Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1923, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

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

This document studies musical borrowing in the five principal solos of the Celebrant, the central character of Bernstein's Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers (1971), with words by co-lyricist Stephen Schwartz. The solos treated are “A Simple Song,” “The Word of the Lord,” “Our Father . . .,” “I Go On,” and “Fraction: Things Get Broken.” Drawing on reports of borrowing found in published secondary literature by Jack Gottlieb, Paul Laird, and Helen Smith, and also in unpublished research by Copland scholar Daniel Mathers, this study documents Bernstein's sources, analyzes their compositional uses for Mass, and explores them critically in light of the work's eclectic musical conception and aims. Critical findings treat how Bernstein chose and manipulated his sources in view of several objectives crucial to this work's composition, its function of dedicating the opening of Kennedy Center (on September 8, 1971), and its long, controversial reception. These objectives include the widely discussed “reaffirmation of faith” which Bernstein strove to express in Mass; defiance of political and religious dogma; use of his own personalized faith symbolism; and continued synthesis of vernacular and classical influences for which he remains most celebrated. In all, the music of the Celebrant emerges as a linchpin for understanding Bernstein's eclecticism as indeed something carefully and strategically managed.

Committee: David Adams M.M. (Committee Chair); Kenneth Griffiths M.M. (Committee Member); Mary Stucky M.M. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1951, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Statistics

We investigate the asymptotic behavior of the posterior distribution of the canonical parameter within the exponential family when the dimension of the parameter space grows with the sample size, specifically focusing on the Diaconis-Ylvisaker prior. This prior is notable as it acts as a conjugate prior for the exponential family. Our analysis establishes that, under mild conditions on both the true parameter value θ0 and the hyperparameters of the prior, the distance between the posterior distribution and a normal distribution, centered at the maximum likelihood estimator with a variance equal to the inverse of the Fisher information matrix, approaches zero in the expected total variation distance norm. Our Bernstein-von Mises theorem requires only that the dimension of the parameter space d grows linearly with the sample size n, with the condition d = o(n). In the process, we derive a concentration inequality for the quadratic form of the maximum likelihood estimator, circumventing the need for specific assumptions such as sub-Gaussianity. To illustrate our findings, we offer a specific application to the Multinomial-Dirichlet model, extending our analysis to deal with density estimation and Normal mean estimation problems.

Committee: Riddhi Ghosh Ph.D. (Committee Chair); John Chen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Junfeng Shang Ph.D. (Committee Member); John Boman Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Statistics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Mathematics

In this dissertation, we follow the method developed by Cogdell and Piatetski-Shapiro to complete the computation of the local exterior square L-function of an irreducible admissible representation of GL_m over a nonarchimedean local field of characteristic zero in terms of L-functions of supercuspidal representations via an integral representation of Jacquet and Shalika. We analyze the local exterior square L-functions via exceptional poles and Bernstein and Zelevinsky derivatives.

Committee: James Cogdell (Advisor); Roman Holowinsky (Committee Member); Wenzhi Luo (Committee Member); Cynthia Clopper (Committee Member) Subjects: Mathematics

Master of Humanities (MHum), Wright State University, 2008, Humanities

During the 20th century, serious composers in the United States increasingly wrote symphonies, and a few of these composers expanded the form with the use of chorus. Three key examples are Marc Blitzstein's The Airborne Symphony, Peter Mennin's Symphony No. 4 (“Cycle”), and Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 3 (“Kaddish”). Although all three are choral symphonies each composer took a much different approach to the form. The paper will focus on analysis of these three symphonies and examination of their place in the history of the American symphony.

Committee: Charles Larkowski Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Christopher Chaffee Ph.D (Committee Member); Dennis Loranger Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

