Charles Villiers Stanford's Preludes for Piano op.163 and op.179: A Musicological Retrospective (3 volumes)

Despite being credited as one of the leading figures of the British Musical Renaissance, Stanford’s piano music has remained hidden from serious musical scholarship and performance. In this dissertation an exploration of Stanford’s biography identifies changes in Stanford reception history which have affected the understanding of his piano music both during his career and posthumously. Stanford’s experiences as pianist and composer of piano music are explored to provide a contextual backdrop to the thesis. As the first composer to complete a set of twenty-four preludes in Ireland or England, and, as the preludes represent the pinnacle of his compositions for solo piano this provided the impetus to rediscover the music. In an aim to address misconceptions about Stanford’s piano music this thesis engages in a scholarly and critical examination of each prelude and contextualizes the pieces within the Baroque and Romantic prelude traditions. While analysis of the music highlights Stanford’s exemplary understanding of the piano, it also demonstrates how he merged ideas from both prelude traditions to make his own unique contribution to the genre. Traditionalistic tendencies in Stanford’s compositional writing are revealed through his rich and varied harmonic palette and his approach to structure and motivic development, while unifying compositional features are also noted. Stanford’s compositional intentions are considered, while issues of late style and nostalgia are raised. A revised edition of Stanford’s fortyeight preludes is also included along with a detailed editorial commentary. In response to the recent resurgence in scholarship on Stanford, this thesis raises an awareness of Stanford as a composer of piano music, re-evaluating the contribution he made to piano music in England and in Ireland. It will emphasise the value and importance of his collection of preludes and will reappraise Stanford as a significant composer of piano music in Irish musicological studies

Charles Villiers Stanford’s Experiences with and contributions to the solo piano repertoire

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) has long been considered as one of the leaders of the English Musical Renaissance on account of his work as composer, conductor and pedagogue. In his earlier years he rose to fame as a piano soloist, having been introduced to the instrument at a very young age. It is no surprise then that his first attempts at composition included a march for piano in i860. The piano continued to play an important role in Stanford’s compositional career and his last piano work, Three Fancies, is dated 1923. With over thirty works for the instrument, not counting his piano duets, Stanford’s piano pieces can be broadly placed in three categories: (i) piano miniatures or character pieces which are in the tradition of salon or domestic music; (ii) works which have a pedagogical function; and (iii) works which are written in a more virtuosic vein. In each of these categories many of the works remain unpublished. In most cases the piano scores are not available for purchase and this has hindered performances after his death

From Child Prodigy to Conservative Professor?: Reception Issues of Charles Villiers Stanford

Stanford made a significant contribution to musical life in England throughout the course of his life and posthumously. Unfortunately, much of Stanford’s early posthumous reception is clouded by Herbert Howells’ statement above which can be attributed to the lack of performances of Stanford’s works outside of the choral and church and song tradition. Although Howells correctly commends Stanford for his achievements in these fields, Stanford’s accomplishments in other areas must be accounted for in order to portray a more fully-realized picture of a composer who enriched musical life in England. This article seeks to unveil the changing images of Stanford portrayed during his lifetime and posthumously

Charles Villiers Stanford’s Experiences with and contributions to the solo piano repertoire

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) has long been considered as one of the leaders of the English Musical Renaissance on account of his work as composer, conductor and pedagogue. In his earlier years he rose to fame as a piano soloist, having been introduced to the instrument at a very young age. It is no surprise then that his first attempts at composition included a march for piano in i860. The piano continued to play an important role in Stanford’s compositional career and his last piano work, Three Fancies, is dated 1923. With over thirty works for the instrument, not counting his piano duets, Stanford’s piano pieces can be broadly placed in three categories: (i) piano miniatures or character pieces which are in the tradition of salon or domestic music; (ii) works which have a pedagogical function; and (iii) works which are written in a more virtuosic vein. In each of these categories many of the works remain unpublished. In most cases the piano scores are not available for purchase and this has hindered performances after his death

From Child Prodigy to Conservative Professor?: Reception Issues of Charles Villiers Stanford

Stanford made a significant contribution to musical life in England throughout the course of his life and posthumously. Unfortunately, much of Stanford’s early posthumous reception is clouded by Herbert Howells’ statement above which can be attributed to the lack of performances of Stanford’s works outside of the choral and church and song tradition. Although Howells correctly commends Stanford for his achievements in these fields, Stanford’s accomplishments in other areas must be accounted for in order to portray a more fully-realized picture of a composer who enriched musical life in England. This article seeks to unveil the changing images of Stanford portrayed during his lifetime and posthumously

Charles Villiers Stanford's Preludes for Piano op.163 and op.179: A Musicological Retrospective (3 volumes)

