Browsing by Author "Gottschalk, Arthur"
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Item A Mouthful of Gravel and Other Predicaments for Chamber Orchestra(2009) Greene, Etan Frederic; Gottschalk, Arthur; Al-Zand, Karim; Brandt, AnthonyA Mouthful of Gravel for chamber orchestra couples a continuous, yet evolving motor rhythm with one large thematic unit, presented "chopped up" throughout the piece with gradually-waning intensity. The harpsichord takes on a prominent role throughout, though the piece is by no means a concerto. Structural signposts appear in the way of verbal mumbling by sections of the orchestra, percussive striking of a metal bowl atop an oven grate, and instrumental mimicry of gravel and speech sounds. The piece is approximately seven minutes long.Item A Study of Hindemith's Violin Concerto(2021-04-30) He, Likai; Gottschalk, ArthurOne of the most influential composers of the twentieth century, Paul Hindemith composed only one violin concerto with full orchestra. Completed in 1939, it was widely performed during his lifetime but has since lost much of its popularity. This document will look at the biographical and historical influences surrounding this concerto, as well as stylistic characteristics that often help define Hindemith’s music. An analysis of the concerto will explore the formal and harmonic characteristics of the work. In addition, the document will explore how Hindemith’s theoretical concepts manifest themselves in the piece. Lastly, a discussion of the more practical challenges of the concerto will be included.Item Agents and Managers Dr. Arthur Gottschalk(The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, 2014) Gottschalk, Arthur; Rarick, JanetDr. Gottschalk discusses the difference between agents and managers in the field of art music.Item An Examination of the Origins of Certain Hymn Tunes, the Piano Arrangements that Exist, and a Determination of Their Suitability in Current Church Music Practice(2022-04-22) Lee, Mi Ou; Gottschalk, ArthurThe inclusion of select hymn tunes from the standard hymnody, written by famous Classical composers, is an integral part of the modern-day hymnal. The lack of awareness, among many Christians, of the connections between these hymns and their original composers and authors is often overlooked by church musicians. This research explores the origins of these hymn tunes and the suitability of their arrangements in a liturgical music context. Of particular interest are Antioch (“Joy to the World”), Ein Feste Burg, Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Hymn to Joy, Judas Maccabeus (“Thine is the Glory”), Lyons (“O Worship the King”), O Welt ich muss dich lassen, and Wachet auf. This research details these works, some piano arrangements of these works, and provides commentary on their current or potential use in a contemporary church service. Furthermore, this review identifies the original composers, any recent research that may point to a different composer, who the author of the text is, and when it came to be in a hymn setting. A general knowledge of music literature suggests that as early as the Twelfth Century, church musicians borrowed from secular music and appropriated the tunes to make hymns. Additionally, when adopting these sacred tunes into their own arrangement, these church musicians were aware of the original tunes written by the famous Classical composers and provided a new aesthetic through the use of different harmonies and rhythmic figurations. In concluding, this paper provides an overview for musicians of varying abilities, and of varying denominations of Christianity, to find an array of works suitable to play during a worship service, not necessarily limited to traditional church hymnals.Item “Blood Rite” for orchestra(2005) Partain, Randolph L.; Gottschalk, ArthurBlood Rite is a single-movement work for full orchestra, seven-and-a-half minutes in length. After a rhythmic introduction characterized by low clusters that appear and fade with regular pulsations, two melodic themes are transparently introduced; these melodies compete for dominance throughout the piece. Although the two themes do not initially occur simultaneously, they are brought into closer proximity as one melody becomes an accompaniment to the other. As the struggle takes its toll, the two melodies become increasingly fragmented, and after a short recurrence of the opening pulsations, the final section of the piece holds the culmination of the conflict. Although many examples can be cited in which two musical ideas meld into coexistence or in which one musical motive achieves dominance over another in the final strains of a piece, this work is an exploration of two melodic ideas which both suffer from the competition for primary importance. Various facets of the two melodies are examined, including their potential to coexist as melody and accompaniment, but at the climax of the drama