Music

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Research from the Department of Music. The department website may be found at https://www.ndsu.edu/performingarts/music/

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Selected Larger Choral Works of F. Melius Christiansen (1871-1955)
(North Dakota State University, 2011) Toliver, Nicki Lynn
F. Melius Christiansen (1871-1955) composed four larger choral works between 1917 and 1925. The Reformation Cantata, composed in 1917, commemorates the 400th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation and the merger of three church synods into the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. The cantata is scored for baritone, tenor, and soprano soli, chorus, and orchestra. Christiansen’s oratorio, The Prodigal Son, was composed in 1918. The performing forces include SATB soli and SATB chorus with orchestra or keyboard accompaniment. In 1922, Christiansen composed a multi-movement a cappella work for the St. Olaf Choir entitled Psalm 50. The Norwegian-American Centennial Cantata was written in 1925 in commemoration of the Norwegian immigrants who sailed to America and established their homes. The cantata is scored for soprano and baritone soli, mixed chorus, and orchestra. A general analysis of these four larger choral works was performed. This document, with structural analysis and historical background of selected works, is intended to provide conductors with insights into Christiansen’s repertoire. The literature selected displays the composer’s diversity of genres and compositional techniques. For each work, the document includes the identification of melodic and thematic material, musical examples, text sources, vocal ranges, and details regarding form.
Reaching Arcadia: Rural and Agricultural Themes in Vocal Art Music including Plans to Introduce this Music to a Rural Audience
(North Dakota State University, 2011) Oberlander, Erin Marissa
Throughout the history of Western Music, composers have written works on rural and agricultural subjects. The first half of this dissertation examines a number of important works from the Baroque era through the present day and the composers who have chosen this specialized subject matter. Rural communities are underserved where the arts are concerned. Yet, rural audiences have perhaps the best chance at identifying with the subjects of this particular subset of vocal art music. The second half of this dissertation examines reasons why it is important to reach rural communities with vocal art music. Four sample recital programs appropriate for rural audiences are included.
Tracing the Development of Japanese Choral Tradition, and the Influence of Buddhism and Western Music
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Kishimoto, Masashi
This research deals with the origin and development of Japanese choral music emphasizing Japanese folk tunes. The process of how modern styles of Japanese choral music evolved is rather complicated, and has been greatly influenced by the paralleled development of society, tradition, culture, language, politics, and religion. In order to truly understand the essence and evolution of traditional Japanese music, it is crucial to recognize the cultural influences that make up Japanese history. In the late fifth century, Japan started to absorb new music from mainland Asia into its own culture. This led to the development of new musical ideas, laying the groundwork for musical traditions that defined Japanese culture for years to come. Both mainland Asia and Europe introduced strong religious influences (Buddhism and Christianity, respectively). However, it was not until the radical influence of European music in the 19th century merged with traditional Japanese folk song and created the modern synthesis of the form. This research aims to discuss how the different aspects of both Eastern and Western music, more specifically their unique rhythms, scales, chords and harmonies, evolved and now coexist within Japanese culture and music. Choral works based on Japanese folk tunes are used to assess specific developmental influences.
Twenty-First Century Trumpet Music of James M. Stephenson III
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Norris, Kyle M.
This study examines in detail works for trumpet by James M. Stephenson III, which include unaccompanied works, short character pieces, multi-movement works, compositions for chamber ensembles, and etudes. As a modern composer, Stephenson is important for both the quantity and quality of his works. His style is characterized by beautiful lyrical lines, skillfully crafted technical passages, extreme shifts in register, and detailed attention to dynamics, articulation and phrasing. Biographical information covering Stephenson's youth, education and career will be presented together with an examination of his compositional characteristics and influences. A selected group of works will be viewed in detail, including Call (for unaccompanied trumpet), Fanfare for an Angel (four part trumpet ensemble), Mutation for trumpet and piano, Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, Vignettes (for trumpet and percussion) and his two volumes of Day-Tudes for trumpet. These works were selected to showcase his compositional skill and versatility as well as present examples of works of substantial pedagogical value. A complete list of his compositions and a discography of all known recordings of his music will be provided in two appendices.
