A critique of baroque performance practice with specific reference to the organ preludes and fugues by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Authors: Murphy, Liesel
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Organ music , Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Keyboard music , Performance practice (Music) -- History -- 17th century , Organ music -- History and criticism , Music -- 17th century -- Performance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8509 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1023 , Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Organ music , Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Keyboard music , Performance practice (Music) -- History -- 17th century , Organ music -- History and criticism , Music -- 17th century -- Performance
- Description: This study aims to provide a critique of Baroque performance practice, with specific reference to the organ Preludes and Fugues of Johann Sebastian Bach. Drawing from the extensive body of literature pertaining to Bach’s keyboard music, a number of relevant issues are explored in so far as these may provide understanding of the manner in which the organ Preludes and Fugues should be performed today. These include: • The notion of Bach’s ‘generic’ keyboard works. Were the generic keyboard works as a whole intended to be performed on more than one keyboard instrument? The instrumental designations given by Bach in these works are a valuable source of information in answering this question. • The type of organ that was known to J.S. Bach and typical registration used in the Baroque, called the plenum. • Identification of the grey area that persists in the interpretation of Bach’s organ works with regard to registration, tempo, rhythm, articulation, phrasing, fingering and ornamentation. This study also engages with the current authenticity debate in musical performance as seen from the modernist and postmodernist points of view. The modernist ideal of authenticity is to “re-create” or “reconstruct” performances of Bach’s music with as much accuracy as the evidence of historical musicologists can provide. For the postmodernist, however, authenticity lies in embracing the human element of contingency in musical performance, along with a thorough grounding of such performance in historical evidence. In aligning itself with the postmodernist point of view, this study ultimately argues that we cannot learn everything there is to know about Baroque performance practice from books. Instead, in addition to historical evidence, we draw much of our understanding in this regard from our innate or tacit levels of knowing. In this regard the scholar of Bach’s organ works can draw valuable lessons from the levels of tacit knowledge of leading organ pedagogues and performers on the subject of Baroque performance practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Murphy, Liesel
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Organ music , Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Keyboard music , Performance practice (Music) -- History -- 17th century , Organ music -- History and criticism , Music -- 17th century -- Performance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8509 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1023 , Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Organ music , Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Keyboard music , Performance practice (Music) -- History -- 17th century , Organ music -- History and criticism , Music -- 17th century -- Performance
- Description: This study aims to provide a critique of Baroque performance practice, with specific reference to the organ Preludes and Fugues of Johann Sebastian Bach. Drawing from the extensive body of literature pertaining to Bach’s keyboard music, a number of relevant issues are explored in so far as these may provide understanding of the manner in which the organ Preludes and Fugues should be performed today. These include: • The notion of Bach’s ‘generic’ keyboard works. Were the generic keyboard works as a whole intended to be performed on more than one keyboard instrument? The instrumental designations given by Bach in these works are a valuable source of information in answering this question. • The type of organ that was known to J.S. Bach and typical registration used in the Baroque, called the plenum. • Identification of the grey area that persists in the interpretation of Bach’s organ works with regard to registration, tempo, rhythm, articulation, phrasing, fingering and ornamentation. This study also engages with the current authenticity debate in musical performance as seen from the modernist and postmodernist points of view. The modernist ideal of authenticity is to “re-create” or “reconstruct” performances of Bach’s music with as much accuracy as the evidence of historical musicologists can provide. For the postmodernist, however, authenticity lies in embracing the human element of contingency in musical performance, along with a thorough grounding of such performance in historical evidence. In aligning itself with the postmodernist point of view, this study ultimately argues that we cannot learn everything there is to know about Baroque performance practice from books. Instead, in addition to historical evidence, we draw much of our understanding in this regard from our innate or tacit levels of knowing. In this regard the scholar of Bach’s organ works can draw valuable lessons from the levels of tacit knowledge of leading organ pedagogues and performers on the subject of Baroque performance practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Addressing the idiosyncrasies of contemporary notation in recorder compositions, with specific references to unconventional symbols in Music for a bird by Hans-Martin Linde and Sieben Stucke fur altblokflote by Markus Zahnhausen
- Authors: Bartle, Lynne
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Musical notation , Musical notation -- Study and teaching , Musical notation -- History , Music -- 20th century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8516 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/920 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012065 , Musical notation , Musical notation -- Study and teaching , Musical notation -- History , Music -- 20th century
- Description: This treatise provides recorder performers and teachers with a guide to understanding the unconventional notation symbols encountered in Music for a Bird by Hans-Martin Linde and Sieben Stücke Für Altblockflöte by Markus Zahnhausen. Given the context of the overall history of notation, it argues that the idiosyncrasies of the unconventional notation symbols encountered in the recorder repertoire of contemporary composers such as Linde and Zahnhausen are by no means an anomaly. Throughout history, notated scores have functioned merely as incomplete guides to the reconstruction and the realization of musical works. Along with the decoding of these instructions, a host of acculturated meanings have always been taken for granted on the part of the writers of such guidelines. In the light of the modernist crisis and the resultant exacerbation of the gulf between composers and their audience, however, it would seem that the need for such acculturated intervention is greater then ever before. This treatise serves to bridge the gulf between the works of Linde and Zahnhausen on the one hand, and the average performer and teacher of the recorder on the other, by offering an analysis both of the meaning of the unconventional symbols these works contain as well as of the method according to which they should be executed on the recorder.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Bartle, Lynne
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Musical notation , Musical notation -- Study and teaching , Musical notation -- History , Music -- 20th century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8516 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/920 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012065 , Musical notation , Musical notation -- Study and teaching , Musical notation -- History , Music -- 20th century
- Description: This treatise provides recorder performers and teachers with a guide to understanding the unconventional notation symbols encountered in Music for a Bird by Hans-Martin Linde and Sieben Stücke Für Altblockflöte by Markus Zahnhausen. Given the context of the overall history of notation, it argues that the idiosyncrasies of the unconventional notation symbols encountered in the recorder repertoire of contemporary composers such as Linde and Zahnhausen are by no means an anomaly. Throughout history, notated scores have functioned merely as incomplete guides to the reconstruction and the realization of musical works. Along with the decoding of these instructions, a host of acculturated meanings have always been taken for granted on the part of the writers of such guidelines. In the light of the modernist crisis and the resultant exacerbation of the gulf between composers and their audience, however, it would seem that the need for such acculturated intervention is greater then ever before. This treatise serves to bridge the gulf between the works of Linde and Zahnhausen on the one hand, and the average performer and teacher of the recorder on the other, by offering an analysis both of the meaning of the unconventional symbols these works contain as well as of the method according to which they should be executed on the recorder.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Legal access to our musical history: an investigation into the copyright implications of archived musical recordings held at the International Library of African Music (ILAM) in South Africa
- Authors: McConnachie, Boudina
