Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Theses
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ItemMusic and the ordinary listener: music appreciation and the media in England, 1918-1939( 2000)This study examines the nature and impact of the music appreciation movement in England between 1918 and 1939. Protagonists of this movement, notably Percy Scholes and Sir Walford Davies, sought to foster a love of "good" music amongst the listening public, through written and verbal expositions of composers, works and music history. This thesis draws on hitherto untapped archival resources of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Oxford University Press and Percy Scholes' own papers (held in the National Library of Canada). It contextualises the movement both musically and socially, examining diverse efforts to inculcate musical taste. Inexpensive music appreciation books such as Dent's Master Musicians series and Kegan Paul's The Music-Lover’s Library were immensely popular. A case study of the contribution to music appreciation of Oxford University Press, with its Musical Pilgrim series, is followed by an exploration of Percy Scholes' contribution to the popular literature on music. Scholes' Oxford Companion to Music crowned his association with the Press. The public-service policies and programming of the British Broadcasting Company (established in 1923) were of profound importance in the development of music education for the mass public. Programming of the long-running Foundations of Music series is assessed to determine the content of the music appreciation "canon" of works, and BBC publications which supported such programmes are also examined. Percy Scholes and Walford Davies were prominent BBC figures who broadcast to the "ordinary listener" on a regular basis throughout the inter-war period. The nature and impact of educational gramophone records and, perhaps the most striking medium of music appreciation, annotated player piano rolls produced by the Aeolian Company, are similarly explored in detail. Throughout this study, documentary evidence - particularly that of letters from individual listeners - of the reception of these various music appreciation endeavours is incorporated. This facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the place of serious music in the lives of English people during the 1920s and 1930s, restoring the balance in a field of scholarship hitherto focussed narrowly on the achievements of composers during the English Musical Renaissance.
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ItemLineages of Garcia-Marchesi and other traditional Italian vocal pedagogy in Australia, 1850-1950( 2002-09)Operatic and vocal history in Australia has received, since the 1960s, increasing attention from a body of researchers who have documented Australian performance traditions. Pedagogical traditions in Australia have been largely neglected however, and it is hoped that this thesis will contribute to ongoing studies in this area of Australian musical scholarship. Vocal pedagogy in Australia is largely derived from European models, yet many vocal teachers in Australia of the present day have little or no idea of the origins of their technique. After mapping pedagogical lineages of vocal teachers throughout Australia from 1850 to 1950, an attempt has been made to document and analyse the history of vocal pedagogy in Australia, particularly the influence of the vocal technique originating from the teaching of Manuel Garcia and his pupil Mathilde Marchesi, and other teachers trained in traditional Italian vocal technique. The thesis demonstrates that pedagogical lineages have special meaning and relevance in the historical study of vocal pedagogy and performance practice. Although the research maintains as its primary focus, the dissemination and influence of the traditional Italian and Garcia-Marchesi technique in vocal pedagogy in Australia, considerable effort has been undertaken to allow as complex as possible an understanding of the broader vocal pedagogical climate in musical centres of Australia.
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ItemMusic therapy's relevance in a cancer hospital researched through a constructivist lens( 2001-09)A constructivist research paradigm informed an investigation of the relevance of music therapy (MT) in a cancer hospital, that is, (a) what did MT do(?) and (b) did it help? Over three months, criterion sampling was used to elicit interpretations from five sources: 128 patients who participated in MT, 27 patients who overheard or witnessed MT, 41 visitors, 62 staff, and the researcher who was also the MT clinician in this study. The researcher’s interpretations were recorded in a reflexive clinical journal and the respondents’ interpretations were written on anonymous open-ended questionnaires. The MT program was predominantly characterised by the use of patient and visitor selected live music. Thematic analysis, informed by grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990), and content analyses were performed on the five groups of data with the support of ATLAS/ti (Muhr, 1997) software. Many patients and visitors who experienced MT reported that MT elicited a range of affective responses and altered imaginings. Responses were especially characterised by memories being revisited but also characterised by the respondents’ “transportation” to new spaces or thoughts and physical sensations. Some staff and patients who overheard MT also reported similar experiences. The researcher, and often staff and visitors, also perceived that MT elicited affective and imagined sensations in patients.
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ItemThe experience of group music therapy for six bereaved adolescents( 2001-08)This research is an investigation of the experience of group music therapy for bereaved adolescents. In order to collect the data for this project, the researcher facilitated ten music therapy sessions with six young people utilising two music therapy techniques: group improvisation and group music sharing. At the conclusion of sessions, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with the participants in which they described their experience of being in the music therapy group. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the qualitative research methodology of phenomenology, based on the Giorgi (1975) model. The results of this investigation showed that their developmentally appropriate desires for fun, freedom, control and the achievement of group cohesion were essential in order for the six bereaved adolescents to successfully address the emotions of grief and share stories that strengthen continuing bonds with their loved ones who have died. Significantly, the young people noted that music sharing and improvisation allowed them to express their feelings, including negative feelings, as well as share their stories without relying solely on the use of words. Some felt that participation in the group had also facilitated discussion of their grief in diverse environments, or that it had promoted an examination of existential issues related to their loss.
