Summary of Three Dissertation Cello Recitals Russian, Mexican and Female Voices through the Cello

Abstract

My three doctoral recitals explore music written by Russian composer Piotr Tchaikovsky, Mexican composers Manuel Ponce, Mario Lavista, Arturo Marquez and José Elizondo; and female composers Amy Beach, Andrea Casarrubios, Clara Petrozzi and Ethel Smyth. Each program not only allowed me to dive into the music written by the above-mentioned composers but also to learn more about cello pedagogy, foreign cultures, and underrepresented composers.

For my first dissertation recital, “Works By Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky”, I performed 18 works originally written for voice and piano, violin and piano, string quartet, and solo piano by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. These works were transcribed, edited and fingered by me. The 18 transcriptions for cello and piano belong to a larger project that I envisioned which involves publishing this music in a book and making it available to cellists from intermediate to advanced levels. The aim of this project is to make more of Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music accessible to cellists around the world. The pedagogical component of this project involved editing the music with bowings and fingerings to make it easier for the less experienced cellist to perform this beautiful music.

My second dissertation recital was titled “Música de México: From Impressionism to the 21st century”. This program featured music by Mexican composers who incorporated folk music from their country to their compositions. Their music was not only highly shaped by their Mexican heritage but also by other cultures. For instance, Manuel Ponce’s cello sonata was influenced by French impressionism, music from Cuba and Spain. Jose Elizondo’s Danzas Latinoamericanas embrace rhythms from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The music of Arturo Marquez is very much influenced by Cuban music and Mario Lavista’s avant garde writing features European styles and include religious genres as well as Medieval and Renaissance style.

My last dissertation recital was titled “Women's Voices From Around The World”. In this program I performed works by American composer Amy Beach, Spanish living composer Andrea Casarrubios, Peruvian-Finish living composer Clara Petrozzi and English composer Ethel Smyth. This recital encompassed music from the romantic period to 21st century atonal music. I chose this program because I am also a female musician and because I wanted to showcase music of underrepresented composers that is less performed for audiences today. In addition to performing Amy Beach’s Three Compositions op. 40 and Dreaming op. 15 no. 3, I also included an encore piece by Amy Beach titled Pastorale that was originally written for flute, cello and organ but later arranged for cello and organ. I performed this piece with organ and it gave a very special touch to the recital. Andrea Casarrubios wrote “Seven” as a tribute to the essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to those who lost lives and are still suffering from the crisis. More than one in the audience was touched by her work. Clara Petrozzi’s work “Interno” was dedicated to my first cello teacher, Annika Petrozzi, who is her mother. It was very meaningful for me to perform her work because of the connection I have to both musicians. Ethel Smyth’s sonata for cello and piano is a masterpiece that deserves to be performed as much as other major romantic sonatas of the cello repertoire. Her beautiful melodies, rhythmic activity, harmonies and dialogues, made its performance a memorable experience.