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Tracey, Hugh International Library of African Music South Africa. Copyright Act 1978 Copyright -- Music -- South Africa Music -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2648 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002313
- Description: This thesis explores the South African Copyright Act No. 98 of 1978 as it pertains to the archived holdings at the International Library of African Music (ILAM) situated at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. The purpose of analysing this law is to advise and assist ILAM in fulfilling royalty payment obligations as stipulated in a contract signed between ILAM and the Smithsonian Global Sound (formally Global Sound Network) in 2001. In order to clearly comprehend the scope of the royalty payment clause in the Smithsonian Institution’s contract with ILAM, this research includes an examination of: the history and nature of South African copyright as a sub-structure of intellectual property; specific internationally documented copyright infringement cases; the recording and documentation practices of Hugh Tracey (ILAM’s founder and director from 1954 to 1977); the contract between Global Sound Network and ILAM; and contentious issues surrounding collective ownership and indigenous knowledge. In conclusion, this research suggests equitable solutions to ILAM’s copyright concerns and proposes the Eastern Cape Music Archiving Project (ECMAP) as a practical vehicle to assist the South African Department of Trade and Industry in implementation of the South African Intellectual Property Amendment Bill (2008) if, and when, it is passed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: McConnachie, Boudina
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Tracey, Hugh International Library of African Music South Africa. Copyright Act 1978 Copyright -- Music -- South Africa Music -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2648 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002313
- Description: This thesis explores the South African Copyright Act No. 98 of 1978 as it pertains to the archived holdings at the International Library of African Music (ILAM) situated at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. The purpose of analysing this law is to advise and assist ILAM in fulfilling royalty payment obligations as stipulated in a contract signed between ILAM and the Smithsonian Global Sound (formally Global Sound Network) in 2001. In order to clearly comprehend the scope of the royalty payment clause in the Smithsonian Institution’s contract with ILAM, this research includes an examination of: the history and nature of South African copyright as a sub-structure of intellectual property; specific internationally documented copyright infringement cases; the recording and documentation practices of Hugh Tracey (ILAM’s founder and director from 1954 to 1977); the contract between Global Sound Network and ILAM; and contentious issues surrounding collective ownership and indigenous knowledge. In conclusion, this research suggests equitable solutions to ILAM’s copyright concerns and proposes the Eastern Cape Music Archiving Project (ECMAP) as a practical vehicle to assist the South African Department of Trade and Industry in implementation of the South African Intellectual Property Amendment Bill (2008) if, and when, it is passed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Music as social discourse : the contribution of popular music to the awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya
- Authors: Gitonga, Priscilla Nyawira
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Songs and music -- Nairobi -- Kenya , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- Nairobi -- Kenya , AIDS (Disease) -- Prevention , Music therapy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8510 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/962 , AIDS (Disease) -- Songs and music -- Nairobi -- Kenya , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- Nairobi -- Kenya , AIDS (Disease) -- Prevention , Music therapy
- Description: This dissertation is a critical, theoretical study focussing is on the contribution that popular music makes towards raising awareness and promoting the prevention of HIV/Aids in Nairobi, Kenya. Towards this end, an analysis of the lyrics and musical gestures of four Kenyan pop music songs is undertaken in order to highlight their communicative capabilities in this regard. These songs, namely, are Lulumbe by Wasike wa Musungu, Juala by Circute and Jo-el, Vuta Pumz by The Longombas, and Dunia Mbaya Chunguze by Princess Jully. The context in which these musical analyses occur is provided in: - An overview of the Kenya of today, in particular that of the diverse and hybrid ethnic, linguistic, musical and cultural practices of Nairobi, and of the various youth cultures in that city, as well as in an overview of the extent of the HIV/Aids pandemic in Kenya, especially amongst the youth of Nairobi, with some reflection on existing interventions. - An overview of current trends in popular music analysis and an explanation of the author’s own eclectic semiotic analytical methodology within this context. The study concludes that a repeating strategy may be discerned on the part of the composers and performers in question, namely, to first engage audiences through language and music with which they are familiar, and then to encourage audiences to confront the unknown and unfamiliar in music and language, but also ultimately in terms of their social practices. The known and the familiar is highlighted both in the lyrics and in the music itself. It includes use of commonlyspoken languages and dialects, popular musical styles typical of the particular sub-culture, and references to the day-to-day experiences of the ordinary person.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Gitonga, Priscilla Nyawira
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Songs and music -- Nairobi -- Kenya , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- Nairobi -- Kenya , AIDS (Disease) -- Prevention , Music therapy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8510 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/962 , AIDS (Disease) -- Songs and music -- Nairobi -- Kenya , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- Nairobi -- Kenya , AIDS (Disease) -- Prevention , Music therapy
- Description: This dissertation is a critical, theoretical study focussing is on the contribution that popular music makes towards raising awareness and promoting the prevention of HIV/Aids in Nairobi, Kenya. Towards this end, an analysis of the lyrics and musical gestures of four Kenyan pop music songs is undertaken in order to highlight their communicative capabilities in this regard. These songs, namely, are Lulumbe by Wasike wa Musungu, Juala by Circute and Jo-el, Vuta Pumz by The Longombas, and Dunia Mbaya Chunguze by Princess Jully. The context in which these musical analyses occur is provided in: - An overview of the Kenya of today, in particular that of the diverse and hybrid ethnic, linguistic, musical and cultural practices of Nairobi, and of the various youth cultures in that city, as well as in an overview of the extent of the HIV/Aids pandemic in Kenya, especially amongst the youth of Nairobi, with some reflection on existing interventions. - An overview of current trends in popular music analysis and an explanation of the author’s own eclectic semiotic analytical methodology within this context. The study concludes that a repeating strategy may be discerned on the part of the composers and performers in question, namely, to first engage audiences through language and music with which they are familiar, and then to encourage audiences to confront the unknown and unfamiliar in music and language, but also ultimately in terms of their social practices. The known and the familiar is highlighted both in the lyrics and in the music itself. It includes use of commonlyspoken languages and dialects, popular musical styles typical of the particular sub-culture, and references to the day-to-day experiences of the ordinary person.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Die liturgiese gebruik van die orrel in 'n post-mordene era: persepsies van kerkmusici en leraars van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde gemeentes in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Heunis, Sulani
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Organ music -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Chorale preludes
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8511 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/787 , Organ music -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Chorale preludes
- Description: In this study the liturgical usage of the organ is investigated within a post-modern society. It focuses specifically on the church services of the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth with regards to the functionality of the organ during morning and evening services. The objectives of the study are to demonstrate the current situation of musical worship in the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth. Furthermore it serves as a way to indicate any deficiency in the field, which would need to be addressed. In order to achieve these objectives, both a qualitative and quantitative study is undertaken. The qualitative study investigates existing literature regarding the church service and its music. The quantitative study comprises an analysis of self-administered questionnaires that was handed over for completion by the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth. The results obtained were electronically processed to percentages and graphic illustrations. In this mini-treatise it is argued that the usage of other music instruments (in the form of music worship groups) during church services could possibly lead to a change in the liturgical function of the organ. It was found that the usage of the organ in the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth was mainly retained during morning services. During evening services however, the usage of other music instruments was in the majority, which resulted in a decrease of organ usage. It was further discovered that a large group of organists are not involved with music worship groups. Training of organists in a contemporary style of music worship will therefore serve as a significant purpose to fulfil this deficiency.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Heunis, Sulani