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

This study defines the aesthetics of tragedy in five Broadway musicals: Street Scene, West Side Story, Sweeny Todd, Miss Saigon, and Passion. By examining Aristotle's observations on Greek tragedy in the Poetics, this study suggests a new approach in interpreting these five musicals' plots and musical scores. The main discussion considers the protagonist from each musical, their reactions to “outside-the-drama” situations, and their understanding of the consequences of their own actions. Similar to many Greek tragedies and some of Shakespeare's plays, these five musicals follow Aristotle's premises for a “complex plot” with hamartia, recognition, and reversal. Aristotle called hamartia the crucial action or deed that marks the protagonist's journey to an unfortunate end. Reversal occurs later in the story when the protagonist realizes that the opposite of what she or he was intending took place. Recognition marks the protagonist's understanding that his or her own actions and misjudgments has led to suffering and ruin at the end of the play. A close analysis of these musicals' protagonists and plots reveals how Aristotle's definitions of the genre of tragedy appear in the musicals' songs and underscoring. In addition, this study takes into consideration elements that Aristotle did not discuss in his Poetics, but which contribute to the protagonists' tragic endings. The subplots, characters who act as Greek chorus, moments of comic relief, heartfelt songs that imply the final tragedy, and the assertion of the characters' human values at the end of the plot all enhance the three Aristotelian concepts and the protagonist's tragic saga. The composers of these five musicals employed non-Aristotelian elements in their dramatic songs, whose music and lyrics also receive close analysis. This thesis contributes to musical theater scholarship by providing new insights into these musicals' characters, plots, and music, linking them to Aristotle's Poetics, a fundamental treat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: bruce mcclung PhD (Committee Chair); Roger Grodsky BM (Committee Member); Jonathan Kregor PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2004, College-Conservatory of Music : Conducting, Choral Emphasis

This thesis examines two larger choral pieces by Leonard Bernstein, the Chichester Psalms and the Missa brevis, with the intention of helping conductors prepare and perform the works. The paper is written to aid choral professionals, whether they be university, college, or high school conductors, church musicians, symphonic chorus masters, or the music director of a professional ensemble. Included in the paper are: a discussion of the genesis and historical circumstances surrounding the composition of each work; an analysis of formal structures and key relationships for each movement; and suggestions for teaching and conducting the Chichester Psalms. In regard to the Chichester Psalms, the appropriate tempi, instrumentation, stage placement, and rehearsal techniques are discussed, as is the use of recordings by the composer as a study guide. The paper includes figures that illuminate the form of the individual movements of both works and give graphic representation to the written analysis. A selected bibliography and discography are included.

Committee: Dr. John Leman (Advisor) Subjects: Music

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2005, Music

The turn of the century in American music was marked by a surge of composers writing music depicting an “American” character, via illustration of American scenes and reflections on Americans' activities. In an effort to set American music apart from the mature and established European styles, American composers of the twentieth century wrote distinctive music reflecting the unique culture of their country. In particular, the trumpet is a prominent voice in this music. The purpose of this study is to identify the significance of the trumpet in the music of three renowned twentieth-century American composers. This document examines the “compositional” and “conceptual” Americanisms present in the music of George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein, focusing on the use of the trumpet as a voice depicting the compositional Americanisms of each composer. The versatility of its timbre allows the trumpet to stand out in a variety of contexts: it is heroic during lyrical, expressive passages; brilliant during festive, celebratory sections; and rhythmic during percussive statements. In addition, it is a lead jazz voice in much of this music. As a dominant voice in a variety of instances, the trumpet expresses the American character of each composer's music. A performance practice survey of professional trumpet players is included in this study in order to discuss performance preparation techniques. Personal interviews with orchestral performers provide further suggestions for approaching this music. This study is intended to encourage trumpet players to become more aware of the trumpet's versatility in expressing a variety of scenes and emotions. It also offers suggestions for preparation and performance of American music. It is essential for trumpet players to identify their role in any music and recognize their importance, as either a supportive role or a primary role, thus achieving an effective performance.

Committee: Timothy Leasure (Advisor) Subjects: Music

Master of Arts in English, Cleveland State University, 2010, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Dana Gioia's controversial book Can Poetry Matter? challenges poets to write in traditional forms to expand poetry's readership beyond the “subculture” of the university. In response to Gioia's position, my thesis considers the mind-numbing trends in today's entertainment and places importance on innovation to suggest that there is potential danger in Gioia's call to conform. If the artists of a society mold their work like a commodity to be consumed by the masses, this lack of originality could stint creative progress and hinder, rather than encourage, readers' interests. Gioia's position is currently a reference point for contemporary debates about poetry and society. My position offers a new suggestion to general readers: put forth individual effort and pursue professional instruction to learn how to read poetry in order to acquire a broader appreciation for the ways poetic form enriches communication. Furthermore, what is classified as difficult poetry depends upon the canon of a culture. Writers should not be required to reach a set audience or limit their innovation.

Committee: Michael Dumanis PhD (Committee Chair); Adam Sonstegard PhD (Committee Member); John Gerlach PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: American Literature; Art Education; English literature; Fine Arts; Higher Education; Language Arts; Literacy; Literature; Secondary Education