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ItemIssues in the critical reception of Ethel Smyth’s Mass and first four operas in England and Germany( 2001-05)The composer Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) claimed that sex discrimination had prevented her from succeeding as a composer, and she cast much of the blame on the press. This study examines the critical reception of Smyth’s Mass and first four operas in England and Germany, with a focus on their premieres. It evaluates Smyth’s claims, and places the works more broadly in context, tracing the processes by which they gained performance, and the circumstances of the productions. Rich and multiple interpretations are made possible by reading from different perspectives, allowing the complexity of critical commentary and the subtle intersection of concerns with gender, nationalism and style to be revealed. Despite the pervasiveness of gender bias in the reviews, there is much more to the critical reception of Smyth’s music than the way in which it represents her in relation to patriarchal stereotypes of femininity. Performances researched include the Mass’s premiere in 1893 and its revival in 1924, and the early productions of Fantasio, Der Wald, The Wreckers and The Boatswain’s Mate. These operas were composed with hopes of performance both in England and Germany, and therefore provide the best case studies for an examination of press reception in these two countries, notwithstanding the fact that the first was performed only in Germany and the fourth only in England. The reviews are interpreted in light of the different contexts that affected critics’ perceptions: local circumstances, contemporary politics and knowledge about the composer. Chapter 1 explores the significance of Smyth’s biography and autobiography and Chapter 2 traces each work from composition to performance, examining the challenges Smyth faced and her responses to them. Smyth’s connections with royalty and aristocracy, both in England and Germany, were of great assistance to her, and this has hitherto been insufficiently acknowledged. Smyth’s music elicited a diverse range of praise and criticism from critics, and the last three chapters focus on issues of gender, discussion of the libretti and music of the operas, and national preoccupations. The complex question of gender in the Smyth criticism includes the problem of the woman composer, definitions of femininity and masculinity and the effect of Smyth’s feminism and persona on reception of her music. Critical writings rarely included detailed technical discussion of the music, but libretto and comedy, text-setting and orchestration all received attention. The division of Smyth’s career between England and Germany led to her being seen as foreign in both countries, and the performance of her music contributed to nationalist debates about the selection of repertoire. The division between English and German critics is most marked in their attribution of influence on Smyth’s operas. German critics distinguished various styles and genres in Smyth’s music and were perceptive in recognising the underlying eclecticism of her mature voice. Smyth’s countrymen knew she had studied in Germany and persisted in hearing this influence in her scores, although some allowed that she was contributing to the formation of an English voice.
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ItemA unity of vision: the ideas of Dalcroze, Kodaly and Orff and their historical development( 1993)Twentieth-century music education has been considerably enhanced by the respective-pedagogies devised by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, Zoltan Kodály, and Carl Orff. Originality, even genius, aside, these educationalists drew upon past ideals in order to create music-learning strategies appropriate to individual needs and circumstances. This eclecticism embraced ideas as disparate as the Greek Choral Trinity, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's numeric notation, Galin-Paris-Chevé's music education method, Sarah Glover's and John Curwen's sol-fa, Mathis Lussy's theories concerning rhythm, Adolphe Appia's prophetic theories on stage-craft, Edouard Claparède's psychological research, Eugene Ysaÿe's thoughts on violin practice, and the "new wave" dance inaugurated by such artists as Isadora Duncan and Mary Wigman. Collectively, Dalcroze's Eurhythmics, Kodály's Choral Method, and Orff’s Schulwerk provide wide ranging principles and strategies for teaching music appropriate to young children and the training of professional singers and instrumentalists. The question remains, should the Dalcroze, Kodály and Orff systems be taught as mutually exclusive methodologies, a course of action strenuously advocated by some educationalists, or should each music teacher adopt a holistic approach, turning to the example set by these celebrated Swiss, Hungarian and German pedagogues, in order to create a music program tailored to the student's needs as judged by the professional teacher? The search for an answer gives rise to deep-seated methodological conflicts, at least one of which - the notorious 'fixed' versus 'movable' doh - has generated dissension amongst music educators for more than a century. At the same time, this investigation provides an opportunity to rectify the neglect which Anglo-Saxon educators have afforded Dalcroze's solfège studies and, no less, their neglect of his influence upon both Kodály and Orff.
