The French Sonatina of the Twentieth Century for Piano Solo: With Three Recitals of Works by Mussorgsky, Brahms, Bartok, Durilleux, and others

The purpose of this study is to define the French sonatina of the twentieth century, to expose those works which are most suitable for concert performances, and to provide a resource for teachers and performers. Of the seventy-five scores available to the writer, five advanced-level piano sonatinas of the twentieth century were chosen as the best of those by French composers, in attractiveness and compositional craftsmanship: Maurice Ravel's Sonatine (1905), Maurice Emmanuel's Sonatine VI VI(1926), Noel Gallon's Sonatine (1931), Alexandre Tansman's Troisieme Sonatine (1933), and Jean-Michel Damase's Sonatine (1991). The five works were analyzed, with a focus on compositional techniques used to create unity in the work. In comparison to the classical model of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries, the French sonatina of the twentieth century exhibits four new features. First, it is more expansive in length and has greater philosophical depth. Second, there is an emphasis on unity at the motivic and thematic levels in which the development of material, based on the techniques discussed, occurs throughout a movement instead of being limited to a "development" section. Third, the formal structures are more flexible, allowing for cyclic quotations and the accommodation of varying styles. Fourth, the advanced technical skills indicate that these compositions are intended not as pedagogical pieces but as concert works. Chapter I introduces the topic, stating the purpose and need of the study. Chapter II presents a brief history of the sonatina, with particular attention given to the sonatina line France, and background information on each of the five composers. Chapters III through VII are each devoted to an analytical discussion of one of the five sonatinas. Conclusions based on the analyses are given in Chapter VIII. Appendices included an annotated listing, by composer, of all French sonatinas which were involved in the research and a selected discography