the work holds only snatches of the two melodies, fragmented into gestures which build to an explosive finish, devoid of either theme in its entirety. Setting apart more rhythmic sections of the piece are two echoes of the introduction, the first focused on the low clusters which swell and fade. The second echo precedes and foreshadows the final section in at least two facets: the low clusters begin to lose their stability as an increasing number of tones sink into glissandi, and the initial pulsations mimic this motion in a descending ornamented scale which maintains a prominent place through the end of the piece. After a rhythmically altered iteration of the first theme, the remainder of the final section is dominated more by a complex rhythmic ostinato than by either of the melodies which held the limelight in previous sections of the work.Item Dance Music for Orchestra(2015-04-24) Dougherty, Thomas; Gottschalk, Arthur; Al-Zand, Karim; Jalbert , PierreDance Music for Orchestra is a collection of three concise dance movements that are merged into one eight-minute overture-like work. These movements are meant to exaggerate the energy and spirit of the Op. 46 and Op.72 Slavonic Dances by Antonín Dvořák. This is achieved through intricate, polyrhythmic structures and harmonic quotation. The second dance of Dance Music for Orchestra transforms the harmonic progression from Dvořák’s Op. 72, No. 2 E minor Allegretto Grazioso into a waltz that is carried along by a persistent Passacaglia bass-ostinato. While there are identifiable traces to Dvořák’s music, the whimsical, zany opening material is what perseveres through the entirety of the piece and links the three dances together.Item Fantasy for violin and orchestra(1981) Gehman, Scott Harwood; Gottschalk, Arthur; Milburn, Ellsworth; Ettelson, MerylFantasy for Violin and Orchestra is written for solo violin, three flutes (alto flute), two oboes, two clarinets in B-flat, two horns in F, two trumpets in C, timpani, bass drum, two tom-toms, snare drum, cymbal, sizzle cymbal, crash cymbal, bell tree, tamtam, triangle, large and small wind chimes, vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, celesta, chimes, and strings. Its duration is approximately fourteen and a half minutes. To unify its tonal language, serial procedure based upon the twelve tone technique of Arnold Schoenberg, is used to organize the harmonies and melodies of Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra. However, the mirrored structure of the row reduces by half the number of permutations available, so other techniques are also employed. The first method gathers all odd and even numbered pitches separately resulting in the order. After renumbering this new series, it is processed again. A total of ten rows are yielded given this type of logic. This version is then processed with the odd-even idea describe above. Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra is organized by the form A B A. The opening section may be characterized by light orchestration predominated by muted strings, soft percussion and serene melodies utilizing the middle and lower registers of the solo violin. As the soloist fades, activated chord, pitch wheels and denser clusters in the woodwinds and strings provoke a feeling of agitation, heightening at measure 47. Here, the violin changes its character to one of anger, providing the mood necessary for the transition to the second section. The agitation of the first half of B is sustained by thick chords in the strings, staccato flurries in the woodwinds and a four voice canon in the brass. Hence, the soloist, using extremes of register and dynamics, multiple stops, and jagged melodic lines, fights for dominance. The mood abruptly changes with the entrance of the 'C motive at measure 63, where activated diatonic clusters in the flutes and clarinets accompany soft trills in the solo violin. The strings' entrance at 78, also diatonically built begins a drive to the second climax of the work at measure 94, preparing the way for the cadenza. Since a cadenza is dramatically static, transitory elements must be added so that it functions as a transition. A gradual reduction of percussion accompaniment and an increase of consonant and lyrical melodies achieve this goal. Off-stage chimes and harmonics in the solo violin preface the last section, composed of previous and new material. This section contains the largest and longest climax of the entire piece. Following a lengthy release, opening material appears, closing the work as quietly as it began.Item Floodgates(2017-04-17) Knaggs, Daniel J; Gottschalk, ArthurFloodgates A composition for full orchestra by Daniel Knaggs, D.M.A. Shepherd School of Music Rice University, 2017 The present composition is written in response to the apparently escalating global crises in the political, economic, social, and cultural spheres. The current age finds itself in a sort