Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts

Department

Music

Committee Chair

Albert Nguyen

Committee Member

Josef Hanson

Committee Member

William Plenk

Committee Member

William Shaltis

Abstract

This dissertation contributes to the wind band’s long-standing tradition of transcription by producing a performable wind ensemble transcription of three movements of Nikolai Medtner’s Six Skazki, op. 51 (Nos. 1, 3, and 6) and documenting the orchestrational decisions that shape the transfer from piano to band. Although transcriptions have historically been a staple in wind repertoire, major composers and styles are still missing, and contemporary wind culture increasingly champions the revitalization of old standards. The selected skazki offer narrative and folk-like motives that can be heard as conceptually adjacent to early twentieth-century wind literature, while remaining singular to Medtner’s distinctive harmonic and pianistic complexity. The project’s central aim was twofold: to realize a practical, idiomatic transcription that can function as either three independent concert pieces or a unified suite, and to articulate a replicable methodology for guided transcriptions grounded in musical function. The transcription prioritized accessibility through a slightly modified standard wind ensemble instrumentation, avoiding extended instrumentation and excessive personnel. Because Medtner’s piano textures are frequently dense and multi-layered, I followed the hierarchy of: melodic function, harmonic direction, timbre, selective simplification, redistribution, and re-voicing when necessary to preserve clarity and playability without reducing expressive intent. Methodologically, the process began with score input into Sibelius notation software and a functional analysis to identify essential melodic, accompanimental, motivic, and harmonic materials. Orchestrational decisions were guided by register, timbre, and balance considerations, supported by repertoire study of effective wind combinations of instrumentation, texture, and articulation. The resulting score and commentary demonstrate how transcription can operate as both artistic creation and analytical inquiry.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access

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