Academic literature on the topic 'String quartet with instrumental ensemble – Scores'

Background. The article provides an analysis of L. Beethoven’s piano quartets through the prism of the ensemble writing and composition experience by W. A. Mozart. The disclosure of the successive ties between the two great Viennese classics in the field of chamber instrumental music contributes to the scientific understanding of the history of this genre, which is not sufficiently covered in musicology. The analysis revealed that the four piano quartets of L. Beethoven are focused on Mozart’s prototypes, or rather, on sonatas for violin and piano. It was found that the formative principles of Beethoven’s piano quartets grow from the above-mentioned compositions by W. A. Mozart, but the content and the ensemble-dramatic solution reflect the independence and originality of the young composer’s thinking, revealing the sprouts of a future mature style. The purpose of this article is to disclose the ways of rethinking the prototypes of Mozart in the piano quartets of L. Beethoven. The piano quartets of the latter serve as the musical material of the article: No. 1 Es-dur, No. 2 D-dur, No. 3 C-dur WoO 36, and No. 4 Es-dur op. 16. Results. L. Beethoven changes the algorithm of ensemble events contained in Mozart’s opuses, where the theme is presented in turn by piano, violin, followed by the conversation of the two. The composer immediately includes all members of the quartet in the presentation of the leading material, which specifies this genre, revealing its “intermediateness” between the intimacy of the trio and the “representativeness” of the concerto. Since the genetic origins of the genre of the piano quartet are the trio sonata, the string quartet and the clavier concerto with the accompaniment of a string ensemble, these genres influenced the type of Beethoven’s piano quartets. Thus, Beethoven’s Bonn quartets resemble in their writing a string quartet; and the piano quartet Es-dur op. 16 resembles a clavier concerto with orchestra. These compositions are related to the first of the above mentioned prototypes by the consistent application of the trio principle, which is expressed in various combinations of ensemble voices. In the timbre refraction, the trio-principle underlies the pairing of stringed instruments, where the bowed instruments form a strictly homophonic vertical with the traditional functional relationship according to the “upper voice ‒ bass ‒ middle” model. Another dimension of the trio principle arises when one of the string parts of the piano is displaced, as a result of which a multi-timbre sound field is formed. There is an obvious desire of the composer for the equality of four voices in the piano quartet. At the same time, the timbre uniqueness of the piano and the virtuosity of its part make it possible to recognize in it the leader of the ensemble union. Conclusion. The leading role of the piano in L. Beethoven’s piano quartets brings this genre closer to a piano concerto. At the same time, the piano has a variety of role functions: it can act as an equal partner, being one of the voices of the quartet score; as a concert instrument demonstrating its virtuoso capabilities; as a leader of an ensemble, a kind of conductor, giving impetus to performance, initiative in ensemble play. Similar functions can be observed in W. A. Mozart’s sonatas for violin and piano, which L. Beethoven was guided by.

The present article is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive – as much as the available sources allow – presentation of Polish music in Great Britain during the war, without any claims to completeness. The main institution attracting Poles in London was, practically from the beginning of the war, Polish Hearth, founded by Polish artists, scholars and writers. The Polish Musicians of London association with Tadeusz Jarecki organised classical music concerts and published contemporary works by Polish composers. The organisation was instrumental in the founding of the London Polish String Quartet. The BBC Radio played a huge role in the popularisation of the Polish repertoire and Polish artists, broadcasting complete performances. What became an extremely attractive form of promoting Polish art were the performances of the Anglo-Polish Ballet, founded by Czesław Konarski and Alicja Halama in 1940. The post-war reality meant that most of the scores published at the time were arrangements of soldiers’, historical, folk and popular songs characterised by simple musical means suited to the capabilities of army bands, but conveying the spirit accompanying the soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces during the Second World War. Polish Army Choir established, as the first among such ensembles, on Jerzy Kołaczkowski’s initiative.The author hopes to prompt further studies into the history of migrations of artists and work on monographs on the various composers and performers. Undoubtedly, there is a need to bring this part of our musical culture to light, especially given the fact that interest in Polish music abroad has been growing in recent years.

