Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, Music

Sergei Rachmaninoff was considered one of the last successors of Romanticism, and his compositional output, particularly his symphonic and piano works, featured his success as a well-known conductor and virtuosic pianist. Rachmaninoff's music remained in the romantic style, such as using the sonata form, which was favored by Romantic composers in 19th century. Rachmaninoff composed two piano sonatas, Op. 28 and Op. 36, in his life. Compared to the second piano sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 36, the first piano sonata in D Minor, Op. 28, was relatively ignored in the piano repertoire since its premiere. This author decided to explore the first sonata by studying and performing it as part of his doctoral recital. This document will discuss the reasons why the first sonata, unlike the second piano sonata, is infrequently performed by the pianists. Also, Rachmaninoff was famous for composing piano works with an expanded hand range. The writer will explain the performance style of the first sonata and approaches that could address some potential technical problems, particularly for pianists who have relatively small hands. This document consists of five chapters. Chapter one presents a historical overview of Rachmaninoff and the conception of his first piano sonata. Chapter two discusses the compositional details of the first piano sonata, including the unusual design of sonata form and musical material that features Rachmaninoff's general music style. Chapter three focuses on a performance approach to Piano Sonata No. 1 and discusses possible issues regarding technique that pianists may encounter. Based on this writer's experience of performing this work, some performance suggestions, particularly for pianists with small hands, will be provided in this chapter. Chapter four compares recordings of by Vadym Kholodenko, Alexandre Kantorow, and Santiago Rodriguez. The conclusion is stated in chapter five. The primary sources used for this document are Rachmaninoff's pers (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Caroline Hong (Committee Member); Steven Glaser (Advisor); Kenneth Williams (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2010, Music

The three piano sonatas of Carl Vine, who was born in 1954 in Perth, Australia, were written in 1990, 1997, and 2007, respectively. Applying both the traditional term and form of “sonata” and various other techniques, Carl Vine writes and expresses his piano sonatas in such a way that they have become noticeable virtuosic monuments. The three piano sonatas employ the entire range of the keyboard, a wide range of dynamic expression, energetic and motoric rhythmic motion, and free and fluid fast passages with recognizable melody lines. My purpose in this document, after enjoying the learning process and performance experience with the second piano sonata in particular, is to share performance and practice suggestions, which will lead to the best interpretation and performance of these sonatas. In addition, an interview with the composer, Carl Vine, enables the performer and other musicians to understand his thought and compositional process. An observation of the compositional style of his piano sonatas shows how well he understands the piano. Due to his own personal experience as a pianist, his three piano sonatas are playable under a pianist's hands in spite of some difficult techniques. This document is laid out as follows: Chapter I is an introduction. Chapter II is a brief biography of Carl Vine. Chapter III introduces Piano Sonata No.1 (1990) and Piano Sonata No.3 (2007) with an emphasis on formal analysis. Chapter IV introduces Piano Sonata No.2 (1997). Chapter V offers performance and practice suggestions based on a performer's experience reports publication misprint of Piano Sonata No.1 (1990) and Piano Sonata No.2 (1997). A conclusion chapter follows, providing a summary of Carl Vine's musical style and suggestions for further study which offer a comparison of the performance practices of other pianists who study and play Carl Vine's music

Committee: Dr. Caroline Hong (Advisor); Dr. Arved Ashby (Committee Member); Prof. Joe Duchi (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2003, Music

The two piano sonatas of Carl Vine (b.1954) written in 1990 and 1997, respectively, are an important contribution to the piano literature. Marked by virtuosity, the sonatas utilize the entire range of the keyboard to express emotions varying from quiet solitude to rhythmically charged exuberance.1 They also presents the pianist with technical difficulties and some interesting use of the pedals. My intention in this document, after enjoying performance experience with the first sonata in particular, is to provide the performer with guidelines, which will aid in achieving the best possible interpretation of these works. Memorization techniques will be addressed in this document, as I strongly believe these works should be performed from memory. This is not an impossibility since the harmonic language of Carl Vine is relatively conservative when compared to other composers of the same generation. Due to fast technical passages, intensity of the music, and duration of these pieces, a page-turner would simply distract from the overall impact and effect of these large dramatic works. In fact, the handful of performances in this country have been given without the use of the score. These two sonatas show Vine's unique compositional style and how well he understands the piano. Due to his experience as a performer, his two sonatas fit very well under the pianist's hands. I came across these pieces through my adviser, Dr.Caroline Hong, who studied with Sergei Babayan, an advocate of contemporary piano music. Babayan brought the Sonata No.1, which was originally commissioned by the Sydney Ballet, to the attention of American pianists with his first recording in 1998. This recording received rave review from the New York Times and from the composer himself. Though Hong's recording of this piece has not yet been released, I have included hers in the supplemental appendix as she plans to release it within this year. The remaining breakdown of this document is as follows: Chapter (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Caroline Hong (Advisor) Subjects:

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2023, College-Conservatory of Music: Piano

Dmitri Shostakovich's Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, Op. 35 (1933) is a brilliant, lively work written during a politically unstable and increasingly repressive time in Russia. Shostakovich quotes Haydn and Beethoven, uses a variety of topics and styles in the manner of Mozart's opera buffa, and creates a sonata-concerto form that is simultaneously traditional yet ambiguous in its delineations. The myriad of styles, alterations of form, and tonal language present difficulties in analyzing and conceptualizing the work using only one current theory of analysis. Thus, in this document, I will present a two-point theoretical analysis of the concerto using Hepokoski and Darcy's Sonata Theory and aspects of Topic Theory to show how the piece builds from traditions of form and style. Then, I will present the incongruities of styles, topics, and form to elucidate multiple interpretations through the perspective of humor, irony, satire, and parody. This document synthesizes current theoretical knowledge to present individual, research-based, interpretative options for performers of the work.

Committee: David Carson Berry Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Andy Villemez (Committee Member); Christopher Segall Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2022, College-Conservatory of Music: Viola

The purpose of this document is to present and describe Johannes Brahms' Sonata for Piano and Violin Op. 100 that I will transcribe into a work for Viola. The intention is to contribute this transcription for the benefit of violists as a mean to enrich the viola literature and fill the gap that exists by making Johannes Brahms' Sonata for Piano and Violin Op. 100 available for violists. Performance and study of this transcription will inspire violists another virtuosic work that explores the imagination of the viola. The hinge of this document involves a history of transcriptions for viola, transcriptions for violists to perform in a recital. This document will also explore the challenges encountered when transcribing violin and cello literature for viola, specifically, the difficulties when transcribing Brahms' Sonata for Piano and Violin Op. 100 into a work for viola.

Committee: Catharine Lees D.M.A. (Committee Member); Won-Bin Yim D.M.A. (Committee Member); Rachel Calin M.M (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2021, College-Conservatory of Music: Piano

The 2012 reprint of the original Piano Sonata No. 2 “Concord, Mass., 1840-1860” by Charles Edward Ives (1874-1954) can be assessed as a vital contribution to future generations who examine this composition. This reprint includes an introduction of the Concord Sonata in historical context by Stephen Drury, an expert in Ives' music, and complete Essays Before a Sonata written by Ives and published by The Knickerbocker Press in 1920, which is not included in the original and the 1947 revised editions. Despite the significance and symbolism that only can be seen in the 2012 edition, performers today primarily follow the 1947 edition of Concord Sonata as Ives thoroughly revised to restore his original idea of the work, mainly in the “Emerson” movement. Therefore, many have yet to pay attention and conduct less research on the 2012 reprint. To fill this lacuna, this document provides the comparison between the 1947 and 2012 editions of the Concord Sonata to make the 2012 reprint more widely acknowledged and to allow performers to use the reprint efficiently with the 1947 edition. A performance suggestion of each edition also aids pianists in interpreting Ives' musical intent and developing diverse approaches to the work.

Committee: Samuel Ng Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Chertock M.M. (Committee Member); Awadagin K.A. Pratt A.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2019, College-Conservatory of Music: Piano

Cecile Louise Stephanie Chaminade (1857–1944) was a successful French composer during her heyday, who composed over four hundred works, toured Europe and the United States, and inspired numerous clubs dedicated to the study and performance of her music. Despite her one-time celebrity, Chaminade is now remembered as a salon composer and for a handful of compositions, mostly character pieces. This document examines her Piano Sonata, Op. 21, Six Concert Etudes, Op. 35, and Concertstuck, Op. 40, three large scale, virtuosic piano works composed in the 1880s which helped to launch her career both as a composer and a performer, though this style would eventually give way to works of a more intimate quality. For each piece, I will provide a performer's guide that will explore musical issues as well as background that will help to situate these works in her overall output.

Committee: Michael Chertock M.M. (Committee Chair); Dror Biran (Committee Member); James Tocco (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2017, College-Conservatory of Music: Piano

This document includes a reductive style study of four American piano sonatas premiered between 1939 and 1949: Piano Sonata No. 2 “Concord” by Charles Ives, Piano Sonata by Aaron Copland, Piano Sonata by Elliott Carter, and Piano Sonata, Op. 26 by Samuel Barber. Each of these sonatas represents a different musical style and synthesizes traditional compositional techniques with native elements. A reductive analysis ascertains those musical features with identifiable European origins, such as sonata-allegro principle and fugue, and in doing so will reveal which musical features and influences contribute to make each sonata stylistically American. While such American style elements, such as jazz-inspired rhythms and harmonies, are not unique to the works of American composers, I demonstrate how the combination of these elements, along with the extent each composer's aesthetic intent in creating an American work, contributed to the creation of an American piano style.

