Honors Theses
Date of Award
2011
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Music
First Advisor
Julia Aubrey
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This thesis explores the compositional transitions in the musical career of Kurt Weill as seen in his Gcmian, French, and American works. Weill was a Gemian-bom composer who was forced to immigrate to France in the 1920’s. He then immigrated to America where he composed for both stage and screen. Specific vocal works by the composer in each country were studied. Research was conducted through the analysis of sheet music, recordings, and a vocal performance of the specific pieces studied. Recordings provided the important aspect of understanding the appropriate vocal style for the music as preferred by the composer. The vocal performance served as the most crucial aspect of the research as performing is the ultimate purpose of Weill’s compositions. The results revealed that there was considerable change that occurred in Weill’s compositional style as he adapted his music to new cultures. The majority of current research concerning the works of the composer focuses on the history of his life and musical analysis of his compositions without including the perspective of a performer. This thesis attempts to fill that gap through the research of vocal works and insight from a performer’s point of view. Because performance is the ultimate goal for Weill’s compositions, this study targets performers and interpreters of Weill’s vocal works.
Recommended Citation
Williamson, Elizabeth Rose, "An Analysis of Personal Transformation and Musical Adaptation in Vocal Compositions of Kurt Weill" (2011). Honors Theses. 2157.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2157
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