The art songs of Nikolai Medtner
department or school: Arts, Faculty of
department or school: Music, School of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Stanyer, Derek
issued: 2023-10-23T19:24:39Z
issued: 2023
related degree: Doctor of Musical Arts - DMA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951), a Russian composer, is deserving of greater recognition for his music, particularly his art songs. Unfortunately, his songs have been critically neglected in the art song repertoire, both in terms of performance and scholarly research. This can be attributed to various factors, such as his uncompromising musical beliefs, high philosophical ideals, and the inherent complexity of his compositions, both in interpretation and musical demands. The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to provide performers with a gateway to approach Medtner's art songs, specifically focusing on his Op. 9 No. 1 and all four songs of Op. 45. To accomplish this, a comprehensive understanding of the composer is necessary, including his musical philosophy, beliefs, motivations, and personal relationships. Medtner's lifelong affinity for poetry serves as a starting point, which involves delving into his upbringing and interactions with others to elucidate his strong musical philosophy. The investigation then turns to Medtner's treatise, titled "The Muse and the Fashion," which provides insights into his controversial thoughts and motivations concerning music and his compositional process. By comprehending his firm musical philosophy and ideology, the subsequent analysis gains context and informs the exploration that follows. The study of these songs begins by examining the poetry and exploring how Medtner imbued meaning into his music based on his interpretation of the poems. Finally, the analysis narrows down to Op. 9 No. 1 and all four songs of Op. 45. The inclusion of the Op. 45 songs is significant, as they showcase Medtner's frequent utilization of innovative techniques with complex poetry. Conversely, Op. 9 No. 1 exemplifies his profound emotional connection with the poetry. Overall, this doctoral thesis seeks to shed light on Nikolai Medtner's underappreciated art songs and aims to provide performers with valuable insights and guidance in their interpretation a…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/86291
note: THE ART SONGS OF NIKOLAI MEDTNER by DEREK STANYER A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Piano) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) October 2023 © Derek Stanyer, 2023 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the dissertation entitled: The Art Songs of Nikolai Medtner submitted by DEREK STANYER in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Examining Committee: Mark Anderson, Professor, Music, UBC Co-Supervisor Nancy Hermiston, Professor, Music, UBC Co-Supervisor Leigh Van Handel, Professor, Music, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Patrick Raftery, Professor, Music, UBC University Examiner Peter Ward, Professor, History, UBC University Examiner Alexandre Dossin, Professor, Music, University of Oregon External Examiner iii ABSTRACT Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951), a Russian composer, is deserving of greater recognition for his music, particularly his art songs. Unfortunately, his songs have been critically neglected in the art song repertoire, both in terms of performance and scholarly research. This can be attributed to various factors, such as his uncompromising musical beliefs, high philosophical ideals, and the inherent complexity of his compositions, both in interpretation and musical demands. The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to provide performers with a gateway to approach Medtner's art songs, specifically focusing on his Op. 9 No. 1 and all four songs of Op. 45. To accomplish this, a comprehensive understanding of the composer is necessary, including his musical philosophy, beliefs, motivations, and personal relationships. Medtner's lifelong affinity for poetry serves as a starting point, which involves delving into his upbringing and interactions with others to elucidate his strong musi…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2023-11
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0437310
language: eng
degree discipline: Music - Piano
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Anderson, Mark, 1963-
contributor: Hermiston, Nancy
type: Text
type: Still Image
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/86291