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

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1/9: liquid thread and the fallow stone three euphonium concertos on one euphonium solo line
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2016) Holden, Derek Michael; First, Craig P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
For every concerto written for euphonium and orchestra, there inevitably follows a poorly-crafted reduction of the orchestra’s material. Due to the acoustic properties of the euphonium, many lines of counterpoint that would work in an orchestra or wind ensemble simply will not be heard on piano. The act of reduction or arrangement in general of these original compositions puts the euphonium at odds with the original intent of the work. Orchestras, wind ensembles, and pianos vary significantly in their acoustical properties. Rather than try to force music where it does not belong, I have opted to write a euphonium concerto in three different versions. With each version, the euphonium solo line is treated like a cantus firmus. It remains totally unchanged, allowing any performer of the work to have three different pieces to perform out of one line. The counterpoint around the euphonium varies wildly among the three different versions: euphonium and piano, euphonium and orchestra, and euphonium and wind ensemble. The level of variation creates three pieces that sound totally different, yet are drawn from the same source material. Not only does this allow each ensemble to be treated idiomatically, but it allows for multiple treatments of a single line of counterpoint.
Alabama public high school choral teacher involvement in Alabama vocal association sponsored events
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Motley, Khristina Spruill; Latimer, Marvin E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The Alabama Vocal Association (AVA) is the choral division of the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), the state chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). This mixed methods study examined non-participation in AVA All-State Choral Festival and AVA State Choral Performance Assessment (SCPA) among Alabama public high schools (N = 355). Quantitative data were event choral program participation lists for 2012 – 2013 provided by the state AVA office and demographic statistics found on the Alabama State Department of Education website including ethnicity (percentage of White students), FRL (percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch), and school size (total enrollment) for all Alabama public high schools. Qualitative data were transcripts and field notes (N = 56 pages) from interviews (N = 26), a focus session at the 2014 AVA Fall Workshop with AVA members (N = 35), and follow-up personal communications (N = 39) with choral teachers representing all AVA districts (N = 7). An Analysis of Variance revealed two significant indicators for AVA participation: (a) FRL, F(1,353) = 169.5, p < .001 (non-participating schools M = 63.74 FRL; participating schools M = 49.05 FRL) and (b) school size, F(1,353) = 48.39, p < .001 (non-participating schools M = 414.99 students; participating schools M = 983.03 students). Ethnicity, F(1, 352) = .458, p = .499, was not found to be a significant indicator of AVA participation. Qualitative findings suggested administrative support, financial limitations, teaching classes other than choral music, and lack of communication between AVA and some choral teachers accounted for non-participation in AVA events.
Amy Beach for the new generation: the effects of increased interest in Beach’s works on the current place in the performance canon of concerto for piano and orchestra in C sharp minor, op. 45
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Schultz, Monica; Noffsinger, Jonathan S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Amy Beach sets an example of musical activism and dedication to her art that has inspired and illuminated her successors. Beach’s music has particular significance considering that she is arguably the most notable female American composer-pianist. Thus, her Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in C sharp minor, Op. 45, a large-scale work that encompasses a wide range of emotions and musical form, deserves a more established place in the performance canon. At its premier, Beach’s concerto received a drastically different reaction than the premier of a piano concerto by her male contemporary, Edward MacDowell. I seek to explore the relative merits of the two works and to determine if any gender bias influenced their comparative canonization. The goal for this project is to argue that the Beach concerto should gain more presence in the modern performance canon based on its compositional merits. In addition, I seek to disseminate reactions to Beach’s concerto at its premier and those elicited by her works now; to examine trends in performances within the US, such as the recent performance of the Beach concerto at the University of Georgia in January 2017; and to motivate further scholarship and performances of Beach’s concerto.