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Organ music -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Chorale preludes
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8511 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/787 , Organ music -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Chorale preludes
- Description: In this study the liturgical usage of the organ is investigated within a post-modern society. It focuses specifically on the church services of the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth with regards to the functionality of the organ during morning and evening services. The objectives of the study are to demonstrate the current situation of musical worship in the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth. Furthermore it serves as a way to indicate any deficiency in the field, which would need to be addressed. In order to achieve these objectives, both a qualitative and quantitative study is undertaken. The qualitative study investigates existing literature regarding the church service and its music. The quantitative study comprises an analysis of self-administered questionnaires that was handed over for completion by the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth. The results obtained were electronically processed to percentages and graphic illustrations. In this mini-treatise it is argued that the usage of other music instruments (in the form of music worship groups) during church services could possibly lead to a change in the liturgical function of the organ. It was found that the usage of the organ in the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth was mainly retained during morning services. During evening services however, the usage of other music instruments was in the majority, which resulted in a decrease of organ usage. It was further discovered that a large group of organists are not involved with music worship groups. Training of organists in a contemporary style of music worship will therefore serve as a significant purpose to fulfil this deficiency.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
The tuba in solo and ensemble repertory : a critical perspective
- Authors: Bower, Danel
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Tuba -- Performance , Tuba -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8515 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/759 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012064 , Tuba -- Performance , Tuba -- History and criticism
- Description: The topic of this research is to explore various aspects pertaining to the tuba and its role in music. The role of the tuba in modern performance practice is greatly dependent on the history of the tuba and the different roles that were fulfilled in the various eras. The study begins with an investigation into the most important predecessors of the tuba – the most prominent thereof being the ophicleide. The next field of study includes the role of the tuba in orchestras in different countries as well as the role that the tuba fulfills in various ensembles. There is a wide variety of brass instruments that were manufactured in the past and are still being produced today. Various improvements and adaptations of the tuba are listed and studied. Next the tuba is considered in its capacity as a solo instrument and the fact that the tuba can exist as a solo instrument is motivated. Even though it might not be evident that there are a large number of composers for this instrument, some of the most respected and influential composers of tuba music of all time are sighted in this study. Several famous and celebrated tuba players are mentioned and their accomplishments listed. Finally the three practical music examination institutions in South Africa are studied. Lists are compiled to assess the quality of the different examination options between these institutions and provide a suggestion of a preferred option.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Bower, Danel
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Tuba -- Performance , Tuba -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8515 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/759 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012064 , Tuba -- Performance , Tuba -- History and criticism
- Description: The topic of this research is to explore various aspects pertaining to the tuba and its role in music. The role of the tuba in modern performance practice is greatly dependent on the history of the tuba and the different roles that were fulfilled in the various eras. The study begins with an investigation into the most important predecessors of the tuba – the most prominent thereof being the ophicleide. The next field of study includes the role of the tuba in orchestras in different countries as well as the role that the tuba fulfills in various ensembles. There is a wide variety of brass instruments that were manufactured in the past and are still being produced today. Various improvements and adaptations of the tuba are listed and studied. Next the tuba is considered in its capacity as a solo instrument and the fact that the tuba can exist as a solo instrument is motivated. Even though it might not be evident that there are a large number of composers for this instrument, some of the most respected and influential composers of tuba music of all time are sighted in this study. Several famous and celebrated tuba players are mentioned and their accomplishments listed. Finally the three practical music examination institutions in South Africa are studied. Lists are compiled to assess the quality of the different examination options between these institutions and provide a suggestion of a preferred option.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
A critical investigation of the effectiveness of warm-ups as technical exercises for the improvement of choral tone : a case study of the Eastern Cape Children's Choir
- Authors: Van Zyl, Lionel
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Choral singing Studies and exercises , Choral singing -- Instruction and study , Music rehearsals
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8513 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/634 , Choral singing Studies and exercises , Choral singing -- Instruction and study , Music rehearsals
- Description: This is a research project based on the author’s experience of more than 20 years as conductor of the Eastern Cape Childrens Choir. It investigates the effectiveness of technical exercises - with special reference to selected “warm-up” exercises - in creating a superior choral tone in the children’s choir. The investigation is motivated by the fact that it is an ongoing challenge to effectively overcome problems with intonation and poor choral tone, problems which are mostly caused by lack of attention to pure vowel formation. Toward this end, a practical “tool box” of vocal exercises for the children’s choir is ultimately proposed. The toolbox is based on one single exercise with different variations. Each variation is designed to address multiple vocal needs and to correct vocal production during singing. In this manner a great many technical aspects are covered with the simplest of means and in the shortest possible time, bearing in mind that the rehearsal session allows limited time to focus on such matters to the exclusion of all else.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Van Zyl, Lionel
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Choral singing Studies and exercises , Choral singing -- Instruction and study , Music rehearsals
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8513 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/634 , Choral singing Studies and exercises , Choral singing -- Instruction and study , Music rehearsals
- Description: This is a research project based on the author’s experience of more than 20 years as conductor of the Eastern Cape Childrens Choir. It investigates the effectiveness of technical exercises - with special reference to selected “warm-up” exercises - in creating a superior choral tone in the children’s choir. The investigation is motivated by the fact that it is an ongoing challenge to effectively overcome problems with intonation and poor choral tone, problems which are mostly caused by lack of attention to pure vowel formation. Toward this end, a practical “tool box” of vocal exercises for the children’s choir is ultimately proposed. The toolbox is based on one single exercise with different variations. Each variation is designed to address multiple vocal needs and to correct vocal production during singing. In this manner a great many technical aspects are covered with the simplest of means and in the shortest possible time, bearing in mind that the rehearsal session allows limited time to focus on such matters to the exclusion of all else.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Composition portfolio
- Authors: Wynne, Donovan
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Music -- South Africa Composition (Music) String quartets -- Scores
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2658 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003121