of permanent warzone, too often seeking solutions in heated rhetoric, arms, and pointing fingers. However, in light of these problems, this work’s objective is not to simply “vent” or dwell in negativity. Instead, it points toward hope in an avenue that that the world has left largely unexplored: that of mercy. In order to musically incorporate the idea of mercy, this work includes quotations from Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere” (c. 1630), a choral setting of Psalm 51 in which King David takes full responsibility for his crimes and faults while asking for mercy. The composition races through moments of both anxiety and determination, culminating in a climactic moment in which the “floodgates” burst and the orchestra evokes images of torrential downpour along with restatements from Allegri’s “Miserere…” Finally, the present work is left somewhat open-ended or unresolved, in order to not prematurely celebrate what is still left up to the world to live out.Item Nemesis(2008) Santillan Alcocer, Ana Paola; Gottschalk, ArthurIn astronomy, the Nemesis Hypothesis postulates that our sun may have a yet undetected companion star called "Nemesis". When the Nemesis star's orbit brings it closer to our solar system, its gravity disturbs the Oort cloud, a mass of comets one light-year from the sun. As a result of these disturbances, a high number of comets are driven through the inner solar system, with a resulting increase in impact events on earth. K-T, the massive dinosaur extinction of the Cretaceous-Tertiary period, is an example of such an event. My work for chamber orchestra is divided into three sections: the "Nemesis" music is grounded and solid; the "Oort cloud" music is more vaporous and mysterious; and the "K-T" impact music is rhythmic and forceful. Musical motives, drawn from a nine-tone source scale, help to link the three sections, creating a musical analogue for this intriguing cosmic phenomenon.Item Nothing So Exquisite(2021-04-28) Jones, David A.; Gottschalk, ArthurNothing so Exquisite is a tone poem for large orchestra that depicts the conversion story of a man named Alma, as told in a sacred volume of scripture called The Book of Mormon. Alma’s story is comparable to that of Paul the Apostle in the New Testament. Early in his life, though his father is the head of the Church of Christ, Alma rebels against his father’s teachings and becomes a violent opponent of the Church, persecuting the Saints and seeking to lead them astray. He continues to fight zealously against God until, like the Apostle Paul, he is confronted by an angel, commanded to stop his evil ways, and ultimately repents and is converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. From that point on, he devotes his life to the service of God. Alma describes his experience in Chapter 36 of the Book of Alma, verses 7-22, in The Book of Mormon. The jagged, dissonant theme that opens this piece represents Alma’s rebellious and prideful state before his conversion. The work follows Alma’s account through the appearance of the angel with a voice of thunder, Alma’s tortured state following the confrontation, his recall of his father’s teachings of Christ – represented in the music by a Kyrie chant played by offstage trumpets – his desperate cry for mercy, and his redemption and conversion, ending with his transcendent heavenly vision. This work highlights the sublime, immediate, and transformative power of Christ. Exquisite pain and torment are transformed into exquisite light and joy; horror at facing God’s judgement is replaced with longing to enter His presence; a bitter enemy to God is transformed into a valiant force for good. Likewise, through the course of this work, Alma’s dissonant, fragmented theme is transfigured into something more glorious, beautiful, and complete.Item Passacaglia for Strings(2017-04-19) Savitski, Aleks; Gottschalk, ArthurIn Passacaglia for Strings, expressive relationships between the music in the foreground and the structural design of the piece are explored. The opening melody of the bass provides a harmonic foundation and the main source of musical material for the piece. Textural variety and changes in orchestration allow the bass player to frequently take the role of soloist, and to add a more expressive value to the melodies in the bass. The piece is ten (10) minutes in duration and consists of four sections (Section 1 mm.1-81; Section 2 mm. 82-144; Section 3 mm. 145-172; Section 4 mm. 173-232). The bass line plays a different role in each. An equally important element of the work is the melody played by the first violin in the chorale section of the piece, especially its rhythmic character, as after several refrains in the first section, the primary bass line dissolves within the chordal texture of the chorale, and allows this secondary melody to become predominant for a while. It returns in the third section of the work, but with