An analysis and performance guide to Dominick Argento's To Be Sung Upon the Water: barcarolles and nocturnes for high voice, clarinet/bass clarinet, and piano
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Frazier, Sadie; Fleming, Susan C.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This document contributes significantly to the meager list of sources that discuss Dominick Argento’s cycle for high voice, clarinet, and piano, “To Be Sung Upon The Water.” Argento is well known for his song literature and a number of his vocal works have received much attention; the cycle From the Diary of Virginia Woolf was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1975. Through theoretical analysis of the work as well as suggestions for performance practice, this document will provide both a practical and scholarly source that will expand our understanding of the cycle and promote more well-deserved study of this lesser performed work. Patrice Michaels, who made a professional recording of the cycle with pianist Bettie Buccheri and clarinetist Larry Combs in 1996, contributed an interview. Dominick Argento’s autobiographical work, Catalogue Raisonné As Memoir: A Composer’s Life contains behind-the-scenes information about his compositions. Dr. Kevin Chance gave insightful information and was very helpful in coaching this work by helping to coordinate tempi, influencing stylistic choices, and uncovering some wonderful nuances and the tributes to other composers, sometimes in the form of musical quotations, that Argento implied in the work. Further chapters provide insight into practical difficulties, which presented many obstacles in rehearsal. For instance, no singer cues are included in the clarinet edition of the score. Also, the singer’s edition of the score includes the untransposed clarinet parts which were helpful when I rehearsed alone, but in ensemble rehearsal left fewer ways to communicate about wrong notes or entrances. This document provides a resource for future performers of this work in the form of poetical and theoretical analyses, as well as helpful stylistic information. The poetic and musical richness within this lesser performed work by Dominick Argento can be discovered with the help of the sources interviewed and performance experience.
An analysis of Bach's Partita no. 2, Haydn's Fantasia in C Major, and Schumann's Carnaval
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Wang, Xiaoyan; Engebretson, Noel J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This DMA project is composed of two parts. The first is this manuscript focusing on the following piano music: J. S. Bach's Partita No. 2 in C Minor, Joseph Haydn's Fantasia in C Major, Hob. XVII: 4, and Robert Schumann's Carnaval, Op. 9. The manuscript examines the historical, musical, and performance considerations for each work. Each discussion of a work begins with a brief historical background, then covers the selected music, beginning with a study of the development of each genre⎯Partita, Fantasia, and the Character Piece. The majority of this manuscript focuses on the musical analysis and the intention is to enlighten the listener's appreciation of performance issues such as musical timing, pacing, and tone color. The second part of this DMA project is a professional quality disc recording of these three pieces recorded in the Moody Concert Hall at the University of Alabama.
Analysis of expressive elements in the Dante Sonata
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Marc, Aida Beatrice; Penick, Amanda W.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The present document is a reflection upon Liszt's most important piece, the Dante Sonata from the cycle Années de Pèlerinage. It represents the pinnacle achievement of the Italian Years and it is considered one of the most difficult pieces to play from the standard repertoire. It ranges from virtuosic, brilliant passages to sincerely moving emotional statements. Liszt's musical maturity can be seen evolving through this masterpiece by observing its innovative harmonic structure and formal conception.
Analysis of weblog commentary concerning popular music in American music education
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Walker, Joshua Daniel; Hancock, Carl B.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Little Kids Rock (LKR) is a non-profit teacher-training program for K-12 general and music education teachers focused on the study of popular music as an alternative to traditional music education programs focused on western classical music. It has garnered considerable attention from parents, teachers, and the media. In 2011, the New York Times published two online articles about the LKR program. The first expounded on the virtues of the LKR program and the second was a reaction to the readers' comments to the first article. The purpose of this study was to examine the opinions, perspectives, issues, and ideas expressed by New York Times readers to "Beyond Baby Mozart: Little Kids Rock" the first article. Readers' comments were compiled and themes and general trends were identified and related to broader philosophical questions about the role of popular music in contemporary music education. Seventy-eight comments representing 68 respondents were coded using qualitative analysis methods, revealing 22 primitive and 19 secondary themes (i.e., categories). Findings indicated that (52%) of respondents identified themselves as having a direct relationship with music. These included general music educators, LKR teachers, performing musicians, college music education students, classically (formally) trained musicians, former grade school music students, parents of music students, and music advocates. Respondents with knowledge of in depth musical concepts, not directly identifying a music relationship, were represented as Knowledgeable Consumers. Thematic analysis revealed that factors motivating respondents to post commentary were personal beliefs, article content relationships, music content relationships, and education system relationships. Debate centered on issues surrounding formal and informal methods of music instruction in music classrooms and the spectrum of issues relating to arguments surrounding the general purpose of music education (product vs. process). While broad generalizations to the larger music community are not necessarily implicit through findings in the current study, the debate does provide an opportunity for the parsing of particular ideas and attitudes towards both popular music and concepts surrounding formal and informal methods of instruction.