- Description: Introductory remarks: Being a middle-class white South African, I grew up on a diet of predominantly "white" music: rock, pop and Western classical music. I was later introduced to a broader range of musics: blues, jazz, kwaito and traditional Southern African idioms. I found myself particularly attracted to the traditional music of the amaXhosa (especially that of the uhadi bow), possibly due to the fact that this music is hexatonic (that is, based on two major triads whose tonics are one tone apart), a system that bears certain resemblances to the Western tonal idiom. However, much of my musical experience tended to be entrenched in the piano and flute music I played: mostly works by composers who were neatly ensconced in the traditional Western canon. Therefore, despite the broad range of musics with which I was familiarisedduring my tertiary studies, I feel that this early experiential background is the reason I feel most comfortable with Western-influenced music. More recently, I discovered a whole new genre to explore: film music, particularly the work of Elliot Goldenthal, Danny Elfman, John Williams and Philip Glass, whose unique brand of minimalism has extended from the concert hall to thefilm theatre. I am fascinated by the ways in which film scores function. A "main titles" theme usually appears as the film opens, upon which most of the subsequent music is based. This is not a linear process, like a theme and its variations, but a lateral, where the main titles theme is the core that engenders other themes that all share a familial resemblance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Wynne, Donovan
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Music -- South Africa Composition (Music) String quartets -- Scores
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2658 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003121
- Description: Introductory remarks: Being a middle-class white South African, I grew up on a diet of predominantly "white" music: rock, pop and Western classical music. I was later introduced to a broader range of musics: blues, jazz, kwaito and traditional Southern African idioms. I found myself particularly attracted to the traditional music of the amaXhosa (especially that of the uhadi bow), possibly due to the fact that this music is hexatonic (that is, based on two major triads whose tonics are one tone apart), a system that bears certain resemblances to the Western tonal idiom. However, much of my musical experience tended to be entrenched in the piano and flute music I played: mostly works by composers who were neatly ensconced in the traditional Western canon. Therefore, despite the broad range of musics with which I was familiarisedduring my tertiary studies, I feel that this early experiential background is the reason I feel most comfortable with Western-influenced music. More recently, I discovered a whole new genre to explore: film music, particularly the work of Elliot Goldenthal, Danny Elfman, John Williams and Philip Glass, whose unique brand of minimalism has extended from the concert hall to thefilm theatre. I am fascinated by the ways in which film scores function. A "main titles" theme usually appears as the film opens, upon which most of the subsequent music is based. This is not a linear process, like a theme and its variations, but a lateral, where the main titles theme is the core that engenders other themes that all share a familial resemblance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Composition portfolio
- Authors: Webb, Cassidy Frank
- Date: 2006
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2659 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003729
- Description: Introduction: This portfolio consists of musical ideas which I have had for some time now. I have attempted to capture these ideas throughout the portfolio, starting with the smaller works (Brumes et Pluies) and building up to the larger works (James Tiberius, The tide). Brumes et Pluies is minimalistic in style. The interlocking of the two pianos plays an important role in the texture of the piece. The rhythms are repetitive throughout, with only slight variations. Kalahari is more idiomatic, rhythmical and has a main theme which recurs throughout the piece. Melodic fragments are used, sometimes with slight variations. This piece was inspired by the Kalahari desert, with its abundance of life. I enjoy the string quartet because of the homogeneity of sound on the one hand, and the diversity possible by using different techniques and effects on the other. James Tiberius is a work for chamber orchestra. Motifs in the music resemble certain animals. The rhythm is unstable, as is the harmony. There are many melodic fragments throughout. The texture is thin in certain areas (at the beginning) and dense in others (the waltz). The harmony is sometimes unconventional. The Tide was written in response to a memory of a drowning incident I experienced when I was a child. This orchestral piece is strong in form. The opening, for example, is tense and slightly atonal in harmony. The pomposo section tends to utilise most of the orchestra, so the texture is a lot denser here and the harmony is more conventional. I try not to use traditional forms in my composition. Rather, I prefer to compose by re-using and re-introducing ideas as I proceed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Webb, Cassidy Frank
- Date: 2006
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2659 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003729
- Description: Introduction: This portfolio consists of musical ideas which I have had for some time now. I have attempted to capture these ideas throughout the portfolio, starting with the smaller works (Brumes et Pluies) and building up to the larger works (James Tiberius, The tide). Brumes et Pluies is minimalistic in style. The interlocking of the two pianos plays an important role in the texture of the piece. The rhythms are repetitive throughout, with only slight variations. Kalahari is more idiomatic, rhythmical and has a main theme which recurs throughout the piece. Melodic fragments are used, sometimes with slight variations. This piece was inspired by the Kalahari desert, with its abundance of life. I enjoy the string quartet because of the homogeneity of sound on the one hand, and the diversity possible by using different techniques and effects on the other. James Tiberius is a work for chamber orchestra. Motifs in the music resemble certain animals. The rhythm is unstable, as is the harmony. There are many melodic fragments throughout. The texture is thin in certain areas (at the beginning) and dense in others (the waltz). The harmony is sometimes unconventional. The Tide was written in response to a memory of a drowning incident I experienced when I was a child. This orchestral piece is strong in form. The opening, for example, is tense and slightly atonal in harmony. The pomposo section tends to utilise most of the orchestra, so the texture is a lot denser here and the harmony is more conventional. I try not to use traditional forms in my composition. Rather, I prefer to compose by re-using and re-introducing ideas as I proceed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Composition portfolio
- Authors: Prince, Lloyd T
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Music -- South Africa Composition (Music)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2652 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002318
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Prince, Lloyd T
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Music -- South Africa Composition (Music)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2652 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002318
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
A portfolio of original compositions with a commentary
- Authors: Nkuna, Musa
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: String quartets -- Scores Song cycles -- Scores Music -- Africa -- Scores
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2698 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018689
- Description: This portfolio consists of four diverse original compositions written in 1999 : a string quartet, a cello suite and a set of two choral pieces.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Nkuna, Musa
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: String quartets -- Scores Song cycles -- Scores Music -- Africa -- Scores
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2698 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018689
- Description: This portfolio consists of four diverse original compositions written in 1999 : a string quartet, a cello suite and a set of two choral pieces.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Analysis of selected choral works by John Tavener with particular reference to the post-1977 works
- Authors: Imrie, Sally
- Date: 1998
- Subjects: Tavener, John Choral music
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2642 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002307
- Description: This thesis deals with sacred choral music written by John Tavener, a British composer born in 1944. It touches briefly on the background of Tavener and his early works (i.e. from about 1960-1976) - two works from that period have been selected for analysis, Celtic Requiem and Nomine Jesu. The main body of the thesis is concerned with those works composed,.after 1977, which show the influence of the Orthodox Church and Byzantine hymnography on Tavener's stylistic development. The selected works from this period to be analysed are: Ode of St Andrew of Crete, Two Hymns to the Mother of God, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis, The Uncreated Eros, Eonia and We Shall See Him As Heis.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1998
