphonies, string quartets, sonatas, rags, cabaret songs, and musical theater works. Bolcom is also an avid performer. He has recorded twenty albums in collaboration with his wife, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris. The couple���s most often performed and recorded works include showtunes, parlour, and popular songs from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. <br>Sonata No. 9 for Violin and Piano in A Major, Op. 47, ���Kreutzer��� <br>Ludwig van Beethoven <br>Although Beethoven���s ninth violin sonata is named after the great violinist of the time, Rodolphe Kreutzer, it is rumored that Kreutzer never played it, claiming that it was too difficult to understand and to play. Beethoven originally dedicated the sonata to George Bridgetower, another prominent violinist at the time, who performed the premiere with Beethoven at the piano. The 8:00am premiere was a success, despite the fact that Bridgetower was sight-reading the piece. However, shortly after the premiere, Beethoven became angry with Bridgetower and rededicated the sonata to Kreutzer when Bridgetower made a disparaging remark about a woman whom Beethoven was fond of. Today, the ���Kreutzer��� sonata is one of the most loved and demanding pieces of the violin and piano repertoire. <br>The ���Kreutzer��� sonata was composed in the period after Beethoven���s Heilegenstadt Testament. In 1800, Beethoven had begun to loose his hearing. Despite a trip to Heilegenstadt to rest in an attempt to reverse or stop his hearing loss, it was now certain that he would suffer permanent and complete hearing loss. In a letter to his brothers, he contemplated suicide but ultimately decided against it, citing the reason for his change of heart as his need to express himself in music. This document was found after his death and is now known as the Heilegenstadt Testament. It is not only an important document used to understand the life of Beethoven but also a chapter in the beginning of the idea of music as self expression, ushering in the Romantic Era. <br>The third movement of the ���Kreutzer��� was originally composed for another sonata, but Beethoven felt that it was too brilliant in sound and style; therefore, he saved it for a later composition. Because the three movements are so different in character, it may seem that the third movement was simply added to the end of the first two, but after closer study, it is apparent that the rhythmic motive of the Presto inspired the first two movements. The ���up-down��� feeling of the rhythm in the Presto can be felt in all movements, even in the violin chords at the beginning of the piece, which are to be played essentially as two double-stops. / Mary Pappert School of Music / Music Performance / MM; / Recital;

Treatise (D.M.A.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-152). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Treatise (D.M.A.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Treatise (D.M.A.) Florida State University, 2007. / Advisor: Frank Kowalsky, Florida State University, College of Music. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed 8-21-2007). Document formatted into pages; contains 92 pages. Includes biographical sketch. Includes bibliographical references.

abstract: The purpose of this project is twofold: to contribute to the literature of chamber ensembles comprising mixed wind, string, and percussion instruments by producing arrangements of three piano rags by William Bolcom; and to highlight Bolcom's pivotal role in the ragtime revival of the 1960's and 1970's. Through his influence as a scholar, composer, and performer, Bolcom (b. 1938), one of the most prominent American composers of his generation, helped garner respect for ragtime as art music and as one of America's great popular music genres. Bolcom's 3 Ghost Rags were written in the tradition of classic piano rags, but with a compositional sensibility that is influenced by the fifty years that separate them from the close of the original ragtime era. The basis for the present orchestrations of 3 Ghost Rags is the collection of instrumental arrangements of piano rags published by Stark Publishing Co., entitled Standard High-Class Rags. More familiarly known as the "Red Back Book," this publication was representative of the exchange of repertoire between piano and ensembles and served as a repertory for the various ragtime revivals that occurred later in the twentieth century. In creating these orchestrations of Bolcom's piano rags, the author strove to provide another medium in which Bolcom's music could be performed, while orchestrating the music for an historically appropriate ensemble. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Music 2013

Combining traditional source and modern technique in musical composition has become one of the major trends in the contemporary music development. William Bolcom (1938- ) is an important composer in the 20th century, who followed this trend to compose the two-piano work Recuerdos ¡V Three Traditional Latin-American Dances for Two Pianos (1991). Inspired by characteristics of traditional Latin American dance, Bolcom employed the elements of the Latin American music as the structural foundation. In each of the three movements, Bolcom has tried to recall the stylistic features of the folk music in Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela, as well as musical languages of Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934), Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869), Ramón Delgado Palacios (1863-1902). Bolcom uses a lot of Latin America music materials in Recuerdos, and also applied contemporary compositional technique to this work, such as polytonality, serialism, collage, etc. Chapter One in this paper will introduce Bolcom¡¦s life background and musical composition experience, and the special characteristics of his five two-piano works. Chapter Two contains the historical background of Recuerdos, mainly discussing musical styles of three countries and three composers which Bolcom wanted to evoke in this composition. Chapter Three includes the compositional manners of Choro, Paseo, and Valse Venezolano, and researches how Bolcom intergrating diverse musical materials and still creating the unity among three movements.

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abstract: This research paper will examine William Bolcom’s compositional style and performance challenges related to Three Popular Rags (1967-1968), Knockout: A Rag (2008), Estela: Rag Latino (2010), and Contentment - A Rag (2015). The aim is to reveal some of his contributions to the revival and expansion of ragtime. The paper includes a brief background on William Bolcom and a history of ragtime music. Differences between the compositional styles of Scott Joplin and Bolcom are discussed through descriptive analysis, focusing on musical forms, rhythms, harmonies, and textures. The performance suggestions include elements of dynamics, articulation, extended piano techniques, and pedal use. The author hopes that this stylistic analysis and performance guide will further interest in Bolcom’s piano ragtime music. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2020