Committee: bruce mcclung Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kenneth Griffiths M.M. (Committee Member); Jeongwon Joe Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2015, College-Conservatory of Music: Piano

Composed in 1909 and published in 1910, Alban Berg's Piano Sonata, Op. 1 is one of the most accessible piano works to come from the New Viennese School, and has appeared on recital programs regularly since the 1920s. The piece has a Romantic, yet modern character. Despite its beauty and relatively unchallenging technical demands, performers may have trouble interpreting it due to its musical language, which wavers between tonal and post-tonal elements; likewise, the tempo and dynamics fluctuate between stability and instability. The purpose of this document is to offer analytical and interpretive perspectives in order to enhance the study and performance of this sonata. The first chapter covers the compositional/musical background of the Sonata, surveys the publication history and history of early performances, and reviews the secondary literature. The document reviews aspects of Berg's study with Schoenberg from 1904, which had a profound influence on Berg. This influence is evident in his first published work, Piano Sonata Op.1. Instrumental study pieces and songs from 1908 show Berg's early musical language is similar to that of his sonata. Furthermore, the document surveys the published editions to illustrate the differences between the second (1920) and third (1926) editions reviewed by the composer and the misconception about the editions available from the 1950s. Selected analytical literature is reviewed along with the methodologies and concepts involved, such as developing variation and Grundgestalt, which are also used for the analysis in this document. Interpretive problems that emerge in performance are introduced through a systematic comparison of several recorded performances. The second chapter examines analytical perspectives on the Sonata: analyses of the musical components and the formal structure. The motivic and harmonic language of the opening phrase as Gundgestalt is fully examined, which is followed by tracing developmental processes o (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steven Cahn Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Chertock M.M. (Committee Member); James Tocco (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2015, Music

The project Illuminated Scores and the Architectural Design of Musical Form is designed as an approach to making scholarly editions for performing artists and educators that will portray the form and structure of a musical composition. It incorporates semiotic tools into the study of musical language intended to make the architectural design visible in a coherent format. This study develops a method of representing music graphically that differs from the established score layout, reorganizing content in a manner that allows one to overcome the constraints within which musical skills are developed under the current model of publishing music. The motivation for such a study grew out of the need to enable students to experience an immediate representation of the overall formal design of a musical composition. Initially thought of as overlaying a Schenkerian analytical sketch over the published work horizontally aligned, the project has developed into a new publishing format containing the researcher's analysis of works by Bach, Mozart and Schoenberg. It is the author's hypothesis that this new perspective will impact the ways we learn and teach musical form and structure. The goal is to present music notation in a format similar to that of poetic verse rather than that of continuous prose, where one measure follows another in no relevant way. Phrase lengths, melodic relationships, harmonic structure, and the number of measures in a system will play a significant role in the visual layout of the work. In addition, diagrams and color-coding illustrate how mathematics and music are combined to explain the concept of balance in musical form, thereby revealing the inherent beauty of a composer's cohesive thought process. The author points out mathematical concepts of numerical sequences, like Mersenne Primes and other patterns in Bach, and the Fibonacci sequence and Golden Proportion in sonata form movements of Mozart. The current stage of this research is that of a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steven Glaser (Advisor); Charles Atkinson (Committee Member); David Clampitt (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Music; Music Education

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2014, College-Conservatory of Music: Piano

This study investigates the poetic voice of Edward MacDowell (1861–1908) through two largely unknown works: the “Eroica” and “Keltic” piano sonatas. Working within a tradition of composers who experimented with the marriage of music and literature, MacDowell did not limit his music to abstract constructions, but diversified it with poetry, literature, and folklore. As a pianist-composer, MacDowell strived to infuse the poetic nature of his source material into tone much as an impressionistic painter captures light and shade on canvas. I propose to demonstrate how MacDowell motivically unified each of the sonatas and musically depicted each with extramusical inspiration. This document also provides interpretive suggestions for pianists, based on the poetic material provided by the composer and descriptions of his own playing.

