Theses and Dissertations - Department of Music (Applied & Theory)

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations - Department of Music (Applied & Theory) by Author "Andrus, C. Fred T."

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    The apology
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Holmes, Daniel Stuart; Johnson, William Marvin; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This work is a multi-movement, multi-channel, electro-acoustic composition featuring digitally synthesized audio, recorded audio, baritone soloist, tenor soloist, and men's choir. The text is taken from G.M.A. Grube's translation of "Apology" as written by Plato. Some original additions to the text have been inserted where chronological events in Plato's writing are disrupted. "The Apology" depicts the trial of Socrates, specifically the defense Socrates provides on his own behalf. Socrates (baritone) is accused of treason and heresy by Meletus (tenor). Although Meletus is confident due to his popular support, he is unprepared to deal with Socrates' wit. Socrates eventually falls into the same type of lecture that garnered his unpopularity in the first place. Ultimately, the final vote is close, but Socrates is found guilty and sentenced to death by poisoning. This work is in five parts titled as follows: I - Accusations, II - The First Defense, III - Elenchus, IV - Guilty!, V - Last Lecture. The duration of the work is fifteen minutes.
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    The lost art of improvisation: teaching improvisation to classical pianists
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Woosley, Kevin Daniel; Penick, Amanda W.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Musical improvisation is an art that was practiced by the majority of keyboard masters and pedagogues of the past. Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and many others improvised during public performance and encouraged improvisation among their students. In today's music world, however, classical pianists are rarely comfortable improvising; as a result, they avoid teaching improvisatory skills at all levels, including in higher education facilities. Logically, if the teacher is not comfortable with improvisation, no attempt should be made to teach the art. Improvisation, however, is still a useful skill in the twenty-first century and should become a regular part of a classical pianist's training. This study primarily provides methods through which classical pianists can learn the fundamentals of improvisation and acquire the ability to teach improvisation to their students. These methods are useful to both student and teacher. Classical pianists must learn the foundations of improvisation in order to prevent the loss of an art that was once valuable to the historical masters of the keyboard and can be equally so to pianists today.
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    Q.E.D. for piano, violin, and cello
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Lamphear, Steven Charles; First, Craig P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Q.E.D. is a composition for piano, violin, and cello that was composed between August of 2011 and October of 2012. It is unified through the use of various transformations of a principal motive, which is presented by the violin in the first two measures of the piece. This motive was created to provide variety in rhythm and melody. The rhythmic content is generated from fragments inherent in the principal motive, with many rhythmic events being projected in triple and quintuple groupings. Pitch and interval content used throughout the piece also borrows fragments from the principal motive. This primary motive reappears throughout the piece to initiate or conclude important structural regions. However, material that is not part of a complete statement of the motive still consists largely of fragments from the motive. The transformations of the principal motive provide a variety of moods and styles in both tonal and atonal contexts. For instance the principal motive includes scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, 6ยง, 6#, and 7# in the key of E minor. The counterpoint and harmony supporting this motive can either exploit these tonal tendencies or avoid them. The changes in style and aesthetic roughly divide the piece into three main parts: (1) a frenetic opening, (2) a slow and tranquil middle section, and (3) an explosive ending that returns to the faster tempo of the opening. Though each section includes the motive in various guises, the middle section does not contain any explicit statements of the motive, thus creating a contrast to the outer sections. The return of the motive is used to mark the beginning of the final section. The title of the piece is "Q.E.D." ("quod erat demonstrandum" or "which was to be demonstrated"). This initialism is commonly used in mathematics and philosophy to signal the completion of a proof or argument. This title serves as an emblem of my compositional endeavors and completion of my graduate studies at the Master's level.