This thesis has been written with several goals in mind. The first purpose has been to inform the reader about the life of Charles Ives and the influences he experienced that gave him the impetus to experiment and write music of a nature thirty years ahead of its time, while the rest of the world was basking in the waning light of Romanticism. The second purpose has been to describe in a short space general characteristics that may be found throughout the entire musical output of Ives. The third purpose has been to analyze in greater detail the major portion of his contributions to piano literature, the three piano sonatas, so that the student may better understand the complexities which will face him in performance of these compositions. Perhaps the strongest motivation for the present study has been the hope that it might induce more students to be explorers themselves and become familiar with this music of Ives.

The piano sonata’s prominent position in Western art music is reflected in both its long history and its presence in the oeuvres of composers from across the globe. While some information on piano sonatas by South African composers has been included in academic literature, no comprehensive research has been done in the field. This lacuna is addressed in this thesis of which the main research strategy is analytical, without precluding other data-collection methods such as literature studies, archival research and consultation with composers. The thesis comprises an introductory chapter with background information and an outline of the principal research aim and objectives; a general literature review of scholarly work in the field; a summary of academic literature on solo piano sonatas by South African composers; detailed analyses of two recent and diametrically opposed 21st-century solo piano sonatas, by Hendrik Hofmeyr (1957- ) and Graham Newcater (1941- ) respectively; and a final chapter with concluding remarks. Detailed catalogues of sonatas by South African composers, for piano as well as for other instruments, are included as appendices. Findings show that in correspondence with international trends, the piano sonata has held a prominent role in South African music-making with more than 230 works completed since 1900. A chronological estimation shows a more-or-less gradual increase in the number of sonatas composed up to 1975. 30 works were finalised between 2006 and 2015, suggesting that many contemporary composers continue to reference sonata structures as a guiding principle in largescale forms. The characteristics of the majority of sonatas analysed and those discussed in the literature summary correlate to some extent with 19th- and 20th-century traditions. There are nevertheless also various exceptions and novel explorations of traditional sonata practices. From a stylistic perspective, the works engage with a range of international aesthetic discourses, constantly repositioned within the post-colonial, South African zeitgeist. The sonata’s prominent position in South African art music is not only reflected in the historically high frequency of its use, but also in the ways the sonata paradigm is continuously being reinvented, deconstructed and developed to reflect the country’s idiosyncratic and dynamic cultural identity

Paul Creston (1906-1985) was one of the most significant American composers from the middle of the twentieth century. Though Creston maintained elements of the nineteenth-century Romantic tradition and was categorized as a “Neo-Romantic” or “20th-century traditionalist,” many of Creston’s compositions contain elements of Baroque music. His Piano Sonata, Opus 9 provides significant examples of Baroque elements, while already foreshadowing his mature style. The purpose of this study is to explore Baroque elements in the compositional language of Paul Creston’s Piano Sonata, Opus 9. All four movements of the Piano Sonata will be examined in regards to its stylistic features associated with Baroque practices. These features mainly consist of rhythm, texture, imitative writing, and repeated phrase structure. Each category of the study will include comparisons of Domenico Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas with Creston’s sonata. Through an examination of the Piano Sonata and its Baroque elements, this study hopes to inspire renewed interest in the work among musicians and to help the performer give a more stylistically coherent, and accurate, performance.

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abstract: Between the years of 1818 and 1833 the Austrian composer, teacher, and pianist, Carl Czerny (1791–1857) wrote one of his greatest compositions, the f minor Grand Piano Sonata, Op.178 for piano four hands. Overshadowed by composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and possibly because of Czerny’s prolific pedagogical output, this work has received little scholarly attention and is rarely performed. The aim of my paper is first to provide a concise background of the composer for better insight of his ideas and influences and, second to provide a theoretical framework and analysis of the composition to show how this piece is uniquely set in the musical backdrop among early nineteenth century piano music. Further, I will demonstrate performance concepts and ideas of the composition highlighting his instructional mastery. There are two components for this project including a research paper and a lecture recital. I hope this project could bring more musicians and audiences to Carl Czerny’s serious and concert music as he categorized his music. He had been a great model of true artist, he composes, teaches and perhaps not the greatest promoter of his own music like the contemporaries. However, he devoted most of his life to development of music and the new generation of pianists, which is the most honorable of an individual. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2019

