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.

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

Jazz is a distinctive stylistic influence in twentieth-century American organ music. Organ music in the United States during this period may be classified into four diverse categories: German-influenced; French-influenced; program music; and new styles that include twentieth-century techniques, such as serialism, chance (aleatoric), atonality, and jazz. The organ is an ideal instrument for jazz performance since the organ can provide diverse timbres, such as reeds (clarinets, trumpets, and trombones), strings (violin, viola, and cello), and overtone-rich sounds from mutations and mixtures.This document presents an analysis of jazz elements in twentieth-century American organ works, especially focused on the following selected organ works: Charles Ives' Variations on "America" (1891), William Albright's Sweet Sixteenths: Concert Rag for Organ (1975), and William Bolcom's Sometimes I Feel, and Free Fantasia on "O Zion Haste" and "How Firm a Foundation" from Gospel Preludes, Book IV (1984). The first chapter introduces jazz, including its definition, historical background, and styles. The next four chapters discuss brief biographical material, musical styles, compositions of each composer, and comprehensive musical analysis of their selected organ works, including form, melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and registration.

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