CECILIE ØRE: A. – a shadow opera. Joachim Calmeyer, Anneke von der Lippe, Tilman Hartenstein, Henrik Inadomi, Lakis Kanzakis, Rob Waring (voices). Aurora ACD 5034.BETH ANDERSON ‘Swales and Angels’: March Swale1; Pennyroyal Swale1; New Mexico Swale2,1,3; The Angel4,1,5,6,8; January Swale1; Rosemary Swale1; Piano Concerto6,1,7,3,8. 1Rubio String Quartet, 2Andrew Bolotowsky (fl, picc), 3David Rozenblatt (perc), 4Jessica Marsten (sop), 5Joseph Kubera (vc, pno), 6André Tarantiles (hp), 7Darren Campbell (bass), c. 8Gary M. Scheider. New World 80610-2.RAGNHILD BERSTAD: Anstrøk for violin and cello1; Krets for orchestra9; Respiro for clarinet and tape2; Zeugma for ensemble3; Toreuma for string quartet4; Verto for voice, cello & percussion5,6,7; Emutatio for voice, chorus and orchestra5,8,9. 1Kyberia, 2Lars Hilde (cl), 3Affinis Ensemble, 4Arditti String Quartet, 5Berit Ogheim (voice), 6Lene Grenager (vc), 7Cathrine Nyheim (perc), 8Oslo Chamber Choir, 9Norwegian Radio Orchestra c. Christian Eggen. Aurora ACD 5021.TAILLEFERRE: Works for piano. Cristiano Ariagno (pno). Timpani 1C1074.‘Sweetly I Rejoice: Music based on Songs and Hymns from Old Icelandic Manuscripts’ by HILDIGUNNUR RÚNARSDÒTTIR, MIST THORKELSDÒTTIR, THÒRDUR MAGNÚSSON, JÒN GUDMUNDSSON, ELÍN GUNNLAUGSDÒTTIR and STEINGRÍMUR ROHLOFF. Gríma Vocal Ensemble. Marta Gudrún Halldórsdóttir (sop), EThos String Quartet. Instrumental Ensemble c. Gunnstein Òlafsson. Smekkleysa SMK31 (2-CD set).‘I Start My Journey’: Sacred music by Anon, SMÁRI ÓLASON, ELÍN GUNNLAUGSDÒTTIR, STEFÁN ÓLAFSSON, JAKOB HALLGRIMSSON, BARA GRÍMSDÒTTIR, HRÒDMAR INGI SIGURBJÖRNSSON, GUNNAR REYNÍR SVEINSSON. Kammerkor Sudurlands c. Hilmar Örn Agnarsson. Smekkleysa SMK17.‘New Zealand Women Composers’. DOROTHY KER: The Structure of Memory. JENNY McLEOD: For Seven. GILLIAN WHITEHEAD: Ahotu (O Matenga). ANNEA LOCKWOOD/Lontano: Monkey Trips (1995). Lontano c. Odaline de la Martinez. LORELT LNT116.SPAIN-DUNK: Phantasy Quartet in D minor. BEACH: String Quartet in one movement. SMYTH: String Quartet in E minor. Archaeus String Quartet. Lorelt LNT114.SAARIAHO: Du cristal…a la fumée1–3; Nymphaea4; Sept Papillons2. 1Petri Alanko (alto fl), 2Anssi Karttunen (vlc), 3Los Angeles PO c. Esa-Pekka Salonen, 4Kronos Quartet. Ondine ODE 1047-2.

Background. A play principle is one of the essential properties of the artistic worldview and creative thinking of C. M. Weber. Declaring itself in works of different genres, it takes on many different shades, speaking in the form of comic, ironic, characteristic and carnival. In the instrumental opuses by the composer, the play aspect appears in complex of texture, articulation, intonation and thematic, dynamic and formative techniques that lead to immediate visual and theatrical associations. Expression of play principles in this genre sphere can be considered, on the one hand, as various types of ensemble dialogue, and on the other hand, as virtuosity, producing aesthetic pleasure and sincere joy. The Piano Quartet by the composer, a typical example of the instrumental and play beginnings in the work by C. M. Weber, is a part of repertoires of many ensembles, but it has not yet become an object of serious scientific interest. The question of the historical and stylistic affiliation of C. M. Weber is debatable, as evidenced by significant differences in the views of scientists on this issue. Some of them, as La Mara (1886), R. Teryokhin (1983), R. Mizitova (1999), see him as the custodian of the Viennese classical tradition, focusing on “mozartianism” of C. M. Weber, others, as J. Warrack (1976) and B. Smallman (1994), considered him as one of the pioneers of romanticism. The former notes the improvisational nature of the emergence of the quartet cycle, the latter ‒ the elegance of writing and the unusual form of the last part, which served as a model for creating the finale of instrumental opuses for subsequent romantic composers. The pianistic texture by C. M. Weber as reflection of the virtuosoromantic direction is described in the works of N. Kashkadamova (2006) and O. Skorbyaschenskaya (1993). The aforementioned works also note the unusual form-making of the composer and the fantasy nature of his Minuets-Scherzo, that anticipate the experiments of F. Mendelssohn and other romantic composers. I. Karachevtseva (2015: 24) takes a special position toward the work by C. M. Weber acknowledging it as “the quintessence of a new artistic and stylistic quality that defines the boundary between two historical eras”. Objectives. The purpose of this article is to identify the genre, dramatic and the shaping characteristics of the Piano Quartet by C. M. Weber as a manifestation of play logic. Results. The play principle is manifested at all levels of the text of Weber’s work: genre, compositional, dramatic, thematic. C. M. Weber does not resort to the typical of classical piano ensembles three-part cycle, but to the four-part, placing Minuet between Adagio and the Finale. In our opinion, the inclusion of the Minuet in the sonata cycle is due to the theatrical and playful mindset of C. M. Weber. This assumption is corroborated by the nature of the dramatic logic of the Piano Quartet cycle, where in each part the listener (including the performer) something unusual, captivating and witty lies in wait. Playful interest in the movement’s intrigue extends even to Adagio, which by its nature is less likely to surprise. The entire first section of this part is built of short statements, changes in the types of movement, rhythmic pulsation, contradicting dynamic shades, and ultimately figurative details, as a result of which instead of a holistic meditative theme, a dynamic, instrumental “mise-en-scene” arises. Equally fractional is the main part of the sonata Allegro, where the delicate phrase of the solo piano is suddenly interrupted by the irritated intonation of the sf and ff trills, and the exhorting statement of the string trio makes the piano to have second thoughts. We observe the play logic of the event canvas as the piano and string trio are endowed with their own thematicism, “personified”. The Minuet is unexpected in a minor modus (g-moll) in the context of a major composition (B-dur), the rapid change of textural-thematic units, and the simplicity of the trio theme ‒ in the spirit of rural German dances, contrasting the blasting extreme parts. The final rondo (Presto) plunges into a whirlpool of refrains and episodes, creating the impression of carnival fuss and kindling the listener’s “interest in continuation”, and the multipart composition turns into a comparison of musical “scenes”, anticipating the principles of constructing miniature cycles of R. Schumann. Conclusions. The thematic plethora of the Piano Quartet by C. M. Weber, a totally dynamic character, the violation of the classical linearity and predictability of the plot provide the author with a gargantuan opportunity of ensemble dispositions. The composer follows to the parity of communicants achieved by W. A. Mozart in his piano quartets, grouping them into various combinations. Among them, there are a dialogue of the piano and string trio, a melodic communication of the strings against the background of the figured movement of the piano, the solo of the string instrument against the background of keyboard chords, as well as the pianos’ solo in the context of dialogue at the composition level. Thus, assigning primary importance to the play principle, C. M. Weber signifies a universal factor in creating stylistic harmony, which covers figurativelythematic, compositional, ensemble spheres. In structuring of the cycle and its individual parts, in the course of the music-event process, in the art of ensemble writing, the composer showed his mastery creating the “second reality” that merges with play in its intrinsic value.