The Development of Works for Choir and Brass: A Study of Four Representative Works
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Armendarez, Christina Marie
As brass instruments evolved from crude instruments limited to only a few notes into instruments that could play melodic passages within the vocal range, they began to be paired with the voice. The development traced in this paper will focus primarily on the addition of brass instruments with a choral ensemble from the late Renaissance period through the Modern period. Insight into the historical use of brass and the evolution of choral and brass music allows us to better understand the genre and how subject matter, text, and/or the occasion for which the compositions were composed often influenced the composer’s decision to add brass. Four representative pieces will be studied: In Ecclesiis by Giovanni Gabrieli (c.1554-1612); Herr, unser Herscher by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672); Ecce Sacerdos by Anton Bruckner (1824- 1896); and Ode a la Musique by Frank Martin (1890-1974).
Nathan Richardson and the Editions of the New Method for the Pianoforte
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Prigge, Sarah Kaye
Those studying music during the mid-nineteenth century in the United States began to experience music education through many of the models of pedagogy that are still in use at the present time. The use of a method book for music study was a new concept. A few more serious piano students traveled to Europe to study with the major performing artists of the day. As the number of homes with pianos increased, so did piano method books for home use. Women of the gilded age were encouraged to pursue music, most often for the purpose of playing at home and in salon settings, which gave rise to new methodologies such as Nathan Richardson's New Method for the Pianoforte. The intent of this study is to present a careful examination of Richardson's New Method and the context in which his method and the revisions appeared.
Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy Takach: An Introduction to their Choral Music and a Study of their Positions within a Lineage of Minnesota-Based Composers
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Culloton, Michael Patrick
This study serves as an introduction to the choral music of Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy Takach. It also examines their positions within a lineage that includes three generations of successful Minnesota-based composers. It begins with Dominick Argento as the key figure in the first generation. The second group includes Stephen Paulus, Libby Larsen, Carol Barnett, and Craig Carnahan. Hagen, Takach, and Abbie Betinis have emerged as leaders of the third generation, and are discussed in that context. Major similarities that link each generation include a high level of compositional craft and advocacy work on behalf of other composers and the artistic community in the Twin Cities. These similarities are explored as part of this thesis. Additionally, this study explores the link between the composers of this lineage and the thriving choral community found in Minnesota, especially in the Twin Cities region. Conductors Dale Warland and Philip Brunelle have been important figures in the musical and personal lives of nearly every composer in this lineage. Their careers and philosophies regarding the commissioning of new music are also studied.
Alternative Analyses of Three Multiple Percussion Works
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Woodmansee, Brett Eric
The goal of this research document is to provide a flexible analysis that is directly applicable to multiple percussion performance and will inform a performer about the nature of decisions in specific circumstances without discouraging new explorations or interpretations. These analyses attempt to organize music components into four groups: dynamics, timbre, note density, and articulations and ornaments. Each of these groups can change in levels of importance within a hierarchy for each phrase, which provides information for performance practice. This information can theoretically reveal the most important components of a phrase, including the most significant mistakes of composers and performers. Emphasizing certain groups during a performance can mean the difference between a phrase enhancement and a confusing effect. These analyses ignore complicated mathematics, complex compositional features, metaphysics, historic performance practice, and the intentions of composers in favor of basic repetition patterns, unexpected changes, and deductive reasoning. The multiple percussion works selected for analysis are Cold Pressed (1990, revised 1994) by Dave Hollinden, Rebonds (1987-1989) by Iannis Xenakis, and Bone Alphabet (1991-1992) by Brian Ferneyhough. Results indicate that Cold Pressed utilizes a variety of complementary hierarchy types with a minor number of discrepancies; however, this often deviates with the phrasing indicated in the score. Rebonds utilizes a more consistent set of hierarchies without significant support from dynamics. Bone Alphabet utilizes complex detail with clear phrases that match the analysis in a variety of hierarchies; however, the rhythmic tension lacks the drive found in the other works. Performance suggestions are presented for each work.