- Authors: Imrie, Sally
- Date: 1998
- Subjects: Tavener, John Choral music
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2642 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002307
- Description: This thesis deals with sacred choral music written by John Tavener, a British composer born in 1944. It touches briefly on the background of Tavener and his early works (i.e. from about 1960-1976) - two works from that period have been selected for analysis, Celtic Requiem and Nomine Jesu. The main body of the thesis is concerned with those works composed,.after 1977, which show the influence of the Orthodox Church and Byzantine hymnography on Tavener's stylistic development. The selected works from this period to be analysed are: Ode of St Andrew of Crete, Two Hymns to the Mother of God, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis, The Uncreated Eros, Eonia and We Shall See Him As Heis.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1998
A portfolio of original compositions exploring syncretism between Indian and western music
- Authors: Ram, Deepak
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Raga Music -- India -- History and criticism Music -- History and criticism Jazz -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2654 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002320
- Description: In this dissertation, overviews and detailed examinations of three compositions are presented. These compositions which constitute the portfolio of the M.MUS degree, are an attempt to explore syncretism between Indian and western music. Two of these works are written for a flute quartet (flute, violin, viola and cello) accompanied in part by a mridangam (Indian percussion instrument). The third work is written for a jazz quartet (piano, saxophone, double bass and drums). Syncretism between western and Indian music can take on a variety of forms, and while this concept is not new, there exists no suitable model or framework through which these compositions can be analysed. The approach used In this dissertation IS therefore guided solely by the compositions themselves. The syncretism in these works lies in the use of melodic, rhythmic and timbral elements of Indian music within two ensembles which are essentially western. This dissertation describes each of these elements in their traditional context as well as the method of incorporating them into western ensemble playing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Ram, Deepak
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Raga Music -- India -- History and criticism Music -- History and criticism Jazz -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2654 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002320
- Description: In this dissertation, overviews and detailed examinations of three compositions are presented. These compositions which constitute the portfolio of the M.MUS degree, are an attempt to explore syncretism between Indian and western music. Two of these works are written for a flute quartet (flute, violin, viola and cello) accompanied in part by a mridangam (Indian percussion instrument). The third work is written for a jazz quartet (piano, saxophone, double bass and drums). Syncretism between western and Indian music can take on a variety of forms, and while this concept is not new, there exists no suitable model or framework through which these compositions can be analysed. The approach used In this dissertation IS therefore guided solely by the compositions themselves. The syncretism in these works lies in the use of melodic, rhythmic and timbral elements of Indian music within two ensembles which are essentially western. This dissertation describes each of these elements in their traditional context as well as the method of incorporating them into western ensemble playing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
The role of the cadence as determining factor of phrasing of the organ toccatas, preludes and fantasias of Johann Sebastian Bach
- Authors: Du Plooy, Jacobus Stephanus
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Criticism and interpretation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2636 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002301
- Description: This study examines the phrasing of J.S. Bach's preludes, toccatas and fantasias for organ. Consequent upon Bach's silence on the subject and the inadequacy of available sources, the cadence has been used as a means to determine the phrasing of these works. The goal of this thesis is to identify those characteristics of the cadence that can assist the performer in two ways: On the one hand, to select the appropriate type of break between phrases, and, the other hand, selecting the appropriate changes in tempo and articulation essential to the shaping of phrases. The term, 'cadence', therefore, applies not merely to an isolated entity of two chords, but rather to a broader formula including the progressions towards and away from it. This investigation follows an eclectic approach. Accordingly, the exploration of various sources is combined with diverse methods of analyses. The first method is a detailed structural analysis of Bach's cadential progressions, and more specifically, the way in which he integrated the basic musical elements into them. This shows the points of tension and relaxation, two musico-psychological effects fundamental to any decision regarding phrasing. The second method puts Bach's cadences within the context of the larger musical structure, including the 'extra-musical' (i.e. grammatical, rhetorical and 'affective') forms. This method organises cadences according to their various punctuation functions, hence main and secondary cadences. The cadences of twenty-eight works - those works of which the authenticity is more or less secure - are analysed. Descriptions cover a selection from these works considered to be the most representative. A significant number of examples, induding performing suggestions, accompany and elaborate in detail on all descriptions of cadences. An application of the findings is presented by an analysis and di scussion that elaborates in detail on the suggested performance of two works, BWV 542 and 541. These two works epitomize, and simultaneously form the culmination of the two principal styles (i.e. the improvisatory and motorically-orientated) prevalent in Bach's free organ works. Examination of the findings of this study and implications for further research conclude this thesis.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Du Plooy, Jacobus Stephanus
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 -- Criticism and interpretation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2636 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002301
- Description: This study examines the phrasing of J.S. Bach's preludes, toccatas and fantasias for organ. Consequent upon Bach's silence on the subject and the inadequacy of available sources, the cadence has been used as a means to determine the phrasing of these works. The goal of this thesis is to identify those characteristics of the cadence that can assist the performer in two ways: On the one hand, to select the appropriate type of break between phrases, and, the other hand, selecting the appropriate changes in tempo and articulation essential to the shaping of phrases. The term, 'cadence', therefore, applies not merely to an isolated entity of two chords, but rather to a broader formula including the progressions towards and away from it. This investigation follows an eclectic approach. Accordingly, the exploration of various sources is combined with diverse methods of analyses. The first method is a detailed structural analysis of Bach's cadential progressions, and more specifically, the way in which he integrated the basic musical elements into them. This shows the points of tension and relaxation, two musico-psychological effects fundamental to any decision regarding phrasing. The second method puts Bach's cadences within the context of the larger musical structure, including the 'extra-musical' (i.e. grammatical, rhetorical and 'affective') forms. This method organises cadences according to their various punctuation functions, hence main and secondary cadences. The cadences of twenty-eight works - those works of which the authenticity is more or less secure - are analysed. Descriptions cover a selection from these works considered to be the most representative. A significant number of examples, induding performing suggestions, accompany and elaborate in detail on all descriptions of cadences. An application of the findings is presented by an analysis and di scussion that elaborates in detail on the suggested performance of two works, BWV 542 and 541. These two works epitomize, and simultaneously form the culmination of the two principal styles (i.e. the improvisatory and motorically-orientated) prevalent in Bach's free organ works. Examination of the findings of this study and implications for further research conclude this thesis.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
An investigation into twentieth century flute trios with special reference to representative works by Goossens, Sil'vansky, Raphael, Damase, Marx and Crumb
- Authors: Heunis, Daniela
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Goossens, Eugene, 1893-1962 Silʹvanskíí, Nikolǎi Iosifovich, 1915-1985 Raphael, Günter, 1903-1960 Damase, Jean-Michel, 1928- Crumb, George Woodwind trios (Flutes (3))
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2641 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002306
