Recital Document

This document represents information on topics derived from music within my graduate recital. Although three separate topics, they are unified through the idea of subjectivity. This idea is based on interpreting music through personal feelings, tastes, or opinions, rather than an analytical approach. The more I researched, the more interested I became. Chapter one, Spanish Vocal Literature: Expanding Diction and Literature in the Voice Studio through Folk Songs from Mexico and South America, takes a detailed view into Spanish art song and its place in the voice studio. Chapter two, Interpreting Handel's "Sorge Infausta Una Procella" Through Narrative: An Analytical Tool for Expressive Performance, discusses possible interpretations of George Frideric Handel's "Sorge Infausta una Procella" through the use of narrative within a piece. This chapter also presents the use of a character diagram and the observation of ornamentation in the aria as tools to enhance the performance of this aria. Chapter three, Music and the Gay Composer: An Examination through Biography, Compositional tendencies, and Sociocultural status, provides a look into the life of Cole Porter, Samuel Barber, and Jake Heggie, and how the cultural landscape towards homosexuality has shifted throughout their lives. The chapter concludes with a discussion of possible compositional tendencies that can be observed within gay composers.