The Compositional Style of Horatio Parker as Demonstrated in Selected Cantatas
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Saari, Eric Michael
Few musicians are familiar with the works of American composer, Horatio Parker (1863-1919), and those who know him likely are familiar only with his church music. This dissertation aims to bring attention to Parker and his secular choral output, specifically his cantatas. The author has chosen three representative examples of his dramatic secular works for choir and orchestra in order to examine the development of Parker's compositional style. They are The Ballad of a Knight and His Daughter (1884), Dream-King and His Love (1891), and A Star Song (1901). After a brief biography, the author pays particular attention to Parker's increasing use of thematic elements as well as the harmonic language and formal construction of the selected works. A course of development is demonstrated highlighting Parker's increasingly sophisticated use of themes and more chromatic harmonic language.
American Folk Traditions in Piano Concert Music
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Lopez, Edwin Gerardo Aybar
This paper describes concert music for the piano that is heavily influenced by or entirely based on folk music traditions from the Americas. First, the term folk music and problems arising from its use are explained. The three main groups of people from which most of the folk music of the Americas originated are also briefly described. The main music covered will be by the composers Samuel Barber (United States), Juan Morel Campos (Puerto Rico), Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil), and Louis Moreau Gottschalk (United States). Each composer is represented by one or two pieces. Each piece is analyzed in terms of form and the folk tradition that influenced it. The histories and characteristics of blues, boogie-woogie, cowboy ballads, plena, and banjo music are all considered and related to the pieces discussed.
Looking Back, Listening Forward: A New Transcription of Leos Janacek's Suite for Strings for Double Wind Quintet in the Harmoniemusik Tradition
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Miedema, Bradley
The Harmoniemusik tradition has provided the wind chamber repertoire with a tremendous wealth of literature. Spanning the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, these transcriptions of large-scale works had a formative influence on the creative activity of subsequent composers. Most notable are the transcriptions of operas. Some include more than twenty movements and capture much of the drama and intensity of the stage versions. While the Viennese wind octet with pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns became the standard instrumentation for the properly defined Harmonie, many pieces were also arranged and composed for ensembles ranging from six to ten players. Composers such as Haydn (1732-1809), Stamitz (1745-1801), Mozart (1756-1791), Krommer (1759-1831), Beethoven (1770-1827) and Mendelssohn (1809-1847) contributed works to the Harmoniemusik genre. In that spirit, Leos Janacek's (1854-1928) Suite for Strings (1877) serves as the basis of this research and transcription project. The project is divided into three parts. First, the background of the Harmoniemusik movement and its central characters, along with the development of the Harmonie ensemble and its repertoire, is examined. Second, an investigation of Janacek's early life and musical training, up to the years surrounding the composition of his Suite for Strings, offers a context for the origin of the work. A detailed analysis of the suite's six movements is provided for a better understanding of the piece. Third, the transcription process of transforming the original Suite for Strings into the author's Suite for Winds (2014) is described. The full score for all six movements is contained in the appendix.
The Importance of Timpani in Today's Percussion Education and as a Solo Instrument
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Meyers, Nicholaus
This study investigated the attitudes and beliefs of college educators and professional percussionists about the importance of timpani instruction for percussion majors at the undergraduate level. The results of a survey, in addition to other sources, were analyzed and showed a need for more education in properly preparing percussion students in the area of timpani. The particular areas discussed further within this study consist of: timpani in terms of the different types of timpani and their place in percussion education; timpani set up; grips and strokes; the stool, mallet choice, and ear training. Additionally, part of this study was geared around developing a recommended list of timpani solos appropriate for instruction in technique.