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ItemA phenomenological study of pivotal moments in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) Therapy( 1999-10)A phenomenological study was undertaken to investigate pivotal moments in Guided Imagery and music (GIM) Therapy, from three perspectives: the client’s experience, the therapist’s experience and the music which underpinned the moment. The questions posed were: how do clients experience moments in GIM therapy which are pivotal – are there features of these experiences which are similar to all participants? How do the GIM therapists perceive these moments identified by their clients as pivotal – are there features which are similar to the GIM therapists? What are the features of the music which underpin the pivotal moments – are there similarities in structure and/or elements? (For complete abstract open document)
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ItemMelodia et rhetorica: the devotional song repertory of Hildegard of Bingen( 2000-07)A central focus of this thesis is the word-music relationship in the devotional-song-repertory of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). Surrounding this focus is an examination of aspects of her life and work that relate to the production of her seventy-seven monophonic songs. This examination commences with a review of biographical sources, collation and discussion of parchment sources of her music, and identification of her music scribes. The theme of Hildegard’s music scribes is then developed, including their influence upon the liturgical genres in which her songs are cast and the melodic behaviour of her music. It is argued that, as a result of the rendering of her melodies on the medieval gamut, the surviving sources of her songs represent corruptions of orally produced chant. The word-music relationship in Hildegard’s songs is then introduced. Her views on the role of music and her own role as monastic preacher form the basis of an examination of the relationship between rhetoric and her songs. This examination draws on contemporary modes of rhetorical criticism, and an approach which treats her songs as musically articulated rhetorical discourse is developed. A selection of her songs is then examined through this approach, and particular attention is given to songs which preserve unusual melodic behaviours. It is argued that her songs represent iubilatio responses to both the grammatical and rhetorical syntagms of her song texts, and melodic characteristics which suggest traces of her pre-redacted melodies are identified. As a codicil to this study, a critique of ‘new’ and ‘unusual’ monastic practices in Germany by Anselm of Havelberg (c.1100-1158) forms a point of departure for discussion of a small number of surviving songs which surrounded the production of Hildegard’s music - the five monophonic songs comprising the Epithalamia to the Speculum virginum (c.1140), and a twelfth-century canticle setting emanating from the monastic home of her music scribes. This examination points towards a tradition of ‘new’ and ‘unusual’ musical practices in Southern Germany during the twelfth century and provides one possible context for Hildegard’s devotional-song repertory.
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ItemStudies in the iconography of Franz Liszt( 2001)This iconographical study examines how Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was represented in visual art and proposes an explanatory framework for analysing these representations. The method of iconographical analysis focuses upon the art historian Michael Baxandall's concept of pictorial style. An essential aspect of this approach is an examination of the use of visual cues to read the iconography of Liszt. Nineteenth-century beliefs of pathognomy (bodily gesture and expression) and physiognomy (physical appearance) were found to have pervaded the iconography. These concepts are then applied to the different genres and media of Lisztian iconography, including the "high art" of oil portraiture, and popular prints such as lithography, photography and caricature. Depictions of Liszt at the piano are analysed separately in an attempt to relate the iconographical study to performance practice. The study found that Liszt was represented differently according to the particular media and genre of the representations, and that there was no unified manifestation of his image. No one model of visual representation has been found, explaining why a single canonical image of Liszt has not endured. There are, however, recurring visual motifs in much of his iconography. Two prominent but contradictory themes within Lisztian portraiture are the representation of Liszt as a Romantic genius, separate from society, and the depictions alluding to the artist as hero, esteemed within society. These differing visual themes reflect Liszt's own uncertainty regarding his emerging role and growing status as a musician. Liszt's association with many leading artists of his time facilitated the cultivation of images that suited his ambitions as a leading Romantic figure. A specifically visual theme present in many portraits is that of allusiveness; namely an element of evasiveness in Liszt's gaze as seen by the viewer, relating to the concept of the Romantic artist as an isolated genius. A suitably interpreted iconography of Liszt at the keyboard supports a reassessment of his role in the development of nineteenth-century pianism. A large number of depictions were considered unreliable as indicators of Liszt's piano playing, but each medium has its own strengths and weaknesses in terms of historical veracity as a performance practice document; photography, specifically, offers topographical exactness while not being a reliable indicator of posture and gesture. This contrasts with caricatures of Liszt, which were found to indicate reliably his gestures at the piano. These findings are validated through various written records of Liszt throughout his lifetime. It is argued throughout the study that the most appropriate method of analysis of Lisztian iconography is through a recognition and classification of nineteenth-century visual practice.
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ItemCan copyright cope with music?( 2001)The purpose of this dissertation is to consider whether the copyright regime that presently exists in Australia adequately protects different kinds of music. It reviews the history of music and copyright law with particular emphasis on English law as this forms the basis of Australian law. It examines how the courts have handled music under the copyright regime and considers the problems that the history of copyright law present for the protection of improvised and indigenous music. The dissertation concludes that although copyright has problems coping with some kinds of music such as jazz, aleatory music and indigenous music, these problems do not warrant wholesale changes in copyright law. Copyright, while trying to protect all forms of creative works is also trying to protect two mutually exclusive objects, the creator and the public. Nineteenth century developments in copyright gave much greater protection to the creator, but began to lose sight of the other important rationale for copyright, dissemination of information and creation of the public domain. Present day developments are going even further. The balance is changing and the public, and ultimately the creator, is the loser. The question that confronts today's legislators is, should the copyright regime, with its inherent philosophies based on eighteenth and nineteenth century ideas of property and creativity, be retained and simply amended as required, or should it be abandoned altogether. This thesis posits the view that wholesale alteration of copyright law to include improvised music and music which is orally transmitted and collectively composed will not benefit the public. It is not in the best interests of creators who have a right to reasonably freely available information. Nor would it be of benefit to indigenous societies since it would be imposing ideas that might conflict with the creative ideals of those societies.