Background. Nowadays, the typology of the piano quartet is actively studied by the modern scientists. The genesis of this genre is becoming more contentious. As pointed out by L. Tsaregorodtseva (2005), and earlier I. Byaly (1989), a connection of concerts for clavier solo accompanied by a string ensembles and a string quartet form a foundation for a genre of the piano quartet. N. Samoilova (2011) sees the origin of this genre in ensembles with clavier, L. Tsaregorodtseva (2005) ‒ in the historical and cultural situation of the last third of the 18th century, including the genre (string quartet and piano concerto), structural and compositional (sonata form), organological (instrument condition), performing (pianism development). I. Byaly (1989) and I. Polskaya (2001) consider the trio principle as the basis of ensemble genres, including the piano quartet. A conjunction of these opinions let us perceive the piano quartet as the result of the synthesis of various compositional and genre principles of ensembles, which formed the basis of the classical structure of the genre. Its creators are believed to be W. A. Mozart, the author of two piano quartets: No. 1 g-moll KV478 and No. 2 Es-dur KV493 (1785; 1786), and L. Beethoven, who composed four piano quartets: WoO 36 № 1 Es-dur, № 2 D-dur, № 3 C-dur (1785) and op. 16 Es-dur (1801). In these compositions of the classical era the defining attributes of the genre were multitimbrality, which manifests in keyboard and string instruments; ensemble players equality; signs of various types of utterance, including those inherent in a string quartet and clavier concerto involving a group of strings; sonatas and symphonies; as well as the type of composition, built on the model of “fast-slow-fast” with the obligatory sonata Allegro in the first position. In the romantic era, the boundaries of the genre expand in terms of content, structure, interpretation of the ensemble. The first attempt to increase the scale of the cycle belongs to C. M. Weber, who brought it closer to the composition of the string quartet through the introduction of Menuetto. However, the final fourpart cycle is set by F. Mendelssohn, who replaced Menuetto with Scherzo, which becomes the normative model for the romantic tradition of the genre. Objectives. The purpose of this article is to determine the role of F. Mendelssohn’s piano quartets in the evolution of the genre in general, and in the romantic era in particular. Results. Three piano quartets by F. Mendelssohn present a picture of his youthful attitude. The musician’s early composing ability allowed him to turn to the creation of works of this genre without fear. This genre usually attracts the attention of artists in their mature period of creativity, having mastered various genres, including chamber-instrumental ensembles (W. A. Mozart, R. Schumann, J. Brahms). It is easy to observe the commonalities of F. Mendelssohn and young Beethoven, who also composed the piano quartets in the early days of his oeuvre. F. Mendelssohn has composed three piano quartets: No. 1 c-moll (1882), dedicated to Prince Antoine Radziwill, No. 2 f-moll (December 1823), dedicated to Karl Zelter, and No. 3 h-moll (January 1823) – to Goethe. The skill of using large structures, the depth of musical thought, and even the sings of his future style are starting to find expression in Mendelssohn’s youth compositions. The four-part structure of the composition cycles reveals the young composer’s interest in the works of L. Beethoven, in particular in his piano sonatas. Distinctly clear analogies are also found in «Aurora» op. 53 and «Appassionata» op. 57. R. Larry Todd (2003) also points to the similarity of the original themes of the Piano quartet No. 1 c-moll by F. Mendelssohn and the piano sonata in the same key KV457 by W. A. Mozart. It defined by the initial course of the sounds of the basic triad, as well as the use of symmetrical question-answer constructions, contrasting in mood. The connections between these two compositions are even more evident in the finale, which begins with a theme directly borrowed from the last part of W. A. Mozart’s sonata (as identified by the author of this article). In Quartet No. 2 f-moll, connections with the music of L. Beethoven are not limited to allusions to the famous piano sonatas of the Viennese classic. The first part of F. Mendelssohn’s cycle contains several definite signs of Beethoven’s influences: the development of the code is significantly expanded in the sonata form, and in a monumental reprise the young author defines the extreme dynamic level fff. In Adagio (Des-dur) there is a wide enharmonic palette, including several sharp keys. The next part, labeled as Intermezzo, provides a transition to the «explosive» finale, which opens with a «rocket-like» theme, driven by an ascending line of chromatic bass. Piano Quartet No. 3 h-moll is the work that determined the choice of F. Mendelssohn’s professional composer career, which was highly appreciated by L. Kerubini. Mastery of the musical form is manifested in a significant expansion of the scope of the cycle and each of its parts. Adhering to the strategy of virtuoso interpretation of the piano part, which was chosen in the first two opuses, the author, at the same time, subordinates the tasks of demonstrating the pianist’s instrumental possibilities to the purpose of disclosure the dramatic idea of the work. At the same time, he does not brake the principle of equality of ensemble members, borrowed from his predecessors in any of his piano quartets. Conclusions. The analysis revealed the following indicators of the romanticization of the piano quartet genre in the work of F. Mendelssohn. These are: the scale of the content and composition of the cycle; the large coda sections in the first and final parts; the poetic completion of the lyrical second parts, as it is in “songs without words”; brilliance of the final parts; dominance of minor keys; equality of ensemble members with the “directorial” function of the piano and others. The high artistic qualities of F. Mendelssohn’s piano quartets attract the attention of many performers, among which the Foret Quartet demonstrates the most adequate interpretation of these works.