more agitation and, lastly, goes through a short imitative episode in the fourth section of the piece, where it completely adapts the rhythmic profile of the melody from the choral section. The harmonic context of the work is primarily dictated by the presence of six distinct vertical sonorities, which move to the foreground in the middle section of the piece. The work comes to an end when the opening bass line is fully revealed in the foreground, and entirely transformed through its interaction with the melody from the chorale section.Item Pathways: for Chamber Orchestra(2014-11-21) Krause, Benjamin Alan; Jalbert, Pierre; Gottschalk, Arthur; Bailey, Walter; Fischer-Baum, SimonPathways is scored for two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets in Bflat, two bassoons, two horns in F, two trumpets in C, percussion (two players), harp, piano/celesta, and strings. It presents a progression of primary musical ideas and then explores various "pathways" by which they may be connected. The initial idea is characterized by a rapid ascending arpeggio followed by a gradual, syncopated registral descent punctated throughout the orchestra. This then culminates with a climactic outburst of rapid repeated notes, in turn giving way to a declamatory series of chorale-like harmonies. The following music, characterized by both the ebulliance of a scherzo and the propulsion of a toccata, develops the opening material without ever fully reiterating it. When a sense of recapitulation finally does arrive, the main ideas appear in reverse order, their functions altered. A peaceful coda supplies the harmonic progression "missing" from the recapitulated material and provides a sense of respite and reflection to balance the energy of the preceding music. An experience of the piece may be compared to a walk along a winding, looping path in which one perceives the journey as linear but sees the same objects from different perspectives and in varying sequences. The music moves very quickly but tends to "circle back" on itself. The title "Pathways" also relates to my working process, in which I first constructed and then connected the structural pillars, as well as to a specific voice-leading technique in which melodic lines trace varying paths through two alternating harmonies.Item Rudolph Jettels’ Der Vollkommene Klarinettist: A Pedagogical Analysis and Suggested Utility(2015-04-24) Dyachenko, Andriy Valentinovich; Gottschalk, Arthur; Webster, Michael; Toffoletto, FrankAn analysis of each of the fifteen short works found in the first volume of advanced etudes for solo clarinet comprising Rudolph Jettel’s Der Vollkommene Klarinettist, from a pedagogical standpoint, to determine a best application for each etude in the development and encouragement of specific technical and interpretive clarinet competencies. These analyses are discussed, and each etude examined for the specific musical and technical challenges posed by it. Solutions are offered for the instruction necessary to master each such challenge, with a general overview and advice as to how best to prepare and perform each etude in its entirety, once the individual problems have been overcome. Liberal use of examples from the music serve as illustrations, and are annotated by the author.Item Seeking Management Dr. Arthur Gottschalk(The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, 2014) Gottschalk, Arthur; Rarick, JanetDr. Gottschalk discusses the best time to look for a manager and an agent.Item Strike!(2005) Ng, Huay Ming; Gottschalk, ArthurThe title Strike refers to a persistent, almost obsessive act of hitting a piece of paper shaped like a man, a ritualistic act that was widely practiced by Chinese of older generations. This unusual act, along with incantations, prayers to the ancestors, feasting, and Chinese street opera all come together as part of a festival (Jin Can) that is celebrated in the lunar month of Ren (approximately February in the western calendar). Traditionally, the month of Ren signifies the beginning of the new agrarian cycle. So it is before the planting of the crops that this festival, with its series of traditional events take place. The act of hitting the paper man is usually carried out by an older woman. Normally, the name of the person that she wishes to curse is written on the opposite side of the paper man which is placed flat on the ground. The old woman then takes her shoes and beats on the paper man continuously, while reciting her curses. I found this scene, an old woman hitting and hurling curses, rather frightening in my childhood years. I recall that the adults would sing a folk song, We Have No Fear of the Big Tiger , to comfort us children. The images, sounds and some of the melodic content of this work are derived from and inspired by some of the events of this festival; particularly noticeable is the use of struck sheets of paper in the percussion section. Other events