Similarities between two dissimilar American piano sonatas of the 1960s: The second piano sonatas of Robert Muczynski and Robert Starer.

摘要

Two significant American composers, Robert Muczynski (b.1929) and Robert Starer (b.1924), composed piano sonatas in the years 1964-66, despite the tendency of other composers of the time to utilize less traditional structures. The second Sonatas of Muczynski and Starer are intricately conceived, finely crafted, and worthy examples of mid-century trends in American composition and they give evidence of the continuing viability of the sonata form. This study will examine the stylistic similarities between two works that utilized, paradoxically, differing methods of compositional technique. These men chose different compositional languages, yet they chose the same formal structure to organize their work. This study will focus on those features that are style-determinant. I believe that many of the common stylistic traits present in the second piano Sonatas of Robert Muczynski and Robert Starer may be a result their common environment, as contemporary trends common to the culture of composers can have a significant influence on the style of their works.