艾咪．畢琦鋼琴獨奏作品之探究

Abstract

十九世紀中葉前，美國僅存在著少數的古典音樂學習或演出的機構，在這樣的一個新興音樂環境中，出現了一群作曲家，他們在波士頓度過了部分的職業生涯，其中一位即是艾咪．畢琦 (Amy Beach, 1867 -1944)。 艾咪．畢琦以鋼琴家的身分演奏於美國與歐洲，並以作曲家的身分活躍於當時，創作了相當數量的鋼琴作品；她也是美國第一位成功創作大規模作品的女性作曲家。 本論文主要探究她的鋼琴獨奏作品。第一章為研究緒論。第二章概述美國二十世紀前之音樂的發展。第三章為艾咪．畢琦生平與創作歷程之論述。第四章則分析探究其鋼琴獨奏作品；可發現其在和聲語言、豐厚的織度與持續音的使用上是屬於浪漫樂派的手法，但架構曲式及樂句使用則屬古典形式的風格。第五章為總結。

Prior to the mid-nineteenth century, few institutions existed in the United States for the study or performance of classical music. Out of this emerging musical environment in America came a group of composers who spent a portion of their professional lives in Boston. Among these was Mrs. H. H. A. Beach (Amy Beach, 1867 -1944). Mrs. Beach performed as a pianist in both the United States and Europe, and as a composer produced a significant amount of works for piano. She was the first American woman composer who successfully composed large scale works. The purpose of this study was to analyze selected solo piano compositions of Mrs. Beach. Chapter 1 presents the need and purpose of the study. Chapter 2 reviews the cultural environment of art music in the United States prior to the twentieth century. Chapter 3 provides a brief biography of Mrs. Beach. In Chapter 4, an analysis of Mrs. Beach’s three compositional periods solo piano works. Harmonic language, thick textures, frequent modulation, and pedal points reveal the composer’s late romantic compositional language. Yet composer is classical in her approach to form and phrasing. A summary follows, which examines the basic components of the Beach compositional style.