The purpose of this study was to fit theoretical models of prediction to urban students’ decisions to enroll and persist in music ensembles using academic achievement, socioeconomic status (SES), number of parents/guardians at home, mobility, ethnicity, and sex as explanatory variables. Through multinomial logistic regression, I built predictive models for initial enrollment (i.e., 6th grade) and retention (8th and 10th grades) in band, string, and choir electives. At each grade level, predictive models supported differentiation between band, string, and choir students from nonmusic students on most factors as well as differences between instrumental and choir students. Choir students were differentiated from instrumental students in terms of academic achievement, SES, family structure, and mobility. These factors revealed more congruence with the population of nonmusic students than instrumental students. Factors influencing initial enrollment in band, string, and choir remained relatively stable over retention models, with notable exceptions: SES became a weaker predictor of band enrollment in high school, whereas number of parents/guardians at home became more salient for this group. All music participation was predicted by academic achievement; however, this was evidenced only in reading test scores for choir participants, whereas math and reading achievement predicted enrollments in instrumental music electives.

Scherer and Zentner (2001) propose that affective experiences might be the product of a multiplicative function between structural, performance, listener, and contextual related features. Yet research on the effects of structure, and particularly texture, has mostly focused on perceived emotions. We therefore sought to test the effects of structural features on subjective musical experiences in a listening study by manipulating the performance, solo versus ensemble, of five segments of a piece for string quartet, while also exploring the impact of listener features such as musical training, listening habits and stable dispositions such as empathy. We found that participants ( N = 144, 78% female; Mage = 22.74 years, SD = 5.13) felt like moving more (ME) and perceived their physiological rhythms change more (VE) during ensemble compared to solo conditions. Moreover, ME significantly predicted positive emotions, such as Wonder and Power, while VE significantly predicted both positive and negative emotions, such as Tension and Nostalgia. We also found direct main and interaction effects of both segment and performance factors on all four emotion models. We believe these results support Scherer and Zentner’s model and show the importance of considering the interaction between compositional and instrumental texture when studying music-induced emotions.

AbstractThis article examines the relationship between orchestration and microtonality in the music of Marc Sabat through a score-based analysis of two recent works, Asking Ocean (2016), for string quartet and large ensemble, and The Luminiferous Aether (2018), for large orchestra. Excerpts from these two compositions are discussed to highlight the challenges of composing for orchestral forces in a musical style that demands a high degree of microtonal pitch precision. Through retuning, alteration, and a sensitivity to the construction, techniques and performance practices of orchestral instruments, Sabat has developed a unique manner of orchestrating that is at once timbrally rich and uncompromising in pitch precision. After a brief introduction to the extended just intonation framework that Sabat employs, his concepts of ‘fixed microtonal pitches’ and ‘tuneable intervals’ are discussed and connected to orchestration in his scores. Drawing upon this analysis, connections are made between the microtonal system with orchestration and musical aesthetics broadly.