Despite being credited as one of the leading figures of the British Musical Renaissance, Stanford’s piano music has remained hidden from serious musical scholarship and performance. In this dissertation an exploration of Stanford’s biography identifies changes in Stanford reception history which have affected the understanding of his piano music both during his career and posthumously. Stanford’s experiences as pianist and composer of piano music are explored to provide a contextual backdrop to the thesis. As the first composer to complete a set of twenty-four preludes in Ireland or England, and, as the preludes represent the pinnacle of his compositions for solo piano this provided the impetus to rediscover the music. In an aim to address misconceptions about Stanford’s piano music this thesis engages in a scholarly and critical examination of each prelude and contextualizes the pieces within the Baroque and Romantic prelude traditions. While analysis of the music highlights Stanford’s exemplary understanding of the piano, it also demonstrates how he merged ideas from both prelude traditions to make his own unique contribution to the genre. Traditionalistic tendencies in Stanford’s compositional writing are revealed through his rich and varied harmonic palette and his approach to structure and motivic development, while unifying compositional features are also noted. Stanford’s compositional intentions are considered, while issues of late style and nostalgia are raised. A revised edition of Stanford’s fortyeight preludes is also included along with a detailed editorial commentary. In response to the recent resurgence in scholarship on Stanford, this thesis raises an awareness of Stanford as a composer of piano music, re-evaluating the contribution he made to piano music in England and in Ireland. It will emphasise the value and importance of his collection of preludes and will reappraise Stanford as a significant composer of piano music in Irish musicological studies

Charles Villiers Stanford\u27s Preludes for Piano op.163 and op.179: A Musicological Retrospective (3 volumes)

Despite being credited as one of the leading figures of the British Musical Renaissance, Stanford’s piano music has remained hidden from serious musical scholarship and performance. In this dissertation an exploration of Stanford’s biography identifies changes in Stanford reception history which have affected the understanding of his piano music both during his career and posthumously. Stanford’s experiences as pianist and composer of piano music are explored to provide a contextual backdrop to the thesis. As the first composer to complete a set of twenty-four preludes in Ireland or England, and, as the preludes represent the pinnacle of his compositions for solo piano this provided the impetus to rediscover the music. In an aim to address misconceptions about Stanford’s piano music this thesis engages in a scholarly and critical examination of each prelude and contextualizes the pieces within the Baroque and Romantic prelude traditions. While analysis of the music highlights Stanford’s exemplary understanding of the piano, it also demonstrates how he merged ideas from both prelude traditions to make his own unique contribution to the genre. Traditionalistic tendencies in Stanford’s compositional writing are revealed through his rich and varied harmonic palette and his approach to structure and motivic development, while unifying compositional features are also noted. Stanford’s compositional intentions are considered, while issues of late style and nostalgia are raised. A revised edition of Stanford’s fortyeight preludes is also included along with a detailed editorial commentary. In response to the recent resurgence in scholarship on Stanford, this thesis raises an awareness of Stanford as a composer of piano music, re-evaluating the contribution he made to piano music in England and in Ireland. It will emphasise the value and importance of his collection of preludes and will reappraise Stanford as a significant composer of piano music in Irish musicological studies

From Child Prodigy to Conservative Professor?: Reception Issues of Charles Villiers Stanford

Stanford made a significant contribution to musical life in England throughout the course of his life and posthumously. Unfortunately, much of Stanford’s early posthumous reception is clouded by Herbert Howells’ statement above which can be attributed to the lack of performances of Stanford’s works outside of the choral and church and song tradition. Although Howells correctly commends Stanford for his achievements in these fields, Stanford’s accomplishments in other areas must be accounted for in order to portray a more fully-realized picture of a composer who enriched musical life in England. This article seeks to unveil the changing images of Stanford portrayed during his lifetime and posthumously

From Child Prodigy to Conservative Professor?: Reception Issues of Charles Villiers Stanford

Stanford made a significant contribution to musical life in England throughout the course of his life and posthumously. Unfortunately, much of Stanford’s early posthumous reception is clouded by Herbert Howells’ statement above which can be attributed to the lack of performances of Stanford’s works outside of the choral and church and song tradition. Although Howells correctly commends Stanford for his achievements in these fields, Stanford’s accomplishments in other areas must be accounted for in order to portray a more fully-realized picture of a composer who enriched musical life in England. This article seeks to unveil the changing images of Stanford portrayed during his lifetime and posthumously

Charles Villiers Stanford’s Experiences with and contributions to the solo piano repertoire

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) has long been considered as one of the leaders of the English Musical Renaissance on account of his work as composer, conductor and pedagogue. In his earlier years he rose to fame as a piano soloist, having been introduced to the instrument at a very young age. It is no surprise then that his first attempts at composition included a march for piano in i860. The piano continued to play an important role in Stanford’s compositional career and his last piano work, Three Fancies, is dated 1923. With over thirty works for the instrument, not counting his piano duets, Stanford’s piano pieces can be broadly placed in three categories: (i) piano miniatures or character pieces which are in the tradition of salon or domestic music; (ii) works which have a pedagogical function; and (iii) works which are written in a more virtuosic vein. In each of these categories many of the works remain unpublished. In most cases the piano scores are not available for purchase and this has hindered performances after his death