Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts

Department

Music

Committee Chair

Michelle Vigneau

Committee Member

Daryn Zubke

Committee Member

Janet Page

Committee Member

Mary Wilson

Abstract

This dissertation presents transcriptions of three nineteenth-century opera arie for oboe and string quintet as a means of engaging and adding to the instrument’s relatively limited Romantic-era repertoire. While the eighteenth and twentieth centuries produced substantial bodies of work for the oboe, the nineteenth-century reflects a noticeable reduction in solo and chamber compositions, influenced by factors including slower mechanical development, and aesthetic-related acoustic constraints. The study includes transcriptions of Léo Delibes’s “Air des clochettes” from Lakmé, Jacques Offenbach’s “Les oiseaux dans la charmille” from Les contes d’Hoffmann, and Vincenzo Bellini’s “Casta Diva” from Norma, selected to represent vocal styles from the operatic soprano repertoire. The primary focus lies in the analytical and methodological processes underlying these transcriptions, including orchestration reduction, registral distribution, articulation, and dynamic shaping within a chamber context. Consideration is given to nineteenth-century performance practice, particularly in relation to phrasing, tempo flexibility, and the influence of vocal aesthetics on instrumental interpretation, with the oboe functioning as the soprano voice. By preserving key structural and expressive elements while adapting the works for reduced instrumentation, these transcriptions suggest that opera adaptation may offer a viable and historically informed approach to expanding the oboe’s Romantic repertoire.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access

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