Summary of Dissertation Recitals Three Programs of Piano Music

Three piano recitals were given in lieu of a written dissertation. The repertoire chosen for these three recitals featured music important to the development of the piano and its stature as solo concert instrument. The first recital consisted of music by Czerny, Schubert, Chopin and Liszt; the diverse selection of musical works here showcased the wide capabilities of the instrument as well as the performer. The second recital included works by Scarlatti, Prokofiev, and two concert paraphrases by Godowsky. The third recital, titled “When Art Transforms Labor,” was a lecture-performance focusing exclusively on the complete 24 Études of Frédéric Chopin. Its aim was not only to study and acknowledge the important role études played historically in the development of pianistic styles and techniques, but examine how Chopin developed the genre far beyond anything that had ever come before to compose works that have entered the active concert repertoire. Thus with these three recitals, important fundamental topics pertinent to the piano and its history were explored and presented. Recital 1: Tuesday, December 13, 2016. Stamps Auditorium, Walgreen Drama Center Schubert: Piano Sonata in A Major, D. 664; Czerny: Variations on a Theme by Rode: “La Ricordanza,” op. 33; Chopin: Mazurkas, op. 50; Liszt: Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394. Recital 2: Thursday, March 16, 2017. Stamps Auditorium, Walgreen Drama Center Prokofiev: Piano Sonata no. 8, op. 84; Scarlatti: Sonatas K. 261, 27, 87, 262; Albeniz: Iberia: VI. Triana (Arranged by L. Godowsky); Godowsky: Symphonische Metamorphosen Johann Strauss’scher Themen: II. Die Fledermaus Recital 3 (Lecture): Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Stamps Auditorium, Walgreen Drama Center “Chopin Études: When Art Transforms Labor.” Lecture and recital of Chopin: Études, op. 10 & 25.AMUMusic: PerformanceUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138748/1/ofj_1.pd