The paper is devoted to theproblematics of the late style in composer creativity. The typologies of the late style described in the musical science works of recent years (including the thesesby E. Nazaikinsky and N. Savitskaya) are systematized. The characteristic of B. Britten’s chamberheritage is given in the context of the achievements of the English composer’s school of аnew musical renaissance of the twentieth century. The purpose of the research is to reveal the specificity of the last opus phenomenon. Achieving the goal of the research involves using the following methods: genre approach, historical approach and stylistic approach. The specificity of the last opus phenomenon is revealed by the example of the Third String Quartet by B. Britten, which is recognized as the composer’s last opus. The late style of the composer is characterized in terms of orchestration, techniques, genre preferences and stylistic unity. Exposition of the main material of the study includes compositional and stylistic analysis of the Third String Quartet by B. Britten. In the paperheritage of B. Britten is considered as an example of a creative composer process which has an explicit division into several periods. The name of B. Britten is associated with the highest achievements of the English composer school of a new renaissance in the twentieth century. The researchers distinguish three periodsof B. Britten’s creativity. The first period is characterized by the interest in chamber music and various chamber compositions, the variation as a principle of development as well as the genre certainty. The individual style of the composer is formed in vocal musicearlier and more intensively. The second period is characterized by expressive orchestral writing, figurative concreteness and clarity of structures. The late period of B. Britten’s creativity is characterized by the desire to find the most flexible form of the modern performance. The stylistic synthesis reveals a reliance on ancient types and forms of playing music: Gregorian chant, heterophony, anemitonicpenta-tonic system and church modes. Most of his works are marked by the asceticism of expressive means. The scores are written in a stingy, honed manner, the composer uses instrumental compositions with vivid coloristic capabilities, but implements them with a subtle sense of proportion. The paper deals with the specifics of the B. Britten’s late style. According to the concept of N. Savitskaya the late style is the final evolutionary stage which includes stylistic elements of the early and mature stages of the composer’s creative formation in an in-depth and concentrated form. The researcher identifies the following types of late style: prognostic, consolidating and reduced. B. Britten’s late style can be classified as consolidating one. The paper isconcerned with the phenomenon of the last opus. B. Britten created three string quartets. The appearance of the first two was connected with the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the death of H. Purcell. The Third Quartet was written thirty years later, in 1975, in Venice, and was first performed after the death of B. Britten in 1976. This work was the last instrumental composition the authorcompleted. The structure of the Third Quartetdeparts from the traditional form. It consists of five relatively short movements which form a kind of symmetrical arch. B. Britten originally used the term divertimento as a working description of the quartet. Each movement of the cycle has its own subtitle: Duets, Ostinato, Solo, Burlesque, Recitative and Passacalia (La Serenissima). All movements are written in three-part form (ABA). The slow lyrical movements of the quartet form a kind of arches inside the composition. The first movement, Duets, is in a sense the most abstract of all five parts. The beginning resembles a “double spiral” (two voices are closely intertwined and are an exact copy of each other). In the second movement, Ostinato, the idea of an ostinato, where a musical pattern is repeated over and over in the background, takes on a somewhat intrusive form. In the third movement, Solo, the lone violin line, moving through wide intervals, is accompanied mostly by only one other voice at a time. In the fourth movement, Burlesque, the world of parody entertainment, clowning, buffoonery is presented. The fifth movement is entitled La Serenissima, a reference to Venice. In this movement B. Britten quoted his own last opera, Death in Venice. The results of the research support the idea that B. Britten’s late style refers to consolidated type of late style. This conclusion is reached based ona specific analysis of the Third String Quartet by B. Britten. The Third Quartet accumulates as features of B. Britten’s late style as the asceticism of expressive means in writing, reliance on the frets of folk music and the rigor of writing. B. Britten’s enthusiasm for the traditions of folk music resulted in a desire for the texture of all the voices in his instrumental scores. The composer’s chamber music is characterized by detailed instrumentation. Despite all the possibilities of using modernist techniques in the creative process B. Britten can be traced to an academic style. It is worth noting the amazing unity of B. Britten’s style throughout his life. Individual composer style is constantly being refined, remaining homogeneous at the same time (there are not style shifts and differences). In addition, B. Britten had always been aimed at performers and often wrote instrumental works on order. Although B. Britten’s heritage is widely represented in Ukrainian and foreign musical science, the specifics of the composer’s late style is still a field for study and comprehension. The paper opens up prospects for the study of the last opus in the late period of the work of composers.

