Lots of good stuff here—but lots of work still to be done, particularly in the area of narrowing and specifying the nature of your thesis. If a thesis statement and/or my comments do not appear next to your focal piece, it's because I did not receive a thesis statement or need you to resend it.
General comments:
- You must employ primary sources as your principle evidence; secondary literature may be cited to reinforced points, but your analysis of evidence must be based upon those primary sources: scores, letters, journals, newspapers, iconography, etc
- You must be arguing a specific interpretation: you must in other words be seeking to “prove” something about the material in question
- You must demonstrate that your work makes an original contribution: it is not necessary to create a thesis no other author has ever argued, but your combination of evidence and interpretation must be unique and original. Typically, the best way to ensure that you are doing this is to review the existing secondary literature, to articulate how/where it is missing insight(s), and describe how your contribution addresses these insights
- Generally speaking, theses which are too broad, vague, or unspecific can be vastly narrowed and specified (a) by reference to Watkins’s own commentary on specific pieces, (b) by surveying secondary literature about specific pieces (especially but not limited to Grove Online), and, (c) most importantly, by listening to and taking notes upon the specific works. You should not be trying to create a specific thesis unless and until you have completed (a), (b), and (c).
Mahler: Symphony no. 6.
I will argue that Gustav Mahler’s compositional style was influenced by his role as a conductor, based on analysis of scores, particularly Das Lied von Der Erde, primary sources such as composers notes and personal accounts, and interviews of modern conductors who have studied Mahler’s works.
- OK as far as it goes, but simply to say “was influenced” is far too unspecific. In WHAT SPECIFIC WAYS was his compositional style influenced? Orchestration? Instrumental techniques? Blends? Dynamics? Distinctive approaches to notation? Distinctive combinations? Other specific characteristics? Narrow the focus of the investigation and rewrite thesis to reflect
I will argue why Barber's Overture to the School for Scandal was written about the Curtis Institute and how this piece portrays programmaticism about this topic
- OK but too vague and unspecific. If you want to argue that the “Overture” was “written about” Curtis, what sorts of evidence will you use? What will your primary sources be?
Gershwin: Porgy & Bess
Debussy: "Nocturnes"
The Nocturnes that Debussy wrote in the early 20th century, shows many different kinds of styles, techniques, and characteristics. I will argrue using books, articles, and score analysis that Debussy used French romanticism, influences from other musical styles, and impressionism to help him with his writing of Nocturnes.
- Not really a thesis: it is reasonably obvious that Debussy was influenced by “romanticism,” “impressionism,” and “influences from other styles”; likewise, “many different kinds of styles” is way too vague. This is not sufficiently specific or original. What specific aspects of the works will you focus upon, what specific previous/outside works or other influences will you cite, and what do you specifically seek to prove?
Glass
This paper will focus on both the historical and aesthetic ideas that culminated in the creation of Koyannis katsi (Sp?), namely the shifting role of art music, the procedure and development of minimalism and incorporation of non-western philosophy with regard to film.
- OK, this is sufficiently specific. But, you do not describe the specific types and pieces of primary evidence you will draw upon, and you need to articulate in the form of a thesis (“I will argue that…”)
Vaughan Williams: Mass in G Minor
direct happenings in Vaughan Williams’ family life are manifested in his work – the Mass in G Minor.
- OK but rather vague and unspecific: “direct happenings…are manifested” is not precise. Which events? Manifested how? What types of primary evidence will you employ?
Vaughan Williams: Five Tudor Portraits
Vaughan Williams employed Skelton's text and Tudor musical references in Five Tudor Portraits in order to establish an English national music identity in the face of (mostly Germanic) criticism of England as the "land without music." My approach will be both contextual and analytical.
- Good. What specific types or sources of primary evidence will you employ?
Futurism
Stravinsky/Neo-classicism: Octet, Pulcinella, or other
Piazzolla, or Shostakovich Conc. #1
Cage
John Cage’s first thoughts of the importance of percussion in his writing started with an argument with his teacher, Arnold Schoenberg. He had stated that he had no feeling for harmony, at which Shoenberg’s reply was that he came to a wall he could not pass. Cage’s reply was, “I will devote my life to beating my head against that wall.” I will attempt to prove that his early development as a composer was based in non- harmonic traditions that pushed his own focus to the percussive. Through insights into his early years of music study into the first composition for percussion ensemble, First Construction, I plan to prove that Cage not only pioneered development for music in the new art form of the percussion ensemble, but also found the vehicle for which he could move from harmonic superiority in music to future ventures into the exotic linear.
- Good. One or two slightly confusing or ambiguous phrases: what specifically do you mean by “the exotic linear”? It’s an interesting construction but your reader will want to be clear on what it means. Also, a question for further extension: could you expand this thesis to include a kind of “percussive approach to the exotic linear” which helps us understand his aleatoric and/or multi-media pieces? Or should this thesis only be limited to the works for percussion ensemble? I can see both possibilities; what do you think?
Music for 18 Musicians" by Steve Reich; John Adams "Short Ride In A Fast Machine".
Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe
1 comment:
Comment from Lisa Lee: My primary sources will be Vaughan Williams' writings on the subject of "National Music" and the scores of Five Tudor Portraits plus the scores of some of his earlier works to establish that he uses certain SHMRG characteristics to produce this sense of nationalism. Maybe I can access some reports on the reception of the work, which would consitute primary resources, as well.
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