- Description: This thesis ventures into the world of twentieth century chamber music, specifically the trios written for flute, cello and piano. The first chapter discusses the history of the trio, tracing its development from the trio sonata of the Baroque Period to the accompanied sonatas and specifically the sonatas with flute and cello obbligato. Following the unpopularity of the genre throughout the Romantic period, its greater prominence in the Twentieth century is discussed, mentioning specific groups through whom the repertoire has been extended. Forty trios are grouped according to compositional styles. Six trios, each representing an example of a specific style period, have been selected for more detailed discussion, with particular reference to the various ways in which a sense of unity is achieved in each trio. The English composer Eugene Goossens uses impressionistic images, whole tone and chromatic scale patterns and other motifs to unify his trio: "Five Impressions of a Holiday". Nikolay Iosifovich Sil'vansky's "The Hedgehog and the Nightingale" is based on a Russian tale by Juri Jarmicha and uses a narrator. The three characters are represented by specific motivic and / or thematic material which is used throughout the trio. Günter Raphael's Trio-Suite op 44 is the only cyclic work unifying the two outer movements, without repeating any additional motivic material. Jean-Michel Damase condenses some of the material introduced in the opening Prelude in both the two Largo's and the two Arias in his "Sonate en Concert" of 1950. Karl Julius Marx builds his entire "Trio op 61" on a flexible six-note motif. Various movements in the trio" Vox Ba1aenae" by the American George Crumb are 1inked through the use of motives and characteristic instrumental colour. A comprehensive list of 180 twentieth century trios has been compiled, including details of dedications, commissions and first performances. 163 composers from twenty countries, are represented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
- Authors: Heunis, Daniela
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Goossens, Eugene, 1893-1962 Silʹvanskíí, Nikolǎi Iosifovich, 1915-1985 Raphael, Günter, 1903-1960 Damase, Jean-Michel, 1928- Crumb, George Woodwind trios (Flutes (3))
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2641 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002306
- Description: This thesis ventures into the world of twentieth century chamber music, specifically the trios written for flute, cello and piano. The first chapter discusses the history of the trio, tracing its development from the trio sonata of the Baroque Period to the accompanied sonatas and specifically the sonatas with flute and cello obbligato. Following the unpopularity of the genre throughout the Romantic period, its greater prominence in the Twentieth century is discussed, mentioning specific groups through whom the repertoire has been extended. Forty trios are grouped according to compositional styles. Six trios, each representing an example of a specific style period, have been selected for more detailed discussion, with particular reference to the various ways in which a sense of unity is achieved in each trio. The English composer Eugene Goossens uses impressionistic images, whole tone and chromatic scale patterns and other motifs to unify his trio: "Five Impressions of a Holiday". Nikolay Iosifovich Sil'vansky's "The Hedgehog and the Nightingale" is based on a Russian tale by Juri Jarmicha and uses a narrator. The three characters are represented by specific motivic and / or thematic material which is used throughout the trio. Günter Raphael's Trio-Suite op 44 is the only cyclic work unifying the two outer movements, without repeating any additional motivic material. Jean-Michel Damase condenses some of the material introduced in the opening Prelude in both the two Largo's and the two Arias in his "Sonate en Concert" of 1950. Karl Julius Marx builds his entire "Trio op 61" on a flexible six-note motif. Various movements in the trio" Vox Ba1aenae" by the American George Crumb are 1inked through the use of motives and characteristic instrumental colour. A comprehensive list of 180 twentieth century trios has been compiled, including details of dedications, commissions and first performances. 163 composers from twenty countries, are represented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
The requiems of Brahms and Verdi
- Authors: Pennels, Geraldine Murtel
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Brahms, Johannes, 1833-1897 -- Requiems Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901 -- Requiems Requiems -- History and criticism Requiems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2651 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002317
- Description: The aim of this thesis is to compare the Requiems of Brahms and Verdi, two composers who are both amongst the greatest in our Western musical history, but completely different in significant aspects, the one being by nature introspective, serious, and even inclined towards melancholy in his creative work, whether done in a religious context or not; and the other being first and foremost a composer of operas, thus specializing in music for the stage or theatre, presupposing extroversion and even a degree of flamboyancy. Brahms never wrote any operas but his oeuvre is enhanced by symphonies, sonatas and concertos of serious intent, and especially by a body of wonderful chamber music (which is perhaps the most intimate genre in Western instrumental music). Verdi, on the other hand, is known almost exclusively for his operas, and wrote little else. Then Brahms was one of the great composers of the German Lieder, again a markedly intimate genre, which suggests that he paid constant attention to fine detail. In contrast, Verdi's mentality was that of the Italian opera composer who is more concerned with flowing melodic beauty, which is a "translation into music" of the meanings and tendencies of the text.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
- Authors: Pennels, Geraldine Murtel
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Brahms, Johannes, 1833-1897 -- Requiems Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901 -- Requiems Requiems -- History and criticism Requiems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2651 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002317
- Description: The aim of this thesis is to compare the Requiems of Brahms and Verdi, two composers who are both amongst the greatest in our Western musical history, but completely different in significant aspects, the one being by nature introspective, serious, and even inclined towards melancholy in his creative work, whether done in a religious context or not; and the other being first and foremost a composer of operas, thus specializing in music for the stage or theatre, presupposing extroversion and even a degree of flamboyancy. Brahms never wrote any operas but his oeuvre is enhanced by symphonies, sonatas and concertos of serious intent, and especially by a body of wonderful chamber music (which is perhaps the most intimate genre in Western instrumental music). Verdi, on the other hand, is known almost exclusively for his operas, and wrote little else. Then Brahms was one of the great composers of the German Lieder, again a markedly intimate genre, which suggests that he paid constant attention to fine detail. In contrast, Verdi's mentality was that of the Italian opera composer who is more concerned with flowing melodic beauty, which is a "translation into music" of the meanings and tendencies of the text.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
A study of Oliver Messiaen's song-cycles Poèms pour mi, Chants de terre et de ciel, and Harawi
- Authors: Donkin, Deborah Jean
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992 Song cycles--Interpretation (Phrasing, dynamics, etc.)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2635 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002300
- Description: This thesis ventures into the relatively neglected world of twentieth century vocal music, via the three song cycles of Oliver Messiaen. The song cycle is a comparatively young genre, generally dated from Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte or by some, even later to Schubert's Die schone Miillerin. Nevertheless, considerable changes have taken place in the 160 years which separate Messiaen's cycles from those of the 'pioneers' mentioned above. A fuller appreciation of twentieth century cycles is facilitated by observing this evolutionary process and placing the works within an historical and cultural perspective. Such an introduction is provided in part one of this thesis, along with relevant details on the life and interests of Messiaen. The latter information gives insight into the compositions themselves and may satisfy the reader's curiosity on the origin of some of the more unexpected techniques or ideas Messiaen llses. Before embarking on a study of the cycles, it is necessary to look at the highly individual musical language of the composer. Section two undertakes this task in some depth, wherever possible relating the explanations directly to the songs which follow. In order to clarify the text and to simplify the exercise for the reader, numerous musical examples have been used. This contributes to the apparent bulk of this section. The main emphasis of the thesis is the detailed study of the 20 songs contained in Poemes pour Mi, Chants de Terre et de Cief and Harawi. The third section of the thesis deals with this material thoroughly and systematically, dividing it up into musical and extra-musical aspects. The texts are considered in terms of Surrealist, religious, Nature, numerological and, in the case of Harawi, mythological and Peruvian folk symbolism. The relationship of text to music is studied and evelopments highlighted. Musically, the study is further sub-divided into piano part and vocal part. In each case, an extensive exploration of the techniques required of the performer is presented. This makes possible the subsequent categorisation of the songs on the basis of similarities in the musical means. Conclusions reached show a progressive development through the three song cycles in the composer's handling of the text, his treatment of the voice, his use of the piano and his expansion of the voice-piano relationship. This body of solo vocal literature emerges as typical of Oliver Messiaen's compositional style in general and therefore properly representative of the meticulous craftsmanship with which his works are constructed. The detailed analysis of all aspects of the songs contributes original material to scholarship on Messiaen and on song cycles in the twentieth century.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1992