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.
Application of scripted instruction to dichotomous music interval discrimination
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Stovall, Carla Lea; Hancock, Carl B.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this project was to develop scripted lessons with immediate feedback to improve the accurate identification of note intervals among amateur college musicians. Four lessons were designed to focus on the discernment of musical interval pairs encountered in western music and taught in first semester college music theory courses. Two lessons incorporated familiar song references to aid interval identification. Eighteen volunteer non-music majors watched the four lessons presented live and via prerecorded video. Students scored high on all tests, demonstrating that they were able to accurately discriminate music intervals presented in the lessons. Recommendations for future lesson design and script testing are discussed.
An assessment of music programs in the Alabama Community College System
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Powe, Holly Vanessa; Ratledge, John; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) consists of 21 comprehensive community colleges, four technical colleges, and Athens State University, the state's only upper level, two- year college. The majority of those 21 colleges incorporate the five objectives of providing transfer, vocational/technical and remedial education, as well as opportunities for lifelong learning and community service in both their goal and mission statements. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not Alabama community college music programs contribute to the mission of their respective colleges as well as the overall mission of the ACCS by achieving these five objectives. Information about transfer, vocational/technical and remedial education was obtained by comparing the music courses offered in the System's common course guide with those in the 2008 catalogs and 2008-2009 course schedules of each institution. Information about lifelong learning and community service opportunities was obtained by interviewing a full- time member of the music faculty at 19 of the 21 institutions offering music courses. This study explores what music courses are being offered by music departments at Alabama's comprehensive community colleges as they relate to the goals and objectives of each school as well as the goals of the Alabama Community College System.
Birdseed and the Four Pianos
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Smith, Jacob Miller; First, Craig P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Birdseed and the Four Pianos is a composition for oboe, clarinet and bassoon which consists of five short contrasting movements. Each movement investigates a different compositional idea or process. Additionally, each movement uses unique harmonic and melodic material (except for the fifth) and develops in a unique way. The first movement is composed to explore timbre contrasts that are possible with the ensemble through the use of timbre trills, a constrained use of register, and harmonies of various types. The second movement features a fugue-like compositional process. This process emphasizes subject development, imitation, and dense contrapuntal textures. The third movement presents a melody and accompaniment that is then passed between the three voices in lyrical fashion. The fourth movement features harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic stasis. The stasis gradually becomes dynamic by varying timbre and texture. The fifth movement is constructed to highlight and combine an aspect of each of the previous movements. Fast repeated notes presenting different linear configurations creates a polyrhythmic texture. Each voice presents a unique tuplet. These tuplets then migrate from voice to voice. Slowly, the pitch content is expanded while the timbre shifts from the first movement evolve into pulses underneath a lyrical melody. That melody, combining features from the second and third movement, is then passed between the instruments and imitated. This section dissolves into a short period of rhythmic and harmonic stasis before ending the movement as it began, with the fast repeated notes as mentioned above. In this way, the fifth movement utilizes contrapuntal material as well as compositional techniques from the previous four movements. In so doing, a progression of techniques and compositional processes of the first four movements culminate in the fifth.