are not as referentially direct so that they may be used in many levels of structure. The work is a set of three variations divided into two large sections, but by no means does it conform to a conventional theme and variations procedure. The work's thematic impetus is derived from the nursery rhyme; We Have No Fear of the Big Tiger . The three variations incorporate important motivic fragments from this theme, all of which are elaborated and transformed through the entirety of the work. Thus, there is no “theme” in the sense of a central or original form from which the others spring, but rather a metamorphosis and assembly leading to the presentation of the full “theme” at measure 190. Another additional element in the musical tapestry of Strike is the emblematic percussive outbursts scattered throughout the work. This element appears four times and incorporates harmonic, rhythmic, timbral and textural elements which evoke the striking of the paper man. A final synthesis between the thematic material and the rhythmic element is realized at the very end of the piece, wherein a solo oboe reiterates fragments of the nursery rhyme juxtaposed with buoyantly accented rhythms from the full orchestra.Item SYZYGY featuring music by Shih-Hui Chen Robert Gross Arthur Gottschalk Gunther Schuller Sunday, March 17, 2013 8:00 p.m. Lillian H. Duncan Recital Hall(Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, 2013-03-17) Syzygy; Chen, Shih-Hui; Gross, Robert; Gottschalk, Arthur; Schuller,GuncherPROGRAM: At The Space Age Vinyl Music Box Lounge / Arthur Gottschalk -- Our Names / Shih-Hui Chen -- Four Bacho Haikai / Robert Gross -- Five Impromptus for English Horn and String Quartet / Gunther SchullerItem The Flawed Beauty and Imperfections of Nature: A Distance Voice of the Rain Forest by Chong Lim Ng(2023-04-21) Chin, Hui Shan; Gottschalk, ArthurChong Lim Ng (b.1972) is one of the most prominent Malaysian pianists and composers. His solo piano work “A Distance Voice of the Rain Forest” is adapted from a portion of his larger chamber work, Rimba, for fourteen musicians, consisting of two groups of four string players, 3 woodwind instrumentalists, 1 pianist, and 2 percussionists. Although this piece is not well known internationally, it has garnered the interest of many Malaysian pianists who performed it both locally and abroad since it represents Malaysia’s diverse culture very well. An artistic masterpiece focusing on controlled improvisation and freedom of interpretation, this work exemplifies Ng’s unique methods and approaches to composition, and is inspired by his performance background. The extensive use of gamelan modes interwoven with pitch-class sets and various rhythmic intricacies highlight a current and ultimately successful artistic approach to resolving the timeless idea of “East Meets West”, wherein cultures coalesce and blend together to create a new and exciting music. Given Malaysia’s diverse yet unified society, this idea of combining the traditional with the experimental is a fairly common technique of Malaysian composers, allowing them to incorporate and integrate international and modern techniques into their musical creation without completely losing their native perspectives. In addition to detailing the composer’s background, my work will include in-depth personal interviews with Ng, allowing him to speak directly on his inspirations, influences and philosophy of music composition. My document will also include a detailed theoretical analysis of the work, examining its form, pitch-class sets, and rhythmic complexity, in the service of a well-informed performance model. Given the similar background that I share with Ng, as well as my close connection with him (he was my piano teacher for more than a decade), I believe I can interpret his piece in a most ideal and just manner. Importantly, this piece is of significant significance to my growth as a musician. Before learning this piece, I had no prior experience with extended techniques or controlled improvisation. Looking back, the anxiety mixed with excitement of dealing with something so unfamiliar helped release me from being such a restrictive and rigid performer. The close-mindedness of being a correct and perfect performer at any given moment had always confined my artistic freedom. Now that I am a more multifaceted musician, I think I can finally begin to understand the essence of this masterwork.Item Tropos(1981) Applebaum, Allyson Brown (b. 1955); Gottschalk, Arthur; Cooper, Paul; Ellison, PaulTropos is a single-movement composition for orchestra. The title is Greek for turning, which as a concept is utilized in this piece in two ways. First, the introduction is a rapid presentation of events, each one turning quickly to another in the manner of the images which change as a kaleidoscope is turned. The second aspect of the title's relationship to the piece involves one of the principal