- Authors: Donkin, Deborah Jean
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992 Song cycles--Interpretation (Phrasing, dynamics, etc.)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2635 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002300
- Description: This thesis ventures into the relatively neglected world of twentieth century vocal music, via the three song cycles of Oliver Messiaen. The song cycle is a comparatively young genre, generally dated from Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte or by some, even later to Schubert's Die schone Miillerin. Nevertheless, considerable changes have taken place in the 160 years which separate Messiaen's cycles from those of the 'pioneers' mentioned above. A fuller appreciation of twentieth century cycles is facilitated by observing this evolutionary process and placing the works within an historical and cultural perspective. Such an introduction is provided in part one of this thesis, along with relevant details on the life and interests of Messiaen. The latter information gives insight into the compositions themselves and may satisfy the reader's curiosity on the origin of some of the more unexpected techniques or ideas Messiaen llses. Before embarking on a study of the cycles, it is necessary to look at the highly individual musical language of the composer. Section two undertakes this task in some depth, wherever possible relating the explanations directly to the songs which follow. In order to clarify the text and to simplify the exercise for the reader, numerous musical examples have been used. This contributes to the apparent bulk of this section. The main emphasis of the thesis is the detailed study of the 20 songs contained in Poemes pour Mi, Chants de Terre et de Cief and Harawi. The third section of the thesis deals with this material thoroughly and systematically, dividing it up into musical and extra-musical aspects. The texts are considered in terms of Surrealist, religious, Nature, numerological and, in the case of Harawi, mythological and Peruvian folk symbolism. The relationship of text to music is studied and evelopments highlighted. Musically, the study is further sub-divided into piano part and vocal part. In each case, an extensive exploration of the techniques required of the performer is presented. This makes possible the subsequent categorisation of the songs on the basis of similarities in the musical means. Conclusions reached show a progressive development through the three song cycles in the composer's handling of the text, his treatment of the voice, his use of the piano and his expansion of the voice-piano relationship. This body of solo vocal literature emerges as typical of Oliver Messiaen's compositional style in general and therefore properly representative of the meticulous craftsmanship with which his works are constructed. The detailed analysis of all aspects of the songs contributes original material to scholarship on Messiaen and on song cycles in the twentieth century.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1992
A critical analysis of selected piano works by Hubert du Plessis
- Authors: Lee, Margaret Jackson
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Du Plessis, Hubert Composers -- South Africa Piano music -- Analysis, appreciation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2645 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002310
- Description: This study concentrates on the piano music of Hubert du Plessis, a South African composer who, apart from some years spent studying in England, has lived and worked in this country. He was born in 1922 on a farm in the Malmesbury district. After completing his schooling, he studied at the University of Stellenbosch , gaining a B A degree. Later, he continued his studies at Rhodes University, obtaining a B Mus degree. The Performing Right Society's scholarship gave him the opportunity of studying in London for three years (1951-1953). After his return, he became involved in the academic sphere, and lectured simultaneously at U C T and Stellenbosch, and then later just at Stellenbosch until his retirement in 1982. A number of his compositions for piano are as yet unpublished. This thesis has been limited to the published works for solo piano . The works studied are: Four Piano Pieces (Op. 1 ), Six Miniatures (Op. 3 ), Sonata No . 1 (Op. 8 ), Seven Preludes (Op. 18), Toe ek 'n kind was (Op. 33). Some biographical details have been given - in most cases to provide the background for the writing of each work - but the main thrust of this study has been towards a detailed structural analysis of each work. In my analysis, I have favoured the type of "Formal analysis" defined by Groves¹ in the article on analysis. In other words, I have used the traditional structural patterns i.e. Binary and Ternary form , Sonata form etc. insofar as it applied to the music under discussion. However, I felt that this was not sufficient for a study in depth of the music, as I had envisaged. Like Beethoven, du Plessis is a meticulous craftsman, who constructs and re- constructs , revises and rethinks. This means that the fullest attention is given to every detail of composition. Hence, like Tovey in his analysis of Beethoven sonatas, I have tended towards a bar-by-bar approach which, I hope, will reveal not only the structural detail, but also the relationships between phrases and motifs, where this is relevant. I felt that it was imperative to take this down to the real fundamentals, for without that basic approach, certain compositional techniques might be overlooked. Hence, I then hoped to draw some general conclusions about du Plessis' work. Groves¹ says of Tovey's method that it " represents the tradition of analysis and descriptive criticism in Britain as a whole . " However , despite this rather dry and academic approach there are times when, like Tovey, my analysis contains metaphor, or personification of the music. I have chosen what may be criticised as a rather old-fashioned approach to the analysis because of the basic intention behind this piece of research. As a school teacher I am aware of the pitiful paucity of source material on the music of the South African composers, which are set for study by Matriculation candidates. By this work, I had hoped to shed some light on at least one corner of this section of the syllabus, for both teacher and pupils. Hence, I did not attempt a distributional analysis or a category analysis , coded by computer and shown in graphical form. I chose a straightforward linear and logical progression through the pieces which, even with the limited musical vocabulary of the average school pupil, should be easily comprehensible. ] have also attempted to draw attention to interrelationships between movements or sets of pieces, and to see each work as a unit. In a study limited, by necessity, in its subject matter, as this is, it would be presumptuous to draw conclusions about du Plessis' work in general. This would necessitate an indepth survey of his other genres, especially his vocal works, which are so important an area of his creativity. However, it is possible, even in so limited a study, to gain an appreciation of Hubert du Plessis' meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail that must gain him his rightful place among the South African musical "greats " of this century.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1991
- Authors: Lee, Margaret Jackson
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Du Plessis, Hubert Composers -- South Africa Piano music -- Analysis, appreciation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2645 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002310
