Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
DMA
College
College of Creative Arts
Department
School of Music
Committee Chair
Hope Koehler
Committee Member
William Koehler
Committee Member
Matthew Heap
Committee Member
General Hambrick
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the value of incorporating American folk-song into a formal voice recital program, specifically the collections and compositions of Jean Ritchie. This qualitative study identified criteria for choosing specific folk-songs to include in formal recital, assessed quality in a folk-song arrangement, discussed suitable instrumentation for accompaniment, and suggested appropriate performance practices for concert performance. New folk-song literature was discovered through accessing original unpublished sources in the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. Finally, a format and program for incorporating the collected and composed folk-songs of Jean Ritchie in formal recital was developed. It was determined that American folk-song continues to be a valuable source of literature for the art-song repertoire. While much of the folk-song literature remains to be arranged for formal recital, folk-songs can be discovered, arranged, and performed in recital, remaining true to the original intention of the composer, thus diversifying, enriching, and enhancing the art-song repertoire.
Recommended Citation
Laird, Julianne E., "Folk-song to formal performance: Interpreting the songs of Jean Ritchie for voice recital" (2019). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 7473.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/7473