Committee: Jonathan Kregor Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Chertock M.M. (Committee Member); James Tocco (Committee Member) Subjects: Music; Performing Arts

Master of Music, Youngstown State University, 2008, Dana School of Music

This thesis examines the musical language of the first movement of Bela Bartok's Sonata no. 2, for violin and piano (1922). Exploring the use of inversional symmetry, interval cycles, octatonic harmony and the use of Z-cells. It shows how Bartok used symmetry to function analogously to tonal procedures; and examines the form of the movement, its shape, melodic/harmonic content, and climatic structure. Analytic methods are based primarily on the research of Elliott Antokoletz and the theory of twelve tone tonality. The movement's structure and various developmental procedures are presented. Detailed analysis is provided, showing Bartok's use of symmetry, and Z-cell interaction with octatonic harmony, inversional symmetry, and free treatment. It also shows, Bartok's developmental process of cell expansion/contraction and intervallic displacement linking it to the Second Viennese School. The movement epitomizes the extremely experimental nature of Bartok's middle period style.

Committee: Robert Rollin PhD (Advisor); David Morgan PhD (Committee Member); William Slocum MM (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Language; Music

M.M., University of Cincinnati, 2012, College-Conservatory of Music: Composition

Sonata for Piano is a 15-minute 3-movement work for solo piano that represents much of the technical and artistic development I've made in acoustic composition while at CCM. While each movement has different energy and character, the work is united by a dense, diatonic harmonic language, na¿¿¿¿ve melodies, and a peaceful indifference toward dissonance. Structurally, the keys of C Major and F# Major take on tonic and dominant roles, respectively. The piece draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including ragtime, piano sonatas of the classical period, and modern choral repertoire.

Committee: Miguel Roig-Francoli PhD (Committee Chair); Mike Fiday PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2011, College-Conservatory of Music: Piano

As a practical performance guide, this document identifies performance issues for Franz Schubert's Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960, and proposes possible solutions. The introduction provides a brief historical background of Schubert's piano sonatas in general and the B-flat Sonata in particular. Chapter one demonstrates how a harmonic analysis of the B-flat Sonata can inform such performance issues as timing, pacing, and tone color. Chapter two concerns performance practice issues related to playing this sonata, such as tempos, repeat signs, dynamics, pedaling, rhythm, and memorization. Through a comparison of two performing editions and a critical edition, chapter three suggests the best editions for the B-flat Sonata. Consequently, I hope this document will become a practical source to help pianists interpret and perform Schubert's B-flat Sonata.

Committee: bruce mcclung PhD (Committee Chair); Awadagin Pratt (Committee Member); Elizabeth Pridonoff MM (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2010, College-Conservatory of Music: Piano

This document examines the ten piano sonatas of Allen Sapp. These ten works demonstrate the composer's stylistic development and correspond to crucial moments of change. The examination looks at Sapp's language and influences of each of three distinct periods, giving general traits and compositional tendencies of the periods. Alternating with these stylistic surveys are more probing analyses of one sonata from each period. While these stand as great musical works in their own, this document is the first comprehensive study on the ten sonatas.

Committee: Eugene Pridonoff MM (Committee Chair); Lizabeth Wing EdD (Committee Member); Elizabeth Pridonoff MM (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2008, College-Conservatory of Music : Piano

In the literature of keyboard solo music, the two-movement sonata has occupied a unique place in both structure and aesthetics. The great flowering of this type of sonata tookplace during the first half of the eighteenth century, contributed by a great number of Italian composers. Although the decline of Italian keyboard music in the second half of the century resulted in the drastic decrease of the production of the two-movement sonata, its musical substance and the structural capacities continuously developed and expanded by the hands of several masters with diverse nationalities, and finally reached its culmination in Beethoven's sonatas, especially in his last piano sonata, Opus 111. This project first traces the historical background that paved the way for Beethoven(chapters 1, 2, and 3), and then investigates Beethoven's six sonatas, focusing on the close formal and musical interrelationships between two movements from each single sonata(chapter 4). Hence, the purpose of this project is twofold: to bring events in the development of the two-movement keyboard sonata, a formal scheme in the history of sonata yet not part of the mainstream, into fresh relief, reliving its significance for keyboard literature; and to highlight the way that Beethoven's six two-movement piano sonatas represent monumental works that serve to maximize the formal possibilities of its structure.