Body conscious: a comparative study of body awareness and body alignment methods for singers and for teachers integrating them into their teaching
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Neely, Dawn Wells; Fleming, Susan C.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this document is to research and discuss the necessity of body alignment and awareness required to enhance a singer's vocal technique. The science supporting proper alignment and awareness provides evidence for the importance of this area of training. Research presented in this document compares several of the most popular awareness and alignment methods. These methods include yoga, Alexander Technique, the Feldenkrais Method, and Pilates. Each method's founding principles and their applications to singers is explored. All of the chosen methods have aspects that complement singers' training. However, it is difficult to draw any conclusions on the effectiveness of these methods because clinical medical research is limited. There has been an increase in public awareness of alternative body training methods and an increase in clinics geared towards the special needs of performing artists. However, there is a lack of research into body alignment and awareness methods for musicians, especially singers. An overview of medical research in body alignment and awareness is presented. This overview includes voice and posture research found in publications such as the Journal of Voice. The medical research available on these methods with non-musicians is also included to provide more information on each method's effectiveness. The researcher asked professional voice teachers to participate in a survey to ascertain if and how they use these methods in their teaching. The results of this survey confirm that teachers are aware of various methods and often use them with students and their own practice. Alexander Technique and yoga are shown to be the most popular methods. The survey includes a section of open-ended questions about using these methods in lessons. The answers reveal that many teachers use variations of the presented methods because of their limited training. This information points to a lack of availability for training in these methods for voice teachers. More access to classes or availability to work with teachers who have these specialties as well as a performing arts background would be beneficial. Further research might include cataloguing the number of teachers who have training in mind-body methods along with a vocal training background.
Bridging the Gap: Adapting Works by Historical Black Composers for the Solo Tuba
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2021) Kimmons, Aurther Devontray; Crawford, Jeremy S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This document will be used to bring awareness to the eclipsed music of historical composers of African lineage between the Classical and 20th century Periods in Western Music History. As classical musicians we learn about famous composers from periods ranging from antiquity to the 20th century. We learn of their contributions ranging from the theoretical to the artistic. This gives us a digestible amount of material to learn over the course of a four-year degree program with possibility for more in-depth investigation should one decide to pursue a higher degree or a two-year graduate program. The information on composers of African lineage is not presented until the 20th century when the discussion turns to jazz and blues. However, composers of African lineage have been published since the early 1700s. This document will focus on the works of four composers of African lineage: Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780); Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799);from the Classical Period in Western Music History. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), who composed during the Romantic Period in Western Music History, and the fourth Margaret Bonds (1913-1972) who composed during the 20th century. The focus of this project is to transform works of these composers into new works for solo tuba, adding to the number of works by black composers. I strongly believe that these works have a place in the tuba repertoire, and I intend for them to be shared amongst people like myself.
Cello works for saxophone: a transcription experiment from Mozart to Mahler
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Harris, Timothy Garth; Noffsinger, Jonathan S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This project is the creation of an album featuring cello transcriptions for baritone saxophone in various chamber music settings. The four primary components of the project are the professional-quality audio recordings, the parts transcribed, the accompanying manuscript, and liner notes. Appearing on the album are Brahms’s op. 38 Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Mahler’s Piano Quartet in A Minor, a modified arrangement of Mozart’s K. 292 Sonata for Bassoon and Cello, and the final movement of Mendelssohn’s op. 66 Piano Trio in C Minor. The goal of these transcriptions and their recordings is to demonstrate my skills as a chamber musician as well as the adaptability of the baritone saxophone while learning from my own study, colleagues, and experiences how best to blend in with the other instruments in various instrumentations. Furthermore, these four convincing transcriptions can contribute to the saxophone repertoire and become useful to the overall saxophone community in both study and performance. Due to the scarcity of transcriptions from the Classic and Romantic eras, saxophonists generally have been unable to perform the repertoire of these great composers; this project allows them to do just that. The cello writing of these works employs a range playable on the baritone saxophone while avoiding a prevalence of string techniques impossible to replicate on saxophone. Brahms’s sonata is performed on saxophone and piano, Mozart’s duet on saxophone and bassoon, Mahler’s quartet on piano, violin, viola, and saxophone, while Mendelssohn’s trio includes piano, soprano saxophone, and baritone saxophone.
