The purpose of this study is to create an original composition for piano and orchestra, Piano Concerto Number One, Heatmadah. While numerous compositions of piano concerti already exist, the goal of the dissertation, through the process of composing an original score, is to express new ideas based on traditional forms. This quest evokes the questioning of traditions, yet presses tightly upon the value of the individual. The first section presents a brief history of the piano concerto and introduces my piano concerto, Heatmadah. The second section discusses the significance of the study. A review of literature is investigated in the third section. The fourth section contains the methodology of my dissertation and includes discussion of preparation, orchestration, the interaction between piano and orchestra, the role of the flute and piccolo, virtuosity, and structure. The structure discussion includes a thorough analysis of how the work is put together, and is illuminated by several musical excerpts. A description of important musical traits and influences follows, including cyclical transformation, augmentation and diminution of materials, harmonic language, influence of jazz and the iconic jazz artist, influence of Ravel, and challenges and goals. I hope that my concerto will connect and resonate with both performers and audiences alike. / School of Music

Thesis supervisor: Christine Getz. Thesis supervisor: Michael S. Eckert. Includes bibliographical references (p. 457-468).

Inaug.-Diss.--Würzburg. / Curriculum vitae. "Literatur-verzeichnis": p. [81]-84.

Inaug.-Diss.--Leipzig. / Vita. Constitutes the first 2 parts of a work in 5 parts published in Leipzig, 1905, as "Geschichte des Instrumentalkonzerts bis auf die Gegenwart." "Literatur": p. [1]-3.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--Boston University / The concerto is in three movements. The first, in G major is an Allegretto; the second, in D minor is marked Andante; and the third, in G major is a brisk Allegro. There is frequent use of modal scales throughout the course of this composition, particularly the Mixolydian mode. The concerto, however, may be regarded as being bi-modal--that is, either major or minor with much use of borrowed triads, altered triads, added notes, as well as poly-chords and simple diatonic harmony

abstract: Playing an orchestral reduction is not always the most joyous of times for pianists. As pianists, we have to express a reduced idea of all the instruments and orchestral textures that are in the full score. However, in many cases, there are often omissions, errors or discrepancies in the existing published reductions. These reductions are made by a variety of people: editors, conductors, pianists, but rarely by the composer, and often do not reflect the composer's true intentions. While many reductions are technically playable, including the reduction of the Sibelius Violin Concerto that will form the basis of this paper, the arrangement of the orchestration can be obscured or inaccurate to the point where the violin soloist may not be receiving the best representation of the actual orchestration. A piano reduction should as closely as possible represent the original intention of the composer, both for the sake of the audience and the performers. The pianist should be able to provide the proper support and orchestration of any reduction for the instrumentalist or vocalist so that the same performance style and technique can be used while performing with either a piano reduction or a full orchestra. This research document contains a detailed examination of the various orchestral reductions of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, culminating in a new version by the author. In this discussion, the author will present a basic understanding of how to orchestrate at the piano through an in-depth explanation of piano skill and technique, practice techniques such as listening to a recorded version of the full orchestration while playing the piano, and ways to study and revise an existing piano reduction. The current published reductions of the Sibelius Violin Concerto contain many errors and discrepancies and will be contrasted with the author's own reduction, available for comparison and study in the appendix. This new revised reduction will clearly show the orchestral instruments represented throughout the score, demonstrate new techniques for various orchestral textures, and will yield a playable product that more closely represents the composer's original intentions. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Music 2011

This thesis consists of a large composition for violoncello and orchestra, together with an analytical paper in which I discuss my compositional techniques and some of their historical antecedents. The composition draws on the genres of imaginary musical theater, the symphonic poem, and the concerto. It was also inspired by the story of Hermes, the messenger god from Greek mythology. While the myth partially informs the compositional structure, the work is ultimately meant to showcase the versatility of the cello, the coloristic range of the orchestra (in some cases emulating the orchestral styles of previous composers), the balance of cello and orchestra together, and the eclectic invocation of many compositional techniques separately and simultaneously. These techniques encompass set theory (the use of unordered pitch collections), polytonality, and serialism. It is composed in a post-romantic style.

D’improvviso da immobile s’illumina is a concerto for bass clarinet, two orchestras, piano, and percussion, that I composed during my graduate studies at Florida International University in Miami. The work is approximately 16 minutes long and is scored for 30 independent instrumental parts in addition to the bass clarinet soloist. Although the piece does not incorporate electronics, electronic music was a major influence in its creation, and the computer was used extensively as a compositional tool. In addition, the writings of Henry Cowell and the music of Sofia Gubaidulina influenced the concerto in a number of ways. While writing this work, I had to discover new ways to allow pure instinct to intermingle with strict calculation. This paper will discuss in detail the various techniques used in the creation of the concerto as well as some of the works that influenced it.

No description available.

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra is a three-movement composition for solo piano and orchestra. The three movements follow the general pattern of fast-slow-fast, although the first movement includes some slow sections. There is no break in continuity between the second and third movements. The duration of the entire work is approximately nineteen minutes, the first movement equivalent in time to the second and third movements combined.