Committee: Frank Weinstock (Committee Chair); Eugene Pridonoff (Committee Member); Michael Chertock (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2006, College-Conservatory of Music : Piano

Robert Schumann's 3rd Piano Sonata Op. 14, known also as “Concerto without Orchestra,” belongs to a relatively small group of the composer's unpopular and least performed piano works. It rarely appears in recital programs, and when it happens to be performed, it is usually and erroneously listed under both titles. The adverse publication history of this composition, along with the sporadic revisions and substitutions made by the composer and editors, might well be among the key reasons for existing confusions about Op. 14 and its reputation of a bizarre by-product of Schumann's young years. This document presents a detailed study of the history of the piece, the circumstances around its publication, and editorial notes based on the analysis of the changes (corrections, deletions) made by the composer himself as well as the changes made by editors later. Specifically, the study intends to analyze the options of the original compositional plan of the piece; to determine whether the changes in its structure and details were intentional or accidental; and consider whether these changes improve the music or disfigure and impair an otherwise successful composition.

Committee: Dr. Steven Cahn (Advisor) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2005, College-Conservatory of Music : Piano

This document examines the eclecticism found in the four significant solo piano works by Ottorino Respighi that are available to the public: Sonata in F Minor (1897-98), Six Pieces (1903-05), the piano transcriptions of Ancient Airs and Dances (1917, 1932), and Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies (1921). With the exception of the twentieth-century avant garde, Respighi brought influences to the piano works from all major periods of music history—Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionism. Interestingly, the more Respighi aged, the further back into music history he explored. In the first chapter, Respighi's piano works are placed into historical perspective. Topics explored are the unpublished piano works, the two periods of piano composition, influences from other composers, and the composer's fascination with early music. A detailed section on La Generazione dell'Ottanta—the group of Italian composers dedicated to elevating instrumental music in twentieth-century Italy—is also included here. Chapters 2-5 give background and analysis of each piano work, with emphasis on the multistylism present therein. In the discussions on the Sonata in F Minor and the Six Pieces, formal analysis and comparisons to works by other composers are examined in depth, along with influences from musical periods. The chapter discussion on Ancient Airs and Dances is largely focused on Renaissance and Baroque lute effects present in each movement, while the chapter on Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies examines more theoretical issues related to chant and the church modes. Chapter 6 presents conclusions. Opera dominated in Italy at the end of the nineteenth century; several composers recognized the need to reestablish instrumental music as a major genre. Respighi, unlike most of his contemporaries, did not completely abandon opera, yet he prolifically composed instrumental music of all types—orchestral, chamber music, concerti, and solo. The piano works we (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Robert Zierolf (Advisor) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2004, College-Conservatory of Music : Piano

This thesis examines the approach to sonata form in Schubert's two piano trios: D. 898 in B-flat major, and D. 929 in E-flat major, particularly the outer movements of the two trios, and the slow movement of the E-flat trio. The analysis is based on James Hepokoski and Warren Darcy's model. Overshadowed by Beethoven, Schubert's lengthy instrumental works are often criticized as incompetent and faulty because of their ambiguous formal structures and failure to development the themes. This thesis will demonstrate the fundamental difference in Schubert's and Beethoven's general aesthetics, thematic treatment, and harmonic language by comparing the two trios with Beethoven's selected piano trios. Moreover, the analysis will shed light on the two versions of the last movement of the E-flat trio, which was cut substantially in the published version. The cuts prove to be unsatisfactory and affect the coherence of the whole composition.

Committee: Dr. Mary Sue Morrow (Advisor) Subjects: Music

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2010, Music

The purpose of this document is to examine Donald Harris's Sonata for Piano (1957). Donald Harris (b 1931) is a remarkable American composer with significant experience with musical composition during the past fifty years. Sonata for Piano, his first published work, was composed while Harris lived in Paris, France (1955-1968). The piece infuses his passion and talent during this portion of his life with influences from Nadia Boulanger, Pierre Boulez, Max Deutsch and others who had great influence on his musicality. Harris' fascination, with what was to him, the exotic culture, trends, and tastes accumulated from living in Paris as an American foreigner, are also reflected both in his personal life and his musical works. The Sonata for Piano is written as a twelve-tone composition. Its four fully-balanced movements however are also deeply rooted in the traditional aspects of structure, compositional style and tonal gesture. Each movement's structure is inclusive of classically established compositional techniques; sonata-allegro form (in the first movement), ternary form (in the second movement), scherzo (in the third movement), and theme and variations (in the fourth movement). Additionally, contrapuntal style and tonal gestures using triads, third and sixth intervals (expressed as motivic ideas), further support the exploration of traditional previously established compositional techniques implemented in the context of a twelve-tone composition. This document contains a detailed analysis of the Sonata for Piano which will provide means for performers to produce a convincing and informed performance of this work. Research for this document includes an interview with the composer, Donald Harris, and selected examples from the score, as well as recommendations for practice and performance methodology.

Committee: Croline Hong (Advisor); Ann Stimson (Committee Member); Kenneth Williams (Committee Member) Subjects: Music