Background. The name of Amanda Maier (married – Röntgen-Maier), the Swedish violinist, composer, pianist, organist, representative of the Leipzig school of composition, contemporary and good friend of С. Schumann, J. Brahms, E. Grieg, is virtually unknown in the post-Soviet space and little mentioned in the works of musicologists from other countries. The composer’s creativity has long been almost completely forgotten, possibly due to both her untimely death (at the age of 41) and thanks to lack of the research interest in the work of women composers over the past century. The latter, at least in domestic musicology, has significantly intensified in recent decades, which is due in part to the advancement in the second half of the XX and early XXI centuries of a constellation of the talanted women-composers in Ukraine – L. Dychko, H. Havrylets, A. Zagaikevych, I. Aleksiichuk, formerly – G. Ustvolska, S. Gubaydulina in Russia, etc. Today, it is obvious that the development of the world art is associated not only with the activities of male artists, but also with the creative achievements of women: writers, artists, musicians. During her life, A. Maier was the well-known artist in Europe and in the world and the same participant in the musical-historical process as more famous today the musicians of the Romantic era. Objectives and methodology. The proposed study should complement the idea of the work of women-composers of the 19th century and fill in one of the gap on the music map of Europe at that time. The purpose of this article is to characterize the genre-stylistic and compositional-dramaturgical features of selected chamber music works by A. Röntgen-Maier. In this research are used historical-stylistic, structural and functional, analytical, comparative, genre methods. Research results. Carolina Amanda Erika Maier-Röntgen was born in Landskrona, Sweden, where she received her first music lessons from her father. Then she studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where she mastered playing on the several instruments at once – violin, cello, piano, organ, as well as studied the music theory. She became the first woman received the title of “Musik Direktor” after successfully graduating from college. She continued her studies at the Leipzig Conservatory – in the composition under Carl Reineke and Ernst Friedrich Richter direction, in the violin – with Engelbert Röntgen (concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, the father of her future husband J. Röntgen). She toured Europe a lot, firstly as a violinist, performing her own works and her husband’s works, alongside with world classics. After the birth of her two sons, she withdrew from active concert activities due to the deterioration of her health, but often participated in music salons, which she and her husband organized at home, and whose guests were J. Brahms, C. Schumann, E. Grieg with his wife, and A. Rubinstein. It is known that Amanda Maier performed violin sonatas by J. Brahms together with Clara Schumann. The main part of the composer’s creative work consists of chamber and instrumental works. She wrote the Sonata in B minor (1878); Six Pieces for violin and piano (1879); “Dialogues” – 10 small pieces for piano, some of which were created by Julius Röntgen (1883); Swedish songs and dances for violin and piano; Quartet for piano, violin, viola and cello E minor (1891), Romance for violin and piano; Trio for violin, cello and piano (1874); Concert for violin and orchestra (1875); Quartet for piano, violin, viola and clarinet E minor; “Nordiska Tonbilder” for violin and piano (1876); Intermezzo for piano; Two string quartets; March for piano, violin, viola and cello; Romances on the texts of David Wiersen; Trio for piano and two violins; 25 Preludes for piano. Sizable part of the works from this list is still unpublished. Some manuscripts are stored in the archives of the Stockholm State Library, scanned copies of some manuscripts and printed publications are freely available on the Petrucci music library website, but the location of the other musical scores by A. Maier is currently unknown to the author of this material; this is the question that requires a separate study. Due to the limited volume of the article, we will focus in detail on two opuses, which were published during the life of the composer, and which today have gained some popularity among performers around the world. These are the Sonata in B minor for Violin and Piano and the Six Pieces for Violin and Piano. Sonata in B minor is a classical three-part cycle. The first movement – lyricaldramatic sonata allegro (B minor), the second – Andantino – Allegretto, un poco vivace – Tempo I (G major) – combines lyrical and playful semantic functions, the third – Allegro molto vivace (B minor) is an active finale with a classical rondosonata structure. The Six Pieces for Violin and Piano rightly cannot be called the cycle, in the Schumann sense of this word, because there is no common literary program for all plays, intonation-thematic connections between this musical numbers, end-to-end thematic development that would permeate the entire opus. But this opus has the certain signs of cyclization and the common features to all plays, contributing to its unification: tonal plan, construction of the whole on the principle of contrast, genre, song and dance intonation, the leading role of the violin in the presentation of thematic material. Conclusions and research perspectives. Amanda Maier’s chamber work freely synthesizes the classical (Beethoven) and the romantic (Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann) traditions, which the composer, undoubtedly, learned through the Leipzig school. From there come the classical harmony, the orderliness of her thinking, clarity, conciseness, harmony of form, skill in ensemble writing, polyphonic ingenuity. There are also parallels with the music of J. Brahms. With the latter, A. Maier’s creativity correlates trough the ability to embody freely and effortlessly the subtle lyrical psychological content, being within the traditional forms, to feel natural within the tradition, without denying it and without trying to break it. The melodic outlines and rhythmic structures of some themes and certain techniques of textured presentation in the piano part also refer us to the works of the German composer. However, this is hardly a conscious reliance on the achievements of J. Brahms, because the creative process of the two musicians took place in parallel, and A. Maier’s Violin Sonata appeared even a little earlier than similar works by J. Brahms in this genre. Prospects for further research in this direction relate to the search for new information about A. Maier’s life and creativity and the detailed examination of her other works.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001.<br>Two sets of recordings included, each in its own container. The first work is for string quartet; the second for bangdi, soprano sheng, yangqin, pipa, guzheng, erhu, gehu and percussion; the third for harmonica quintet, sheng, harp, piano and percussion. "Symphonic poem-Genesis" is for orchestra with piano and celesta. "Ghost opera" is for string quartet and pipa, with water, stones, paper and metal. Includes bibliographical references.

