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Prokofiev's Eclectic Approach in his Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor

Prokofiev had a specific approach to the modernist aesthetic that is worthy of a special study from a new perspective: eclecticism. There are two distinguishable views on his achievement in modern music. One is the Western version, which sees his eclectic approach as not innovative enough in comparison with modern composers such as Stravinsky. The other view is from the traditional Soviet approach, which holds Prokofiev in the highest esteem. These sources largely ignore Prokofiev's Paris and American periods. Such an oversimplification is likely to have reflected political circumstance. Neither the Western view nor the Soviet view provides a satisfying interpretation of Prokofiev's musical style. Therefore, understanding his eclectic approach is important to challenge and redefine our notion of Prokofiev's musical aesthetic. This dissertation examines Prokofiev's eclectic approach in his Violin Concerto in G minor with a combination of historical research and historically informed style analysis. The historical research is mainly based upon current interpretations of Prokofiev's musical style. The two contrasting views (Western and Soviet) on Prokofiev's contributions to modern music are equally lacking in objectivity due to their entrenchment in political rhetoric. Therefore, to have a more precise interpretation of Prokofiev's concerto, historically informed analysis is used to evaluate his essential self-characterization shift in his compositional style, the so-called "five lines."

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1505201
Date05 1900
CreatorsYan, Jishuang
ContributorsOlschofka, Felix, Couturiaux, Clay, Mondelli, Peter
PublisherUniversity of North Texas
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatvi, 40 pages : illustrations, music, Text
RightsPublic, Yan, Jishuang, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
RelationRecital: April 11, 2016, ark:/67531/metadc1614833, Recital: November 29, 2016, ark:/67531/metadc1614995, Recital: March 3, 2018, ark:/67531/metadc <not yet digitized>

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