Chamber music for trumpet recitals
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Pugh, Elijah Seth; Yates, Eric; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This manuscript accompanies an audio CD recording of five chamber music compositions featuring the trumpet: Capricorn Concerto, Op. 21, by Samuel Barber (1945); Music for a Farce, by Paul Powles (1953); Quiet City, by Aaron Copland (1940); Ritmo Jondo, by Carlos Surinach (1952); and Trompetensextett in E-flat minor, Op. 30, by Oskar Böhme (1934). Piano reduction editions have been used for those pieces originally scored with strings or a full orchestra. This project includes a variety of small ensemble works ranging from three to seven players. The pieces presented were chosen because they are written for chamber ensembles with instrumentations that are readily available to musicians in an academic setting, while having a trumpet part that is suitable for performance on a recital. Each work emphasizes skillsets that represent a high level of technical ability and a mature sense of ensemble playing from all of the performers. These selections include some of the most popular music for chamber ensembles with trumpet, in addition to some pieces that are less well known. This manuscript provides a discussion about each piece dealing with ensemble issues and concerns specific to the trumpet part, including suggestions for equipment and ideas for successful practice and performance. The purpose is to provide trumpet players with information to successfully approach performance of these works. This information will help performers prepare each pieces in a pragmatic way.
Chinese and Other Asian Influences in Debussy's Piano Music
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2021) Guo, Chuqiao; Chance, Kevin T.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This project investigates the relationship between Claude Debussy’s piano music and various Asian influences, with a particular focus on Chinese influences. Debussy is one of the most prominent composers in the history of Western music, and his music draws on many features for inspiration, among which Asian elements and impressionism are the most representative. Debussy was inspired by Asian music, literature, and painting in many compositions, giving these works distinctive sound qualities as well as artistic appeal.Based on a comprehensive study of scholarly literature as well as theoretical analysis, this project explores several Asian influences on Debussy and offers reasons for the formation of Asian style in Debussy’s music. Particular elements of Asian style examined include Japanese prints and painting, Javanese gamelan music, and the Chinese pentatonic scale. Through the analysis of several of Debussy’s piano pieces, including “Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut”, “La fille aux cheveux de lin”, and Le palais du silence, this study discusses how Debussy’s exotic colors reflect various Asian styles. Additionally, through research on Chinese music history and theory, this project compares and summarizes several differences between Chinese music and Debussy’s own music in various compositions. It also analyzes three Chinese piano pieces in order to make comparisons with Debussy’s music. This research supports the conclusion that Asian influences, including Chinese elements, endowed Debussy with indispensable inspiration and artistic expression in his musical compositions.
The Choral Editing Standards Committee of the American Choral Directors Association
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Goss, Cody Shane; Ratledge, John; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This document chronicles the history of the Choral Editing Standards Committee of the American Choral Directors Association from its beginning in 1966 until the end of its activity in 1983. The historical narrative is based on data collected from documents contained in the Walter Collins II Collection from ACDA's International Archives of Choral Music in Oklahoma City. Additional data was obtained from Choral Journal and through interviews with former members of the Choral Editing Standards Committee. Articles published in Choral Journal prior to 1966 show that some members of ACDA were concerned about editing practices, particularly in the area of early music. The Choral Editing Standards Committee was created as a liaison between ACDA and music publishers to encourage dialogue between the two parties for the purpose of implementing editing reforms. During their active years, the committee produced two documents that contained suggestions for terminology and standards for editorial practice. Early music editions were cited to demonstrate some of the editing shortcomings the committee sought to address. The committee did much of their work in collaboration with the Music Publishers Association. Interviews with former committee members suggested that choral music editing did improve after the committee was created; however, committee members had differing opinions about whether or not their work directly impacted editorial practices. In general, early music editions are more historically accurate today than they were when the committee was active. These improvements may be related to sociological changes in the academic community.