Composed for soprano, tenor, and baritone voices, woodwind, percussion, and string instruments, Three Voices is a polyglotic work that includes German, Chinese, and Spanish texts. The texts are chosen from Brecht Bertolt's Das Schiff, Po Chu I's Lang T'ao Sha, and Frederico Garcia Lorcá's Mar. Significant features of the piece are 1) application of Chinese operatic singing methods to vocal material in the sections that use Chinese text, 2) use of western instruments to emulate the sound of certain Chinese instruments, and 3) employment of Sprechstimme and dramatically inflected speech to create theatrical effects and highlight the sections that use German and Spanish texts.

Black Snow, an orchestral work composed by Michael Smetanin in 1987, was named after the book Black Snow by Mikhael Bulgakov. Newspaper articles, reviews and the literature researched, all comment on Smetanin’s style and on the influences that shaped that style. The aggressive and confrontational style of much of Smetanin’s music can be attributed partly to his love of rock music and jazz and partly to his mentor in the Netherlands, Louis Andriessen. The same sources quote other composers who also influenced Smetanin’s style. Three works in particular are named, that is, Trans by Stockhausen, Keqrops by Xenakis and De Tijd by Andriessen. It was decided, in the light of previous investigations into Smetanin’s music, to take one of these composers, namely Stockhausen and his work Trans, and discover how much Smetanin was influenced by this composer and this particular work. Trans was chosen because the similarities with Black Snow are less obvious. All aspects of Black Snow were examined - namely the harmony, rhythms, the important textures, serial/mathematical techniques, orchestration, the dramatic program, how the instruments are played - and then compared with Trans for similarities and differences. The results of the analytical investigation show that, while the internal organisation of the two works is very different, there are significant similarities between the two works in most of these areas. Serial/mathematical techniques could only be demonstrated in one area, and this is only conjecture.

"Movements -- homage to Joseph Haydn" is commissioned by Dr. Helmut Sohmen, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn. It is premiered by the Anton von Webern Orchestra of the Universitat fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien in Vienna on 28 November 2009. The Asian premiere is performed on I February 2010, by the orchestra of the Academy of Performance Arts of Hong Kong.<br>During the past two centuries, music has developed from classical to romantic, and to contemporary; orchestra size from thirty musicians to a double or even a triple; from simple harmonic structures to complicated; from tonal to atonal; from sound to silence; from resonance to dissonance and noise (or some people say it in the other way round); and lastly, from Haydn to contemporary composers (including Tang!!). In "Movements -- homage to Joseph Haydn", inspired by Haydn's simplicity, several excerpts are taken from Haydn's works, small as just a tiny fragment or large as an original quotation. It aims to strive for a balance between the shifting of Haydn's style and Tang's, giving a mix of classical and modern flavor. It shows changes from the modern to the classical Haydn, then back to the modern, like a scene of time line. Movements is presented in one continuous movement, with four distinct sections: I. Before "Sunrise"; II. Franz Joseph Haydn; III. After "The Lark"; and IV. Adagio e cantabile.<br>I. Before "Sunrise" begins in a rather slow but ongoing tempo, creating a blurred atmosphere; not really a descriptive scene before a real sunrise. It aims for a feeling of leading-to, moving towards the string quartet "Sunrise" by Haydn. Although nothing from Sunrise has been used, the musical ideas are taken from the works before it. The piccolo leads the start with a series of acute repeated notes, which create the vague sounds of the minor 7th and the major 9th intervals with the repeated pattern in the trumpets and the piano. The figures are then followed by the other main element: the long sustained chords, which are recurred frequently throughout the whole section. The long chords echo in the orchestra, and sustain with inner-movement shifting among different groups of instruments, in varying registers. When the repetitions and the long sustained chords get merging together, the repeated figures gradually become transparent, and transform into a dominant one. Without any pauses, the repetitions naturally turn into the second section and fill into its harmony.<br>II. Franz Joseph Haydn has a quoted passage from Haydn's String Quartet No. 61 "Fifth" in D minor op. 76 no.2, also presented in the solo strings, with accompaniment of the tutti strings and harmonic support from the winds. The second section differs from the misty first; the quotation itself is clear and with varying developments afterwards.<br>III. After "The Lark", a fast section, has a quoted passage from the last movement of Haydn's String Quartet No. 53 in D major "The Lark" op.64 no.5. Short scale figures are used in a simple phrase structure. The changing texture is important so as to maintain the direction and progression of the section. Starting in the woodwind section, each phrase is designed to keep a common factor of spinning up and down, and spiraling among the entire ensemble. Layers with different fragmented materials are added onto the top like a multilayer cake. Together with numerous contrapuntal shifting, where two or three different textural ideas move at the same time, new but related ideas (scale figures) are kept being created. It is like putting hundreds of images of one single object together onto one single screen, with images taken in different angles, different time and different perspectives. Within the screen, uncountable colorful details are kept, with chemical effects.<br>The first theme of the second movement of Haydn's Piano Sonata no.59 in E flat major is collaged with the last section, IV. Adagio e cantabile. Sustained chords are built to proceed alongside the theme, in a way of fading in and out alternatively. The finale aims for a conclusion of the whole piece, bringing Haydn to modernity. Both subjects are like representing two different times from two different spaces, recurring in the same moment and on the same platform.<br>The instrumentation of Movements consists of pair winds (with the exception of an extra bass clarinet and four horns), percussions, piano and strings. In order to pay tribute to Haydn's string quartets, the first and third sections are entitled after two famous quartets: String Quartet No. 63 "Sunrise" in Bb major op.76 no.4 and String Quartet No. 53 in D major "The Lark" op.64 no.5. The strings are sometimes divided into a solo group of quartet versus the tutti strings, implying a string quartet solo with orchestra accompaniment. Adagio e cantabile, the title of the last section, is a tempo marking taken from a slow movement of a Haydn's Piano Sonata no.59 Hob. XVI: 49 in Eb major, where the sonata was also partially used in a 1994 movie "Interview of the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" . In general, the tempo structure is simply set in a form of slow-fast-slow, as III. After "The Lark" is a comparatively faster section than the other three. Gestures from Haydn's string quartets are used as reference. For example, simply chords, scale pattern, repeated notes and simple phrase structure, are constructed as the foundation of Movements . These gestures are designed to be presented in varying ways such as variations, augmentation, amplification, and compression.<br>1. Movements: homage to Joseph Haydn, for orchestra -- 2. Falling up, for string quartet and suona -- 3. Distorted indulgence, for clarinet, electric-guitar, cello, contrabass, piano and percussion (all amplified) -- 4. It is what it is! for sheng and chamber orchestra (1 clarinet in Bb, 1 bass clarinet in Bb, 1 soprano saxophone in Bb, 1 alto saxophone in Eb, 1 horn in F, 1 tuba, 1 violin, 1 viola, 1 cello, 1 piano, 1 percussion) -- 5. Chao, for suona and Chinese orchestra -- 6. Dragon-lantern, for 9 suonas and Chinese orchestra -- 7. Clarin and Tim, for Bb clarinet, tenor timpani and concert timpani.<br>Tang, Lok Yin.<br>"(December 2009)"--Abstract.<br>Adviser: Wai Kwong Victor Chan.<br>Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-03, Section: A, page: .<br>Thesis (D.Mus.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010.<br>Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.<br>Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.<br>Abstract also in Chinese.