The Choral Music of Frederick Delius (1862-1934) and its Influence on the Choral Music of Early Twentieth-Century British Composers
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Strommen Campbell, Jonathan Daniel
The composer Frederick Delius wrote a large body of choral music including choral/orchestral works and part songs. This body of choral music had an important influence on the younger generation of British choral composers, including Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock) (1894-1930), E. J. Moeran (1894-1950), Constant Lambert (1905-1951), and Patrick Hadley (1899-1973). To date, only one dissertation in the United States has been devoted to the choral music of Delius. While several books have been published on Heseltine (Warlock), the others—Moeran, Lambert, and Hadley—are underrepresented in scholarly choral literature. In his book Delius: Portrait of a Cosmopolitan (1976), Christopher Palmer details the extent to which Delius influenced this younger generation of composers. While Palmer examines some of the choral music of Delius and his followers in varying degrees of detail, other important choral works of Delius and his followers are absent from his discussion. Besides Donald Caldwell’s dissertation (1975), there is no recent study of Delius’s complete body of choral music. Moreover, the larger extent to which Delius influenced the next generation of British choral composers has not been satisfactorily researched. This thesis seeks to address this paucity. Some works, such as Moeran’s Nocturne (1935), show an explicit imprint of Delius. Others, such as Hadley’s The Hills (1944) and Lambert’s The Rio Grande (1927), show a more complex convergence of influences, including those of Delius. This study critically examines every choral work of Delius in an effort to make his music better understood and more accessible. In addition to investigating the influence of Delius on the choral music of Moeran, Lambert, and Hadley, this thesis also provides exposure to choral works which merit broader representation in the performing repertoire. By examining the music and composers whom Delius influenced most, it is hoped that more of this choral repertoire will be performed and shared with audiences.
The Tyger and the Lamb: Exploring the Relationship Between Text and Music in Selected Contemporary Choral Settings of Two Poems by William Blake (1757-1827)
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Zinter, Erik Andrew
Texts have been influencing composers of choral music for centuries. Some composers manipulate the text through the use of form and compositional technique, whereas others rely on highlighting specific words. Still others work to convey emotions or to conjure aural images for the listener. Expressive poetry, such as The Tyger and The Lamb, two poems by William Blake (1757-1827), has inspired several composers to set these texts to music, among them John Tavener (1944-2013), René Clausen (b. 1953), and Andrew Miller (b. 1983). This dissertation focuses on the choral settings of Blake’s The Tyger and The Lamb by these three composers. It offers an understanding of their compositional thought processes, a key element for the interpretation and performance of these works. It is only through careful consideration of these thought processes that choral conductors can ensure an informed performance of this literature. This study draws on interviews I have conducted with René Clausen and Andrew Miller, as well as on other scholars’ interviews with the late John Tavener. Furthermore, I have analyzed the compositional style and updated previous research on each of the composers. Each composer sets Blake’s texts in a different manner, however all approached the compositional process through the lens of imagery. Clausen’s, Miller’s, and Tavener’s compositional techniques create aural images and, in doing so, rely entirely upon their musical backgrounds and belief systems. In Clausen’s settings of The Tyger and The Lamb, he colors the melodic, harmonic, and textural material to reflect the nuances of each animal. For Tavener, his Orthodox faith guides his settings with the chant-like melody, ison, and use of canon, retrograde, and inversion. For Miller, he iv highlights the emotion in the music to demonstrate the “core” meaning of the poetry. Observing these three contemporary composers setting the same texts in different styles offers a glimpse into their creative process and gives conductors critical information for performance.
John Field's Piano Concerto No. 1
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Walker, Mary Ermel
While there are recordings of all seven of John Field’s piano concertos, there are no two-piano versions published that include the transcribed orchestra in the second piano part, with the exception of the second concerto. This paper reviews the life and music of John Field with particular attention on his first concerto and on the creation of an orchestral reduction for performance on two pianos.