- Description: This study concentrates on the piano music of Hubert du Plessis, a South African composer who, apart from some years spent studying in England, has lived and worked in this country. He was born in 1922 on a farm in the Malmesbury district. After completing his schooling, he studied at the University of Stellenbosch , gaining a B A degree. Later, he continued his studies at Rhodes University, obtaining a B Mus degree. The Performing Right Society's scholarship gave him the opportunity of studying in London for three years (1951-1953). After his return, he became involved in the academic sphere, and lectured simultaneously at U C T and Stellenbosch, and then later just at Stellenbosch until his retirement in 1982. A number of his compositions for piano are as yet unpublished. This thesis has been limited to the published works for solo piano . The works studied are: Four Piano Pieces (Op. 1 ), Six Miniatures (Op. 3 ), Sonata No . 1 (Op. 8 ), Seven Preludes (Op. 18), Toe ek 'n kind was (Op. 33). Some biographical details have been given - in most cases to provide the background for the writing of each work - but the main thrust of this study has been towards a detailed structural analysis of each work. In my analysis, I have favoured the type of "Formal analysis" defined by Groves¹ in the article on analysis. In other words, I have used the traditional structural patterns i.e. Binary and Ternary form , Sonata form etc. insofar as it applied to the music under discussion. However, I felt that this was not sufficient for a study in depth of the music, as I had envisaged. Like Beethoven, du Plessis is a meticulous craftsman, who constructs and re- constructs , revises and rethinks. This means that the fullest attention is given to every detail of composition. Hence, like Tovey in his analysis of Beethoven sonatas, I have tended towards a bar-by-bar approach which, I hope, will reveal not only the structural detail, but also the relationships between phrases and motifs, where this is relevant. I felt that it was imperative to take this down to the real fundamentals, for without that basic approach, certain compositional techniques might be overlooked. Hence, I then hoped to draw some general conclusions about du Plessis' work. Groves¹ says of Tovey's method that it " represents the tradition of analysis and descriptive criticism in Britain as a whole . " However , despite this rather dry and academic approach there are times when, like Tovey, my analysis contains metaphor, or personification of the music. I have chosen what may be criticised as a rather old-fashioned approach to the analysis because of the basic intention behind this piece of research. As a school teacher I am aware of the pitiful paucity of source material on the music of the South African composers, which are set for study by Matriculation candidates. By this work, I had hoped to shed some light on at least one corner of this section of the syllabus, for both teacher and pupils. Hence, I did not attempt a distributional analysis or a category analysis , coded by computer and shown in graphical form. I chose a straightforward linear and logical progression through the pieces which, even with the limited musical vocabulary of the average school pupil, should be easily comprehensible. ] have also attempted to draw attention to interrelationships between movements or sets of pieces, and to see each work as a unit. In a study limited, by necessity, in its subject matter, as this is, it would be presumptuous to draw conclusions about du Plessis' work in general. This would necessitate an indepth survey of his other genres, especially his vocal works, which are so important an area of his creativity. However, it is possible, even in so limited a study, to gain an appreciation of Hubert du Plessis' meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail that must gain him his rightful place among the South African musical "greats " of this century.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1991
Georg Gruber : his contribution to music education in South Africa and an evaluation of selected vocal compositions and arrangements
- Authors: Matier, Rosemary
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Gruber, Georg, 1904-1979 Musicians -- South Africa Music teachers -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2647 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002312
- Description: In this thesis I have given a factual account of Georg Gruber's contribution to music education in South Africa by giving a short biography and studying a) his philosophy of music education, b) the content of the music courses offered at Rhodes University during his occupancy of the Chair (1955-1972), c) the content of the music courses offered at the University of Fort Hare from 1974-1977, d) his contribution to choral education, e) his publications in the field of music education. I have given an evaluation of selected vocal compositions: a) Two masses, b) Terra Nova , c) Two African cantatas, i) Ukucula Ematola and ii) Izango ZakwaNtu , and seven arrangements of real folksongs from several different countries: a) Coventry Carol and Sweet Nightingale, b) Die Alibama, c) Merck tog hoe sterck, d) Entre Ie Boeuf et l'Ane gris, e) Aba Heidschi-bum-beidschi and f) Cheder Katan. Through the above study I have drawn conclusions regarding his compositional techniques prior to coming to South Africa as shown in the two mass compositions a nd the changes which occurred after being exposed to African music. The attention to detail in his arrangements and their sheer simplicity show his skill and craftsmanship also in this genre. Appendices of the works discussed have been submitted in a separate file and Appendix 8 lists all his available folksong arrangements.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1991
- Authors: Matier, Rosemary
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Gruber, Georg, 1904-1979 Musicians -- South Africa Music teachers -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2647 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002312
- Description: In this thesis I have given a factual account of Georg Gruber's contribution to music education in South Africa by giving a short biography and studying a) his philosophy of music education, b) the content of the music courses offered at Rhodes University during his occupancy of the Chair (1955-1972), c) the content of the music courses offered at the University of Fort Hare from 1974-1977, d) his contribution to choral education, e) his publications in the field of music education. I have given an evaluation of selected vocal compositions: a) Two masses, b) Terra Nova , c) Two African cantatas, i) Ukucula Ematola and ii) Izango ZakwaNtu , and seven arrangements of real folksongs from several different countries: a) Coventry Carol and Sweet Nightingale, b) Die Alibama, c) Merck tog hoe sterck, d) Entre Ie Boeuf et l'Ane gris, e) Aba Heidschi-bum-beidschi and f) Cheder Katan. Through the above study I have drawn conclusions regarding his compositional techniques prior to coming to South Africa as shown in the two mass compositions a nd the changes which occurred after being exposed to African music. The attention to detail in his arrangements and their sheer simplicity show his skill and craftsmanship also in this genre. Appendices of the works discussed have been submitted in a separate file and Appendix 8 lists all his available folksong arrangements.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1991
The fourteen last rondos of C P E Bach: an investigation into their historic position, their form and their style
- Authors: Lewis, Pauline Mary
- Date: 1987
- Subjects: Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel, 1714-1788 -- Criticism and interpretation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2663 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004608
- Description: This thesis deals with a set of compositions by C. P.E. Bach, referred to as "The Last Fourteen Rondos". Thirteen of these are contained in the collections of sonatas, fantasias and rondos for connoisseurs and music lovers. The fourteenth is a separate work, entitled "The Farewell From a Silbermann Clavier in the Form of a Rondo". After establishing the background and the history of these rondos, the thesis then proceeds to a detailed analysis of the various compositional aspects. First, it tries to explain the overall design of the rondos, a design which differs from that normally associated with rondo form. It then deals with the structure of the thematic material and shows Bach's preference for phrase parallelism and a relatively simple melodic and harmonic outline of the various subjects. Special chapters are devoted to the manner in which C.P.E. Bach treats the musical substance, namely, by means of Variation and by systematic development. A short chapter is then devoted to the fantasia sections, which are included into most of the rondos. It is in the field of harmony where C.P.E. Bach emerges as a most important forerunner of nineteenth century musical trends and, consequently, some detailed analyses form a major portion of the chapter dealing with harmony. Special attention is then given to the various aspects of C.P.E. Bach's style and, in particular, to the pianistic · traits. The thesis ends with a brief survey of the influence which C.P.E. Bach exerted on his contemporaries and on later composers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1987
- Authors: Lewis, Pauline Mary
- Date: 1987
- Subjects: Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel, 1714-1788 -- Criticism and interpretation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:2663 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004608
- Description: This thesis deals with a set of compositions by C. P.E. Bach, referred to as "The Last Fourteen Rondos". Thirteen of these are contained in the collections of sonatas, fantasias and rondos for connoisseurs and music lovers. The fourteenth is a separate work, entitled "The Farewell From a Silbermann Clavier in the Form of a Rondo". After establishing the background and the history of these rondos, the thesis then proceeds to a detailed analysis of the various compositional aspects. First, it tries to explain the overall design of the rondos, a design which differs from that normally associated with rondo form. It then deals with the structure of the thematic material and shows Bach's preference for phrase parallelism and a relatively simple melodic and harmonic outline of the various subjects. Special chapters are devoted to the manner in which C.P.E. Bach treats the musical substance, namely, by means of Variation and by systematic development. A short chapter is then devoted to the fantasia sections, which are included into most of the rondos. It is in the field of harmony where C.P.E. Bach emerges as a most important forerunner of nineteenth century musical trends and, consequently, some detailed analyses form a major portion of the chapter dealing with harmony. Special attention is then given to the various aspects of C.P.E. Bach's style and, in particular, to the pianistic · traits. The thesis ends with a brief survey of the influence which C.P.E. Bach exerted on his contemporaries and on later composers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1987