In 1879-1880, E. W. Fritzsch in Leipzig issued a most unusual collection entitled <i>Arrangements of Mozart Piano Sonatas with a freely composed second piano part without opus numbers</i>, prepared by the noted Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg (1843-1907). The collection of Griegs arrangement of Mozarts works comprises the <i>Piano Sonata in F major, KV 533/494</i> (composed in 1788), <i>Fantasia and the Piano Sonata in C minor, KV 475 and KV 457</i>(composed in 1784), the <i>Piano Sonata in C major, KV 545</i> (composed in 1788), and the <i>Piano Sonata in G major, KV 189h=283</i> (composed in 1775). According to the letter to Dr. Max Abraham, Grieg originally prepared his arrangements of Mozarts four sonatas for pedagogical reasons. In his article Mozart (November 1897), Grieg also mentions his own Mozart editions:<p> <i>The writer of this article has himself attempted, by using a second piano, to impart to several of Mozarts pianoforte sonatas a tonal effect appealing to our modern ears; and he wishes to add, by way of apology, that he did not change a single one of Mozarts notes, thus preserving the respect we owe to the great master. It is not my opinion that this was an act of necessity; far from it. But provided a man does not follow the example of Gounod, who transformed a Bach prelude into a modern, sentimental, and trivial show piece, of which I absolutely disapprove, but seeks to preserve the unity of style, there is surely no reason for raising an outcry over his desire to attempt a modernization as one way of showing his admiration for an old master.</i><p> With regard to this collection of Mozart sonatas, this thesis documents the influence of Mozart, a Viennese classical composer, on Grieg, a Norwegian Romantic composer, with a special focus on Mozarts <i>Piano Sonata in F Major, KV 533/494</i> in the arrangement by Grieg. With Griegs bold claim that he did not change a single one of Mozarts notes, this study reveals the authenticity through the critical examination of the musical text in the context of the primary sources.

In 1879-1880, E. W. Fritzsch in Leipzig issued a most unusual collection entitled <i>Arrangements of Mozart Piano Sonatas with a freely composed second piano part without opus numbers</i>, prepared by the noted Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg (1843-1907). The collection of Griegs arrangement of Mozarts works comprises the <i>Piano Sonata in F major, KV 533/494</i> (composed in 1788), <i>Fantasia and the Piano Sonata in C minor, KV 475 and KV 457</i>(composed in 1784), the <i>Piano Sonata in C major, KV 545</i> (composed in 1788), and the <i>Piano Sonata in G major, KV 189h=283</i> (composed in 1775). According to the letter to Dr. Max Abraham, Grieg originally prepared his arrangements of Mozarts four sonatas for pedagogical reasons. In his article Mozart (November 1897), Grieg also mentions his own Mozart editions:<p> <i>The writer of this article has himself attempted, by using a second piano, to impart to several of Mozarts pianoforte sonatas a tonal effect appealing to our modern ears; and he wishes to add, by way of apology, that he did not change a single one of Mozarts notes, thus preserving the respect we owe to the great master. It is not my opinion that this was an act of necessity; far from it. But provided a man does not follow the example of Gounod, who transformed a Bach prelude into a modern, sentimental, and trivial show piece, of which I absolutely disapprove, but seeks to preserve the unity of style, there is surely no reason for raising an outcry over his desire to attempt a modernization as one way of showing his admiration for an old master.</i><p> With regard to this collection of Mozart sonatas, this thesis documents the influence of Mozart, a Viennese classical composer, on Grieg, a Norwegian Romantic composer, with a special focus on Mozarts <i>Piano Sonata in F Major, KV 533/494</i> in the arrangement by Grieg. With Griegs bold claim that he did not change a single one of Mozarts notes, this study reveals the authenticity through the critical examination of the musical text in the context of the primary sources.

The lecture recital was given January 22, 1977. A discussion of Elliott Carter's Piano Sonata emphasized those compositional techniques which foreshadowed important compositional procedures in many of his later works. The following compositions were discussed: Concerto for Orchestra, Double Concerto for Harpsichord and Piano with Two Chamber Orchestras, 8 Etudes and a Fantasy for Woodwind Quartet, Holiday Overture, Piano Concerto, Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello, and Harpsichord, Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, String Quartet No. 1, String Quartet No. 2, String Quartet No. 3, Variations for Orchestra. The Piano Sonata was Ty and Schumann. In addition to the lecture recital, three public solo recitals were performed. The first solo recital, performed on April 2, 1973, consisted of works by Bartok, Debussy The second solo recital, performed on October 28, 1974, included works by Bach and Liszt. The final solo recital, performed on March 7, 1976, consisted of works by Beethoven and Chopin. All four programs were recorded on magnetic tape and are filed, along with the written version of the lecture recital, as part of the dissertation. performed.

The objective of the dissertation is to examine Cyril Scott's musical language as exhibited in his Piano Sonata, Op. 66. Subjects of discussion include Scott's use of form, rhythm, melody, tonality, and harmony. Also included are a biographical sketch of the composer and his philosophical view of modernism. A comparison of the original version and the revised edition of this sonata, as well as references to Cyril Scott's two other piano sonatas are also included during the examination of his harmonic and rhythmic style.