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ECLECTICISM IN THE PIANO WORKS OF OTTORINO RESPIGHI

HESS, NATHAN ANDREW

Abstract Details

2005, DMA, University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music : Piano.
This document examines the eclecticism found in the four significant solo piano works by Ottorino Respighi that are available to the public: Sonata in F Minor (1897-98), Six Pieces (1903-05), the piano transcriptions of Ancient Airs and Dances (1917, 1932), and Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies (1921). With the exception of the twentieth-century avant garde, Respighi brought influences to the piano works from all major periods of music history—Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionism. Interestingly, the more Respighi aged, the further back into music history he explored. In the first chapter, Respighi’s piano works are placed into historical perspective. Topics explored are the unpublished piano works, the two periods of piano composition, influences from other composers, and the composer’s fascination with early music. A detailed section on La Generazione dell’Ottanta—the group of Italian composers dedicated to elevating instrumental music in twentieth-century Italy—is also included here. Chapters 2-5 give background and analysis of each piano work, with emphasis on the multistylism present therein. In the discussions on the Sonata in F Minor and the Six Pieces, formal analysis and comparisons to works by other composers are examined in depth, along with influences from musical periods. The chapter discussion on Ancient Airs and Dances is largely focused on Renaissance and Baroque lute effects present in each movement, while the chapter on Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies examines more theoretical issues related to chant and the church modes. Chapter 6 presents conclusions. Opera dominated in Italy at the end of the nineteenth century; several composers recognized the need to reestablish instrumental music as a major genre. Respighi, unlike most of his contemporaries, did not completely abandon opera, yet he prolifically composed instrumental music of all types—orchestral, chamber music, concerti, and solo. The piano works were a small but significant portion of this movement. The Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies is the only piano work typically taken seriously today. It is the purpose of this document to bring to the rest of Respighi’s solo piano output the long overdue attention it deserves.
Dr. Robert Zierolf (Advisor)
99 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • HESS, N. A. (2005). ECLECTICISM IN THE PIANO WORKS OF OTTORINO RESPIGHI [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1115722168

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • HESS, NATHAN. ECLECTICISM IN THE PIANO WORKS OF OTTORINO RESPIGHI. 2005. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1115722168.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • HESS, NATHAN. "ECLECTICISM IN THE PIANO WORKS OF OTTORINO RESPIGHI." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1115722168

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)