Folk Song in the Wind Band Music of Haydn Wood: Mannin Veen and a New Performing Edition of the Seafarer
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Hollingsworth, Adam Charles
Nestled between England and Ireland, one can find a tiny island called the Isle of Man, or more simply, Mann. One of its most famous musical representatives is composer and violinist Haydn Wood. In an effort to preserve and promote the fine music and culture of the Isle of Man in general, and the work of Haydn Wood in particular, the author analyzed two wind band works written by the composer. Mannin Veen draws directly on the musical heritage of Mann. The Seafarer, which has been out of print for many years, does not use Manx musical traditions directly, but is inspired by songs of the sea. It should briefly be noted here that the word “Manx” is a reference to the linguistic and cultural traditions of Mann in the same way that “Welsh” refers to the language and culture of Wales. As an island, the sea is a constant presence and influence in the life of its people. As such, the songs used by sailors in their work form an important element of Manx culture and tradition. Haydn Wood incorporated several traditional sea songs in The Seafarer. Therefore, through these two works, one can see the influence of folk music on Haydn Wood’s body of work. Finally, as part of an effort to bring The Seafarer back to recognition, if not prominence, the author has created a new performing edition in the hopes that it might once again be published and made available to the repertoire of wind bands everywhere.
Composer, Conductor, Cornetist: A Biography of Jean-Baptiste Schiltz (fl.1831-1868) and a Survey of his Works for Cornet and Piano
(North Dakota State University, 2016) Jimenez, Kenneth Leroy Jr.
In its heyday, the cornet was a popular instrument and the brass instrument of choice for virtuosi worldwide. Cornet soloists such as Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825–1889) and Herbert Lincoln Clarke (1867–1945) impressed audiences with their technical prowess, and the solos they composed for cornet are in wide use today. However, the story of the cornet did not start with Arban or Clarke; an entire generation of cornetists had come before them, and they too wrote their own solos. This generation of cornetists was crucial in the development of the instrument. As performers, they helped to refine the cornet from a musical experiment to an immensely popular instrument, and as composers, their solos helped to propel the cornet on this popular path and inspired later virtuosi like Arban and Clarke. This disquisition addresses the limited information on early cornetists and their solos by providing new information about composer-cornetist Jean-Baptiste Schiltz (fl.1831-1868). Though Schiltz was an important figure in Paris during the first half of the nineteenth century, little has been written about him or his compositions. By consulting contemporary periodicals and modern scholarship, I am able to provide new biographical information on Schiltz, who was a pioneering performer on cornet, trumpet, and trombone. Additionally, I conduct a survey of Schiltz’s many works for cornet and piano. By thoroughly examining some of the surveyed works I demonstrate that Schiltz had a clear understanding of the capabilities of early cornets and cornetists, and that he chose particular melodies, keys, and even the length of the cornet itself in order to work around limitations. I also describe the historical value of the surveyed works and their possible uses today. Ultimately, this disquisition demonstrates that Schiltz was an important historical figure, and that his works for cornet and piano are valuable additions to the trumpet repertoire and ideal for trumpet instructors to use with students.
The Inception of Trumpet Performance in Brazil and Four Selected Solos for Trumpet and Piano, Including Modern Performance Editions: Fantasia for Trumpet (1854) by Henrique Alves de Mesquita (1830-1906); Vocalise-Etude (1929) by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959); Invocation and Point (1968) by Osvalda
(North Dakota State University, 2016) Miranda, Clayton Juliano Rodrigues
This disquisition provides a modern performance edition of four Brazilian compositions for trumpet and piano by Henrique Alves de Mesquita’ (1830–1906) Fantasia para Piston [Fantasy for trumpet, 1854], Heitor Villa-Lobos’s (1887–1959) Vocalise-Estudo [Vocalise-etude, 1929], Invocação e Ponto [Invocation and point] by Osvaldo Costa de Lacerda (1927-2011), and Edmundo Villani-Cortes’s (b. 1930) Concerto for Trumpet and Piano (2004). I include a biography of all of the composers, a descriptive analysis of the compositions, and tables of critical notes regarding the editions. This study also provides a historical account of trumpet in Brazil to contextualize these four compositions and their composers. By doing so, I make available to the international trumpet community a new and exciting addition to trumpet literature and raise awareness about the existence and quality of Brazilian music that is still largely unknown.