motives, which is a slightly expanded turn or cambiata figure. It first appears in the 'cellos in measure nineteen; its harmonized version appears in the horns in measure forty. Each version plays a significant role in the work. The instruments called for in Tropos are four flutes (the second doubling on piccolo), four clarinets (the fourth doubling on bass clarinet), four horns, three trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, cymbal, glockenspiel, marimba, snare drum, timbales, tom-toms, celesta, and strings. Considerations in choosing this instrumentation were, primarily, the need to set off the 'cellos and the horns as the two important sections and, secondarily, the desire to have an orchestral sound that was somewhat unusual. Tropos utilizes the sonata-allegro principle, with an introduction and coda. The exposition begins in measure eleven. Its first theme, which is lyrical in character, is in two sections. The first opens with the 'cellos' presentation of the theme, which, when joined by the other strings, eventually weaves into a rich interplay of melodies. The cellos emerge from this texture during measures thirty-four through thirty-seven to help to transfer the functional role to the horns. Their thematic presentation begins in measure thirty-eight and is joined by the trombones and tuba in subordinate melodic roles. Accompanying figures during the first theme are taken from the events of the introduction. The second theme, beginning in measure fifty-six, is rhythmic rather than melodic. Its pitches are always clusters -- except in one special case, which is the unison, legato statement of the turn figure by the trombones in measure fifty-nine. The development contains three distinct parts. The first, which is the longest, is generally an evolving variation of the first theme, accompanied by quiet rhythmic quotations of the second theme. During measures 139 through 143» however, these rhythmic accompaniments actually dominate; it is only the violas who remain steadfastly melodic. The second part of the development is at measure 167, the first cue of an unmetered section in which eight solos, joined at 168 by an additional eight, all play quietly, freely, and simultaneously little "music box" melodies. These melodies together represent an ultimate statement of the "intermelodic" aspects of the first-theme section. The third part of the development, beginning at measure 17, is the culminative statement of the rhythmic second theme. Now, devoid of the pitch clusters, and with nonfunctional timpani pitches, the statement of the theme is finally purely rhythmic. The recapitulation is generally subdued, for the statements have all been made and therefore, metaphorically, only the shadows, echoes, and memories remain. In the first-theme section (measures 178 through 21 ) the turn motive never appears melodically. Instead, its only manifestation is in the four horn chords (measures 183, 187, 193, and 198) which are the harmonized version of the motive in extreme augmentation. The second-theme section utilizes rhythmic and cluster elements, with the rhythms now slower and always varied among the instruments. The only melodic movement is the turn motive, itself turned into inverted form. The coda is directly related to the introduction, making use, however, of materials presented during the course of the piece. In addition to the sonata-allegro principle, two other principles are used in the construction of Trottos These are symmetry, regarding principal tonal areas, and the golden section, regarding placement of events in time.Item Two symphonic movements(1985) Zgourides, George; Milburn, Ellsworth; Gottschalk, Arthur; Kurtzman, JeffreyTwo Symphonic Movements is an orchestral work dealing with the concepts of growth, contrast, and symmetry. Each thematic presentation in the work allows the two major motivic ideas to interact and evolve in such a way that both of the orchestral movements become inseparable. The fact that the thematic material appears throughout the entire piece while being presented in different forms provides for both unity and variety. The first movement begins slowly and quietly with a presentation of the primary theme of the work. Once this theme is varied, it becomes the major thematic material of the fast and energetic second movement. Both movements make considerable use of rhythmically active tone clusters, which represent the horizontal presentation of the vertically chromatic primary motives. Finally, the work achieves its climactic moment near the close of the second movement when the primary themes of both movements appear simultaneously with a series of rapidly repeating tone clusters.Item Understanding Contract Law Dr. Arthur Gottschalk(The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, 2014) Gottschalk, Arthur; Rarick, JanetDr. Gottschalk discusses contract law and why a young musician should be familiar with it.