Quintet for winds and piano -- Preludes and fugues for piano solo -- Variation for string quartet.<br>Wong Kong Yu.<br>Thesis submitted in: December 2002.<br>Thesis (M.Mus.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003.<br>Includes bibliographical references (leaves ).<br>Abstracts in English and Chinese.<br>Abstract --- p.1 Page<br>Scores with Notes:<br>Chapter 1. --- Quintet for Winds and Piano<br>Note --- p.2 Pages<br>Score --- p.30 Pages<br>Chapter 2. --- Preludes and Fugues for Piano Solo<br>Note --- p.2 Pages<br>Score --- p.31 Pages<br>Chapter 3. --- Variations for String Quartet<br>Note --- p.2 Pages<br>Score --- p.9 Pages<br>Total Duration: 38 minutes

Symphonies Reframed recreates symphonies as chamber music. The project aims to capture the features that are unique for chamber music, at the juncture between the “soloistic small” and the “orchestral large”. A new ensemble model, the “triharmonic ensemble” with 7-9 musicians, has been created to serve this purpose. By choosing this size range, we are looking to facilitate group interplay without the need of a conductor. We also want to facilitate a richness of sound colours by involving piano, strings and winds. The exact combination of instruments is chosen in accordance with the features of the original score. The ensemble setup may take two forms: nonet with piano, wind quartet and string quartet (with double bass) or septet with piano, wind trio and string trio. As a group, these instruments have a rich tonal range with continuous and partly overlapping registers. This paper will illuminate three core questions: What artistic features emerge when changing from large orchestral structures to mid-sized chamber groups? How do the performers reflect on their musical roles in the chamber ensemble? What educational value might the reframing unfold? Since its inception in 2014, the project has evolved to include works with vocal, choral and soloistic parts, as well as sonata literature. Ensembles of students and professors have rehearsed, interpreted and performed our transcriptions of works by Brahms, Schumann and Mozart. We have also carried out interviews and critical discussions with the students, on their experiences of the concrete projects and on their reflections on own learning processes in general. Chamber ensembles and orchestras are exponents of different original repertoire. The difference in artistic output thus hinges upon both ensemble structure and the composition at hand. Symphonies Reframed seeks to enable an assessment of the qualities that are specific to the performing corpus and not beholden to any particular piece of music. Our transcriptions have enabled comparisons and reflections, using original compositions as a reference point. Some of our ensemble musicians have had first-hand experience with performing the original works as well. Others have encountered the works for the first time through our productions. This has enabled a multi-angled approach to the three central themes of our research. This text is produced in 2018.