A Performer's Analysis and Improvisational Guide to Jazz Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano (1994), by Ramon Ricker (b. 1943)
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Hanegan, Brian Scott
In the twentieth century, saxophonists are encountering compositions in the repertoire that contain musical elements from both the classical and the jazz idioms. As a result, saxophonists need more technical and improvisational skills to perform these works. Ramon Ricker’s (b. 1943) Jazz Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano (1994) is an example from this repertoire that draws on both of these traditions. This disquisition presents a comprehensive performer’s analysis and improvisational guide to each of the three movements of Ricker’s Jazz Sonata. In chapters 2, 4, and 6, the analysis chapters, I discuss the specific technically challenging elements within each movement. These elements pertain to altered scales, articulations, accents, and polychord harmonies in the first movement (chapter 2); to tuning, interpretation of the melody, subtone, rapid note passages, and swing style in the second movement (chapter 4); and to pitch, technical passages, accents, syncopated melodies, and interpretation of the melody in the third movement (chapter 6). In addition, musical examples and performance suggestions are provided to elaborate on these specific areas of focus. In chapters 3, 5, and 7, the improvisational guide chapters, I address two improvisational techniques for each chapter that can be used in the solo sections of each movement. These improvisational techniques refer to pentatonic patterns and intervallic or triadpair patterns in the first movement (chapter 3); to the ii–V–I harmonic progression and rhythmicbased method of improvisation in the second movement (chapter 5); and to altered dominant chords and quartal patterns in the third movement (chapter 7). In addition, I have composed a solo for each movement using the two jazz concepts addressed in each chapter. I consulted recent literature by jazz scholars and performers to provide a new perspective on how to develop both the technical prowess and the jazz conceptual prowess needed to perform Ricker’s sonata. This study has also been informed by two interviews I conducted with the composer about this piece. This disquisition is intended as a guide for saxophonists to help them create their own improvised solos in Ricker’s sonata, and, by extension, in other jazzinfluenced works in the saxophone repertoire.
A Legacy of Hope in the Concert Spirituals of Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882–1943) and William Dawson (1899–1990)
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Stone, Jeffrey Carroll II
When the careers of the composers Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) and William Levi Dawson (1899-1990) began, the United States was a racially-divided society. Despite this division, both composers held a firm belief in the potential of spirituals to bring people together. Racial segregation severely limited the civil rights of people of color; however, Dett and Dawson were fueled by the hope for spirituals to bridge the racial divide in America. Both composers desired to achieve racial equality through their music. I argue that these aspirations are embodied within their concert spirituals. This disquisition examines the legacies of Dett and Dawson for the role of “hope” in their concert spirituals. The phrase “legacy of hope” frames a distinct perspective of Dett’s and Dawson’s aspirations for the function of spirituals in American music. I examined their choral music and provided evidence of their hope for concert spirituals. In addition, I draw on scholarly books, essays, interviews, and dissertations to consider Dett’s and Dawson’s legacy of hope within the context of their social environment. Historically, spirituals share an intimate bond to the social environment of the United States. The capacity of spirituals to provide hope appears frequently in the United States during periods of social change. To further strengthen my arguments for Dett’s and Dawson’s legacy of hope, my study relates the concept of hope to the performance of spirituals. The study is limited to the start of the concert tradition of spiritual in the late nineteenth century. Hope proves to be an inherent trait of spirituals throughout its history. As choral conductors, we can also contribute to the legacy of hope when we further our understanding of the value and meaning of spirituals. The more ways the conductor can foster and integrate a respect for spirituals into rehearsals and performances, the greater is the conductor’s contribution to the legacy of hope. Spirituals provide the choral conductor an avenue to explore meaningful social objectives for choral ensembles. The legacy of hope was significant for the generation of Dett and Dawson and it is still relevant for ours.

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