A performer's guide to the Six Preludes, Op. 6, and Toccata, Op. 15, of Robert Muczynski, with a short synopsis of Russian influence and style.

摘要

The purpose of this document is to examine selected piano compositions by Robert Muczynski and to trace the important impact of the tradition of Russian composer-pianists from the middle nineteenth century through the early twentieth century with a discussion of stylistic features. The document is intended to offer pianists and piano teachers an introduction to the Six Preludes, Op. 6 and the Toccata, Op. 15.; Robert Muczynski (b.1929) is an American composer-pianist trained under the Russian composer-pianist Alexander Tcherepnin (1899–1977). Muczynski was strongly influenced by his teacher's Russian heritage and career as a composer-pianist. Tcherepnin passed on to Muczynski not only compositional techniques but a model for a career that combines composition and performance following a tradition that dates back to Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894), a founder of the Russian piano school. These Russian influences on Muczynski have greatly contributed to his style and to his career as a composer-pianist so that his career has come to resemble that of a Russian pianist.; Muczynski's Six Preludes, Op. 6, and Toccata , Op. 15, include many stylistic features that represent the composer's profound knowledge of the instrument and of performance. They offer excellent material for teaching late intermediate and early advanced piano students because the musical ideas in each piece are clear and each piece isolates a specific technical challenge.; Chapter 1 presents a biographical sketch of the composer and a survey of his works for solo piano. Chapter 2 traces the performance traditions and the stylistic origins of the Russian piano school. Chapter 3 examines stylistic features of Muczynski's music through comparison with features found in the works of Tcherepnin and Prokofiev. The performer's guide to Six Preludes , Op. 6, and to Toccata, Op. 15, in Chapter 4 is intended as a point of departure for the student at the intermediate or advanced level.; The conclusion summarizes the current study and concludes that Muczynski crystallized the essence of Russian tradition in his works which benefit from the composer's extensive understanding of pianism at the top level as a composer-pianist.