Dissertation in Music Performance

The focus of the first program is to frame Hector Villa-Lobos’ Sonata No. 3 in reference to contemporary French and European musical trends, namely Gabriel Fauré’s Sonata in A Major, Op. 13, and Olivier Messiaen’s Fantaisie por violon et piano, to highlight more works of Villa-Lobos’ pre-nationalistic period of composition, within which his pieces were infused with musical elements of composers such as Milhaud, Debussy, Stravinsky, and other foreign influences. In contrast, Sepehr Pirasteh’s Narrative offers a solo experience, incorporating traditional elements of Persian classical music that ultimately guides the performer and audience through an evolving performance of a radif. The second program features nine miniatures from a variety of styles, time periods, and locales. The program opens with the alluring Five Melodies of Sergei Prokofiev. Originally written for voice as a string of neoclassical de capo arias, the piece was subsequently adapted for violin. Georg Telemann’s Fantasie No. 7 is the earliest example of a miniature represented on the program, and paired with TJ Cole’s Miniatures and Icli Zitella’s Golden Calf, the three pieces reveal innovations in the solo style of violin composition, showcasing the freedom of form found in the fantasy genre. Lili Boulanger’s Nocturne, Cortége, and the popular D’un matin de printemps represent early twentieth-century French miniatures, while Fritz Kreisler’s La Gitana and Maria Newman’s Appalachian Duets are featured to add contrast to the program. The third program highlights two standard sonatas of the violin repertoire: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata No. 5 in F Major, op. 24, and Claude Debussy’s Violin Sonata. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 5 represents a revitalization of his popularity in response to scathing reviews of his music in German periodicals, while the sparkling but brief Violin Sonata of Debussy is his last piece, composed and premiered while the composer was battling cancer.AMUMusic: PerformanceUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/178015/1/wardcha_1.pd