Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
2-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
D.M.A.
Program
Music
Advisor
Philip A. Ewell
Committee Members
Joseph N. Straus
Gabrielle Cornish
Daniel Phillips
Subject Categories
Music Performance | Music Theory
Keywords
music analysis, Soviet Union, performance, Sonata, Duet
Abstract
Galina Ustvolskaya, Russian composer born in 1919 in Petrograd, navigated a life amidst the tumultuous changes in Soviet-era music and the upheavals of her home city. This dissertation explores Ustvolskaya’s compositions for violin and piano, to deepen the understanding of her musical language and style.
Despite the constraints and challenges imposed by the era’s political landscape, Ustvolskaya boldly crafted a distinct musical identity, writing social-realist compositions while privately cultivating a highly complex, individual style.
Few scholars have undertaken a comprehensive look at her music. This dissertation contributes to a growing body of recent scholarship by employing Russian music theorist Valentina Kholopova’s Expression Parameter model. I use this interpretive framework to analyze Ustvolskaya’s Sonata for Violin and Piano (1952) and the Duet for Violin and Piano (1964) and illustrate the subtleties of her compositional language.
By engaging directly with her compositions, the dissertation seeks to provide deeper insights into her oeuvre and secure her place within the twentieth-century musical canon.
Recommended Citation
Doane, Patrick, "Galina Ustvolskaya's Writing for Violin and Piano, 1952–1964" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5626
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