Browsing by Subject "Instrumentation and orchestration"
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Item Doctoral thesis recital (conducting) lecture(2017-04-04) Missal, Jason; Not availableLecture: Visions fugitives by Sergei Prokofiev : an orchestration for small wind ensemble -- Visions fugitives : op. 22 / Sergei Prokofiev ; orch. Jason Missal.Item Marcel Grandjany's harp transcriptions and editions(Texas Tech University, 2004-08) Parsons, Jeffrey LeeMarcel Grandjany (1891-1975) is well known as an outstanding harpist, teacher and composer for the harp, Beyond this, however, he is also very important for his transcriptions for the harp of music originally written for other instruments, and also for bis editions of older works for the harp that had fallen into obscurity, Many of these transcriptions form a basic core of the modem harpist's repertoire, particularly of pre- Classical works. In addition, his transcriptions have generally been regarded as particularly idiomatic for the harp, utilizing the modem instrument's full range and an array of techniques common in the twentieth century, This dissertation examines ten representative Grandjany transcriptions, to pinpoint what changes Grandjany made, and what purpose these changes serve in adapting the original work for the harp, Such an understanding could be very useful for harpist or other musicians either transcribing or composing for the harp, Grandjany was, however, a man of his own time, and his transcriptions reflect a Romantic sensibility that is often at odds with the modem understanding of historically informed performance, This study attempts to identify non-stylistic elements added by Grandjany, and to determine what the modem performer might do to retain Grandjany's idiomatic sense without losing historical accuracy.Item Movements for strings and percussion(Texas Tech University, 2002-05) Montaño, Maria GladysMovements for Strings and Percussion is a three-movement work for string orchestra and percussion. There are nine separate string parts (four violins, two violas, two cellos and contrabass). The work can be performed by nine solo string players, or with multiple players on each part. Four percussionists are required, performing on the following instruments: xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, wind chimes, temple blocks, triangle, cow bells, cymbals, tambourine, piccolo snare drum, bass drums, and timpani. The piece explores the limitations caused by clear sectional musical form construction and the use of limited pitch resources (limited pitch classes in the first movement, and material derived from a twelve-tone row in the second and third movement) in three ways: (1) by combining the string family as quintet, quartet, or sections, (2) by utilizing various performance techniques in the strings (mute, ponticeilo, harmonics, and pizzicato) and percussion (bowed vibraphone), and (3) by using a wide variety of percussion instruments. In addition to the use of limited pitch resources. Movements achieves unity and coherence by using common elements throughout the work. The two common elements are: (1) instruments featured as soloists in each movement, and (2) the use of compound intervals, octave displacement, and disjunct melodic writing.Item Treatment of the piano in the orchestral works of Igor Stravinsky(Texas Tech University, 1991-12) Rauscher, James FIgor Stravinsky was one of the first composers to use the pianoforte as an integral member of the symphonic orchestra. The inclusion of piano within the orchestra spans nearly his entire creative output, from L'Oiseau de Feu of 1909 to Requiem Canticles of 1966, in a total of twenty-two separate works. The ways in which Stravinsky treated the piano within the orchestra, and the changes in this treatment which took place during his compositional career, form the basis of this study. Scores of each work were analyzed in terms of Stravinsky's treatment of the piano within the orchestral texture, particularly in regard to the following: doublings with other instruments; octave usage; pianistic effects such as glissandi, trills, arpeggiated figures, alternating hand passages, and tremolos; percussive effects; use of pedals; solo passage work; proportion of piano usage to entire work; and treatment of rhythm in piano usage. A table showing the analysis of each work is given in the Appendix. The discussion of individual works is divided into three chapters dealing with the early, middle, and late compositional periods, respectively. Treatment of the piano in each work is discussed, accompanied by pertinent examples from the score. The last chapter of text contains a summary of the material presented and states conclusions which have been drawn: Stravinsky's earliest uses of the piano in the orchestra were primarily as a soloistic instrument or as a doubling instrument within the context of a huge orchestra, in accordance with his Russian compositional training. As he moved toward a thinner, more contrapuntal style which relied on concertato principles, the role of the piano increased in importance because its percussive and pol5rphonic qualities so closely matched the aesthetic he was working to achieve. Finally, when he turned to serialism in the 1950s, the piano's tone became primary in importance as a distinct color in his textural and tonal spectrum, and its usage primarily as a single line instrument reflected the more pointillistic approach to composition in the final works. Composers, conductors, and pianists in particular will benefit from studying his unique treatment of the piano within the orchestra.