The choral music of Keaton Lee Scott: a comprehensive study of an Alabama native
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Harris, Christopher Quinton; Ratledge, John; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
K. Lee Scott, a resident of Birmingham, Alabama, is a living composer of choral, instrumental, and vocal music who has received commendation from conductors, composers, musicologists, and publishers. Scott has composed over three hundred works with both sacred and secular texts. Ninety percent of Scott’s works are commissions from university, high school, church, and community choirs throughout the United States and from choirs in Canada, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Several university and professional choirs have recorded Scott’s music, including The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), The University of Mississippi, Brigham Young University, The University of Miami, The Lee Scott Singers, and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. His compositional attributes include an avoidance of trivial rhythmic motives, controlled diatonic harmonic structure, an inclination towards reflective and insightful texts, and an obvious understanding and appreciation for ancient church traditions and their continued relevance and application. Further, Scott understands for whom he composes, their musical and technical abilities, and creates music that is accessible to both singers and audiences. The influence of composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Paul Hindemith, and Igor Stravinsky is identified in Scott’s specific use of rhythmic and harmonic devices. These facts act as a catalyst for this study and have led to the discovery of three basic issues: (1) in no known source has the entire body of work been examined for style or musical content; (2) Scott’s compositional style, including text selection, melodic construction, rhythmic motives and development, and harmonic structure techniques, have been minimally studied in previous research; (3) there are no conclusive comparisons of Scott’s use of traditional sacred texts such as Te Deum with that of other known composers. This study enables conductors, composers, teachers, and scholars to gain a better understanding of the music of K. Lee Scott and his distinct compositional style. Further, knowledge of Scott’s compositional style allows the choral conductor and teacher to engage in an informed performance of Scott’s Te Deum. Through analysis of several key works within Scott’s oeuvre and subsequent comparison to other well-known composers, teachers and conductors will be able to find new teaching and programming opportunities.
The choro and the maxixe in the piano works of Maria de Lourdes Gondim
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2011) Gondim, Maria Thereza Pita; Penick, Amanda W.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This document illustrates the use of choro, and the maxixe--genres of Brazilian music from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries--in the piano works of Maria de Lourdes Gondim (1901-1987). These genres became representative of music of the Brazilian National School. This is also a brief survey on the history of the discovery of Brazil, the formation of its population, the Portuguese domain, Brazil's independence in 1822, and the proclamation of the Republic of Brazil in 1889. The development of a national musical identity in Brazil was made through the blending of European and African cultural traditions. The Brazilian nationalist school is a result of the combination of European roots with African, and Native Brazilian influences. In an effort to create music with a national identity, Brazilian composers in the late 19th century started to incorporate elements of popular and folk music into their works. Maria de Lourdes Gondim was a pianist and composer, with an output of 63 pieces for piano. Her works show the combination of the European Romantic tradition with genres of the Brazilian popular music of her time. Eleven of her pieces for piano are discussed in this paper-four choros and seven tangos. Lourdes Gondim never used the term maxixe for her works, adopting the term tango instead, although it is possible to identify characteristics of the maxixe among her tangos. The choro and the controversial maxixe pervade the music of almost all Brazilian composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, among many others Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934), Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), and Francisco Mignone (1897-1986).
Cinq études de jazz: a study of jazz and modernism
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) McMillan, Jeremey James; Chance, Kevin; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
When Erwin Schulhoff’s Cinq Études de Jazz appeared in 1926, the major cities in the United States and Europe were witnessing a global jazz phenomenon. Paris was among the major cities and cultural centers where the spirit of jazz ventured beyond the dance hall. Although the French reception of jazz has been thoroughly documented, this study offers a unique vantage point through a close musical analysis of this work. Schulhoff was a Czech composer who used his vantage point as an outsider to witness the influence of jazz on French culture and modern art. Besides the musical analysis, this study treats Schulhoff’s Cinq Études as a documentary by examining the unfolding of developments in the arts during the seventy-year period that preceded the 1920s. By examining the concurrent emergence of the European avant-garde and jazz, along with their similar ethos as a reaction to the sociopolitical climate of the time, this document seeks to implore the reader to consider that jazz—not simply a mere influence to modernism—is itself a branch of modern art.

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