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Analysis and Performance Aspects of Donald Harris’ Sonata for Piano

Kim, Seon Ok
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1268251022

Abstract Details

2010, Doctor of Musical Arts, Ohio State University, Music.
The purpose of this document is to examine Donald Harris’s Sonata for Piano (1957). Donald Harris (b 1931) is a remarkable American composer with significant experience with musical composition during the past fifty years. Sonata for Piano, his first published work, was composed while Harris lived in Paris, France (1955-1968). The piece infuses his passion and talent during this portion of his life with influences from Nadia Boulanger, Pierre Boulez, Max Deutsch and others who had great influence on his musicality. Harris’ fascination, with what was to him, the exotic culture, trends, and tastes accumulated from living in Paris as an American foreigner, are also reflected both in his personal life and his musical works. The Sonata for Piano is written as a twelve-tone composition. Its four fully-balanced movements however are also deeply rooted in the traditional aspects of structure, compositional style and tonal gesture. Each movement’s structure is inclusive of classically established compositional techniques; sonata-allegro form (in the first movement), ternary form (in the second movement), scherzo (in the third movement), and theme and variations (in the fourth movement). Additionally, contrapuntal style and tonal gestures using triads, third and sixth intervals (expressed as motivic ideas), further support the exploration of traditional previously established compositional techniques implemented in the context of a twelve-tone composition. This document contains a detailed analysis of the Sonata for Piano which will provide means for performers to produce a convincing and informed performance of this work. Research for this document includes an interview with the composer, Donald Harris, and selected examples from the score, as well as recommendations for practice and performance methodology.
Croline Hong (Advisor)
Ann Stimson (Committee Member)
Kenneth Williams (Committee Member)
120 p.
Music
Donald Harris; Piano Sonata; Twelve tone compostion; Set theory; Traditional structure

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kim, S. O. (2010). Analysis and Performance Aspects of Donald Harris’ Sonata for Piano [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1268251022

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kim, Seon Ok. Analysis and Performance Aspects of Donald Harris’ Sonata for Piano. 2010. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1268251022.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kim, Seon Ok. "Analysis and Performance Aspects of Donald Harris’ Sonata for Piano." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1268251022

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1268251022
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.