Masters Thesis

Works for Piano by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Debussy, Takemitsu, and Chopin

This thesis is a set of program notes that cover the historical background and a formal analysis of works performed in my graduate solo recital and concerto recital. The graduate solo recital consisted of six sets of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Claude Debussy, and Tōru Takemitsu. Three of the six pieces, those composed by Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann, are piano sonatas and consist of two to four contrasting movements. Debussy's Études are from the impressionistic period, and feature virtuosity and a wide range of colors. Following Debussy's Études, the program concluded with Takemitsu's Rain Tree Sketch II, an avant-garde contemporary work from 1992 by a Japanese composer who dedicated the piece to Olivier Messiaen. The concerto program featured Frédéric Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21. The piano concerto consists of three contrasting movements.

Items in ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.